Do you remember the original 1970’s Long John Silver’s chain?

Original menu from early 1980s

Nothing is as good as it used to be. Sadly.

I went there once as a kid. This was the 80's. All I remember was their unsweetened iced tea.

I, too, remember it being much better than it currently is. I tried it a few years ago in South San Francisco and it was disgusting.

I remember the to-go or kid’s meal boxes were shaped like the restaurant itself, with a photo of people inside the restaurant printed as part of the view through the drawn windows. Attention to detail!

It has went to hell in a handbasket

The one near me hasn't changed a bit, including the bell at the door you can ring on the way out to say you enjoyed yourself.

R5 Yes!

The last time I went, someone had ripped off part of the breading on my chicken, leaving a bare spot. I asked for a replacement and they refused, saying I needed to "pay extra for crispies." I asked if they were honestly tearing off pieces of our food to force us to pay to get it back, and the manager looked like he was going to knife me. As we ate, cops came in and just stood around, and I got the distinct impression the manager had called the cops on us.

It hasn't exactly been a hardship to not go there but I'm still shocked at how gross that was.

R4 - agreed. I ate at one a couple of years ago and the food was not as good as I remembered. Fried everything and super greasy. I sped home knowing I had an appointment with the toilet for an hour.

[quote] No cups of tart tar sauce (packets only)

I'll bet the tar sauce wasn't even very tart!

Yes! I loved to talk about his videos at work with the young female clerks!

Wait, who?

I’m not sure the employees wore those pirate hats, although they did have on some kind of pirate-themed uniform. (I just had the funny mental image of a cashier wearing an eye patch)

I think you’re thinking of the cardboard pirate hats they gave to kids or anyone else who wanted to wear them.

Long John Silver's went by the wayside with Captain D's and the mall Arthur Treachers Fish and a chips. Last I Sissonville West Virginia 2-3 years ago, they had a Captain D,s. Somewhere in Baltimore, MD had the Long John-Taco Bell combo. They may be closer now.

I remember it looked like the OP picture but I didn’t have occasion to go then as I was a child and it was across town. I have eaten it as an adult and it’s delicious.

R13 Omg I remember the bottles of malt vinegar on the table. And the girl’s paper plate is shaped like a pirate ship!

Stop living in the past dude

My ma worked at an Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips with her drunken friend Ramona. It ended in tears.

It’s a seafood “shoppe,” not shop. So you know it’s old-tyme authentic!

R17 What the hell are you doing on DataLounge?

Here’s how I remember the old employee uniforms.

I find it shocking they named a fast food restaurant after a thief, plunderer, and probably rapist of the high seas!

I miss going to Long John Silver's and Arthur Treacher's back in the 70's and 80's. They're pretty much non-existent these days and the quality at the remaining locations has gone seriously downhill. These locations are just probably barely staying afloat financially (pun intended I guess).

I don't recall them ever charging for the crispies at LJS, you just had to ask for them. I *loved* their corn on the cob, it was so tender it would fall right off of it when you bit into it. Our Arthur Treacher's had a giant red double decker bus parked out front, and I loved their hush puppies.

Their hushpuppies were fantastic. As was whatever they used to fry their fish in.

Delicious but you couldn't eat there all the time. You would be very thirsty after eating a meal.

Sadly, one may as well stay home and eat from the Gorton’s Fisherman. And then masturbate thinking about him afterwards.

I would always roll down my window and shout "Ahoy!" to the employees as I drove past the restaurant.

I worked for their ad agency. I wrote a lot of print, including table talkers, and radio. We were trying to think of a name for sliced, breaded chicken breasts. One night my roommate said "chicken planks," and that's apparently what they're still called.

I've never been a fast food aficionado, but I would eat at the one across from Lincoln Center when I lived in that neighborhood. It wasn't lobster at the Palm, but it didn't completely suck, either.

All I know is I NEVER found pubic hair in my Coke when I ate there.

White fish became expensive a few decades ago and these places closed-up shop very quickly. That's why not many are left and teh quality isn't great.

I loved it back in the day but it's been terrible for years. The last time I had it was about 10 years ago and whatever they put in the food gave me the most explosive case of the shits I'd ever had.

I grew up near Essex and Ipswich MA where there were a lot of local seafood places - and went on summer vacation in Maine where there were a lot more. So I never ate in one of these.

R22 but he had a long john !

Is this the chain that Brad worked at in Fast Times of Ridgemont High? With the big hat?

I remember Long Dong Silver. If I recall correctly his dick was super skinny and sown to his knee.

I actually liked Captain D's better,but we ate there on occasion because my gran liked them. I last had Captain D's about 5 years ago for the first time in many years,and it was like chewing on a salt lick. Ghastly. So much for nostalgia.

The chicken and fish tasted exactly the same. But I liked them.

I like Arthur Treacher's better than Long John Silvers when I was a kid in the 70s. We used to go there on Fridays during Lent, sometimes.

[quote]I grew up near Essex and Ipswich MA where there were a lot of local seafood places - and went on summer vacation in Maine where there were a lot more. So I never ate in one of these.

Translation: I have nothing to say, but I'll say it anyway.

[quote]tart tar sauce

The correct response R11, is "Oh, dear."