The Worst Store-Bought Frozen Fish Stick Comes From This Old School Brand

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Whether you're shopping for the best type of fish to use for crispy homemade fish sticks, or picking up a ready-made pack, you want the final product to have all the crunchy, nostalgic flavors that make fish sticks such a classic. Sure, there are ways to upgrade frozen fish sticks, but it helps if they're properly crunchy on the outside and flaky on the inside to begin with. 

When it comes to buying store-bought, knowing what to avoid will benefit you just as much as recognizing the top options. So Chowhound ranked frozen store-bought fish sticks from worst to best. And it came as a bit of a surprise that the familiar Gorton's variety, with its famed yellow hat and slicker-clad seaman, really scraped the bottom of the barrel. 

In spite of the iconic branding, Gorton's classic fish sticks just don't taste like much. The seasonings that helped some competitors rank higher on our list are absent. Our number one fish stick is less likely to ring any bells, but it outpaced the rest nonetheless. Trident Seafoods' ultimate fish sticks stood out for their fresh flavors bolstered by notes of lemon and detectable seasonings like onion and garlic. They're super crunchy and sturdy enough to hold up to a slew of dipping sauces, or star in any number of tacos and sandwiches. Trident Seafoods ultimate fish sticks are available online and at some brick and mortar stores. 

Even if you didn't picture the Gorton's fisherman's sunny raincoat and silver fox coiffure, you might have recalled its jingle, which rings simply, "trust the Gorton's fisherman," but, you know, convincingly. And plenty of people have trusted the character and all of his frozen catches since 1849. But what was once a brand behemoth is not the only fish in the sea. And even some of the posters on Gorton's own website decried its fish sticks' limp finish and paucity of flavor.

We prepared each of the fish stick options we tried in an air fryer for the best results, and we recommend using the same method. Otherwise, if you prefer the oven, we've found that an extra minute or so of baking time can improve the exterior texture. Should the wining Trident fish sticks not be available near you, KidFresh fish sticks and Trader Joe's breaded fish sticks placed second and third on our list respectively. Then, if you need a quintessential fish stick dip to pair, we've also found the best store-bought tartar sauce you can buy.