The Shrinking Fast Food Chain With A Surprisingly High-Quality Fish Sandwich

If you consider McDonald's iconic Filet-O-Fish to be the gold standard of fast food fish sandwiches, you might be surprised to learn that it has a rival. Surprisingly, Long John Silver's serves a high-quality fish sandwich that fans say is seriously underrated. The menu item's reputation is even more interesting when you consider that the beloved fried seafood chain has been slowly closing locations in the U.S. throughout 2026.

If you've been wondering what happened to Long John Silver's restaurants in your area, they may be gone for good. In the last three years, the company has shuttered over 100 restaurants. Don't let that deter you from trying the chain's fish sandwich for yourself, though. Made from flaky, battered and fried Alaskan Pollock, LJS's Fish Sandwich comes on a soft bun adorned with tartar sauce and pickles. The combination of the perfectly crispy exterior with the buttery, soft fish creates the perfect balance. The tangy pickles and creamy tartar sauce punch through the fried richness of the fish and balance any residual oil in the breading. 

Since the fish patty is square, you don't need to worry that there will be an overwhelming bread-to-meat ratio. You'll get the perfect amount of every ingredient in each bite. Unlike McDonald's version, Long John Silver's fish sandwich does not include American cheese, but this omission doesn't seem to bother fans.

Long John Silver's doesn't deserve all the hate, according to customers. Its fish is routinely praised online, and in a Reddit post asking for recommendations for the best fast food fish sandwich, the chain got plenty of votes. One Redditor said that "their batter is incredible," while another elaborated that "the beer batter is so crisp and crunchy particularly around the edges." One fan in another thread even declared, "It was honestly the best fish sandwich I've had in YEARS."

Yet not everyone loves LJS, which explains why the chain started closing so many restaurants. As one Redditor complained, "At this point, the only locations left are the ones that were managed properly." Some say that prices have increased, while others insist that the quality has declined, and the fish is dry or tasteless. Other menu items can also be inconsistent, according to customers online. Certain locations use oil that's old and fry items too long, making the fish tastes heavy and greasy, while others say it's simply too unhealthy for their tastes.

If you have nostalgic memories of eating an old-school Long John Silver's Fish Sandwich, there is a menu hack that can enhance its flavor even further. Swap the classic tartar sauce with the chain's new, limited-time sauce: Ranch with Old Bay. While tartar sauce is creamy and tangy, Ranch with Old Bay is seasoned with celery salt, mustard, paprika, and warming spices. It adds a bit more of a tart punch to the fish, while also elevating its savory flavor.