The Best Fish Sticks

These sticks were made with whole pollock fillets, and tasters noticed, commenting that they liked the “visible flakes of fish,” which made it seem like they were eating a “breaded fish fillet . . . rather than a fish stick.” Tasters also liked the breading, describing it as “buttery” and as having a “nice crunch”; they also found the fish to be flavorful and “fishy,” but “not too fishy.” The size of these fish sticks was also just right, with tasters saying they were “substantial” and contained a “decent amount of fish.”

Although these fish sticks were made with minced pollock, which is often used to make cheaper fish sticks, most tasters enjoyed their flavor and texture. Tasters also praised these fish sticks for their mild and sweet fish flavor, “impressively crispy exterior,” and “buttery savoriness.” They closely resembled “classic fish sticks from childhood” and had a “well-balanced flavor and crunch.”

While most tasters liked the breading on these fish sticks, describing it as “impressively crispy” and “excellently crunchy,” many were left wanting a little more fish. But the overall flavor was decent, with one taster describing the fish sticks as “salty, crunchy, and soft inside” and another saying the fish was “faintly sweet.”

Described by one taster as “ginormous fish clubs,” these large fish sticks impressed our tasters at first sight. The flavor was good, too, with tasters saying the sticks had a “nice sweetness” and “the perfect fish stick taste: not too salty, not too fishy.” The only downside was a not-so-great coating, which some tasters found “chewy” and “gummy.”

Whole some tasters praised the breading’s crunch, the filling was described as “fishy in all the wrong ways.” Others agreed, saying “the flavor of the fish is SO fishy. Not good fishy like sushi, but bad fishy.” Some tasters also found that, although the fish looked flaky, the texture was mushy when they ate it.

Described by one taster as “stingy little things,” these pale fish sticks were the skinniest of the lineup. Tasters also complained of a strong, off-tasting fish flavor. “Tastes like breaded and fried canned tuna—way too fishy,” said one taster, while another thought they tasted like “they put a bunch of fish scraps together and said, ‘Blend it up, boys!’” Notes of oily fish overwhelmed our palates, making these our least favorite.