Rubio’s

Typical Rubios with somewhat harried staff. Stopped by for dinner tonight and to pick up free usable tote bag. They were out of bags, and I would have expected the staff to offer some other free item say a free drink. Hope server just said they were out, and didn’t even say he was sorry. Recommend the Rubios in Bessi Ranch instead.

Three stars in appropriate. A Rubio’s is a Rubio’s. I used to like their traditional fish tacos, but an employee confirmed several years ago that they changed their recipe or cooking style… it was something… and now I can’t eat it anymore.
On this particular day, I was craving Rubio’s, but not their fish tacos. I saw tilapia burrito on the menu… done and done. Ordered it grilled, came with chips.
The portion size was large. I could’ve easily taken some home, but I was starving. It was a bit spicy, but delicious.
This location is clean and the condiment bar was fully stocked. The cashier who took my order was pleasant, as was the ‘runner’ who delivered the food.
If I’m in the area and craving Rubio’s, I’ll stop in.

I am a fan of Rubio’s but this location needs a lot of help in overall cleanliness. I realize, my error, that «Taco Fish Tuesday’s» brings in a larger crowd than normal but you need to add staff to keep up with cleaning tables and floors. We walked around for about 5 minutes deciding which of the dirty area’s was best to sit in. Salsa needed replenishing and cleaning around the bowls. We’ve gone on several other occasions and still run into the same problem withe the lack of cleanliness. Please improve so I don’t need to drive further to go to another Rubio’s.

Second terrible review I’m making for this rubies. Even when you show up when nobody is there they still get my order wrong every time. I ordered 2 tacos I just don’t see why they don’t end up tacos. ???

We just had an amazing lunch at this Rubio’s.The manager Paul was a gentleman and very sweet. I would recommend this place to anybody.

This was my first time and I’m honestly not impressed. I ordered the California chicken bowl and it was not satisfying. The portion of chicken in the bowl was very small. Because of this I wanted to lower their rating but I’m giving them at least 3 stars because the service in the front was nice. She was very cheerful and patient with when trying to order from the menu.

Adriana was great! She answered all of my questions and she was able to customize my order (sauces on the side). I paid with an eGift Card and though she was unfamiliar with the process, she quickly asked the manager rather than pretend to know how to do it. Her smile was inviting and not once did I feel as if she was annoyed for being there. :)

Bottom Line: Tasty Mexican inspired cuisine but this particular location tends to be less kept than others.
I guess I am old school because I miss the Rubio’s that was Ralph Rubio’s «Rubio’s.» I enjoyed eating street tacos on paper plates underneath thatched palapas and watching fish swim in tanks. But, that was probably before Mill Road Capital purchased the company in 2010. A lot has changed since then. Some say that the food isn’t as high quality but for me the most noticeable difference is the vibe which has continued to evolve in the last five years. The most noticeable changes to me are (1) renaming of the restaurants to Rubio’s Coastal Grill, (2) swapping out the unique Baja décor for mainstream, trendy décor and (3) serving meals on real dishes rather than paper. Anyway, for anyone who is new to Rubio’s, none of that will matter so lets talk about logistics and food to help you determine if this is where you want to hang ten.
The logistics here are that you order your food at the counter and can either dine in or get it to go. With the new system, if you are dining in, then they give you a number and will deliver your food to you. (Admittedly, I like this better than the old days of having to listen for your name to be called.) The Coca-​Cola soda fountain is self-​serve and stopping by the salsa bar is a must. My favorite is the roasted chipotle salsa.
As far as food, even as the menu has been tweaked over the years, I have not had anything that I didn’t like. Things I enjoy here are the original fish taco, chicken quesadilla, health mex burrito (now called «H-​Mex Burrito») and chicken tortilla soup. Rubio’s has always had bottled Mexican beer and in recent years they have added some of the San Diego Craft Beers (at least in the SD locations) and Sangria to the menu.
This particular location has always seemed neglected over the years. As other Unilocalers noted, this location isn’t the cleanest. The interior has been remodeled but they still don’t seem to have enough staff to clear tables. I think a lot of confusion came into play when Rubio’s went from paper plates to real dishes. People aren’t sure if they are supposed to buss their own dishes, which I think they are. Busing your own dishes has its own issues too because you have to scrap your plates while looking at other people’s food scraps and then place your dishes in the disk bucket which can be awkward and overflowing. It’s really not how I want to end a meal.

What happened to Rubios? The food is terrible, portions are smaller and customer service is horrible. Very disappointed. I grew up going to this Rubios and noticed a big change when they changed it to Rubios Coastal Grill or whatever they’re calling it now. It’s like they tweaked the menu a little by using cheaper, bad ingredients, smaller portions, etc. And never go there on fish taco Tuesday! You’ll get grey, day old, cold fish. Gross. Sucks, this place use to be great.

