Long John Silver's Vs Culver's Fish Sandwiches: What's The Actual Difference?

Something fishy this way comes ... we must be hitting the drive-thru at Long John Silver's or Culver's. Both quick-service chains are known for their standout fish sandwiches. So, what exactly makes these competitor offerings unique? Both sandos showcase flaky, tender white fish filets deep-fried to golden brown. But, from there, the marine fare diverges.

Like McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, Long John Silver's fish sandwich stars fried Alaskan pollock, an extremely lean fish with a mild and subtly sweet flavor — cleanly neutral and totally non-fishy. Although, according to foodies on Reddit, customers chowing down at Long John Silver's should expect an especially greasy bite as part of their dining experience. The pollock filet gets topped with tartar sauce and pickle coins, and served on a plush, round bun. Indeed, one of the signature hallmarks of LJS's fish sammy is that square-shaped fish patty protruding from the circular bun. At a Long John Silver's location in Ohio, the fish sandwich à la carte currently costs $5.19.

At Culver's, by contrast, the fish sandwich features North Atlantic cod. Texturally, cod is slightly firmer than Alaskan pollock, flaking into larger sections. Regarding flavor, sweet cod's slightly higher fat content makes it a richer fish with a slightly more distinctive oceanic taste. At Culver's, that North Atlantic cod also gets hand-fileted and freshly-battered to order. From there, it's topped with tartar sauce, lettuce, shredded Wisconsin Cheddar cheese, and served on a buttered, toasted hoagie roll. The elongated, oblong shape of both the roll and the fish filet differs from LJS's square-on-circle setup, and also unlike its competitor, Culver's adds cheese and toasts the bun.

Another major difference between these sandwiches is the price. At a Culver's location in Ohio, the North Atlantic cod sandwich à la carte currently costs $8.09, nearly $3 steeper than the fish sandwich from Long John Silver's. Yet, at 600 calories versus the competitor offering at 446 calories, Culver's is the larger, more filling sandwich by a considerable margin, which might justify the price tag. According to social media commenters, Culver's cod is even better than fish they've had at sit-down restaurants. For even more flavor, try ordering your next Culver's fish sandwich with pickles and extra tartar sauce. Prefer a crispier bite? Ask for Culver's fish sammy "well done."

It's also worth noting that, in addition to its year-round North Atlantic cod sandwich, Culver's also offers a Walleye sandwich before and during Lent — a decidedly uncommon offering for a fast food chain. A Reddit thread dedicated to the limited-time menu offering raves, "I like Culver's regular menu cod sandwich, but the lent menu walleye sandwich is so huge that I am glad I got it [...] the flavor was good, but not spicy, but the fish was very meaty." Culver's Walleye is topped with tartar sauce and lettuce, but forgoes the shredded cheese that comes on the North Atlantic cod sando.