Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Run Forrest, Run!

Remember? Forrest Gump. The movie.

Haven't seen it? Guess what? You have homework. Go. Go do your homework. Then come back here.

This is a restaurant wholly centered on Forrest Gump, the movie. Slogans, trivia, merchandise, you name it.

It used to be Joe's Crabshack. That's what we were expecting to find. That's what we were looking for.

Instead, we got Gump. Bubba Gump.

Every which way, Gump.

And really, it wasn't bad. Not bad at all. And even somewhat entertaining.

But most of all, I found gluten-free Bubba Gump food!

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company

I read quite a number of those reviews of this place on Urbanspoon. Man, people are harsh. And honestly, I have never reviewed a place with such a bad approval rating before this. Good thing I didn't look at those reviews before asking if they had a gluten-free menu!

Yes, this place is all about slogans and phrases and souvenirs and paraphernalia from the movie. And yes, our server tried to sell us everything but the food. But, really, it was okay.  

It was better than okay. They do, in fact, have a gluten-free menu!

 

There it is. Not a lot of choices, but enough for me to find something to eat. And eat safely.

But before I could read any if that gluten-free menu, we were getting the sales job. 

Membership to the Landry's discount dining club. Or some such. And the souvenir glasses, available by ordering the right beverages. 

Oh, the souvenir plastic glass. Replete with Bubba Gump logo and flashing, colored lights in the base. No joke.

Someone must have thought that flashing colored lights adequately represents Bubba Gump. But I have no idea why.

More mystifying is why my son decided, only after his sister received hers, that he had to have one. Replete with pout, misty eyes, and crossed arms. I guess those flashing colored lights work. They worked on him.

She just wanted the fruity beverage that was only offered in that souvenir plastic glass. 

Either way, they got us. Twice. 

My beverge came with a logo too, but I didn't get to take mine home. 

For food, I finally settled on starting with a small Caesar side salad.  It was good-sized and fresh. And gluten-free, sans croutons.

For my main course, I chose the grilled salmon dish. It came out with a few tent poles of asparagus, thick slices of carrots, all covering a bed of rice. The salmon was seasoned nicely.

This was very tasty! Everything was fresh, nicely prepared and yummy. It was not particularly innovative, but I didn't expect it to be so. I didn't need it to be so.

I needed a gluten-free meal.  And this was it!  And it was fresh and tasty.

The service was fine, once we got past all the sales pitches. Oh, and the trivia.

What state was Forrest Gump born in? I guessed wrong on this one.

What year did was the Forrest Gump movie released? I got this one right.

What month of that year was the movie released? Does it end in 'y'? Yes. (That only narrows the choice by, what, a third?) I got this one right too.

So, despite the sales pitches, the trivia quizzes, and the poor reviews, this place is pretty much like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.

Except for the prices. I think you know what you will get for the prices. Touristy trap equals...? Yeah, pricey. No doubt about it.

I was surprised to learn that Bubba Gump has several dozen locations, in typically touristy locations. That might just be a good thing. I like knowing a chain has a gluten-free menu available at any of their locations. It eases the tension of traveling somewhat.

Rest assured that I got a great, gluten-free meal! You probably will too. Just be ready with your trivia answers and your money!