Long John Silver's is here to serve up all of your favorite seafood with a side of hushpuppies and
tartar sauce. Wondering what your most delicious aquatic options are? We’ve got you covered.
Okay, so, right off the bat: No, this isn’t seafood. But bear with us! Long John Silver's
is obviously known for its seafood — it's named after an infamous pirate,
after all. The only protein it offers that isn't from the ocean is chicken.
The meal comes with three pieces of fried all-white meat chicken strips, two sides,
and two hushpuppies. If you're craving fried chicken, you might be tempted to choose this
option — but if that's the case, you're much better off leaving and going to KFC instead.
Long John Silver's chicken is completely dry, to the point that you almost need a drink after
most bites just to get it down your throat. It's also aggressively bland — and these two
factors together hit you with a one-two punch of extreme disappointment. The only positive
thing you could say about this chicken is that its batter offers a nice crunch,
but that's far from being a good reason to put yourself through this bummer of
a dining experience. When you're at Long John Silver's, stick to the ocean stuff.
"This chicken is dry. (cough)"
Fish can be a fickle thing to cook. It's not that it's especially difficult,
but there's a very small window during its cooking time in which it needs to
be removed — otherwise, it'll come out too tough or underdone. Unfortunately,
the Pacific cod at Long John Silver's falls into the former category, which
is why you should definitely look elsewhere on the menu even if you're a cod enthusiast.
When cooked correctly, cod should have a delicate texture and gentle
mouthfeel — but that's not what's happening at Long John Silver's. The filet is tough,
and you have to bite down much harder than you should to break it apart. Combine that
with a crispy fried breading, and you have a meal that you really have to work for to
enjoy. Since the texture hints at the fish being overcooked, there isn't much
flavor either. The result is a bland fried filet with a firm, unappealing texture.
The first person to take a piece of fish, slap it between two pieces of bread,
and slather some tartar sauce in the middle deserves an applause. Tartar sauce is the
perfect condiment for fish, much like ketchup is for a juicy burger. If fish sandwiches are
your thing, Long John Silver's offers customers a Pacific cod sandwich. The sandwich is simple:
a filet of fried cod served on bread with pickles and tartar sauce. These basic
ingredients have the potential for greatness, but they sadly fall short of ever achieving it.
Cod is the star of the show here, but it's undeserving of any kind of award. The fish
is tough as opposed to delicate and flaky, and the batter it's coated in only adds
to the unpleasantly firm texture. The only redeeming quality here is the tartar sauce,
which definitely lends some moisture to the filet. However, you're not buying a sandwich just for the
sauce. You're better off choosing a different item and snagging yourself a cod sandwich elsewhere.
Salmon is one of the most popular types of fish you can eat,
and for good reason. It has a great flavor on its own, and you can glaze it with an
assortment of sauces to up its flavor game. Plus, when it's cooked properly,
it has a delightfully flaky texture that almost melts on your palate. If you're the kind of
person who loves to satiate your appetite with salmon, you might feel tempted to opt for the
grilled salmon dish the next time you're at Long John Silver's. As it turns out, though,
you'd be much better off buying a filet from the supermarket and making it in your own kitchen.
The texture here is the biggest turnoff, although the flavor isn't anything to
write home about either. Instead of the flaky, delicate salmon meat you're probably imagining,
you get a filet that doesn't flake apart at all, but breaks apart in firm chunks instead.
The seasoning on the salmon skin does have a bit of flavor to help you forget about the
off-putting texture, but this is far from the best way to truly enjoy some grilled salmon.
"That salmon, awful. I mean, just awful."
Shrimp are great for two big reasons: They're delicious, first of all — and they're also
bite-sized, so you can toss back handful after handful without feeling like your belly is gonna
bust open. You can dip these delectable crustaceans in tons of different sauces,
or add them to pasta dishes for a burst of flavor. Long John Silver's offers customers
a battered shrimp option, but you may want to swim in another direction.
