Lent is Here; So Are Seafood Specials and Goofy Marketing Puns

Lent, shrimp and marketing. Courtesy of White Castle

In Louisville, Lent means Catholic church fish frys all across the city, pretty much all spring long. It’s a fish feeding frenzy. And plenty of fast food restaurants join in with their limited-time specials. Enter White Castle and Long John Silver.

For the latter, it’s three different types of shrimp specials, including “juicy grilled shrimp, hand-battered shrimp, or crispy popcorn shrimp.” And, oh yes, no punches are pulled on the cheesy marketing speak. Dig this from the official press release:

“This Lenten season, Long John Silver's has shrimply the best savings to satisfy all your seafood cravings. And this year, it's never been easier to enjoy your favorite pairings – when you order online at ljsilvers.com, you can sail past the line when you pick-up your food.”

The puns! The puns!

Another special is a deal wherein every Tuesday you can get two pieces of fish or chicken for $2.22. “Shellibrate Twosday!” crows the news release. Those aren’t shellfish, guys, so what the?

LJS is making a big push for online ordering. Perhaps this is in response to staffing difficulties? Some fast-food restaurants aren’t even opening dining rooms, so anything is possible. But it affords the opportunity for one final sea-themed joke, from none other than Christopher Caudill, senior vice president, marketing and innovation, for Long John Silver's, who says, "Ultimately, we want to save our customers time in their day to do more of what matters most – making treasured memories with their crew."

Treasure. Crew. You see what he did there, right?

Over at White Castle, they’re bringing back the “ever-popular” Shrimp Nibblers (I didn’t even know these things existed), described in a presser as “oh-so-scrumptious bite-sized butterfly shrimp made with a crispy, golden coating.”

‘Shrimply’ the best reason to ‘shellibrate’ at Long John Silver’s. But hey, it does look tasty. Courtesy of Long John Silver

And here comes another seafood joke.

"Our Shrimp Nibblers are so good they reel in more fans every time we offer them. It's love at first bite," said Lynn Blashford, chief marketing officer for White Castle.

Seriously, how do these people sleep at night?

But if you want to skip the shrimp and stick with the tasty burgers, there’s also something for you at the Porcelain Palace. Through April 17, a 10-sack of Original Sliders — “those delectable 100% square beef patties steam grilled on a bed of onions” — costs just $6.99.

Crispy Cod Sammie from Joella’s. We can forgive the gratuitous fishing net. Courtesy of Joella’s

Oh, and if you’re into Nashville hot chicken, Joella’s is bringing back its Crispy Cod Sammie for Lent, as well as a Crispy Cod Plate. They will be available at the Louisville-based chain’s 18 locations in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana through the Lenten season.

The Crispy Cod Sammie is made with seasonal North Atlantic Wild-Caught Cod that's double beer-battered and fried and topped with Sweet Vinegar Slaw, pickles, and Bama White or Tarter Dippin' Sauce, and the cod can be battered in any of Joella’s signature sauces. Sounds tasty to me.

"Joella's is excited to bring back the Crispy Cod Sammie, a seasonal favorite and an easy meal for busy families and all who celebrate Lent," Joella’s Chief Operating Officer Tye Pollak said in a news release. "This Sammie is a fun twist on the traditional fish sandwich and full of Joella's signature flavor and seasoning that our fans have grown to love. And new this year, we're happy to be able to offer the Crispy Cod Sammie and Plate all seven days a week at all of our Joella's restaurants."

Not a single fish pun. See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? (Also, I apologize for typing “fish feeding frenzy” in the first paragraph. I didn’t want to feel left out.)