Bubba Gump Shrimp Co

10/14/09

Best Service in Long Beach

by I Love Long Beach

I've visited a lot of restaurants downtown long beach and Bubba Gump has by far the best service and overall fun experience. I love the trivia and the stop & run forrest run signs... I wish i could take them everywhere with me! I fell in love with their shrimp dippin broth. I've never seen that anywhere else! Yum Yum!

• Pros: excellent service and fun atmosphere

09/08/07

Run. Forrest, Run! (away)

by betnich

Went on a Labor Day afternoon, despite the crowds got seated at the bar area after about a 20 min. wait. Parking is a problem in this area, there is a structure for the nearby Aquarium but that gets full - I had to park at the Pike shopping center and walk 2 blocks. Bubba Gump validated but it's only for 90 minutes - between the walking, the wait to get in and the wait for the food I had to pay about $2 extra to get out.

I ordered ice tea, a shrimp po-boy and bread pudding, spending about $20. Best part of the meal was the dessert - a good portion of bread pudding served warm, in a pool of buttery sauce, with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on top. The po-boy, on the other hand, was underwhelming - about seven or eight small, battered shrimp on a long roll with a bit of dressing, with tomato, lettuce and side of coleslaw and pickle spear. It was served with some fries that were warm, not hot - perhaps because of the holiday rush.

Overall, the food seemed at the level of a chain such as Red Lobster...

• Pros: Great if you love the movie...
• Cons: Parking, wait to get in, slow service

08/26/07

Once is enough

by lilycooks

First-time visit on 8/25/07 w/ nephews (ages 1 & 4).

The Hostess said it'd be a 5 minute wait, it was more like 35! That wasn't really a problem but they should be honest about the real wait time instead of misleading guests. Our server was very friendly and attentive, explained everything and offered to get the kids order in quickly so they could stay busy. That was great!

The 4 yr. old was interested in a sampler that was pictured on the menu with shrimp prepared about 4-5 different ways and she stated that they had a child size portion so the kid & I were thrilled. Now it's my turn to peruse the menu and decide on the Salmon and Veggie skillet.

Our orders arrive and the kid gets a load of crappy french fries and about 6-7 tempura shrimp. What happened to the assortment we thought he would get? I let the server know that we got the wrong order, kid ordered the child's sampler. She says kid's portions only come with one, no samplers. NOT what she SAID when she took the order! Fine, kid isn't complaining- he's excited about the paper boat (Jenny) his food arrived in.

My order doesn't look too bad so I quickly dig in. Veggies= carrots, asparagus and purple onions and on the greasy side. Salmon is a good portion but way overdone. Jasmine rice is pretty good but the bottom portion of the rice is drowning in grease, eww! I thought I had ordered one of, if not the only, somewhat-healthy items on the menu. Kid ordered a Run Forrest Run smoothie and it was pretty good. Could have been a little colder but it was tasty.

Less than half way through the meal I realized we should have gone to King's Fish House instead. They are kid friendly as well (the patio and the Crab Lounge are great for kids!), service is very good and the food is waaay better, but they don't have smoothies!

Overall not a place I would be likely to visit again. If you're curious, it might be interesting to check out once but wouldn't recommend it for repeat visits.

• Pros: Kid friendly, friendly and attentive service
• Cons: Deceiving wait times and information on menu items, food was average at best

07/13/07

Very lively environment.

by cwoods21

I must say that I've been here numerous times and finally decided to write a review. The service was friendly and environment was very young and lively. Food was sub-par, and drinks were tasteful.

• Pros: Great and fast service. Friendly environment. A good place for birthday dinners.
• Cons: Overpriced food.

01/19/07

Cute theme, iffy execution

by tyneshad

I brought a friend from out of town to this spot for his birthday and the experience was hot and cold. The food was great, albeit a bit pricey (he didn't mind that part, though, because I paid). The service was confusing because our waitress didn't explain the "Run, Forrest, Run" and "Stop, Forrest, Stop" signs to us. We waited a long time for our food and it seemed like the place was virtually empty. All in all, I chalk that experience up to a bad night...but I'm tentative about returning.

• Pros: Cute theme, good food
• Cons: Subpar service