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Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Categories: Restaurants Southern Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Cajun/Creole Southern, Seafood, Cajun/Creole [Edit]
99 S Market StCharleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-5665
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Touristy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
34 reviews for Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Review Highlights
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"I loved the outdoor seating also." In 3 reviews -
"I had a shrimp po' boy and it was wonderful." In 3 reviews -
"...it was among the best for me it was mahi mahi and delicious." In 3 reviews
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Barbara L.
Sterling, VA
5/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I loved this place! The food was delicious, the staff friendly and efficient, the little store was cute with its Forrest Gump stuff. Would live to visit there again in the future.
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Review from Mark L.
Charleston, SC
2/29/2012
For a restaurant in the heart of the Charleston tourist areas with a movie theme, this is a great family friend and dog friendly spot. With a large outdoor area for pets and spacious tables for large groups and families, Bubba is a good fit. For a chain, the food is rather good. Better than I expected and the servers make it fun with trivia about the movie while you wait for your food. Well done Bubba!
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Review from Lisa C.
North Charleston, SC
4/3/2012
Corona-rita! ;)
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Review from Andrea V.
Gilroy, CA
5/2/2012
Could this place suck anymore? I think not.. Our waitress was slower than molasses, ridiculously high prices for small plates!! The waiting for our drinks and food endless.... Dessert waited in kitchen do long the whip cream was melted. Just overall no one knew what was going on that worked there. Boooooo!
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Review from Andrew L.
Seven Lakes, NC
4/3/2012
Great place to eat, food was pricey for the portions. Berry and Pare salad with the grilled shrimp is highly recommended!
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Review from Richard C.
Tucson, AZ
11/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
The New England Clam Chowder was some of the best I've ever had and I used to live in N'Awlins for 20 yrs too, a top seafood destination. The Hush Pups were excellent and superb! I had the shrimp po-boy and it was just like a New Orleans one, like the menu said. My sister said even the cole slaw was much better than usual. Bottom line: I highly recommend it just for the food & service.
Now bonus time :) The decor is from the movie. From call sheets & costume sketches to the actual wedding dress Robin Wright Penn wore in the movie, Forrest Gump. There are several other displays featured that are worthy of taking photographs, but I wont spoil the surprise, and there other cute little nuances too. Plus they have a gift shop and a water sluice for kids to race little rubber duckies.
Bubba Gump Shrimp, its a household name ;) -
Review from Mike S.
11/11/2011
i loooovvvee this place. everytime i go to NY, SC, this place is a MUST GO.
i love the BUCKET of BOAT TRASH.. and the lil RUN FORREST, STOP FORREST thingy-ma-jig they have going. Drinks are great. the outside patio is great (dog friendly as well) -
Review from Mattie C.
4/27/2011
Tacky decorations are usually a plus for me because I find them funny. I thus really like the decor in this restaurant. I also love the big spacious patio, which is fun for drinking on at night, but also a great place to have a meal in the evening. It is cute to me that they allow dogs, and when we came with a dog, the waitstaff was really accomodating and friendly to him. They gave him a bowl of water and he sat under the table happy as a clam.
The food itself is fine. I enjoyed a satisfying bucket of shrimp and some fries and that was enough for me. The others had mixed feelings about the food. Really what you come here for is the fun atmosphere. The patio is also a good place to people-watch as some interesting characters come through here. -
Review from Monkee C.
Gaithersburg, MD
10/10/2010
Usually the first thing I do when planning a trip to Charleston is bookmark a bunch of places to eat via Yelp. Normally BGSC wouldn't make that list, but this last trip was made last minute, and we wanted something casual, seafood-y, and within walking distance of our selected parking garage. On those counts BGSC did fairly well.
As pointed out, BGSC is a themed, national chain. It's not *too* gaudy, but the interior is definitely "shrimper boat chic". I left obliged to order a shrimp entree from the menu, Lt. Dan's Drunken Shrimp, while the sig-o had the stuffed shrimp with fries. Both were good, if a bit forgettable. The shrimp in both was cooked well though, which was nice since I was afraid there might be overdone-ness. Service was good - I did get a chuckle out of the "run" vs "stop" Forrest signs at each table for flagging down wait staff.
So overall, a solid three. A good choice for picky groups and those with kids, especially. -
Review from Suki M.
