Rubio’s Test Kitchen

My name is Richard and I am a Taco Addict.
Yes, indeed, I love me my Mexican food, eat it many times a week, even several times a day, and, truly, Rubio’s ROCKS! I consider the «Big R» as «Intelligent Mexican Food» because it’s made with sustainable seafood, nutrition and calorie tested, and, well, just so darn DELICIOUS! Perfect healthy and tasty eats for my training week!
So when I received the confirmation email saying that yours truly got himself a seat at the Rubio’s Test Kitchen I screamed, «Oh Lordy, HALLELUJAH!» and ran circles of joy around my computer. I mean, finally, I HAVE ARRIVED!
The Test Kitchen is located in a business part of Carlsbad, not far from the airport and the staff here is super duper friendly, informative, and welcoming! What also makes this experience is that you get to chat with some of the other tasters and share your foodie insights and experiences! The gentleman seated next to me was also a fellow Rubio’s fan and raved about their Taco Tuesdays! Oh, just twist my arm…
Prior to arriving I skipped breakfast, surfed Swamis, did a «parking lot shower» from my water bottle, cleaned up nicely, and showed up at my appointed time to the Test Kitchen. The awesome staff here warmly greeted me, handed me a tablet to record my experience, and escorted me to the tasting room.
My only trepidation about coming here was that I was afraid that I’d be served teeny weeny portions of food to taste and evaluate. I was STARVING! Imagine my surprise when the female staff member walks out with a nicely plated warm, Panko Crusted Shrimp Burrito and chips, and puts it in front of me! At that point I screamed inside my head, «Bitches, get outta my way! You got you one ravenously hungry surfer here who loves him his burritos! I’m taking no prisoners! Get in my mouth, now!!!»
I quickly grab one burrito half and next it was all like gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar… GONE.
Oh, my, I’ve only been sitting there for less that a minute, there’s still people walking in, and I just inhaled this fabulously delicious creation. I wonder if anyone noticed? Maybe they’re all thinking I haven’t eaten in month? Am I giving surfers who are also foodies a bad name?
I better stall a little, play coy, and eat a few chips. Munch, munch, munch, drinking sips of water… Wait? What’s that? There’s still the other burrito half?! Who the hell cares what others think, grab it, and again it was all like gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar, gnar… GONE.
So, in under 2 minutes I downed an entire succulent Panko Crusted Shrimp Burrito in the Rubio’s Test Kitchen and proceed to fill out my insights on the provided tablet. It was vulnerably DELIGHTFUL, but then I would expect nothing less from Rubio’s.
But wait, it gets better! On the way out the awesome staff here gave me 3 coupons for FREE tacos! What a seductive way to enable a lifetime Taco Addict!
Many thanks Rubio’s Test Kitchen!!!

I received a coveted invitation to taste test grilled sea bass tacos smothered in cilantro lime sauce at Rubio’s Test Kitchen. I was not sure what to expect when I arrived in an industrial complex, but some of the other taste testers filled me in.
The testing started promptly at 2:00 pm and my belly was grumbling. We were quickly whisked into their tasting room and given tablets with survey questions. The room is devoid of character and pretty plain, you can really focus on the taste of the food.
Grilled sea bass is one of my favorite tacos, and the sauces on this taco were delicious. I did not smother it in hot salsa like I would do at the restaurant but it still tasted good. There is no salsa bar here!
I gobbled up my tacos, dipped chips into the pinto beans and answered the survey in 15 minutes flat.
i could have eaten more food and left hungry, but it was a treat to be invited and I left with three free taco coupons.
Rubios has spent a lot of energy researching their markets, refining their flavors, and changing their image. I feel lucky to live close to the test kitchen and part of the test panel!

so today was my first time doing a Rubio’s testkitchen trial and it was a very cool experience. This is not a restaurant, I repeat, not a restaurant. It is invitation only, if you sign up for their email group. I believe it is called the beach club or something of the sort. After you have signed up and entered your email they will periodically send you emails with questionnaires about certain types of food that you order at Rubio’s. If they like your answers then you will be asked to attend the test kitchen to try out a new product or product that they’re trying to renovate completely or tweak slightly.
I went today not knowing what to expect but the process is pretty simple. When you get to the test kitchen, I recommend showing up 5 to 10 minutes early just in case you’re in a large group, and you check in with the lady at the front who hands you a tablet. After you get the tablet and sign in, they hand you a bag of chips and you go inside and sit down at table that they have in the Rubio’s restaurant. They bring out the two choices of food that you’re trying for the day and you answer the questions along with the food that you’re eating at the time and order in which the food is brought out. It is pretty much like a questionnaire process and they are just trying to get a feel of who likes what and what is most popular whether it be steak shrimp or shredded meat.
My boyfriend and I were in and out in about 35 minutes and our tummies were full when we left! It was a very cool experience and you get 3 free taco vouchers from it!
Free lunch and free tacos?! Win win

Get on the rubio’s beach club mailing list to get invites to try new products. I love coming in every month or so to sample something new and provide feedback. It’s fun to be a part of the product development process.
The entire staff is super friendly and very professional. You can expect to check in and then go into a dining area with a short questionnaire in hand. They will serve you a sample of food, such as a type of fish taco. You’ll then fill out the form for that sample. Then they’ll bring you another variation of the same dish. So then you fill out the second form and say which one you liked the best and why. Then you turn in your questionnaire and receive 3 gift coupons for any taco at a rubio’s restaurant. Not a bad deal for 30 min of your time.