The issue you'll find trouble getting past here is the batter. The shrimp underneath the crispy
exterior is decently juicy and gives your mouth a nice rush of ocean flavor, but the batter is so
greasy it strips some of the enjoyment away from the taste of the shrimp. You feel like you're
eating a mouthful of oil along with some shrimp flavor, and it can quickly get overwhelming.
There are a couple of other shrimp options on the Long John Silver's menu — so if you really
need to kick it crustacean style, definitely check those out before choosing this dish.
If you're heading to Long John Silver's with salmon on your mind,
but you want something beyond a basic filet with a couple of side dishes,
the restaurant offers a grilled salmon bowl. The salmon is served over a bowl of rice,
and you can choose the preparation style: Baja, Southwest, sweet chili, or seasoned. Chances are
that if you love salmon, you could walk away from this dish feeling somewhat disappointed.
The texture of the salmon poses an issue for its enjoyment. It isn't the delicate cut of fish we
seek when cooked correctly: instead, it's a little too tough to thoroughly enjoy. That's not to say
you need teeth made of iron to get through it, but it doesn't offer a flaky texture that falls
apart in your mouth. However, the rice that forms the base of the bowl helps to give it a
softer consistency when the two are combined, which is definitely a plus. And depending on
which style you order, there's an accompanying creamy sauce that also lends some moisture.
Tacos are a classic party food, so it's understandable you'd want to
order some if you want to feel like you're at a "fiesta." Biting down on a tortilla brings an
enthusiastic attitude to your appetite, much like a good party does to your demeanor. So,
when you're at Long John Silver's, you might as well order up the grilled salmon
tacos and get the fiesta in your belly started, right? Maybe not.
The soft taco tortilla is great, and the choice of either Baja, Southwest,
sweet chili, or a seasoned style is also a good feature. However, it's the salmon — the star of
the show — that just does not arrive ready to woo its audience. The texture of the fish
just isn't as delicate as you want it to be. The saving grace here is the sauce that comes
with the Baja, Southwest, and sweet chili preparations: it adds much-needed moisture,
so you don't feel that your tacos have been a complete waste of cash.
There are so many different ways to cook shrimp: just ask Bubba Blue.
"You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it, there's shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole…"
Well, perhaps the most basic way to cook them is by simply tossing those little juicy suckers on a
grill. Long John Silver's serves a grilled shrimp dish for anyone trying to harness
their inner Bubba — and if you're looking for something that'll just fill your belly, it's
a solid option. If you're looking for an exciting blast of flavor, though, you might feel slighted.
The seasoning that dusts the shrimp looks like it'll hit you in the face with all kinds
of spices, but it never really takes off the ground. You get a few salty and savory notes,
but nothing ever strikes the palate full force. The texture is exactly what you want,
however, so at least that's a win. For flavor seekers, opt for another
version of shrimp to avoid a letdown — or douse them in your favorite sauces.
When you're heading to a restaurant you know serves fish, it's nice to have options aside from
the typical salmon dish. As great as it can taste, sometimes you want a different flavor profile to
change things up. This is what earns Long John Silver's some bonus points: yes, the restaurant
serves salmon, but it also offers Alaskan pollock to anyone craving a different kind of flavor.
If you order the Alaskan pollock platter, you get two golden filets of fried fish.
The batter on the outside isn't too greasy, which is nice because the fish itself can feel
oily at times. The flavor of the pollock beneath the crispy coating is very mild,
to the point that you might wish it hit you with a bit more. However,
it's not outright disappointing — and it can still satisfy people who want a subtler taste. The fish
has a delicate texture with a great mouthfeel that makes up for the lack of intense flavor.
You could definitely say that shrimp are the popcorn of the ocean. They're small,
which means you can throw them back just like a kernel of freshly popped corn,
and they have great flavor when cooked right. So, why not deep fry them until they're a
beautiful golden brown color and call them popcorn shrimp? Well, many places have — including Long
John Silver's, and the restaurant's version is worth diving into the water to obtain.
