The Hands-Down Best Fish And Chips Come From A Popular Sit-Down Chain Restaurant

Traditional fish and chips conjures up images of lovely little shops in England that wrap your heavily battered meal in newspaper, happily take your shillings, and send you on your way. These days in England, you don't see fish and chips wrapped in newspaper anymore, and they cost a bit more than a few quid. This beloved British combo is popular not only in the U.K., but in the U.S. as well, and we ranked the fish and chips from 8 chain restaurants to find the best. The winner may not surprise you. If you're a fan of its iconic cheddar bay biscuits and signature feasts, you'll be happy to know that we ranked Red Lobster as having the best fish and chips of any food chain.

The popular seafood chain has mastered seafood in all its forms, and beer-battered fried fish is no exception. Red Lobster's version features wild-caught cod served with Chesapeake fries (seasoned in an Old Bay spice blend), coleslaw, and hush puppies. Our writer found the two pieces of fish to be top tier, calling them "perfectly salty, just enough greasy, and adequately rich," with the beer batter making for exceptional crispiness that gave an "audible crunch." A Facebooker who posted a picture also praised the crispy edges of the beer-battered cod, with one commenter stating "that legitimately looks fantastic." Reviewers in general agree that the level of outside crunch is as important as the interior flakiness of the fish. YouTuber JKMCraveTV praised the Red Lobster fish as "the real deal."

Not every Red Lobster patron fell hard for the fish and chips as a meal, with some citing that while the fish is the star here, the sides may need some help. The chips (or French fries as we say in the States) seemed unanimously non-crispy (although JKMCraveTV stated that while his chips were soggy, this may have been the result of the takeout container steaming them somewhat). According to one Brit on Reddit, "Coleslaw has no place with Fish & Chips." While it may not be a standard accompaniment in England, coleslaw is often served with fried foods in the U.S., and everyone seems to have an opinion about what are the best slaw recipes.

The true American side to seafood — hush puppies — is also served with the Red Lobster plate. This delicious mixture of fried cornmeal and flour is a favorite addition — maybe second only to Red Lobster's biscuits, which one ardent fan on Reddit summed up by stating, "Cheddar biscuits are the real food porn stars of red lobster!" Another agreed saying, "If you didn't eat at least 5 cheddar biscuits, you're doing it wrong." 

Whether you're sampling traditional fish and chips from a chain restaurant or a small seaside mom-and-pop joint, it's clear the best will have the crispiest, crunchiest exterior, and a flaky, tender interior. As for sides, you can decide what's best, although Brits have questioned why we don't serve this classic with mushy peas.