Captain D's Says It 'Changed' Its Battered Fish — But Won't Say To What

Captain D's Seafood Kitchen, which operates in 23 U.S. states, is definitely on the smaller side in the realm of seafood restaurants, yet its fried fish, shrimp, and more command a following that has kept it in business for 57 years. However, Captain D's recently made a change to its batter-dipped fish that left fans with questions — namely, what fish does the restaurant use now, and why does it taste so wrong?

Captain D's customers began smelling something fishy in mid-2025, when noting that the fish fillets suddenly went from light and flaky to heavy and strangely firm. Others reported the opposite, saying the fish was mushy, but many critics agreed that it had a bizarre, chicken-like taste and texture, which would only be acceptable if we were talking about Captain D's fan-favorite fried chicken. The fillets also shrank in size, and the coating went from crunchy to limp. "Not only were the planks skinnier, but the fish was tough and it was more batter than anything," wrote one Reddit user. Angry fans began accusing the restaurant of switching from pollock to a more controversial type of white fish: swai.

In February 2026, Captain D's confirmed in the comments of a Facebook video that it has "recently changed our fish due to market availability, but ... we're listening to all feedback". However, it has yet to specify which fish it now uses in its battered fillets. So why have customers latched onto swai as the scapegoat? A few clues explain the now-rampant rumor.

In a 2017 video posted to Captain D's YouTube channel, a chef stated that the batter-dipped fish was made with pollock — but in a more recent press release, Captain D's named tilapia as one of its signature ingredients. And while a page on Captain D's website about its ingredients used to list pollock and tilapia as well as "white fish," today, only the ambiguous white fish is listed. Interestingly, in the comments of a 2025 Facebook post, a customer accused the company of using swai, and Captain D's neither confirmed nor denied this in its reply.

There are also images floating around the internet of menus and fact sheets that describe Captain D's batter-dipped fish as farm-raised swai from Vietnam. One example was posted to the Facebook page Mississippi News, with the caption, "I love the new law where restaurants have to post where their fish comes from." This presumably refers to Mississippi's Seafood Labeling Law, enacted in 2025. However, the authenticity of these photos is up for debate.

At this point, you might be wondering: What is swai, and why does it have a bad rap? Swai is a delicate-tasting fish with a texture that's flaky like tilapia. Captain D's describes its white fish as "sweet and mild flavored fish," which does align with swai's flavor profile. However, while it's normally inoffensive taste-wise, swai is plagued by controversies that explain why Captain D's customers are so up in arms.

Plenty of people enjoy eating swai, but others say it lacks flavor, can be mushy, and strangely tastes like chicken, which aligns with recent complaints about Captain D's batter-dipped fish. More pressingly, consumers, retailers, and government officials like the European Parliament have raised concerns about unhygienic, environmentally damaging practices at swai farms. Most swai on the U.S. market is imported from Vietnam, where many farms illegally discharge liquid waste into surrounding environments. The idea that the fish presumably live in this waste is also concerning, to say the least.

Meanwhile, wild-caught swai often retains heavy metals, plastic residue, and other toxins absorbed from polluted living environments, which may be detrimental to human health. Swai's use in restaurants has also been under fire. Since it's very cheap, some establishments pass off swai as more expensive fish, giving it a reputation as a low-quality imposter.

This is why many people avoid buying swai at all costs, and why customers are so miffed at Captain D's. Not only has the batter-dipped fish reportedly downgraded in taste, but diners are angry that the chain allegedly chose cost-cutting measures over quality. If tilapia was indeed the fish Captain D's used prior to this, it may have switched over because U.S. tilapia imports dropped severely in 2025, mainly due to government tariffs. This would explain the "market availability" comments from the restaurant. We may never know what fish the chain uses now, but customers might protest until it switches back to something better.