The Local Bracket

For an explanation of the NEALO.COM Lent 2010 Fast Food Fish Sandwich Tournament, click here.

My first thought when judging the local bracket of the NEALO.COM Lent 2010 Fast Food Fish Sandwich Tournament is “I hope this gets easier.” This was a tough call to make.

Bronco’s “Fishwich”
The interesting thing about Bronco’s “Fishwich” is that it’s a catfish fillet, as opposed to the usual cod, which seems to be the fast food standard. The Fishwich has some nice flavor and a good, solid texture — my common problems with the traditional cod fillet are that they’re sometimes mushy and often fall apart. Maybe the Fishwish’s advantage comes from its crustier exterior, which was quite tasty. The only topping on the Fishwich was a layer of tartar sauce beneath the fillet, which was just (barely) enough to keep the sandwich from being too dry.

I ordered the Fishwich combo, which came with fries and a drink. The fries were terrible — probably some of the worst fries I’ve ever had. On one hand, it’s not fair to judge a fish sandwich based on the fries. On the other hand, you don’t eat a fish sandwich in a vacuum, and if you plan on eating somewhere, you might want more than just a sandwich.

Don & Millie’s Fish Sandwich
The fish sandwich was surprisingly picturesque. I’m only now thinking “I should’ve taken pictures of these,” but a sandwich doesn’t usually look like it does in the picture. But this did! Content-wise, this seemed to be a much more standard cod fillet with some shaved lettuce and nice lumpy tartar sauce. The sandwich tasted a little bland when I started eating it, but it finished strong.

The fries were quite good. Overall, the meal was somewhat unremarkable, but still very pleasant.

The verdict
I had an uncomfortable sensation in my gut after eating at Bronco’s, but I have a feeling it was because of the fries. Don & Millie’s didn’t give me any negative after effects at all. Both were similarly priced — around $6 for the meal with tax.

I’ve decided to give the win to Bronco’s for the Fishwich. This was not an easy decision. The Don & Millie’s fish sandwich did nothing wrong, and I would happily eat it again, but I feel like the unique catfish quality of the Fishwich is enough to give it just a slight edge.

In a perfect world, this tournament would be double-elimination, and the Don & Millie’s fish sandwich would live on to battle the national chains. Sadly, that will not happen. In the real world, I need to eat Bronco’s Fishwich again tomorrow, and there’s no way I’m ordering fries.

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