The Best & Worst Menu Items at Long John Silver's
Long John Silver's is known for its seafood experience. In 1969, the first Long John Silver's restaurant opened in Lexington, Kentucky. By 1979, there were more than 1,000 Long John Silver's restaurants, and in 1980, they became a national brand.
Long John Silver's offers many combo platters from the individual ingredients they offer. The nutrition information is not provided per the platter, which can make ordering a bit confusing, especially if you're looking to watch your waistline. If you choose to order a combo, your best bet is to use the best and worst info listed below as a guideline on what to order.
Now, here are the best and worst items on the Long John Silver's menu so you know what to order during your next trip.
Alaskan Pollock and Seafood
Best: Baked Shrimp
Shrimp is a very low-calorie fish and filled with good-for-you nutrients. Because it is baked, there is very little fat added, making this the best choice when dining at Long John Silver's.
Worst: Crab Cake
Although seafood is rather healthy, it's all about the prep and cooking method. Crab cakes are fried and have other higher-calorie ingredients added. One crab cake has close to 40 percent of the daily recommended max of sodium. Certainly, that makes it one seafood item on this menu to skip.
Worst: Battered Alaskan Pollock
Pollock is a healthy fish, but when it's breaded and fried, the nutrition of the seemingly good-for-you fish is sabotaged. Many options at Long John Silver's are combo platters with numerous pieces of fish, which means that the battered and fried Pollock would add many more calories and artery-clogging fat than necessary.
Sandwiches and Tacos
Best: Crispy Fish Sandwich
Although breaded and fried anything isn't an optimal choice, this fish sandwich has the fewest calories and sodium of the bunch. Your best bet is to order it with a healthful side to keep both calories and sodium under control.
Worst: Chicken Sandwich
The fried chicken sandwich is certainly one to skip on the menu. The sodium is quite high, providing 56 percent of the daily recommended max. That's without any side dish, too, which will add many more calories, saturated fat, and sodium to the meal.
Sides
Best: Seasoned Green Beans
This is certainly a winning side on the menu. The green beans are seasoned with a higher sodium seasoning instead of butter or other forms of saturated fat, which other restaurants may use.
Best: Broccoli
Good old broccoli is certainly one of the healthiest choices on the menu. Order this side for your individual dishes or when you're going the family-style route, too.
Worst: Battered Onion Rings
Another battered and fried choice that adds 21 percent of the total daily recommended calories to your meal (based on a 2,000 calorie diet). It contains the same amount of carbs found in close to three slices of bread and close to 60 percent of the recommended daily maximum of sodium.
Worst: Fries
As you can tell by now, most everything on Long John Silver's menu is battered and fried. Why add more fried food to your platter when there are certainly better-for-you side choices available? Skip the fries this time around.
Desserts
Best: Chocolate Chip Cookie
Although there isn't much nutrition in this dessert, the calories are under 200 calories, and you can always share it with a friend, which would make it fewer than 100 calories each—totally worth it!
Worst: Pecan Pie
The calories in this pecan pie are close to 50 percent from carbs, much of which are empty-calorie carbs and added sugar. It's best to say "no, thanks" to this sweet treat.
