I would give 4 stars for ambience, 5 for service and 3 for food. This Bubba Gump is only about a block from the Monterey Bay Aquarium so is convenient for a meal after a visit. There is a very nice view of the Bay. They are dog friendly and our server Pauline brought our dog a nice bowl of water. Much appreciated She also took a picture of our family group. For all that she gets 5 stars. I generally don't expect too much from a theme restaurant but the food was okay. My grilled shrimp were a little over cooked and dry but not seriously. I would give them 3 stars on food. Michelin would not give them any however. All in all better than I expected. read more

The service was marvelous. The food is a comfy delicious dining experience. We had the Jambalaya, Shrimp Heaven, unstuffed Shrimp and the Alabama Chicken linguine. It was delicious. read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Outdoor sign - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Clam chowder was soooo good, I want to say the best I've had. Bread bowl was soft and hot, the whole thing was eaten between the two of us! Rolls were very flavorful and refreshing! read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Lobster and crab rolls - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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I'm bummed I have to write this review. My partner and I went to Monterey to celebrate her birthday, and one of the things she wanted to do was eat at Bubba Gump's since she hadn't eaten here in almost a decade. Now I love the one on San Francisco, it's always been a fun attraction when showing friends the city for the first time. This location in Monterey is the original location so that's fun. It was all the usual experiences I'd expect from here, movie trivia about forest gump, loads of decorations, and absolutely packed with customers. There were only two major differences. The service, and the food. We were not greeted when we walked in. The hostess was smiling until she approached us and then her smile immediately dropped. We were given a lot of attitude before being sat but whatever, maybe she was having a bad day. Our waitress was insanely friendly and we loved her to death. I wish I remembered her name, but she was so sweet. We had to send back our silverware because of how dirty it was. The first set had a hard white calcium deposit on it. Have never had that happen at a restaurant. So then our server got us a new set, and they had a huge amount of hard water spots on it. Now hard water spots aren't dangerous, and can easily be fixed with water softener, or ordering a different type of metal silverware. It isn't the most slightly to have your forks and spoons covered in it though. But oh well we kept these ones because at least it didn't have calcium buildup, and we didn't want to put our server out. We got ourselves the shrimp mac and cheese appetizer and were looking forward to it since we love mac and cheese. It comes out in a super tiny bowl that could have honestly been a side portion and not a nearly $15 appetizer. Oh well, as long as it tastes good right? My partner is a chef and immediately could tell what was wrong with it. The flour wasn't cooked out of it. There was also 2 tiny pieces of shrimp in it (yes we counted). Then our main dishes arrived. She got the scampi, and I got the linguini. She immediately could tell our food was microwaved, and hers was a soup. My linguini was decent, it wasn't worth the money, but it was edible. Hers was literally a runny soup. When she picked up the noodles on her fork, all the "sauce" fell off of it and so she was left with a real bland flavor. She was really disappointed and when our server came over to see how everything was, my partner was so apologetic about sending the food back and wanting the check. This was the first time she's ever done that before. Our server was so apologetic and worried she ruined the birthday, but we were real nice and comforting to her, letting her know that it wasn't her fault, she's not in control of what the kitchen sends out. We still tipped her, because again her service was amazing, and then we left. The cocktails were great. We paid for the cocktails and appetizer, but not for the entree's. That was the first time we've ever sent food back before and we both felt horrible. If you like the chain, I don't recommend the Monterey location, I do recommend the San Francisco one however. read more

Super cool vibes and the movie is one of my favorites! Just another chain unfortunately The calamari appetizer was quite literally rubber bands. My husband was literally sat under a tree, our waiter was so non vocal and quiet we couldn't even hear a thing he said. The po boy shrimp was good but the sandwich was super dry. A real po boy has a remoulade slathered. My husbands platter was good for him (a little salty) but he enjoyed that. read more

