Fast food outlets hope to lure customers with annual rollout of seafood items

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Seafood lovers, rejoice!

It’s that time of year again…when fast food outlets roll out limited-time seafood offerings in an attempt to lure Catholics and others who are eschewing meat on Friday during the Lenten season.

Here’s a look at this year’s offerings:

  • Arby’s: The chain, best known for its roast beef sandwiches, has introduced crispy fish sandwiches and flatbreads for a limited time. Also, its infamous “Meat Mountain” sandwich — piled high with every type of meat the chain sells — can now reportedly be ordered “Denali-style,” which adds crispy fish filet to the mix.
  • Del Taco: The chain — which offers fish tacos year-round — started early, introducing new fried jumbo shrimp entrées a few weeks ago. Offerings include jumbo shrimp tacos, jumbo shrimp burritos, and an Epic Surf & Turf burrito, which combines jumbo shrimp and carne asada.
  • Carl’s Jr.: The no-longer-Southern California-based chain has brought back its Redhook beer-battered fish sandwich. The sandwich is made with Alaskan pollock.
  • Church’s Chicken: The fried chicken chain has introduced both a fried fish entrée — Lemon-Seasoned Crispy Fish — and a shrimp one — Butterfly Shrimp — for a limited-time.
  • El Pollo Loco: The chicken chain has brought back its Baja shrimp entrées, including Shrimp Avocado Baja Tacos (with shrimp, avocado, roasted Baja crema, cabbage and pico de gallo), a shrimp tostada (made with shrimp, avocado, mango salsa, beans, rice and cheese), a garlic butter shrimp bowl (shrimp, garlic butter, broccoli, rice, corn and a lemon wedge) and a shrimp wrap (shrimp, avocado, roasted Baja crema, cotija cheese, pico de gallo and wheat tortilla, plus a side salad).
  • Jack in the Box: The burger chain also started early, by bringing back its fish sandwich about a month ago. It also makes for a bargain meal, with a combo going for around $4.
  • Long John Silver’s: Even seafood chains are getting into the act. Long John Silver’s recently added beer-battered Alaskan cod to its menu for a limited time, with a basket containing a fish filet, fries and hushpuppies going for $5.99.
  • McDonald’s: Southern California restaurants are promoting $1.79 Filet-O-Fish Fridays for a limited time.
  • Quiznos: The toasted sub chain has three limited-time lobster entrées — a new Lobster and Seafood Scampi Bake, and the returning Lobster and Seafood Salad Sub and Fresh Salad.
  • Wendy’s: The chain has brought back its North Atlantic Cod sandwich for a limited time.