The crunch of the Long John Silver's popcorn shrimp is incredibly satisfying. The breading
isn't too thick and the shrimp are plump, so you never feel like you're getting stiffed with the
breading-to-shrimp ratio. You can also choose from a variety of sauces to plunge those little suckers
into, offering a plethora of different flavors and combinations. The sauce helps prevent the
fried coating from ever getting overwhelming, and it cranks up the flavor of the shrimp very nicely.
"Popcorn shrimp… with club sauce."
Simple grilled shrimp is a rather basic way to serve up these delicious crustaceans.
There are so many methods to prepare shrimp that this one doesn't really stand out. That
doesn't mean you can't take grilled shrimp and do something great with them, though:
consider, for example, the grilled shrimp bowl from Long John Silver's. You can get
it prepared in four different ways, with each one really boosting the shrimp flavor.
The seasoning really doesn't add a huge punch of flavor — but since you can get
the rice bowl in Baja, Southwest, sweet chili, or seasoned styles,
that's okay. Each style is served with a different sauce that adds a nice,
creamy flavor to help improve the shrimp's taste. The rice is a welcome addition as well.
"Shrimps and rice, they're very nice!"
A breaded filet of fish slapped down on a plate and served alongside a cup of creamy tartar sauce
usually means you're in for a pretty tasty time. However, you're gonna want to crank that tasty
time up a few pegs by slamming that golden filet right inside a soft roll and topping it with
crunchy pickles and a hefty slather of tartar sauce. Now that's a meal worth talking about.
Long John Silver's offers a wild Alaskan pollock sandwich for anyone looking for
a delicious handheld fish experience. The Alaskan pollock filet has the perfect amount of breading,
so you never feel like you're biting into something that has been sitting in a deep
fryer for way too long. The crunch is delicate and light, and the fish inside has a mild, but sweet
flavor. It's the tartar sauce that really elevates this dish: it's super creamy and has a rich kick
of tang that slices through the fried batter flavor and complements the sweet meat of the fish
really well. This is a menu item you'll definitely want to work into your Long John Silver's routine.
Let's say you're standing in line at Long John Silver's and two thoughts enter your mind.
The first is, "I really want to try the Alaskan pollock." The second thought that instantly jumps
in is, "I sure do love tacos." Well, it's your lucky day. Long John Silver's offers wild Alaskan
pollock tacos for anyone who wants the fun of a flour tortilla stuffed with some delicate flavor.
The pollock filet has a light-but-crispy breading that plays nicely on your palate.
It's not too intense, but the crunch is enough to provide a satisfying contrast
to the flaky fish underneath it all. Much like the salmon tacos and the grilled shrimp bowl,
you can choose from four different preparation styles — and each offers a great kick of flavors
and textures to send your appetite into its happy place for the remainder of your
meal. Just make sure they don't shortchange you when it comes to that delicious fish.
"Look at this! There's one piece of goddamn pollock no bigger than
the end of my thumb, now how can you even call that a —"
"Look, am I supposed to do something about it? What do you want me to do about it?"
Sure, a fork is an appropriate vessel to carry plump juicy shrimp to your mouth.
But you know what's a far superior vessel? A taco shell. Piling delectable shrimp into
a soft taco shell full of fixings offers a far more pleasant — and tastier — experience. The
best offering at Long John Silver's is undoubtedly their grilled shrimp tacos,
which are a fabulous option for anyone who loves shrimp and a handheld eating experience.
One thing you'll immediately notice when you get your tacos is that Long John Silver's
certainly doesn't skimp on the shrimp. That way, you know you're getting your money's
worth. Since the shrimp are nicely grilled, they have a tender texture that combines wonderfully
with the soft tortilla they're held in. You can get the tacos in any of the four styles,
each of which provides tasty flavors that help launch the shrimp into a universe of
ocean delight. Make these tacos a must-buy the next time Long John Silver's calls your name.
"Long John Silver's… sounds good to me!"