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In the years that I've been to Monterey this is my first time eating at Bubba's. I think it also might be my last. I wasn't too excited about the food. The calamari was average. The drink was average, and this Cajun concoction on the side was a little too strong for me. It definitely gathers a lot of crowd from tourist and family visiting the aquarium, but it was a little too bland for my pallet. Yet the place had wonderful service and great staff ! read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Seriously, I adore Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.!! I bugged my friend to eat here because I was craving one of their shrimp buckets. Baby, it did not disappoint!!! Do yourself a favor and have them make it half and half - half Cajun and half garlic. Yes, it's messy but so worth it. Don't forget to order a side of their delectable garlic bread for dunking in all of those messy juices. I also recommend bringing moist toilettes (because they don't provide them) or just a beach towel because this location is on the water. One of my favorite features here is the waves crashing under the building. You can always tell those folks that are new to this spot because they jump from their seats thinking the building is going to be swept away into the ocean. Yeah, it's a bit disarming at first but I encourage you to embrace it and laugh! Drinks aren't bad and the prices are decent. The servers are tons of fun, especially when they sing that birthday song. Don't judge, just come and enjoy the good views, great service and messy shrimp. Life's too short to skimp...on shrimp! read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - 1/2 lb peelers - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Convenient very "touristy trap" restaurant on the water. We had an awesome seat overlooking the bay, pelicans and some seals. While the view and service was awesome, the food...was horrific. Clam chowder had been sitting around for a while because this bland soup had a hardened layer on the surface (see picture). And while they call it "clam" chowder, I struggled to find any clams. Mostly potato. While the Calamari had a nice crispy coating with a little kick to it, the actual calamari was tough and chewy...obviously overcooked. The $25 crab and shrimp rolls were another huge miss. While the brioche bun was excellent, we couldn't find any lump crab meat, and the only lump was the massive amount of raw onion and one or two chunks of overcooked shrimp. For $25, those tiny buns should have been packed. The filling was mostly cream fresh, onion and celery. Hardly any fish. This place is a true tourist trap restaurant due to the name and lack of need to produce quality food as there will always be sucker tourist victims (like me) who will choose this place. read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Weak Crab and shrimp roll. Not good - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Food is Applebees quality. Appetizer came out last. Service is so so. View of the ocean is beautiful and can bring dogs on deck. Expensive for what it is but good tourist stop. read more

we live about 2 1:2 hrs away and every time we come in, we are greeted with memories and laughter. The manager Alexis is amazing and so unbelievably kind! she takes care of her employees and makes sure they know they are loved! Marina is an amazing server they have.. she has always come and said hi even if she's not our server. a company this size with the amount of customers they have a day it makes us feel so special to know they remember us! The food is always up there with the service... they take care of everyone to the fullest extent possible! read more

Place was pricey by view was nice! Staff is super friendly and they even give u a forest gump quiz...my whole family went for my nieces birthday and they sat all 19 of us no problem read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Po boy shrimp sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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The service was great! Peyton was super friendly and helpful. Made our experience in Monterey wonderful. read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Patio view - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Bubba Gump's has been one of my bucket list items since I originally heard of it nearly 20 years ago. I had a couple of missed opportunities before finally finding success in Monterey. I don't think I could have been more disappointed. We went in a Monday night, thinking it would be less busy, getting there before the dinner rush. Walked up to the hostess station and waited more than 5 minutes before anyone acknowledged. We were led to our table and watched the flurry of servers scurrying around. 10 minutes later, one finally came to our table and took our order. And we waited...... 20 minutes later someone flew passed and literally dropped our salads without a word. And without dressing. Another 10 minutes our sever finally caught my disgusted look and came and asked how things were. A few minutes later he brought dressing and the ran back to check the rest of our order. Halfway through the salads, the appetizers showed up. The food was ok, but not any better than you'd get at Applebees or Chili's. The atmosphere was similar except obviously more Forest Gump themed. Music was loud. Hard to have a conversation. The service was abysmal. Check that one off the list. One and done. Won't go back. read more