Charleston, SC
11/1/2011
So sorry guys! I really love the wait staff and atmosphere at this place but the food is just way too thick in batter! There is no taste to anything at all except batter! I even went back to try one of the steam pots but was shocked at the lack of flavor even there. Come on guys, please work on this because I really enjoy relaxing outside with my dog and squirrel on your deck.
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Review from DJ M.
Feasterville-Trevose, PA
8/26/2008 2 photos
Visiting South Carolina and having dnner reservations later,.we had been touring and happened upon the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We never entered the restaurant, instead we sat on their large, trellised patio and enjoyed drinks and appetizers.
We had a spinach, artichoke & roasted red pepper dip, that was very good and cajun shrimps with garlic bread.
We enjoyed the drinks, food and the patio made for a great people watching spot as it is near the open market and in a string of restaurants and shops.Listed in: Chains For Fools & I'm Guilty…, I Sea-Food!
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Review from chase w.
Suffolk, MA
5/7/2007
It killed me to sit down here, but it was nice out side, it was the last day of my vacation, and I was to tired to find anywhere else to go as my liver was weighing me down like a 2 ton anchor after the week of debauchery endured for a buddy's wedding and mini vacation in SC...
First, the service is decent, but theme-rific. Do I really need a sign to tell my waiteress to come to the table? Literally? Come on... Food was not good. Not good at all. Smoothies? Not very good. Kiddies running around like unhearded cattle while parents looked around aimlessly? Annoying.
Yeah, I went to a theme restaurant in a tourist neighborhood and it sucked- I've learned my lesson (again). Two stars for the out door dining area, but thats about it. -
Review from James K.
Douglasville, GA
6/30/2008
Ugh, I suppose it serves me right for falling into a movie inspired theme restaurant.
Its been at least a year since I had the pleasure of eating here, so forgive me if my specifics are a bit off.
The restaurant is located on historic Market Street. Diners eat outside under a large wooden structure with ceiling fans that do their best to keep you from sweating. There is an interior in a small building in the back, but most of the dining is done outside. Guests can see all the way down Market while they wait for a seat. When we were there we got to watch a small child make roses out of what I assume is dried marsh grass and then try to sell it to passers by. The kid was talented.
Once we were seated we were given a very long spill by the waitress about all kinds of crazy atypical rules for the "dining experience." This is where things got downright cheesy. If you dont need any service, leave the license plate looking thing on your table at "run forest run" if you DO need service, set it to "stop forest stop." If that doesnt' get your eyes rolling.. let me continue.
Since you are dining outside, you're dealing with what I would consider ferral pigeons. They're aggressive, they walk right by your feet and you cant hardly chase them away. They eat anything you drop and if someones table isn't cleaned off fast enough they'll eat that too. Keep your small children close to you or one of these pigeons may carry it away.
So, I ran out of tea, we flip the sign over to stop.. and waited.. and waited.. and waited.. and waited.. it turns out, a tiny little license plate is a GRAND idea when you think "well people only need request service to get it." But people forget that if you invent a system like this the waitresses then DEPEND on this system to see if you need help and if they cant see your sign.. well.. you're SOL.
The food.. oh yea, there was food there too. a rather small portion of Shrimp with some very plain average french fries was my meal. I was not at all impressed with the frozen shrimp considering I was not even 2 blocks from a cruise liner resting in the salty waters at the end of the street.
Overall, a 3 out of 5 is the best I can give this. If you are a huge fan of the movie and think Tom Hanks is a god among men, you MUST give it a try. But if you're like me and dont really care for Tom Hanks or the movie in general, you can easily pass this one up for one of the many attractive and popular restaurants in the historic district of Charleston. -
Review from Vanessa W.
Bethlehem, PA
3/19/2010
Off the bat, this is a chain restaurant in foodie paradise. If you're looking for an phenomenal meal don't come here.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for a fun place to take the kids or meet up with friends, that's touristy and hokey, come here.
I had the drunken shrimp and my husband had a shrimp po boy. Both were good. Fries were average. The Hush Pups were really yummy though. Hush puppies with seafood in them. Yum!
We both ordered drinks, mine was a bit pricey, but hey I got to keep the glass. I was a bit sticker shocked when the bill came considering our meal, but this is pricey Charelston.
Minus that they have unsustainable fish - Mahi Mahi on the menu.
I would say check it out if you're looking for a decent bite at a fair price. -
Review from Bruno S.
