Crispies, Crumblies: How To Order The Long John Silver's Extra With Its Own Fandom
A few extra fries, a couple more pickle spears, an additional sauce packet or two: If you say "pretty please" at the drive-thru, you're bound to get some freebies at your favorite fast food joints. Most of these free extras are kept secret by diehard fast food fans, but others have become popular and entered the mainstream foodie-sphere. A perfect example: The crumblies at Long John Silver's.
What are crumblies, you ask? They're extra bits of fried batter that fall off chicken and fish while cooking. These crispy bits go by different names depending on where you're from: crunchies, crumbs, barnacles, scraps, cracklings, etc. Previously, most locations gave crumblies for free. Staff would scoop crumblies from the fryer straight into your to-go bag if you asked nicely. The chain also offered them on top of its limited-time mac and cheese.
However, you may have to pay a small fee to get them on the side now. Some customers claim they've paid anywhere from 50 cents to 99 cents for a small box, while other online sources say they cost up to $1.99 depending on location. Either way, you no longer have to butter up staff to acquire them. Just ask; even if you pay extra, it's worth it for the fried gold.
How customers eat these scrumptious crumblies
Long John Silver's was second-worst in our ranking of 19 seafood chain restaurants, but that doesn't mean we can't change our minds in light of this news. The fact that so many customers love crumblies also helps. "The crumbs have always been my favorite part. I used to steal them from my dad all the time when I was younger," one Redditor posted on the r/deliciouscompliance thread. Another Redditor from the U.K. said, "We can ask for them and you get a bag of them on the side. Delightful."
Most LJS fans eat crumblies straight up with a dash of malt vinegar. Others like dipping them in ketchup, or sprinkling them on top of coleslaw. If given free reign, we'd roll the restaurant's hush puppies in our simple tartar sauce recipe and add a layer of crumblies over top — delicious. As long as you don't pair them with fish and chips, which ranked dead last in our taste test, you're golden.