Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co...A Wonderful Meal at the Mall of America, Minnesota
Written: Nov 14 '06
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Pros: *Interesting surroundings
*Flip signs to get help from wait staff
*Wonderful shrimp
Cons: *Hand dryers in the restroom
The Bottom Line: Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. is a fun place to eat filled with lots of friendly waiters and Forrest Gump memorabilia too!
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| kamel622's Full Review: Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant and Market |
Do you ever have one of those weekends that you wish time would just stand still? This past weekend I went with two of my daughters to meet my third daughter in Minnesota. We planned a ‘girl’s weekend’ for just the four of us and I had the best time. I think it was one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time.
The first thing we did was head to the Mall of America and went to straight, well almost straight, to Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. and put our name on the list and waited for about 35 minutes to be seated. This is one hectic time of year at MOA, that is for sure.
The Restaurant
I appreciated that the restaurant had a podium outside of the door with a gentleman taking names and another gentleman calling out names of people to be seated. This made the process one that worked quickly, although there was no where to sit while waiting, the people watching of those walking around the Mall kept it from feeling like very long.
The restaurant was clean, but very lively and I must admit to not being able to look around very much because it was so packed. The tables were wooden with license plate size signs on them that allowed you to alert a waiter, without having to trip one. You can put the sign to “Run Forrest Run” or “Stop Forrest Stop” at which point any waiter/waitress who is passing by will get you what you need. I love the idea of this. It makes it easy on not only us, but the waiters too. They don’t have to keep running back and asking if you need anything, knowing that we can communicate our needs with just a flip of the sign. Great idea. I loved that the food was served on flat silver plates that were topped with what looked like newsprint (although it wasn't) that really kept the theme of this restaurant going as well.
There were lots of memorabilia items from the Forrest Gump movie and many things that had a nautical appearance as well. There is also an attached small store but it was so crowded that we just couldn’t make our way in to it.
We did use the restrooms and they were well stocked and clean, but they didn’t have paper towels, just the warm hand dryers. I hate those, they are loud, time consuming and dry my hands out. I can understand places wanting to use them so that there isn’t the paper towel mess around, but I just find them to be very inconvenient.
We Ate
All four of us looked at the menu for a while, deciding and then changing our minds. There were so many things listed that looked wonderful that none of us had an easy time deciding what to order.
Our waiter (darn I wish I could remember his name) was patient and helpful and a bit of a comedian too.
Finally we ordered, my oldest daughter ordering Shrimper’s Heaven with several types of shrimp on it including coconut shrimp and fried shrimp too. Her meal came with fries and a small dish of coleslaw. This shrimp combo was $18.50.
Darn, I can’t for the life of me remember what Daughter # 2 had to eat. I’m sure it was either fish or shrimp, but which meal exactly I’m not sure.
Daughter # 3 ordered a cheeseburger and fries but after sharing one of my shrimp with her, she said she really regretted not ordering shrimp too. Her cheeseburger looked tasty and was priced at around $9.00.
I had the fried shrimp (not great on calories, but wonderful on taste) which came with fries. My meal was $16.99. All three of us that were having seafood ordered salads as well. They were fresh tasting and good, although a bit expensive for a side salad with a price of $3.99.
Our bill was about $85.00 for the four of us, so not terribly expensive, but not cheap either.
More of the Menu
Other entrees that are offered are Shrimp New Orleans, Bourbon Mahi Mahi, Baby Back Ribs and Salmon and Veggie Skillet.
Not only are there great entrees, but some wonderful sounding sandwiches too. Of course there are burgers but also a fish sandwich, BBQ pork sandwich and even a shrimp po’ boy sandwich. Most of these are offered with French fries and coleslaw.
There are a couple of salads as well, such as Caesar salad, Cobb salad and a Run Chicken Run salad which is mixed greens with grilled chicken, pecans, basil, gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
Appetizers include Shakin’ Shrimp Cocktail, Cajun Shrimp and a spinach and artichoke dip that is served with homemade tortilla chips. We didn’t have an appetizer, so I can’t really say how big or how good they are.
There is also a children’s menu, which includes Mac & Cheese, Pizza, burgers, fish sandwiches, popcorn shrimp and chicken strips. Since this was a weekend away, we had no little ones with us to try out this portion of the menu.
Although we were much too full for dessert Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. offers Key Lime Pie, Apple Cobbler and the best sounding Bread Pudding, that I really wanted to try but was much too full and didn’t want to add any more calories to my day.
Pepsi products are served as well as alcoholic drinks and smoothies and even shaken at your table drinks.
Our Service
One of the fun things about this restaurant is that if your waiter/waitress has time they will stop at your table and ask you some trivia questions. You have a choice between general trivia and trivia about the Forrest Gump movie. We opted for the movie trivia, and did very well if I do say so myself. It was fun and a nice little diversion while you’re waiting for your food.
Our waiter was friendly and efficient. He was there when we needed him, but did not hover. I loved that when one of my daughters needed mustard we just flipped the sign to Stop Forrest Stop and the next waitress that walked by got what we needed.
We did have one waitress nearby that was a bit annoying because I think some of her family came in and she got very, very loud. Loud enough that some of the wait staff tried getting her to tone it down. Now this is a loud restaurant, but she could be heard over all of the noise. This went on for few minutes, but I think someone must have let her know that she was becoming irritating to the patrons and settled down.
My Feelings
I really enjoyed our visit to Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. and am very glad that we went. I don’t know whether it would be a restaurant that I would frequent a lot if I had one near me, but I am glad that I got to go once.
The busyness and noise made it rather difficult to just sit and relax and carry on a conversation but it was fun too. Does that make any sense? I guess it is fun, once.
I was pleased at how clean the restaurant appeared to be. The wait staff was friendly and cordial and very prompt too. I never felt ignored, or in the way either which is saying a lot considering how busy they were.
The food was excellent. My shrimp was perfect. It was fried just right and was large and very tasty. I think it was giving a couple to daughter #3 that made her wish she would have chosen the delicious shrimp rather than a burger, although she said the burger was very good.
The French fries, while good, were nothing special. They were long thin fries and I much prefer more like a steak fry, but of course there will be those who prefer this style too, so to each his own.
I would recommend this restaurant for some great shrimp or other seafood and for the wonderful atmosphere that surrounds you. If you were a fan of the Forrest Gump movie you’ll enjoy it even more!
Nuts & Bolts
Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. I was surprised to learn, has only twenty restaurants located in the United States, Mexico, Bali, Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
The restaurant that we went to is located in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The mall is located on interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77 at:
396 South Avenue-Level 3 S396
Bloomington, MN 55425
Tel 952-853-6600 Fax 952-853-9847
The hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday 11:00 am till 11:00 pm. On Friday and Saturday they open at the same time but close at 12:00 pm.
Average price of a meal is around $20.00 and most major credit cards accepted as well as checks and of course cash.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations The fried shrimp was fantastic!
Best Suited For: Friends
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