Bubba Gump Shrimp Company's Seafood Menu Ranked Worst To Best
The Academy Award-winning 1994 film "Forrest Gump" starring Tom Hanks wouldn't have been complete without the titular character's loyal and kind-hearted best friend, Bubba. As soon as Bubba makes his first appearance onscreen, we learn that he has an obsession with all things shrimp. He's a proud shrimp boat worker who describes to Forrest (in great detail) the method of catching shrimp and all the ways you can cook them once you do. Anyone who has seen the film will always remember the passion Bubba had for those tiny ocean crustaceans.
As Bubba so confidently states, "Shrimp is the fruit of the sea." Well, Bubba's love of shrimp didn't only live solely on the silver screen. In 1996, the very first Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant opened in Monterey, California, to pay homage to shrimp-loving Bubba and his shrimp obsession. The Bubba Gump chain has since grown massively in popularity, and anyone who dines there can count on one thing: The place sure slings a whole lotta shrimp.
But, they also serve up a bunch of seafood dishes for those craving something different. However, as you can imagine, not every ocean dish offered is worth swimming towards. So, grab your snorkel and toss on your life preserver because some of the dishes that Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. are excellent, while others simply don't make the cut.
12. Maker's Mark Glazed Salmon
It's not always easy to cook the perfect filet of fish. Regardless of which kind of fish you're preparing, achieving that delicate, flaky consistency takes practice. All too often, the resultant fish is either raw and mushy or totally dried out, which is so disappointing when you're in the mood for fish. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. offers guests the Maker's Mark Glazed Salmon, and unfortunately, the end result is quite unpleasant.
This filet of salmon has a very dry texture. It's flame-grilled and basted in a Maker's Mark bourbon glaze, which is actually quite tasty. However, the pleasant sensation of the sweet and zesty glaze wears off immediately after the salmon hits your palate. It doesn't flake apart or melt on your tongue like you so badly want it to. Instead, it leaves you grabbing for a drink. It's a shame because the bourbon glaze could absolutely launch a well-cooked salmon filet into the pantheon of gold medal-winning menu items.
11. Mama Blue's Southern Charmed Fried Shrimp
When you walk into Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., you can rest assured they have all the shrimp your little crustacean-obsessed heart can handle. Obviously, you can choose from more than just shrimp at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company; however, but if you're looking to embrace your inner Bubba and get your shrimp on, then one of the options that you can choose is Mama Blue's Southern Charmed Fried Shrimp. However, if you're looking for a dynamite shrimp experience, you should look at a different option.
The big issue with this dish is the fried breading on the shrimp. Most of the shrimp were clearly over-battered before getting dropped in the deep fryer, and that makes for an overly rich and greasy outer casing. You want the flavor of the shrimp to shine, not the fried batter. The shrimp underneath the thick crust is juicy, but it's a shame you have to deal with such an oily shell in order to get to them. You'll likely end up scraping off the fried outer part to get to the shrimp that lies underneath.
10. Bourbon St. Mahi Mahi & Shrimp
Mahi Mahi: The fish is so nice that its name must be repeated twice. This tropical fish is served at seafood restaurants all over, so naturally, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. had to hop aboard the mahi express and offer a version of its own. But the restaurant doesn't let the fish stand alone. The Bourbon St. Mahi-Mahi & Shrimp dish contains two different types of sea creatures for your appetite's enjoyment. Sadly, even though there are two types of ocean flavors on the plate, it leads to one emotion of regret.
The dish consists of charbroiled mahi mahi and shrimp, which are all basted in a thick bourbon sauce. The bourbon sauce does pack a flavorful punch of both sweet and tangy flavors, and it goes really well with the succulent pieces of shrimp. However, it's the mahi mahi that poses a problem. Aside from the bourbon sauce slathered on top, the taste of the fish is super bland, and the texture is somewhat dry. A glaze on fish is always nice, but it should help elevate the taste of the fish, and it definitely shouldn't be the only flavor you taste.
