Long John Silver’s is leaning into soup season. The seafood chain has brought back its Clam Chowder for the colder months, and it is keeping its $6 Fish Basket on the menu alongside a new platter that puts fried fish and chowder on the same tray.
The lineup started Nov. 2, 2026, at participating locations nationwide. Along with the chowder and the basket, the chain is offering its creamy Mac and Cheese, a new Fish and Chowder Platter, sweet cream “Dirty Sodas” and a limited-time Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake.
The Clam Chowder Returns With the Original Recipe
Long John Silver’s announced the seasonal menu from Louisville, Kentucky, in a release distributed through PR Newswire. According to the company, the Clam Chowder is made with the original recipe, with real clams in a savory soup topped with Crumblies, the chain’s crunchy batter bits. It comes in small and large sizes.
“There’s just something about a warm bowl of Clam Chowder when the weather turns cold,” Meredith Smith, director of brand marketing at Long John Silver’s, said in the release.
The launch arrives as the season’s first cold snaps reach much of the country. Craftingyourhome.com has tracked the weather in its report on what to expect after this week’s cold snap, and those settling in for longer nights at home can find some ideas in these simple cozy crafts for a hygge winter.
The chain’s version is a cream-style chowder, which places it in the New England family. New England clam chowder is milk- or cream-based and thicker than other styles, typically made with butter, potatoes, salt pork, onion and clams, according to Wikipedia’s entry on clam chowder. The red, tomato-based Manhattan version skips the dairy entirely. Early chowders had no milk at all and were thickened with crackers or stale bread, which makes a topping of crunchy Crumblies feel like a natural fit.
New England chowder is usually served with small, hexagonal oyster crackers that can be crushed into the bowl to thicken it, according to the same entry. A tomato-based Manhattan-style recipe appeared before 1919, and the “Manhattan” name first shows up in a 1934 cookbook.
For a broader look at the dishes earlier generations grew up on, Frenzhub has a list of foods from the ’60s that boomers loved.
The $6 Fish Basket Stays on the Menu
The value anchor of the lineup is the $6 Fish Basket, which the company says closes out a year of $6 Baskets. It includes two pieces of hand-battered fish, one side and two hushpuppies, according to the release. The basket is the only item in the seasonal lineup with a price listed in the announcement.
Hushpuppies are a long-standing partner for fried fish. A hushpuppy is a small, savory ball of cornmeal batter deep-fried until crisp and golden, and it is a classic Southern side usually served with fried fish or other seafood, according to Wikipedia’s entry on the hushpuppy. Its documented origins trace to South Carolina in the late 1800s.
Fried fish rarely reheats well in a microwave, which is why countertop ovens have become a go-to for leftovers. This guide to the best air fryer toaster ovens covers machines that can crisp up battered fish and hushpuppies the next day.
A New Fish and Chowder Platter
The newest item pulls the season’s two stars together. The Fish and Chowder Platter includes two pieces of fish, Clam Strips, a small Clam Chowder, one side, two hushpuppies and Crumblies, according to the company. The release did not list a price for the platter.
The chain is also bringing back its Mac and Cheese as a permanent menu item. It is made with cavatappi pasta in a white cheddar sauce, topped with Crumblies, and it comes as an individual side or a family-size portion, the company said. Baked pasta and cheese dishes have a long history on American dinner tables, as Craftingyourhome.com showed in its list of casseroles that defined American family dinners.
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Dirty Sodas and a Cheesecake for Dessert
Two new add-ons round out the menu. The chain’s Dirty Sodas add a pump of sweet cream to any 20-ounce fountain drink. For dessert, the limited-time Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake comes from The Cheesecake Factory Bakery and combines cinnamon roll flavor with cheesecake, according to the release.
The company did not give an end date for the seasonal lineup, though it described the cheesecake as limited-time. Long John Silver’s also said exclusive offers are available through its Seacret Society Rewards program, and that customers can find a nearby restaurant on its website.
A Chain Named for a Pirate
Long John Silver’s was founded in August 1969 in Lexington, Kentucky, by Jim Patterson, according to Wikipedia’s entry on the chain. Its name comes from the pirate character in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, which fits the nautical theme that runs through the brand, down to its “Seacret Society” rewards club. The company is based in Louisville, and Wikipedia notes that in October 2025 the chain rebranded itself as a chicken and seafood restaurant.
Because the menu runs at participating restaurants, what is available can differ by location. The company points customers to its website to find a nearby restaurant, and checking ahead is the simplest way to confirm that a given location is serving the chowder and the platter.
For fans of the chain’s chowder, the main takeaway is simple. The Clam Chowder is back at participating locations, the $6 Fish Basket is still available, and the new platter offers a way to get both at once while the weather stays cold.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Mr. Blue MauMau from USA – CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons
