"Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it."
- Bubba, Forrest Gump (1994)
So there Stephen and I were: sore from a long flight from California to Louisiana, deaf from the pressure of landing, freezing our extremities off because it was SO much colder here than where we'd come from. Oh, not to mention STARVING - there was no food on the plane, and there are only so many peanuts you can eat before you start to feel sick.
Enter Bubba Gump Shrimp. We saw it in the cab on the way over to the hotel, and, being big fans of the movie, were interested enough to try it out. We quickly called and made a reservation, then scurried on over, practically running due to the cold.
The decor is a shrine to the legend of Forrest Gump, with memorabilia lining the walls, tables, and there's even an attached store selling shirts and souvenirs. There are signs on the table that indicate a customer's need for service - "Run Forrest, Run" means that service isn't required. Soon enough, our waitress came over, gave us the specials then took our orders.
Speckled Blueberry Lemonade - US$3.99
Stephen ordered the lemonade, which came in a huge glass, but was pretty weak in flavour. The blueberries were an interesting addition, but ultimately did nothing for the taste.
Fleur D'Lis - US$10.99 (with Hurricane Glass)
This drink was recommended to us by our waitress - it was sweet and fruity, consisting of Malibu, peach schnapps and melon liqueur. We also got to take the glass home as a souvenir!
Popcorn Shrimp - US$8.99
I loved the way that the popcorn shrimp was presented - they print their own paper with headlines from the time period of the movie. The shrimp were bouncy and tender, crunchy on the outside but juicy when bitten into. There were also crumbed and fried bell peppers, and two dipping sauces.
Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp - US$17.29
The coconut shrimp was really well executed, the shrimp battered and dipped in coconut before being deep fried, and served with fries, coleslaw and Cajun marmelade.
Mama's Southern Fried Chicken - US$15.99
I ordered the Fried Chicken, which turned out to be a BIIIIIIG mistake. Don't get me wrong, the chicken was perfectly cooked, the batter was crisp and the gravy was tasty; but the potato was gluggy and had the mouthfeel of packet potato, and the coleslaw and corn wasn't enough to cut through the amazing amount of grease that the chicken contained. Combined with the residue oil from the other dishes, I was actually feeling quite sick on the way back to the hotel.
Side House Salad - US$5.49
Apparently in the US it's odd to have a salad as a side - it's normally served as an appetiser. Luckily Bubba Gump Shrimp doesn't prescribe to that practise, because we sure as hell needed one. It was a simple house salad, nothing fancy, with our choice of dressing, which was a raspberry vinaigrette.
Key Lime Pie - US$6.25
This is also something I wish we didn't order. We've made a key lime pie before, so we naively assumed we knew what one would be like if we ordered it in a restuarant - not so. The crust was gritty and almost had the texture of sand, the lime filling was so sweet it hurt my teeth, and there was no huge layer of meringue, which was what I was looking forward to.
Clearly there are better places to eat than Bubba Gump Shrimp, but they are good for a quick fix, and most of what we tried was pretty good. Steer clear of the Key Lime Pie and you're set.
I had my first taste of Bubba Gump in Sacramento! I have to agree with you on that there are better places to eat but it was a quick fix for a feed :) I can't wait to return to the USA in september.
Posted by: Tina @ bitemeshowme | Jun 25, 2012 at 09:00 AM
Aw, doesn't sound like you had the best eating experience but I just found it lots of fun to eat at Bubba Gump (in Hawaii)
Posted by: Tina@foodboozeshoes | Jun 25, 2012 at 09:10 AM
Oh dear. That doesn't sound good. All that grease and sugar. Not good! Lucky you had that side salad to help aid the digestion xx
Posted by: Hotly Spiced | Jun 25, 2012 at 12:34 PM
I love Bubba Gump... had my first experience when I visited San Francisco last year. Yum.
Posted by: Tania @ A Perfect Pantry | Jun 25, 2012 at 12:38 PM
That location looks way more fun than the one we have in Chicago.
Posted by: yummychunklet | Jun 26, 2012 at 11:53 AM
the popcorn shrimp looks addictive!!!!
Posted by: Dolly | Jun 26, 2012 at 01:30 PM
I have only had Babba Gump once and that was actually in Hong Kong. The pop corm shrimp was good, not an everyday food, but good :)
Posted by: Sara (Belly Rumbles) | Jun 26, 2012 at 10:02 PM
Coconut shrimp... mmmm... Too bad the chicken and the pie were disappointing.
Posted by: Gaby | Jun 27, 2012 at 12:33 PM
I love the concept of Bubba Gump! I went years ago in Hawaii and loved it. Recently on a big trip around the States I went to the one in New York which was really really good. Then we went to the one in New Orleans and were really disappointed. We ordered basically the same stuff and in New York it was ten times better.
Posted by: allyoudoiseat | Aug 24, 2012 at 09:15 AM