We Tried 9 Captain D's Meals And Ranked Them Worst To Best

Captain D's is a fast-casual chain that had its origins in Tennessee all the way back in 1969. It has had its ups and downs but is now beginning to expand into countries outside the U.S. It may seem odd that a seafood chain would come to fruition in a landlocked state, but perhaps it was just that dilemma that inspired the founders to bring great seafood at surprisingly affordable prices to places that don't typically see it.

Being a fast casual chain rather than fast food, you can expect the quality of ingredients and presentation to be a step above a Filet-O-Fish or similar fast-fried fish. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the restaurant I visited and the enthusiasm of the staff. Out of an expansive menu, some dishes stood out as plates that were both delicious, unique to the chain, and a fantastic deal, but in reality, the whole menu was quite enticing, and I can see why the chain is making a splash in seafood and starting expand overseas.

Placing the Giant Fish Sandwich in last place has nothing to do with the fish itself. It's perfectly crispy, has great flavor, and is juicy on the inside. It's more so that I'd rather order the fish on its own; the sandwich toppings are so minimal they actually detract from the quality of the fish.

The toppings are basic: a soft hamburger bun (sans sesame seeds), tartar sauce, and shredded lettuce. Simply put, it's sad. I'm dying for a slaw topping that adds a heartier crunch and touch of sweetness as compared to the limp serving of shredded lettuce. There are many ways to get creative with fish sandwiches, such as adding pickled onions or other ingredients that bring a bit of brightness and crunch to the softness of the fish. The flavors and toppings on the sandwich just aren't there, thus making it a meal I wouldn't order again.

Now, the fried fish itself is fantastic. You could order it as a meal with coleslaw as your side and simply add a generous portion of the nicely seasoned (and not overly soggy) slaw to the sandwich on your own. 

In eighth place is the Cajun Catfish Sandwich. My reasoning is straightforward; the toppings (tartar and shredded lettuce) are the same as the aforementioned Giant Fish Sandwich and don't make for an enjoyable eating experience. This sandwich was, however, a lot more enjoyable than the first because of the flavor of the breading. There's a generous portion of Cajun seasoning mixed into the Southern-style breading, and it brings so much great spice to the sandwich you almost forget the limp, soggy lettuce. Still, I would rather have that fish on its own, as I don't think the lettuce is doing it any favors.

If I did order this sandwich again, I'd make sure to grab a few D's dipping sauce containers. I'd also snag some fresh-cut lemons provided at the sauce counter and a side of coleslaw to build it into something with a bit more life.

I ordered my Grilled White Fish Meal with original seasoning, fries, and fried okra. The okra is my favorite of the sides. Because although okra can be hit-or-miss texturally for some people, its fried form is the easiest to swallow for those who fear the sliminess it can bring.

The white fish itself was my least favorite of the grilled fish meals, probably because it was the least tender. It wasn't bad by any means, but it simply wasn't the best. The original seasoning (salt and pepper, I believe) was evenly distributed. I recommend grabbing some freshly cut lemons to brighten your fish in addition to the original seasoning.

All in all, any of the grilled meal plates are impressively executed for a fast-casual chain. The fish isn't overly dry, the rice is nicely seasoned, and the side options offer a lot of variety.

I ordered my grilled salmon blackened, which is a classic seasoning and preparation style for salmon. My only real complaint with the dish was the blackening — it just wasn't there. Even so, the whole plate was fantastic. There are many mistakes to avoid when cooking salmon (and fish in general), and this piece rides a nice middle ground between not being so pink you deter the general public and not being so overcooked that it sticks to your teeth. It was juicy, well-seasoned, and delicious with the rice it's served on top of.

For my sides, I tried the mac and cheese and corn on the cob. The mac was a Kraft-style sauce probably made with very little actual cheese, but this is fast-casual, after all, so I wouldn't expect anything fancier. As far as chain restaurant mac and cheese goes, it's good. It's far from dried out, as there's a generous amount of creamy sauce that keeps you licking your spoon. The corn on the cob is also good; ask for some butter to make the experience complete.

