Did Captain D's Fish Quality Change? What Keen-Eyed Customers Have Noticed

From cruising through the drive-thru to sitting down and relaxing while enjoying a seriously loaded seafood platter, many fast food lovers have come to rely on Captain D's, a quick-service restaurant known for serving up satisfying fried fish, chicken, and more. The restaurant offers many meal options, some of which we tried and ranked, solid sides (including corn and hush puppies), and has seen a bit of a meteoric rise in recent months — the once-struggling chain has made a comeback after years, making a financial turn for the better. It's tough to say whether the seafood restaurant's comeback will continue, however, as customers are taking to social media to complain about changes in the quality of the restaurant's fish. 

Fans of Captain D's aren't holding back when it comes to their disappointment in the changes they're seeing at the restaurant. Some customers have said the chain's fish doesn't even taste like fish anymore — rather, it looks like chicken and they can't place the taste. Another customer even thought she was served chicken instead of fish due to its texture and was told by Captain D's staff she wasn't the first to feel confused since they changed the type of fish they use. Portion size has also been an issue. Some customers said the fish filets are much thinner than they used to be and the chain was serving partially full sides.

We aren't sure exactly why things have changed recently at Captain D's, but we (and plenty of customers) have a few ideas. As we mentioned, the chain experienced some financial difficulties in recent years. It's possible it made the switch to swai (a freshwater white fish) in order to save some cash as it's a much cheaper fish to source. Money issues might also explain the decrease in perceived portion sizes. 

Captain D's may be looking ahead with its global expansion. According to its website, the chain recently opened in Canada and the U.K., and has plans to expand around the world. This could also lead to necessary cost cutting, prompting the switch to a more affordable fish. While Captain D's hasn't released anything official regarding recipe changes, it mentioned in a press release that it's working to "engineer the menu" — including exploring new species of fish — to create a value-driven customer experience, hinting at pushing limits.

It's tough to ignore the social media chatter regarding the changing tastes of menu items loyal customers have loved for years. There is supposedly Captain-D's paperwork making the rounds on social media detailing the chain's switch from pollock to swai (one savvy Captain D's customer even took a picture of an empty box labeled with swai behind a Captain D's location).  Only time will tell whether the chain's global expansion proves sustainable — or whether Captain D's will regress financially like so many other restaurant chains.