Great amount of dressing, nice crunchy fresh lettuce, very few and tiny pieces of egg and bacon as well, and chicken felt dry and maybe from the frozen kind. A waiter spilled a lot of liquid cleaner almost on my feet and purse, and never came back to clean it. read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - South chicken salad - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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Back after 8 years and it still has the good vibes, service, and ambiance as I remembered. This time we splurged a bit and got a few more things. We started off with the fried chicken and pickles $13.99. The pickles were extra sour which I loved, but a bit too salty for us. I don't think we would order that again. The clam chowder is really good- $9.99. Great creaminess and flavor. I liked how there are actual clam bits. The bowl is enough for a stand alone meal for someone not hungry or as an appetizer to share. The I'm stuffed shrimp $25.99- the stuffed shrimp was ok, but the rice was the star of the dish for me. It was perfectly cooked- fluffy, moist, and perfectly seasoned. Not sure if I would get this again, but I def loved the rice. Now my personal favorite is the Jambalaya $20.99, like the other dish. Rice was on point chicken and shrimp was cooked perfectly. Very well seasoned and it has a good spicy kick. My only complaint was that it was a bit too salty for me. Overall, glad we came back - it was super nostalgic. read more

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People either seem to love or hate Bubba Gump's, but you can't deny that it's branding with Forrest Gump has really taken off for tourists. It's a large family restaurant with overpriced food sure, but it can be a lot of fun too. I recently came here while hosting a group of Taiwanese educators for my job since they could actually hold large groups. We had to wait half an hour even after making a reservation, so keep that in mind if you are starving. I'm a plant-based eater so what in the world was on the menu for someone like me? Well... a Beyond Burger ($18) that can be veganized with the removal of mayo? Sure, why not. My Beyond Burger was as expected - juicy and tasty and a solid burger option. My side fries were crispy and the additional 'plain' side of broccoli was a good way to incorporate more veggies. Our server was very friendly and it was an overall wonderful experience. I can't speak on the seafood (which is probably why you're looking at these reviews anyway), but if you are vegan or plant-forward, there is at least a reliable beyond option here! read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Beyond Burger and Fries - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

This is supposed to be the first Bubba Gump Shrimp location which would be the starting point for this chain all across the United States. Unfortunately the quality of the food was below average and ruined the experience a bit. The interior is so amazing though, so if you're looking for a nice atmosphere, not a bad place. I do not recommend any of the new items, such as the poke sushi. Rice was super hard and flavor combinations were unusual Forrest's seafood feast was mediocre at best, with the grease leaving an icky feeling in the belly afterwards. Probably better off finding another restaurant but can eat here in a pinch. read more

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Great garlic flavor on the peel your own shrimp. Wish it was cleaned slightly better since it wasn't deveined all the way. The kids enjoyed their menu items since it came in a little paper boat. The popcorn shrimp was good, but I would pass on the instant Mac & cheese. Each kids meal came with a cookie. read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place has great food, it's always super busy so make sure to get a reservation, you some regret it.

Food and service is amazing here. I like how all members work as a team. My favorite item is the dumb luck coconut shrimp. I also like to order deinks that come with a glass souvenir to take home. Will definately be coming back soon. read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Even tho my steak wasn't cooked to my liking I still liked my experience. Fun atmosphere and our server James was awesome. He was very attentive and pleasant. Would def go back if im back in Monterey again. read more

Very enjoyable spot for lunch! It is located close by Monterey Bay Aquarium. The restaurant has great ambiance and interior decor based on the Forrest Gump movie. It was very busy on a Friday sternum, but service was good. We got the Strawberry Salads, Captain's Fish and Chips, and Jenny's Surf and Surf. All the food was delicious. The fries and salmon were great! read more