The Supreme Sampler comes with two pieces of battered and fried fish, two chicken tenders, six butterfly shrimp, your choice of two sides, as well as two hush puppies. It's a great deal, and everything on the plate was good. I rated it fifth because while it's an enjoyable plate, I find the chicken tenders to be a bit unnecessary and would rather order more of what Captain D's is known for — seafood. They're not bad tenders. The meat-to-breading ratio is perfect, and the breading is nicely seasoned. But they're not the juiciest pieces of chicken out there, and were I craving crispy tenders, it would make more sense to go to one of the many chains that specializes in the dish.

The rest of the plate's components are fantastic. The fish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the shrimp are slightly sweet and have a great texture, and the two sides and hush puppies make for quite a large plate of food for a very reasonable price (around $15).

The whitefish meal comes with one large filet of Southern-style fried whitefish, hush puppies, and two sides. The fish has a fantastic breading (which seems to be cornmeal-based) that's just thick enough with the perfect crunch. I rated it below the fried catfish and grilled tilapia meals only because it lacks some of the buttery flavor and juiciness of the other fish — although I would order this dish again. 

Given the type of fish, you can expect it to be ever so slightly firmer than a tilapia or salmon, but the breading is what makes the dish in terms of texture and seasoning. The most enjoyable part of it is the crunch of that Southern-style breading. Plus, the hush puppies have little bits of onion in the batter, adding to the savory flavor. They are absolutely delicious dipped in honey mustard, one of the many sauces provided at Captain D's. 

The tilapia was my favorite of the grilled fish meals. The fish is so very tender and juicy that it melts in your mouth and mixes perfectly with each bite of seasoned rice. For this fish, I tried out the lemon pepper seasoning, and it was fantastic. You won't need fresh lemon wedges, as the seasoning has the perfect peppery kick rounded out by a bright note of citrus that makes you want to devour the whole filet in minutes. Lemon pepper is the way to go when ordering the grilled fish plates.

Depending on the sides you order, the rice and grilled (rather than deep-fried) fish make this meal decently healthy for a fast-casual dish. I ordered coleslaw and green beans to accompany the fish, and it already came with rice and a breadstick (which is probably not as healthy, considering how sweet it is). The coleslaw is fantastic, and the green beans are of the canned variety that come cooked with bits of ham, which are simple but do have a nice salty, umami taste to them. Priced at $10.99, this plate is also a good deal.

When I first split a piece of catfish in half, delicious juices ran down my hand. I'm a believer that messy food is the best food; thus, it immediately won my heart. The fish is incredibly flaky and tender. It tastes like melted butter, and the crust, a Southern-style cornmeal breading, is crunchy and delicious. It was my favorite of the fried dishes, and I would come back to Captain D's to eat it over and over again.

For my sides, I ordered coleslaw and fries, both of which tasted great. The fries are pretty typical — not too thin or too limp, just right for dunking in sauces, and not overly salty. They are especially good with the D's Dipping Sauce, which has a sweet and savory flavor. The coleslaw is perfect; it retains a nice crunch from the cabbage with a slightly sweet and tangy dressing.

Saving the best for last — the Deluxe Seafood Platter. For $13.99 you get two batter-dipped fish fillets, six of those slightly sweet, perfectly tender fried shrimp, two sides, hush puppies, and the cherry on top: two seafood-stuffed crab shells. They're basically crab cakes, but the presentation of cooking them inside a crab shell adds to both the experience and flavor. The texture is slightly soft (not crispy like a more traditional crab cake might be), and the rich crab flavor is complemented by slices of green onion. I would return to Captain D's for this plate especially and suspect that I'll be thinking of those stuffed crab shells often.

For my sides, I chose a baked potato, along with which you get butter and sour cream, as well as fried okra. The okra has a light breading and that creamy bite that makes it so controversial. It's an incredible deal for so much food, especially considering the quality, and is a great representation of the kind of effort that this fast-casual chain is putting into its plates. 

My methodology for ranking these dishes was mainly to find the best-tasting items for the most reasonable price. I was looking for good cooks on the fish (probably the most important part of seafood), good seasoning, quality of the sides, and a good selection of sauces. It wasn't a particularly hard task, as Captain D's whole menu is full of great food at a fair price. The standard items that come with many elements, typically either a breadstick or hush puppies, were also delicious.

Thus, to finally decide the order of this list, I looked for the meals that were perfectly put together, so much so they would cause me to leave, continue thinking about them, and come back for more. Everyone can make a fish sandwich, but can they make it a craveable fish sandwich?