The Long John Silver's Side Fans Say Needs A Comeback

Sarunyu L/Shutterstock

With close to 500 U.S. locations at the end of 2025, Long John Silver's is one of the largest quick-service seafood chains in the nation. Founded in 1969, the long-running fast food restaurant is known for its crispy, hand-battered, wild-caught Alaska pollock and North Pacific cod, as well as its breaded or grilled shrimp, and seafood-complementing sides like waffle fries and hushpuppies. One side that's no longer on the menu is corn on the cob, but some LJS fans think it's ready for a comeback.  

Tender, buttery corn on the cob is commonly served alongside seafood, especially at seafood boils. Its sweet starchiness complements the spicy, savory flavors of shrimp, crab, crawfish, and other fish. With Long John Silver's extensive fast food fish menu, it makes perfect sense that it once offered corn on the cob as a side. According to social media commentary, the chain eliminated it as a menu item around 2017. 

That year, a frustrated customer began a thread on the r/fastfood subreddit writing, "Apparently, Long John Silver's has done away with their corn on the cob side. Argh! What gives?! Just this franchise?" One Reddit user replied, "That's just uncool," while another simply exclaimed, "WTF!" LJS may have begun a gradual phaseout of corn on the cob, as other Redditors reported it was still available at some locations. As of 2026, a side dish of corn is part of Long John Silver's menu, but corn on the cob remains part of the chain's past. 

Bhofack2/Getty Images

The sweet corn cobettes Long John Silver's once offered were short, easy-to-eat ears, about 3 to 4 inches long. While eating corn off the cob is a great way to avoid getting kernels stuck in your teeth, many people attest that corn on the cob tastes sweeter and fresher. If you choose to make corn on the cob at home to go with your takeout order of LJS fish, how long should you boil corn on the cob for that ideal snap and sweetness? The key is to watch the pot the entire time (about three to four minutes). 

It's unclear why Long John Silver's got rid of corn on the cob. Generally speaking, corn on the cob requires more prep time than canned corn. Therefore, one conjecture is that the switch was made in an effort to streamline the menu and facilitate order processing. 

People who can't stand Long John Silver's but enjoy quick-serve corn on the cob may want to check out fellow seafood chain, Captain D's. In addition to its various fried and grilled fish options, Captain D's offers a whole ear of steamed and buttered corn on the cob as a side. You can often find corn on the cob on the menu at various fast food chicken places as well, including KFC and Wingstop, which sells Cajun fried corn on the cob in 5-piece or 10-piece servings.