Style Points: 2/5
Price: ££
Overall: 3/5

When I was in third grade (about 8 or 9 years old for those of you not from the US) my family moved to a teeny tiny town in Virginia. We ended up only staying there for about a year so there are a handful of things that remind me of my time there: snow, Mariah Carey’s Fantasy, and Forrest Gump.

We got it on VHS tape (remember those?) for Christmas that year. My parents were fans of the movie, probably because they were about the age of the characters and lived through the historical events depicted, but also because it’s an amazing film. And for years I’ve known about the themed restaurant called Bubba Gump Shrimp Company but never got a chance to visit any of the locations in the US. So when given the opportunity to go to the newly opened London location and try a few comfort foods from the American South I jumped at the chance!

In the shop

Memorabilia

When you enter the restaurant you go directly into the store where you can find lots of movie themed gifts: t-shirts, glasses, cooking spices and more. There’s plenty of decor in the store to remind you of the film including a little fishing boat named Jenny. They led us upstairs to our table and wow - was I amazed by the sheer amount of memorabilia displayed on the walls.

There are quotes from the film, stills that looks like just photographs, license plates from (probably) all 50 US states and so many knick-knacks! Swanky isn’t the word to describe it - it’s corny and there are so many things you couldn’t possibly see them all - but for fans of the film or even just for a bit of Americana it’s pretty cool. They’ve also have several screens playing the actual film. Once the side of me that was excited to go for the nostalgia was satisfied… now it was time to order the food.

Would I Want Seconds?

So we flipped our table license plates from Run Forrest Run to Stop Forrest Stop so our waitress would know we were ready to order. We ordered the Bubba’s Far Out Dip with Shrimp (£7.75) and the Shrimp Shack Mac & Cheese (£8.25) as our starters.

The dip was great and tasted just like the spinach and artichoke dip that is available at so many restaurants back home which I can’t recall finding here yet. I was excited to try the mac and cheese and although it was good the cheese was greasy and gritty. This may be an ingredient issue but it could also be caused by the shrimp. As a result I was disappointing with this particular dish as I hoped for so much more.

Bubba’s Far Out Dip with Shrimp

Shrimp Shack Mac & Cheese

We also ordered a couple of cocktails to start including Alabama Southern Punch (£7.95) and the Strawberry Basil Smash (£7.95). The strawberry drink was a weird combination but tasty and certainly strong. But the real star was the Alabama Southern Punch. It was tasty and just as strong making it exactly my kind of cocktail. My husband ordered the Tennessee Iced Tea (£10.45) and it was another strong one. They certainly don’t hold back with the alcohol! I’m not a whiskey fan but still liked the drink well enough.

Strawberry and Basil

Alabama Southern Punch

Tennessee Iced Tea with the Alabama Southern Punch

For our mains I ordered Forrest’s Seafood Feast (£15.50) so I could try a few things and was especially looking forward to the hush puppies. The feast is essentially a sampler platter which includes breaded fried shrimp, sea food hush pups, fried fish, and fries (the menu says fish and chips but they are skinny fries so I think they would even be fries here in the UK).

The menu also says slaw and dipping sauces including tartar and cocktail. Now let’s start with that slaw; I don’t like the slaw we have back home which is made up of cabbage and lots of dressing. But this wasn’t slaw, it was instead pieces of cabbage filling the bottom of the cone which limited the amount of other ingredients in there.

The fries are average as they are nice and crisp but nothing special. The same goes for the fried fish which was lovely and tender but as far as fried white fish goes, in my opinion if they aren’t going to ship in catfish I’d just as soon have battered cod from a fish and chip shop.

The seafood hush pups were tasty but undercooked. I’m not sure if I just happened to get a less than perfect batch but the middle was too gooey and you could still taste the cornmeal. I’d be interested to try them again to see if this improves as the exterior was cooked well and was delicious.

The shrimp was fantastic and arrived in nice large pieces which tasted amazing breaded and fried. This was not healthy by any means but certainly delicious. I should also mention I was brought the wrong dips and had to ask for some tartar sauce because it’s my favourite part of eating fish!

Forrest’s Seafood Feast

The 'Slaw'

Meanwhile my husband ordered the Jambalaya (£15.25). I’m not well versed in cajun food so I can’t say that I really know what to expect from a jambalaya and I’m pretty sure my husband is the same. But it tasted really nice and was well flavoured and cooked with copious amounts of shrimp (or chicken).

It also had the nice kick of spice you’d expect from a cajun based dish. However, it arrived as a large portion which eventually became boring to eat. He certainly liked it but it might be worth ordering a side dish or two to share with a friend if you feel the same about eating too much of the same thing.

Jambalaya

As the theme of the night was overindulgence we got a dessert. We could not have finished one each by this point so we decided to share. However, we have different ideas of what makes a great dessert. I prefer anything chocolate and he prefers most other things. Luckily for us, Bubba Gump had the perfect solution, The Hook, Line and Sinker (£8.75) a dessert sampler that included bread pudding, biscuit with strawberries, and a chocolate chip sundae.

The chocolate chip sundae was wonderful. lots of chocolate, tasty cookie and nice vanilla ice cream. A basic dessert but well-loved. The strawberry dessert was tasty with a lot of potential but just managed to come out average. I was hoping for more of a strawberry short cake but it was too much biscuit and not enough strawberry.

The last dessert we tried was the bread pudding and I have to confess this isn’t something I recall having…ever. Sadly I wasn’t a fan as it was a bit dense and sticky. But to be honest I only had a taste of either of them and then focused my attention on the chocolate chip sundae!

Dessert

Could I Afford Seconds?

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company is located a stone’s throw from Leicester Square so in one of the most tourist centric locations I can think of. However, based on the theme, food, and clientele I’d say this is a smart choice because it is definitely geared more for tourists.

I have to say the value for money is much better than I would have thought for a place that makes its bread and butter off tourists. Most of the main dishes are priced about £15 to £20 but this are all quite large portions of seafood. The cocktails are also good value priced £7 to £10 and many of the drinks include a souvenir glass or have a small charge to keep the glass.

Essentially the portions are big enough to share the starter and desserts so you could have a three course meal for two for including a drink each for £60 to £70.

License plates - perfect for this girl who misses home and driving!

Overall:

Bubba Gump really hit the spot for this American missing home. If you’re a fan of the movie you’ll love the little touches such as the Forrest Gump trivia from your awiter and the quotes and images throughout the restaurant. If you’re not a fan of the movie but like southern food then it’s still worth a try. But I will add the caveat that if aren't a fan of the movie or of tourists then it may be better to avoid this one!

Overall it’s not the kind of restaurant I’d go to very often, but I will certainly return when the craving for comfort foods from home take over…especially that spinach and artichoke dip that I haven’t found anywhere else!

Inside the restaurant

Website: www.bubbagump.com

Address: Unit 75 Trocadero, 13 Coventry Street, London W1D 7AB

Closest Tube Station: Piccadilly Circus