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I appreciate Jayden you are amazing big help when I came in y ok made me feel really welcome I come here all the time with me and my wife I appreciate you for your hospitality that is what you call real work ... no one not even your servers made me feel grateful and special like you did ..... I'm really comming back keep that energy... your amazing and I REEEEAAALLLLYYYY HOPE THE COMPANY REALLY SEES YOUR POTENTIAL... THATS WHAT I LIKE TO SEE !!! PEOPLE like JAYDEN out there with that high energy . read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

Very good experience dining here for lunch while visiting the aquarium. I'm not sure why everyone is so critical of it. We really enjoyed it: - The hostess was very organized. She kept getting phone calls too. You can also join the Yelp waitlist and see the wait times. - The prices are extremely reasonable for the Bay Area. I dare say even affordable! - Our server was also very accommodating and let me substitute broccoli for fries on an entree. - The food came quickly. - My husband liked the boiled shrimp a lot and I liked the fried pickles. read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Fried pickles - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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First of all this restaurant never disappoints. As many times as I have been here it has always been an exceptional experience. This time my family had family on vacation from Argentina and the cousins are big Forest Gump fans! Are server Rhea was exceptional. She asked the cousins about 10 Forest Gump questions and they got them all right except for one. Rhea got our entire order correct and was very attentive to our needs. Thank you Rhea for making their day with your friendly attitude and great service! read more

The food was excellent and view was spectacular the service was good but after they tried to add the tip to the tab and was ridiculous it was 25 dollars call me a cheap but im not paying a 25 dollar tip when you spend 140+ they need to know that tips should be optional and not added to the tab or forced upon. read more

Cute place but the food is trash. Even the water tasted like it was from the toilet. Considering how long they have been in business I would think the food should be better. And for guest to be waiting over 45 minutes to eat bland food is a disappointment. This place might just be popular because the theme and location. read more

Everything was sticky. The table, the menus. The food was terrible and over priced. Avoid this place completely

The restaurant is a fabulous place to visit and the food is yummy.I haven't eaten here in a while but recommend this place. read more

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I love this movie. I love this place. I love the food. Very great. Menu was full of references about the movie. Before I could think to take a picture, it was already gone. 10/10 read more

Anyone who's a Forrest Gump shrimp gets excited about eating at Bubba Gump ! My family and I went on a Friday evening which made the service less hectic and more accommodating with no wait time. Our server was attentive and didn't leave any room for us to wait. This is my first visit and possibly my last. The decor pays great homage to the film and it's charm but unfortunately to food was lackluster. Theres always been tall and hype about this place but to be honest, I wasn't too impressed which was disappointing since I grew up on the film. I thought it to be a spectacular seafood spot to compliment the amazing film and decor of the place but the best thing was the ocean view and the decor. It was overall a nice experience but not one that'll be very memorable. If you're a fan of the film, you should definitely go and see what it offers but don't expect amazing food. I've had better at other seafood spots in Monterey and San Francisco. read more

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Brandon was our server today and he was incredible! We had a large party and got all our food on time and everything tasted great. He went above and beyond to get us ice and boxes for our trip home. Overall was a great experience thank you Brandon! read more

What a horrible experience! We expected to have a wait but we did not expect to have the worst service possible. This started with the hostess up front to our waiter, and all the way up to a manger. I mean when I go in expecting to pay for a nice meal or at least have the "experience" from a Bubba Gump restaurant and I don't get anything is just beyond unacceptable. I didn't even find the need to take a picture of the food as it was just that bad. We ordered 1/2 lb of the fresh shrimp in garlic and it was not in anyway cleaned, and by that I mean still had the poop sack! The POOP SACK was still on over half of the shrimp we ordered. To say that is not something you ever expect to see is an understatement! As for clam chowder, that tasted like it came from a can. The overall meal was no better. Our server was nonexistent, and every time I turned our sign to "Stop Forest" for help a busser or someone else would show up and ask what we needed and flipped the sign back over and I still had to wait for our waiter to come over just to tell him what I had already asked for. Our overall bill was $200 for a family of 5 and I happily paid that and still tipped our server $50. To prove a point to everyone I also tipped another waitress $100 for showing that you can to above and beyond with her customer and still get other tables served. I made sure to point this out to another manger who responded by saying "oh my gosh that's so nice" I was not doing it to be "nice" I did it because even though she wasn't my waitress I respected her work ethic. read more

