McDonald's Filet-O-Fish: Yea or Nay?

Yesterday I was sent on a mission to try all the cheeseburgers at McDonald's, a task I was not particularly excited for since I don't like McDonald's burgers. But there is one thing I do like at McDonald's: the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. While I used to eat them regularly as a kid, up until yesterday I probably hadn't eaten one in nearly ten years.

"What's in a Filet-O-Fish?" asked my co-worker Raphael.

"You've never had one? It's a sandwich with a fried fish patty, cheese, and tartar sauce."

"Cheese? There's cheese in it?" Raphael's face screwed up in disgust after I rattled off the sandwich's main components.

He was not loving it. His lack of love was so intense that he felt the need to write this "con" stance:

"Something about the Filet-O-Fish creeps me out. In my opinion, McDonald's meats are beef and chicken—Big Macs and McNuggets. Fish just doesn't fit into the equation. The sandwich is basically a deep-fried flat and wide fish stick, and some tartar sauce on a bun. But wait. There's a slice of CHEESE? For real? Horrifying."

He didn't taste the sandwich, but tasting it wouldn't have changed his mind; he hated the Filet-O-Fish with every fiber of his body.

I, on the other hand, still like it. It's actually better than it was a decade ago because now it comes in a more crush-proof box instead of just being wrapped in paper, thus protecting the fluffy bun from being flattened and squishing out all the sauce. Admittedly, my affinity for this combination of fried, breaded fish, processed orange cheese, and gloppy, tangy, pickle-studded mayonnaise on a soft, squishy bun has a lot to do with nostalgia. Like when I lived in Taiwan in 1997 and was so accustomed to eating large American portions that I'd buy a Filet-O-Fish in addition to a McChicken Extra Value Meal (to clarify, portion sizes in Taiwan were smaller than those in the U.S.—but I also assume that my metabolism was really good back then).

While these days I may not go to McDonald's just to get a Filet-O-Fish, I don't know where else I could easily fulfill the craving for fish, cheese, tartar sauce, and bread in every bite. (The craving hits. Sometimes.) If other burger joints made a similar sandwich, I'd probably eat their versions.

Is anyone else a Filet-O-Fish lover/hater?