9. Captain's Fish & Chips
Fish and chips is an incredibly popular dish in England, and people who live across the pond don't fuss around with a subpar version of the iconic food. Well, you don't have to scrounge up the money for a plane ticket to Europe to try the dish when you can just head to the nearest Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. location and order up the Captain's Fish & Chips. However, you might just want to avoid this item until you actually find yourself sitting in an English pub that can provide you with a super authentic version.
The dish comes with a nice-sized fried fish filet, a big pile of chips (fries), coleslaw, and tartar sauce for dipping. The best aspects of this dish are the fries, coleslaw, and tartar sauce, which is a letdown since the star of the show is supposed to be the fish. The fish is quite flaky and has a delicate texture, but it's coated in such a thick layer of batter that the greasy taste of the breading totally overpowers any flavor the fish offers. You feel like you've ingested a week's worth of oil in one sitting, and no one wants to finish a meal feeling that gross.
8. Forrest's Seafood Feast
We all have a little bit of Forrest Gump in us, and that's what makes the movie so appealing to such a wide variety of viewers. So, when you're at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., you might as well eat like Mr. Gump! Guests have the option of ordering Forrest's Seafood Feast, which is a large platter of various ingredients that is sure to satisfy ol' Forrest's appetite. But, will it satisfy yours? Probably not.
The platter contains fish and chips, fried shrimp, seafood hush pups, fries, coleslaw, and three sauces for dipping: Tartar, remoulade, and cocktail. The fried items are the downfall of this platter. The fried fish and fried shrimp are way too greasy, and you're left feeling like you ingested tons of oil. Every bite causes you to fork coleslaw into your mouth to cut through the overly rich sensation. It's a shame because the dipping sauces are all fresh and flavorful, which leaves you desperately craving something that's actually worth dunking.
7. Jambalaya
Jambalaya is one of those dishes that contains a whole bunch of ingredients and packs a boatload of different vibrant flavors and textures. If you're seeking out something that'll hit your palate with various different flavors, then this is the route you want to travel. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. offers a version of the intricate dish, and it contains shrimp, chicken, Andouille sausage, Tasso ham, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and green onions, all served over steamed rice.
Jambalaya is a popular dish in Louisiana because it has a ton of regional Cajun and Creole flavors. The version that Bubba Gump serves up, however, lacks the array of spices and seasoning that makes jambalaya such a prevalent dish in the Gulf area. However, all the proteins in the dish are cooked nicely, which is a plus. The shrimp is plump and juicy, and chicken is super tender, the sausage is rich, and the Tasso ham is fatty and melts in your mouth. However, that doesn't prevent you from wishing the dish had those southern spices you find in an authentic jambalaya.
6. Shrimp New Orleans
Shrimp and New Orleans go together like Philadelphia and cheesesteaks. It's part of the culture, and the little suckers make their way into so many of the dishes. So, it's only right that Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. offers a dish called Shrimp New Orleans. The dish comes with a pile of grilled shrimp covered in a spicy New Orleans sauce, green onions, tomatoes, garlic bread, and steamed rice. Even though people from the New Orleans area might not find it completely comparable to the stuff they can get locally, this dish does a decent job of replicating it.
The spicy New Orleans sauce is a great accompaniment to the shrimp. It has an amazing kick of heat that really soaks into the shrimp, so every bite has a burst of spice that dances across your tongue. This sauce isn't too thick either, so it never overwhelms the ocean flavor from the shrimp. Surprisingly enough, the garlic bread that accompanies this dish also works quite well. After biting into several of the soft shrimp, the crispy, buttery bread provides a great textural contrast.
5. Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp
When you think about the flavor profile of coconut and what it pairs well with, your mind might not immediately jump to seafood. However, anyone who has ever mixed the sweet flavor of the tropical fruit with the succulent ocean flavors of the sea knows that the two tastes work in tandem quite well. Luckily, the people who work the kitchen at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. got this memo, which is why they serve up a dish called Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp. This item fuses the sweet milky flavor of coconuts with the lightly salty and succulent sensation shrimp offers.