Cool, but nothing too crazy here.
As a test kitchen, i was expecting some amazing culinary creations, but they only had 1 – 2 new items, the rest was just a regular Rubio’s menu.

YES THIS IS BY INVITE ONLY. IT IS NOT A RESTAURANT. YOU HAVE TO BE INVITED AND CONFIRM YOUR TIME.
Being a part of the testing of possible new menu items for Rubio’s has always been such a honor and fun thing to be a part of.
Today they were introducing two tostadas. One was a shrimp tostada with tomato salsa, avocado and a lemon white sauce. The other was a chicken tostado with the same. I have to say the shrimp was great. The chix lacked flavor but got it from the toppings. The lemon sauce was very mild and could use a bit more zing.
usually we are comparing tacos, tortills and sauces to see which ones are have a better flavor, or texture etc. This was fun. It’s quick and I like to know that they value our opinions.

This is an invitation only place. Sign up for the beach club and take some surveys and occasionally you will get invited.
I enjoy coming tonight test kitchen to try out potential new menu items.
Sometimes there is a vs b testing like with the salads, option a or option b.
Sometimes they have sandwich And chips but no a vs b testing.
The people are nice and it only takes 30 minutes if less to do the survey and at the end you get 3 coupons for free tacos.

***This is a test kitchen only — not open to the general public — You must be invited for taste test panels***
With that said, if you are asking how you get invited to taste test, I can help with that.
First, join their Beach Club mailing list. It’s open to the public, and you’ll get free and discounted meals on occasion. Like for instance you get a free meal on your birthday. Join for that alone!
Next, when you get emails from the Beach Club, look out for surveys. Those are the hidden invites. When you answer those surveys you can be selected to taste a new dish before it reaches their restaurants!
To date I’ve been invited to about 3 tasting events. They are all unique and all delicious. The tasting room is located just off Yarrow (aka opposite entrance to Palomar Airport) in a small office strip. There is a Rubios hanging sign outside to guide you. Walk into the office through to the back wooden table and there should be someone to greet you and give you a clipboard. Usually you’ll taste two different items. Could be burritos, could be tacos, could be a salad! Grab a seat, some ice water and a fork/​spoon/​knife and wait in silence with a room full of other strangers til your food comes out. Then eat the dishes in the order they tell you to and answer the questions honestly.
Once you’re done hand over the clipboard and they’ll trade you for three free individual taco cards.
Yay! Maybe in time you’ll see the high scoring dishes on your local Rubio’s menu!

[DISCLAIMER: Be aware that this is an invitation-​only test kitchen, not a restaurant. You must have an appointment, will be able to taste only what they are serving that specific day, there is only self-​serve water to drink and typically no condiments (unless they are testing said condiments). Also, it’s free. Just don’t come in with some buddies thinking you can order menu items as well.]
If you’re a Rubio’s junkie like myself, this is a fun experience and a chance to influence their future menu options. Sign up for their ‘Beach Club’ e-​mail list, respond to their surveys (the ones that come in an e-​mail with the subject line «Your Opinion Counts!»), and you may receive an invitation. RSVP, and arrive at your scheduled time. It is located in a commercial/​industrial section of Carlsbad. Easy to get in and out of. You are greeted by a sign in front of the building welcoming Rubio’s Taste Test Panel participants. You then are checked in by a receptionist, given a clip board with a two-​page questionnaire, and shown into a room with a half a dozen tables, and complete awkward silence. Everyone sits around staring at each other awkwardly for about 10 minutes until a waiter comes out and silently passes out baskets of food. You then eat the food and rate it on the questionnaires. After sitting around for a few more minutes you figure out that you’re supposed to leave now and bring your questionnaire back up to the receptionist and exchange it for a stack of three FREE TACO cards! Yay!
The food is of course going to be hit and miss. You are there to taste one specific set of items they are considering adding to their menu. My day it was Grilled Tilapia Burrito (they serve you half of a burrito) which was a ‘miss’ for me, and a Grilled Tilapia Taco, which I did enjoy. They ask questions about flavor, appearance, amount of sauce, etc., and you have a chance to add your own comments at the end.
I was in and out in the span of about 30 minutes, making it totally do-​able on a lunch break as long as you’re within 15 minutes driving distance.
All in all a fun experience and I’d definitely do it again — although I’d try to get a friend or two to fill out the survey and schedule themselves for the same time to help stave off some of the awkward silence.

IMPORTANTE: DON’T SHOW UP HERE THINKING YOU CAN ORDER FOOD.
So this was my first time ever doing a taste test for Rubio’s this afternoon… have you heard of them? Do it.
3 Easy Steps to Get to Taste Test Rubio’s Goodness:
1.) Join their email club here:

2.) Read their emails, fill out their surveys (they only take 1 – 2 mins!)
3.) When invited to test, RSVP — then, show up!
We left with 3 cards for free tacos — Woot!
We tried two dishes, gave our feedback and left within 35 minutes or so — hoping to see a healthier twist to the grande bowls :)