BUBBA DOESN'T SKIMP ON THE SHRIMP.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

If you haven't seen Tom Hanks play Forrest Gump, you probably won't fully appreciate the new Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in Universal City.

Replacing Gladstone's for Fish along the Universal CityWalk promenade, Bubba's, part of a growing international chain, buzzes like a hive of busy bees, especially on weekend nights.

You usually have to give your name to those manning the hosting desk and be prepared to wait awhile.

That'll give you time to recall scenes from the Gump movie, because once you've secured a table you'd better get ready to answer some Gump trivia questions.

Not that it will affect what you eat and drink here, but it's certainly fun to be able to get them right when the waitress or waiter tests you.

Actually, you can bypass the waiting period if there are seats available at the bar, where you can order off the same menu while watching the continuous running of ``Forrest Gump'' on an elevated screen. But you won't hear the dialogue, possibly because the lounge's rocking background music is very loud, and possibly because the mute button has been pressed. Or both. It's hard to tell.

Yes, consider taking along some earplugs. Bubba's, throughout its sprawling facility, could hardly be termed a quiet retreat. And perhaps it shouldn't be. Call it sort of happily raucous.

And its rustic fare matches its no-frills, kitschy, sometimes whimsical environment.

Just don't expect anything fancy here. Be prepared for loads of shrimp and a few other things.

As it says on the menu about shrimp, ``You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, steam it, stuff it.''

And I guess someone forgot to mention, ``fry it,'' which Bubba's kitchen does quite often, or ``saute it,'' which also shows up on the laminated menu.

I like it best ``drunken'' ($15.99), as in Lt. Dan's Drunken Shrimp in a peppery bourbon sauce with andouille-style sausage and skin-in mashed potatoes, also sauteed, as in shrimp New Orleans ($16.79).

Steamed-in-beer, peel-and-eat shrimp with Cajun spice ($11.99) provides a messy, welcome, shareable starter. And mashed shrimp with mahi mahi and corn fashioned into tasty hush puppy spheres ($7.99) are also worth trying.

But I'd pass on the fried shrimp ($15.99) or bucket ($18.99) of fried seafood containing the same fried shrimp with deep-fried mahi mahi and rubbery pieces of deep-fried slipper lobster.

Superior deep-fried fare comes up light in color, fluffy in texture and with obvious flavor. Bubba's needs to learn this.

Southern fried chicken ($13.99) and the beer-battered mahi mahi used in Bubba's fish and chips ($11.29) is definitely a tad better in these categories, especially flavorwise.

Needless to say, portions are generous to a fault, resulting in numerous diners leaving with take-home bags. And that happened to us one evening at dessert time. Both the impressive warm apple cobbler ($6.99) and extremely appealing, whole chocolate cake ($9.99) proved to be way too much to finish.

So we took them home.

Thinking of the calories?

The movie has the answer.

Run, Forrest, run.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

[e-mail]

BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP CO.

Food: Two and one half stars - Service: Two and one half stars - Wine: One star

Where: 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal CityWalk, Universal City.

Phone: [phone].

Meals/hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Food type: Seafood.

Cost: Starters and sandwiches from $4.49 to $14, entrees from $11.29 to $19, desserts from $5.29 to $10.

Credit cards: All major.

Patio dining: Yes.

Parking/valet: General and valet parking at CityWalk rates.

Full bar: Yes.

Wine/Corkage: Minimum list of three whites and three reds by the glass ($5 to $9) and bottle ($20 to $30). Corkage: No charge.

Music/entertainment:No, but various live performances along CityWalk.

Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout, no delivery outside CityWalk complex.

Reservations: Not taken. First come-first served policy.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Bubba's towering bucket contains deep-fried shrimp, slipper lobster and mahi mahi, served with fries, plus a side of coleslaw.

(2) Shrimp is big at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., where chef Jason Lloyd, left, and manager Bill Sherman display some of the menu offerings at the Universal CityWalk restaurant.

Joel Lugavere/Special to the Daily News