Fish sandwiches have long been the forgotten corner of the fast-food menu. They get a little advertising love every Lent, and some people are positively addicted to them, but they're just not most folks' food of choice when they hit the drive-through for lunch or dinner.

This is a shame, really, as it's not that hard to make a really good fish sandwich. If you're reading this within a day's drive of New Orleans, you've tasted the wonder of a fried catfish po'boy, one of the simplest sandwiches on Earth.

The problem, of course, is that a good fish sandwich requires fresh fish, battered or dredged, fried and served immediately. None of the chains, even those devoted to serving fish and seafood, seem willing to do that. The ratings, sadly, reflect that lack of attention.

For the first time in any of these tests, I couldn't find a single entry worthy of an A grade.

All the sandwiches are graded on the A to F scale, and nutritional information is provided for each one.

Long John Silver's Fish Sandwich: 470 calories, 23 grams fat, 4.5 mg cholesterol, 1210 mg sodium, 48 grams carbs

You would think a sandwich from the biggest name in fast-food fishy business would walk away with the contest. Sadly, the chain seems more interested in shoveling out its buttered lobster bites, which may or may not contain lobster, depending on your definition of the term. The fish plank was overcooked, with the edges almost impenetrable to the tooth. The bun tasted like it came from a place where the main focus was not sandwiches. Final grade: C.

McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: 380 calories, 18 grams fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 660 mg sodium, 38 grams carbs

I'm quite sure that somewhere in the vast landscape of fast-food offerings there is a more depressing sandwich than this one, but I've yet to find it. Even the glossy menu-board photo, showing a plain bun encasing a fish square topped with waxy-looking cheese, isn't inspiring. The sandwich I received had the fish placed atop the cheese, thus ensuring that it maintained its maximum waxy consistency. It would be hard to imagine a less-inspiring sandwich. Grade: F

Burger King Big Fish: 640 calories, 32 grams fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 1450 mg sodium, 67 grams carbs

In the grilled chicken face-off, BK ran the table but also came in highest on fat and calories. This time, that "go large" trick didn't quite pay off. The fish was too thin for the amount of toppings and bun, getting quite completely lost in the background. It was fairly tasty, but the fish may as well have been tofu. Grade: C+

Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich: 450 calories, 22 grams fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 1050 mg sodium, 47 grams carbs

This was the best of the "fish plank" sandwiches, with some actual flavor to the fish patty itself and a really excellent bun. It was still very bland, though, and that excellent bun swallowed the fish like a largemouth bass eating a topwater lure. Final grade: B.

Captain D's Deluxe Classic Fish Sandwich: 890 calories, 59 grams fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 2050 mg sodium, 62 grams carbs

Rather than the fish patties served by the previous contenders, Captain D's goes with chunks of actual fish. The problem here was the breading. It was soggy, a common problem with frozen fish that comes pre-battered. I give the chain credit for using identifiable fish, but the score still comes in at a B-.

Jack In The Box Fish Fillet Sandwich: Nutritional information not available.

This is the newest contender in the fish sandwich throwdown, and it's the winner by a nose. The chunks of fish have a crisp batter that's almost fish-and-chips quality, with a great light crunch and no greasy finish. The problem here was the sauce, which had a metallic flavor that didn't do the sandwich any favors. Put a better-quality tartar sauce on here, or get really daring and hit it with some malt vinegar, and it would move beyond its final grade of B+.

So, it would appear that fish sandwiches still have a lot of room for improvement. Fast-food menus have made great leaps as far as offering more flavor and variety, but seafood is tricky stuff to handle when fresh. We'll have to wait and see if anyone steps up to the plate.

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