7 Chain Restaurants With The Best Fried Seafood Platters, According To Reviews

There are numerous seafood chains across the U.S. that are renowned for serving items like succulent shrimp, flaky fish, meaty lobster tails, and stuffed crab. And if you really want to go all out, several chains also offer fried seafood platters piled high with fish and crustaceans coated in crispy, golden breading and batters. These deep-fried smorgasbords may not be the healthiest options, but they're certainly decadent and great for sharing. But not all chain restaurant fried seafood platters are created equal.

There are a few things that set a great fried seafood platter apart from a sub-par one. For one, seafood platters are all about abundance, so ideally, you should get a variety of items, including sides and sauces. And, of course, you want the fish to taste fresh with a nice crunch on the outside that's not too heavy or greasy. Finally, seafood platters can be a bit pricey, so they should be good value for the money. The chain restaurants that get it right manage to hit all those points.

To uncover which chains have the best fried seafood platters, we combed through countless reviews on platforms like Yelp and Google, as well as forums like Reddit and social media apps. We took note of the spots that consistently get shouted out for having stellar platters. Based on what diners are saying, these are the chains where you can expect bountiful offerings of crispy fried seafood, beautifully seasoned and cooked to perfection.

Since 1950, Legal Sea Foods has been serving fresh seafood brought in daily from Boston's Fish Pier. There are currently over 25 locations along the East Coast, as well as an outpost in Chicago. The chain is famous for its award-winning clam chowder and lobster rolls, as well as its wide variety of fish and shellfish. And if it's crispy fried bites you're craving, many say the Fisherman's Platter is phenomenal.

Priced at about $45, the Fishermans Platter features a mix of fried shrimp, whitefish, scallops, and calamari. You can get your seafood coated in a classic New England-style batter or kick the heat up a notch with the Cajun-style coating. The platter also comes with sides like onion strings, french fries, and coleslaw, as well as tartar sauce. As an added bonus, the crispy fry mix the chain uses for the seafood is gluten-free.

Legal Sea Foods is often cited as one of the chain restaurants serving the highest quality seafood, so it's not surprising that many people say the Fishermans Platter delivers on flavor. As one Google reviewer said, "You can tell everything here is super fresh." In addition, several people point out that the coating is light and crispy. Plus, many say the portion size can easily fill two people up, and you may even have leftovers to spare.

The Pappas family has been in the restaurant business for over a century, and Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen is one of their most successful chains with over 35 locations in several states. Inspired by the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen is one of their most successful chains with over 35 locations and features an array of enticing seafood dishes, many of which have a Cajun twist. For many diners, though, the star of the menu is the ample Seafood Platter.

There are actually three fried seafood platters at Pappadeux, but the one that gets the most hype is the Seafood Platter. It rings in at about $40 and includes two fried catfish fillets, shrimp, oysters, stuffed crab, and stuffed shrimp. And if you're feeling extra hungry, you can bump up to the Pappadeux Platter for $4 more, which features all the same items, but with extra shrimp and crawfish. There's also the Sampler Platter, which includes fried catfish, shrimp, crawfish, and chicken tenders for $35.

Diners love that the Seafood Platter is loaded with ample amounts of seafood. As one reviewer said in a YouTube video, "The portion size is ridiculous, so that's why it's enough to go ahead and split it." In addition, many people comment on how you get a great variety of seafood and that everything tastes fresh, is seasoned well, and cooked just right. As one reviewer on Instagram said, "Golden, crispy, and worth every bite."

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is one of several themed dining chains in the U.S., but it's the first and only one to be styled on a major motion picture. It's based on the film "Forrest Gump," and each location includes quirky nautical decor, quotes and trivia from the movie, and seafood dishes with a heavy focus on shrimp. If you want to try a selection of tasty fried dishes, many say the Forrest's Seafood Feast really hits the spot.

Designed like a sampler platter, this shareable dish features generous portions of fish and chips, fried shrimp, seafood hush puppies, fries, and coleslaw. It also comes with three sauces for dipping: tartar sauce, remoulade, and cocktail sauce. The platter is priced at $30, which is not bad considering the amount of food you get. Plus, numerous people comment on how everything tastes fresh and on point.

"The fish and chips were a standout classic; the batter was perfectly light and crispy, and the fish was flaky and fresh," said one Google reviewer. Other diners praise the hush puppies, commenting on how they have flecks of flavorful corn throughout, and several people mention how well the sauces pair with the fried shrimp. Overall, diners say it's a thoroughly enjoyable dish to order for the table or even to devour on your own.

King's Fish House got its start in Southern California, and now there are numerous locations across the state and in neighboring Nevada and Arizona. Each restaurant is supplied by the brand's own distribution company, which sources fresh fish locally and from around the world. The menus change daily to keep up with what's fresh at the moment, although there are some items that are mainstays, like the popular King's Combo Platter.