Columbia, SC
8/19/2009 1 photo
I recommend this place for families and folks with small pets. I would
definately come back here we had a great experience.
It was the only family friendly restaurant with outdoor seating. We have a 17 mos old and of course we had a stroller. If you've been to this area you know that it has narrow sidewalks and stays very busy.
It is very kid friendly.
The kids meals are served in paper ships and there is a play area where they can race the ships down the water stream.
The waitstaff was very friendly and professional from start to finish. It was our first time there and there's a license plate you flip to either "run forest run" or "stop forest stop". So when you flip it to stop it alerts your waiter you need them. Whenever I flipped it our waiter appeared promptly!
The menu has a variety of options. I tried the fish n chips and it was among the best for me it was mahi mahi and delicious.
Our order came in a little slow but to me it was perfect because we were there more to enjoy the scenery and relax.
Overall we had a great experience there it was very lively , kid friendly, and great service.
They have a cool gift store there. I ended up getting a Bubba Gump Beer glass for $5.00. -
Review from Holly D.
6/27/2011
We ate at Bubba's in New Orlean's, so we knew it was a chain, but this is one of the best of the chain. Inside and outside seating, fun decorations, wait staff that hustles. We were seated quickly and got great service for college kids and how busy they were. The Shrimp and Veggie skewers with jasmine rice was great and my daughter's steak was perfectly cooked. They were busy but we didn't feel rushed. The gift shop was fun too...we would go back!
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Review from Roger S.
Sunset Beach, NC
3/30/2009
Have eaten at a Bubba Gumps in Manhattan (yes I know there are better places but had little time, was hungry, & it was there) & in Honolulu. Food was quite good at both restaurants.
This Bubba Gumps is the worst of the 3. I find it quite greasy, and I therefore don't feel well afterwards. It's a rather bloating experience which surprises me since I eat most anything. I've eaten here twice (because my kids wanted to eat there), and I pretty much refuse to go there again, even if I do still love the movie. -
Review from Jason M.
Charleston, SC
5/16/2011
For me, this place was as good as it gets. Rachel the server was friendly and skilled. The atmosphere outside was excellent with the trees and overhangs and awnings. They knew just where to seat my two dogs and girlfriend and me, and did it efficiently. Many staff came up to pet my dogs. Food was good. I mean, yah, it's fairly hokey, but that just didn't detract enough from my experience to give this visit anything less than a 5.
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Review from Sean F.
Indianapolis, IN
11/3/2010 1 Check-in Here
A definite disappointment!!!
Was trying seabass for the first time and one if the pieces was undercooked. Flavors were okay and really was trying to enjoy the dish but uncooked fish is not a good thing.
I tried to get Staff's attention to return the dish but at first the Staff would rather text than see what issues I had. Others were running all over the place looking busy but not seeming to do anything.
I then tried the "I'm stuffed shrimp" and it wasn't good either. The crab stuffing was bland and uncooked.
Sent both dishes back and still had to pay for a coke -
Review from mis h.
Charlotte, NC
7/6/2007
Okay, okay, the Boy bartends here so I have to give it five stars.
Plus, as far as tourist-tastic, theme-overkilled, chain restaurants go...it's really not that bad (and I DESPISE touristy chain restaurants). And, after a stereotypical Charleston night (aka heavy drinking), there is nothing like cheap, fried shrimp.
The spinach dip is amazing. And definitely stick to shrimp. After over a year of eating here basically once a week and having almost everything on the menu, trust me on this one: Shrimp is the way to go.
If you're looking for cheap, fried seafood, stick to Bubba's. Avoid the Crab Shacks, etc. They're just not that good.
And see that way too happy guy up there singing the birthday songs and yelling trivia? Yeah...I date him. -
Review from Lashona M.
Nashville, TN
9/7/2010
The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great! Plan to go back....
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Review from Jordan S.
Satellite Beach, FL
12/18/2009
Call me a douche bag, but I actually enjoyed this tourist trap. I ate here on a particularly cold February afternoon when temps were in the 40's. Sat outside under a heat lamp and feasted on an excellent fried seafood platter that included shrimp and fish. Absolutely delicious and crispy. Nothing too unique, but definitely tasty w/ friendly service.
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Review from Alexis C.
