Bubba's Seafood — Restaurant in Seadrift

Recently visited this restaurant while in town for 2 days and it was disappointing. Not sure if it was due to the staff being swamped by a full restaurant and/or cooks having an off day. But the seafood boil my boyfriend and I ordered had zero flavor. The shrimp, crab, corn, and etc that came in the beach combers boil had a bland and very salty sea taste (as it may would a tad bit since its literal seafood, but it was very overbearing) and the butter that is served along as a dip with the boil had zero flavor as well. The boil tasted as if it was boiled with no seasoning/flavor and then the cajun seasoning was sprinkled everywhere afterwards. I’ve had seafood boils at other restaurants that is by far more superb in taste, quality, and presentation of the their seafood. As for the appetizers that were ordered, the fried pickles were fine as it was just a basic appetizer and as far as for the oysters, the presentation was interesting as the oysters were served without the shells and were in a bowl and looked as if they were raw egg yolks in the bowl. In referring back to the boil, the crab was dissatisfying as the two crabs that were served had a lot of algae on it, I’ve never had nor seen crab with so much algae on it, which was a turn off. As for the service, the waitress was sweet and definitely was hustling that night as she was running around tending to many tables, but due to the full house and possibly them being short staffed, it unfortunately allowed the waitress to get backed up with her charge out times, which we waited 40mins to pay out. The restaurant definitely needs to develop better efficiency within the establishment and work with the kitchen as well to provide better quality and service. All feedback is welcomed in the manner as for the business to improve and progress...

Update 7/26 lunch visit Caesar salad was fully tossed in the dressing ahead, with a good amount of cheese and croutons. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, appropriately romaine (several of the last Caesar’s I’ve had served elsewhere were a house blend of greens). I am somewhat picky about salads, and every leaf was edible.

Ordered the Red Snapper- blackened, with the grilled broccoli. Overall a darn good plate, the cheese sauce was perfect blend of creamy and the right consistency. The temp on the fish - I couldn’t have done it better myself, the spices were a little light for blackened- but expected. My only two comments for a better plate; the rice was a little Al dente for me, and the broccoli could have benefited from a little drizzle of the cheese.

The fish was higher than the lunch pot by a factor. That said- $27+tip on lunch. … I’d buy this lunch again. Bumped to fourth star- and fifth is within reach on my next trip down.

First visit: Only because the shrimp were so over cooked; some credit given for the fact they were small, and that since they were small- I probably got closer to 3/4# than 1/2 in the lunch pot as advertised. The seasoning was not “hot” per the waitress… all of the above stated- I will absolutely try them again this week. $15 for the lunch pot was a very reasonable (if not cheap) price for the food I received. Will update with the newest review- no photo on this one- the shrimp were still in hull, seasoning on the outside, and overcooked as soon as you peeled. Fresh. But significantly overcooked. Can’t wait...

Bubba’s is a fine example of how people’s expectations differ and that can make all the difference in how relative the restaurant’s Google rating is to the diner. With a Texas Roadhouse vibe, Bubba’s offers up their version of Cajun food and specializes in boiled seafood. While the place was popular and packed shoulder to shoulder (during the pandemic) we felt the offering fell far short. To begin with the drink offering is extremely limited, mostly light beer and a few domestic standards with nothing on tap. Wine was offered by the colors - red or white - and requesting more specifics sent the waitress away to find out if they had a wine list (they don’t.) As for the food, the wife’s crawfish etouffee was mostly etouffee with only a few mudbugs in the hiding in the mix. I was wanting to try a little of everything, but the lack of an interesting beer meant boiled seafood was out, so I had the fried fish platter. The fish and fries were spot on, but the shrimp and oysters were both under cooked. The stuffed crab needed seasoning - any seasoning. Service was average for a busy night. Speed was average for a busy Saturday night as well. We ended the evening with two pens – one that didn’t work and the other that leaked ink. I rate Bubbas with 2 stars for a very limited drink menu, only average food and an unimpressive...