Order the platter and you'll be treated to a mound of beer-battered fish, fried scallops, fried shrimp, and french fries. It also comes with coleslaw and sauces on the side, as well as lemon to add brightness and acidity, which helps cut the richness of the fried seafood. The whole thing is priced at $31.50, which many diners agree is great value, as it's a decent amount of food.

The King's Combo Platter is a fan favorite with many regulars, and it consistently wins over first-timers. People love how everything is nice and crispy on the inside, but tender and juicy inside. Plus, the quality is top-notch. As one Google reviewer said, "I love the shrimp and scallop in there. I mean it is just so fresh it's one of the best seafood platters fried that I've had since the East Coast, so King Fish I applaud you."

From the time that Captain D's opened in 1969, the goal has always been to offer seafood at affordable prices. That model has fared the company well, as it's still going strong with over 520 locations in 23 states. The two-piece fish combos and fish sandwiches are great if you just want something quick and easy, but if you need something to really fill you up, the Deluxe Seafood Platter comes highly recommended by diners.

There's a whole lot going on with this platter. For one, you get two fried fish fillets, six fried shrimp, two seafood stuffed crab shells, and hush puppies. Then, you get to pick two side dishes, with choices like coleslaw, steamed broccoli, green beans, and french fries. You can also upgrade to items like mac and cheese or a loaded baked potato for a small extra cost. And speaking of cost, the platter is priced at just $12.50 (depending on location).

Don't let the low price fool you because numerous diners say this platter is seriously delicious. In fact, it earned the number one spot in our ranking of Captain D's meals. People love the assortment of the items and the fact that they're cooked well and taste great. As one Google reviewer said, "Hush puppies, outstanding. Soft, fluffy, but NOT greasy. Butterfly shrimp, simple yet great taste. Fried fish fillets... Incredible! Not oily or greasy, very meaty."

Like the name suggests, Shrimp Basket focuses on shrimp — Gulf Coast shrimp to be specific. It first opened in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in 1993, and it soon expanded thanks to popular demand for its tasty fried shrimp and other seafood-centric, Southern-style dishes. Today, you can find locations across Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. The chain offers several baskets featuring hand-breaded seafood, but the one that gives you the most variety is the Seafood Basket.

Ringing in at $22.50, the Seafood Basket includes crispy, golden fried shrimp with the tails on, popcorn shrimp, oysters, flounder, and stuffed crab. Side dishes include Southern slaw, french fries, a corn fritter, and hush puppies (a classic Southern fried fish pairing). Plus, you get tartar sauce and cocktail sauce for dipping. You also have the option to add extras of any of the items or include a crab cluster for an additional cost.

People have overwhelmingly positive things to say about this platter in a basket, with many praising the crispy, yet light batter and the freshness of the seafood. For example, a Google reviewer said, "The shrimp were fried to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The oysters were a great bonus and tasted just as good." People also appreciate that the sauces taste homemade.

Landry's Seafood House began as a humble restaurant operating out of a family home in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the 1940s. And although it's now part of Landry's Inc., which operates several large chains like Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and Chart House, it still maintains its Gulf Coast character with dishes like fried shrimp po' boy sandwiches, blackened fish, and it's popular Fried Seafood Platter. The latter is particularly popular with diners looking to try a variety of coastal delicacies.

The first thing that many diners comment on about the platter is how it arrives overflowing with food. The standard platter costs $29 and it features fried shrimp, fried fish, seafood stuffed shrimp, onion strings, and french fries. You can also add stuffed crab for an extra $6 and fried oysters for an extra $7. Ketchup, tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce also come on the side. A reviewer on Facebook commented, "There was so much food I'll get two more meals out of it."

And it's not just the large portions that people love. Many diners also say the seafood is ultra-flavorful and expertly prepared. "Don't think battered and heavy," said one Google reviewer. "Lighter tempura style batter was excellent." Another Google reviewer called the platter impressive, saying it was, "cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. Each dish showcased incredible flavor and attention to detail."

With so many chain restaurants across the U.S. serving up different variations of fried seafood platters, narrowing down the best of the best was no easy task. To start, we decided to focus on chains with at least 10 locations, as that would give us a larger pool of reviews to draw from. We also wanted to focus on chains that offer a variety of items on their platters, rather than just fried fish, shrimp, or a single type of fried seafood.

Once we had a list of restaurants that fit our criteria, we started scouring reviews on a variety of platforms to see what diners are saying about the platters. We only looked at reviews from the past year to ensure the details were up to date and included only the spots that received mainly positive reviews for their platters. The chain restaurants on this list are the ones diners consistently call out for offering fried seafood feasts that are flavorful, fresh, well-executed, and worth their price tag.