Seattle, WA
7/11/2011
Order the shrimp. I liked the theme, it was fun and heart warming and the service was nice. My family , we are friendly people so our waitress humored us when we told her dumb jokes. We loved the cajun shrimp (sauteed) appetizer, we all agreed that it was our favorite dish. I ordered the shrimpers net catch with both cajun and butter, they were steamed and unshelled. I had fun pulling they apart, I felt like I got more meat that way. My mom ordered lt. dan's drunken shrimp we all loved (grilled). My dad ordered the shrimp scampi which was delicious, I manly enjoyed it because the flavor was slightly different than other versions I have tried. They gave us trivia with a button as a prize, it was cute. I liked the rubber duckie races in the front of the restaurant. The manager came by and asked how our meal was, which was nice. My mom is hilarious and asked for the recipe for the cajun shrimp, the manager told us it a secret. He came back and gave us a hint, It made my mom's trip I think. I was expecting another chain restaurant but this location felt like its own gig. The wait staff were friendly with us and with each other. They have signs on the table that say "run forest run" and "stop forest stop" that tell the staff when to attend to our table. Once we had it flipped to stop and some one came to our table and later on we flipped it up to ask for our check and the same staff member came by to check on us. Very great. Thanks guys! Remember, get shrimp! That is what this place is about.
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Review from Whit R.
2/13/2007
You know, it's true. This is one of the only places downtown you can take your dog to, and that is noteworthy. Great outdoor seating and pretty decent food. It's a tourist trap for SURE, but not bad as market-area seafood places go. I would definitely return if the opportunity arose. Beats the Crab House hands down. They have those nice extra-big beers here, too.
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Review from Jessica S.
Washington, DC
7/25/2006
I really enjoyed this place. I had a shrimp po' boy and it was wonderful. not greasy at all. The bartenders were nice, and the strawberry lemonade was a little sweet. but i would def go back.
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Review from Beverly W.
Plainfield, IL
9/10/2011
I loved the location and the ambience. The food is good, especially the fresh seafood sandwich. Although a chain, this is the best one that I have been to. Chicago has one which has bad service, really bad waiters and the food is nothing to write home about. This location along with Monterey Ca are great. I loved the outdoor seating also. Charleston is a charming town and eating here was enjoyable. Very reasonable.
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Review from Jeff S.
Charleston, SC
7/8/2010
Some of the worst seafood available in Charleston. Greasy, flavorless farm raised overpriced shrimp. With so many great food options in Charleston, going here can only be classified as a tourist's mistake. Maybe it's a better downtown option for someone with small children, I don't know. Not worth it for adults.
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Review from Deb B.
5/30/2010
Everyone that I take here from out of town love this place. It is a tourist trap, but the food is great. Huge portions and just a good atmosphere. This will not be a local hangout, but the food is very pleasing and fun.
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Review from Walt W.
Ashburn, VA
1/24/2010 1 photo
It's like a Red Robin's but without all the random crap on the walls. The atmosphere was nice and the wait staff was not too slow. I would definitely come back just to try the different things they have on the menu. Though I wasn't quite impressed with the shrimp plate I had. Meh.
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Review from Bryan M.
Cape Canaveral, FL
5/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
The food was decent and the hosts were nice enough but it was a quiet night so I didn't walk away impressed. It'll do in a pinch but there are probably better locales nearby depending on your tastes.
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Review from Shelly H.
Washington, DC
3/2/2006
It is what it is. The food is OK and it is a tourist haven. But it is one of the few places I've found to take the dog out to lunch.
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Review from Huck C.
Marietta, GA
9/2/2008
Another doggie-friendly place but this time it's in Chucktown, SC... For a movie-themed restaurant, we liked the place! The grilled shrimp with mango-salsa was kick-arse along with the appitizer sampler. If we ever head back to C-town, we'll be back!
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Review from Marilyn K.
Glendale, AZ
6/9/2011
Second Bubbas we have gone to. Hawaii and SC and both were great. Waiter in SC was a real nice polite young man and was attentive to us. Talked to the manager who was also very nice, I had the appetizer platter, way more food than I could eat, and hubby had the fish sand. Both were delicious. We enjoyed and will always find a Bubbas.
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Review from City Of Angels Z.
Los Angeles, CA
6/4/2010
Nothing grand. Had the Mahi Mahi fish and chips and the Mahi tasted dirty - even the wife thought so. Wife had coconut shrimp and was not impressed. Drinks were watered down and we are both light weights so you know it had to be bad. It wasn't horrible but given the quality for the prices, we won't be back.