Was the last night of my work conference so we came down to Cannnery Row and opted to eat at Bubba Gump...although it's a chain restaurant you just can't go wrong here...I had the stuffed shrimp with mac n cheese and my coworkers had different variations of the shrimp baskets. Food was good, service was a bit slow, there were only 2 servers and there were a couple of large parties. Overall a good place to eat. read more

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Bubba in Monterey is ok. The quality of the food is good, not the greatest but comes fast. Portions have been greatly reduced over the years (visiting this location since 2018) and this time the shrimpers heaven was even worse than before..... barely any fries as well. Service is acceptable but don't expect too much (25min to bring waters?). Atmosphere and views of the bay make for a pleasant experience read more

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I'm kind of a fan of Bubba Gump, at least the Monterey location. I've been to the SF location a long, long time ago. I can't remember how I enjoyed it. But with this trip, our food was fairly solid and our server (Juanita--at least that's what it said on my bill) was nice and friendly. My wife and I visited just to have a nice Sunday out of town and we visited Bubba Gump, located in Monterey. Come early for street parking as it gets more and more difficult later in the day. We ordered the: (a) Run Across America Sampler; (b) Bourbon St. Mahi Mahi & Shrimp; and (c) a bowl of the New England Clam Chowder. All of the foods were pretty good . The appetizer I recommend as it comes with Hush Puppies, Fried Shrimp, Chicken Nuggets, and Chips with a collection of dips and sauces. The options were pretty great. The Bourbon St. Mahi Mahi & Shrimp was done well over a nice sauce. The seasoning had a bit of a kick and really amplified the shrimp. The mahi mahi was fine, cooked a bit more than I'd like, but went well with the dish overall. The mashed potatoes with the fried carrot chips were a nice touch. The bowl of New England Clam Chowder was done well. Exactly what you would expected. I also ordered a beer in a 22oz souvenir beer glass. I swear, that souvenir beer glass did not look like it could hold 22oz. But what was nice was that if you ordered this, Bubba Gump would give you a brand new, wrapped up, beer glass so you don't have to hold a used beer glass up and down Cannery Row. Would come back, we enjoyed our experience. read more

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Nothing fancy, it was fine for dinner in Monterey after visiting the aquarium. We had a large party of 7 and the wait was supposedly 25 min according to the hostess out front. They took our number to text us once our table was ready. After about 40+ minutes still no text. We went back to check and hostess said they texted us and we didn't arrive within 10 mins so they cancelled our place in line. They def had some technical issues because we later confirmed the phone number (which was correct) but nothing came through. After another 10 mins waiting for them to clean a table, we were finally seated. We came here mainly bc it was kid friendly and had a kids menu. Typical food, nothing stood out. First time for all of us even though we have this restaurant in our hometown...also in very popular tourist area. read more

I went for lunch on a Tuesday with my friends during our aquarium trip. It was the perfect time to go. There was plenty of seating and we got a sweet view of the ocean. They had a high chair for the baby in our group which was great. The service was amazing and our server answered all of our questions about the menu. I ordered a drink and it came with a new glass to keep! Jennifer, the manager helped us out as well. She is patient and personable. Thank you to the team at this location! read more

Bubba Gumps is always a reliable spot to eat wherever you are in the country. Had some time to kill before a flight, and figured a quick bite overlooking the Monterey Bay couldn't hurt. Service is always solid and quick when eating solo. I started with a bowl of clam chowder and had the Shrimp New Orleans for my entree (always a classic). Love all the decor from Forest Gump and is always an inviting spot. Can't go wrong with lunch here. read more

Bubba Gump Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Monterey, California

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The food is really good. They used to have a bigger menu. But its been years since we went. Still a nice place to eat.