I stopped in for dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., as their guest, on my way to seeing the amazingly talented Condola Rashad as Juliet in new production of “Romeo and Juliet” at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The adorable Orlando Bloom — who’s not hard on the eyes — is her Romeo in the doomed interracial pair of young lovers.
As you might imagine, shrimp is the mainstay at Bubba’s, with 19 different preparati
ons. This is a tourist-oriented restaurant that originated in California features a down-home atmosphere reminiscent of “Forrest Gump,” the movie. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is the first and only theme restaurant chain based on a motion picture property.
We took our enthusiastic waiter’s suggestions and tried the small portion (two-thirds a pound) of peel and eat shrimp — Shrimper’s Net Catch — coated in spicy Cajun seasonings ($13.29). It’s a hearty portion that’s quite messy to eat. But not to worry, there’s a roll of paper towels and hand-wipes in the basket on each table to use when your napkin is too soiled to use.
And we tried the sampler (Run Across America Sampler) with Bubba’s Far Out Dip and Chips (a spinach, roasted red pepper, artichoke and Monterey Jack cheese dip with homemade tortilla chips) Chilly Shrimp (chilled, peeled ready to eat shrimp), Spicy Chicken Strips, Seafood Hush Pups (shrimp, fish and corn, deep-fried and served with a remoulade sauce), and more fried shrimp with a blue cheese dip, ($15.99). This serving is enough for a meal for three!
For entrees, we dove into the nicely seasoned jambalaya, replete with blackened shrimp, chicken and andouille sausage ($17.99) and — since we had indulged in so many fried foods — the steamed shellfish option, with mussels, clams, snow crab, a lobster claw and — of course — more shrimp. The latter comes with both rice and a side of garlic bread
Not being able to decide among the desserts, we ordered the Best of the Best Sampler ($13.99) with warm cinnamon-y bread pudding, a biscuit topped with strawberries and creme and a moist chocolate chip cookie sundae. I’d recommend that for the table, too!
– bonnie
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Midtown West
1501 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
(212) 391-7100
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