PHOTO COURTESY KRISTY GRAVER

I felt like a fish out of water at Eat’n Park’s Homestead test kitchen.

I’m a professional eater, not a chef, so it was slightly intimidating for me to enter “the heart of Eat’n Park’s culinary ocean” to batter and bread the company’s famous Whale of a Cod sandwich with guys who’ve been making the massive meal for decades.

Related: Who Has the Best Fish Fry in Pittsburgh?

I was either going to sink or swim.

John Frick, director of menu development, and culinary support specialist Joe Hull made me dive right into the action, handing me an apron instead of a life preserver. After bathing the 8-ounce North Atlantic Cod fillet in batter, I covered it in panko breadcrumbs, leaving a hideous mess in my wake. Frick and Hull, who have a combined 67 years of Eat’n Park experience, told me I did a great job during my first Whale of a Cod-making session, but I believe they were telling fish tales.

PHOTO BY KRISTY GRAVER

The cod takes a 2-minute dip in the fryer before being placed on a buttered, lightly toasted Cellone’s roll with a side of tartar sauce. You can make a “deluxe” version by putting American cheese and lettuce on top. It’s quite a catch and only slightly smaller than the one Wholey’s Fish Market made for its 111th anniversary in 2023.

There’s been a year-round fish sandwich on the menu since the restaurant debuted in 1949. Back then, a hungry patron could get a Filet of Sole for 40 cents, 20 cents cheaper than a Brawny Lad Cube Steak.  Thankfully, food styling has come a long way.

EAT’N PARK’S FIRST MENU FROM 1949

Whale of a Cod made a splash in the ’80s and, despite a proliferation of local fish fries (check out the 2025 Pittsburgh Lenten Fish Fry Map!), it still reels in thousands of customers during the season. I’m praying Eat’n Park brings back the Nashville Hot Whale of a Cod, because a little heat makes it taste even more heavenly.

Some employees get into the Whale of a Cod Season spirit by donning fish-shaped hats and earrings. I wore globs of tartar sauce on the front of my shirt.

Fittingly, I ate the enormous sandwich on Fat Tuesday. I think it can sustain me until my Easter Sunday chocolate bunny binge.