The shrimp in this dish are breaded perfectly with shaved coconut. Every bite has the perfect amount of sweetness, and you never feel like you're eating something too greasy. The shrimp is super juicy, and it bursts with salty ocean goodness that complements the thinly shaved coconut casing. Eating these shrimp without any sauce is delicious, but when you plunge them into the Cajun marmalade dipping sauce that comes with it, your palate starts screaming with excitement. The thick glaze has a one-two punch of sweet heat that coats your mouth and gives every bite of shrimp an extra hit of delicious flavor. The coleslaw is also a nice touch.
4. Shrimper's Heaven
Bubba sure did hold a special place in his heart meant for shrimp, and if you're anything like him, then you simply can't get enough shrimp, no matter how hard you try. So, if you're in the market for a meal that has shrimp on shrimp on shrimp, look no further than Shrimper's Heaven at Bubba Gump Seafood Co. The dish has three different kinds of shrimp: Fried, coconut, and tempura. It's a great selection accompanied by a trio of awesome sauces for some epic dunking action.
Of the three kinds of shrimp in this dish, the coconut and tempura are definitely the tastiest. The fried shrimp can feel a little too greasy, but the other two varieties do a good job of canceling out much of that fatty sensation. The coconut shrimp is sweet and juicy, and the tempura batter used for the tempura shrimp is super light, and you don't even feel like you're eating something that's come out of the deep fryer. Cajun marmalade, cocktail, and tempura sauces are served with the shrimp. No matter which shrimp you choose and which sauce you dunk it into, your mouth is the clear winner.
3. Crab and Shrimp Boil
When you need to serve food to a large crowd, few things do the trick quite like tossing a bunch of awesome ingredients into a big pot of flavored broth and boiling them away until everything is super tender and infused with the delicious flavor of the hot liquid. And, if you roll into Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. with a ton of buddies ready to feast, that's exactly what you can expect if you order the Crab and Shrimp Boil.
Even though the name suggests you'll only be getting crab and shrimp in the boil, Bubba Gump sneaks in a healthy amount of Andouille sausage for a nice addition of turf, as well. Guests can choose from either a Cajun or garlic broth. The dish brings together snow crab, shrimp, sausage, red potatoes, and corn on the cob and simmers them to flavored perfection.
The broth seeps so deep into every piece of meat, which makes for a volcano blast of rich juices every time. The snow crab is fall-apart tender, the shrimp are salty pillows of ocean excellence, and the sausage overflows with smoky aromas.
2. Jenny's Surf and Surf
If you can't decide whether you want to enjoy the flavors of the ocean or a taste of the land, you can get both on one plate. But what happens when you want to surf and then surf again? Surely there's a solution for that, right? Well, at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., there is. You can order Jenny's Surf and Surf and double down on the seafood and leave the turf to someone else.
The two types of seafood in this dish are flame-grilled salmon and grilled shrimp. The salmon is doused in herb butter, and the shrimp are covered in a hefty ladleful of lobster butter sauce. On its own, the salmon can tend to taste dry, but the herb butter does a magnificent job of seeping into the meat and giving every bite a wonderful rush of delicate texture and rich taste.
The lobster butter sauce has the wonderful essence of sweet lobster meat and the salty umami sensation of butter, so it works wonders on the grilled shrimp. So surf, and the surf again, because the ocean beckons.
1. Of Course We Have Scampi!
This might be one the greatest names for a dish ever. If you walk into Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. wondering whether or not they serve up scampi, just take one look at the menu item that shouts, "Of Course We Have Scampi!" This particular version of scampi comes with shrimp and tomatoes tossed with linguine in a lobster butter sauce with grated Parmesan cheese on top. And the dish is accompanied by a piece of garlic bread on the side. This is a must-order dish for anyone looking for deep, rich flavors that linger on their tongue long after they finish.
The king ingredient in this pasta dish is the lobster butter sauce. It's super rich, and it has a warm buttery flavor that lathers the juicy shrimp and soaks deep into the tomatoes, making each bite explode with a salty-sweet flavor. The shrimp are especially plump and full of subtle ocean flavors.
The thickness of the linguine ensures that a good amount of sauce is included with every bite: The butter runs down the noodles like delicious rainwater. The addition of the grated Parmesan cheese offers a slightly sharp and wonderfully nutty taste, and the garlic bread acts as the perfect crunchy vessel to dip into the rich sauce that is pooled at the bottom of the bowl.