The wifey loves fish tacos so headed down to our local Rubios to feed the family dinner. No complaints about the fish tacos, they were fresh with a nice crunch and the sauce is tasty.
I DO NOT however like the gotcha charge on the tortillas. My kids like an extra tortilla or 2 with their meal. I asked for extra tortillas at the counter. How many would you like sir? Thinking these are small fish taco tortillas, I asking for 6. Waiting for the food I scrolled my receipt and realized I was charged $ 1.25 PER TORTILLA! That right, it cost me $ 7+ dollars for some extra tortillas. El Pollo Loco charges $ 0.25/tortilla and other mom and pop’s through some in at no extra charge. So, long-​short be aware of the aggressive tortilla gouge here.
Thanks for reading, Ed

Sadly this store continues to falter. Shrimp burrito is the smallest ever and lack its usual flavor. Not much sauce. The green tomatillo hot sauce was watered down so much that we threw it away. The service staff is ok. Not overly pleasant.

Love the burritos at this place… not too good with call in orders tho. I’ve place an order for pick-​up three times, and each time they’ve «missed» my order causing me to wait for them to remake my food.

DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION IN ENCINITAS.
I love Rubio’s, but I have yet to enjoy my food from this location.
All i ever get at rubios is the two fish taco plate w rice and beans, but at the Encinitas location, it tastes SO disgusting.
The people who make the food at this one have ZERO respect for quality and consistency. I just opened up my fish taco and found a dehydrated piece of fish about half the size of the corn tortilla and 5 – 6 pieces of cabbage with barely any yougurt sauce. Plus it was stone cold. Ive gotten a long large black hair in my taco here. Ive been given fish tacos without limes several times. Plus, the overall I Dont Give A ^bleep^ look to the food really makes me mad.
Get rid of the manager here or get rid of those horrible cooks.
IF YOURE IN ENCINITAS, SKIP THIS LOCATION. the people here dont care about food or put any love whatsoever into the food.

I got the Coastal Trio, which came with three different seafood tacos. What can I say? I like to have a finger in every pie. If you want to enjoy a buffet of flavors, the trio is a good way to satisfy your curiosity and provide variety for your taste buds.
My friend got the California Bowl, another delicious option! The bowl includes citrus rice, black beans, romaine lettuce, guacamole, salsa fresca, and chipotle sauce, plus your choice of seafood or grilled chicken.
The restaurant is clean, looks nice and new (even though it’s been here for awhile!), and there’s indoor and outdoor seating.

Rubio’s has been on my radar since I started college in San Diego. I have eaten hundreds of fish tacos and burritos at about a dozen Rubio’s over the years. Fish tacos run high on the list of my favorite foods.
In recent times the marketing department has sought out to change things. My head says, «don’t fix it if it ain’t broken» and that is the advice that I offer. Back in the day the prices were comparable to taco stands throughout this fine city. They offered grilled or breaded products and traditional combos. The newfangled menu explores using media buzzwords like habañero, mango salsa, chimichurri sauce, grilled corn, bacon, and the oh so popular bowls for the low carb crowd.
Marketing teams elevated the allure of the menu while simultaneously sneaking in higher prices under the radar. Feeding a family of 4 is going to run over $ 40 without beers. I am glad that they removed the «margaritas» from the menu, calling wine with sweet and sour insulted the concept of a margarita.
But the classics have held strong through their transformation and I can still count on my trusty fish taco hitting the spot. Who can not resist a beer battered deep fried piece of fish complimented with crunchy cabbage and bonded together with crema and fresh salsa?
Fish tacos are the hero of the menu. They catalyzed the success of Rubio’s which drove rapid growth of the fish taco craze that swept the nation in the past few decades. I still love my fish tacos. On Taco Tuesday you can snatch them up for a buck and a half. If you want the grilled taco then be prepared to pay about 4 bucks for a small taco that can be eaten in 4 bites. It breaks down to a buck a bite.
This location does not have the perfect balance of flavor to substantiate what they charge so my visits have tapered off in recent years. I was served stale chips and the guacamole in my burrito was ice cold on my last visit. I l still love my fish tacos and will continue to visit Rubio’s in a pinch.

What is going on with this place? They tried to update the inside. Looks OK. Nothing exciting. The problem is, this place burns thru help like nothing I have seen before. The people don’t know the menu, pricing, I tried to use a birthday coupon, the person was clueless and said there was no such coupon. Amazing.
I like the Rubio’s food, but the service at this place has gotten to the point, I have to go somewhere else.

I was too rough on this location. We’re back again today. This Rubio’s has a giant table available for large parties — I haven’t seen that at their other locations. The flies are gone as well.
Bonus Tip: Join their Rubio’s Club. It’s free and they send you offers for free food.

We have been coming to this location for years. I have always loved the food and the service. Last night was a complete disappointment. I called in the order ahead of time and was told to come pick up in 10 – 15 minutes. I came a little after the 15 minutes and went to the pick up window on the left. They told me I had to get in line to pay. The line was out the door. I waited in the only line as the customers went up and ordered their meals. I could see my order finished on the left but had to wait in line nonetheless. When I asked the cashier about this new policy, she said it was the policy of the new management. To top it all off, I was told I had my total order. I went over to the salsa bar and pulled everything out of the bag to check. Half my order was missing. Had to go back and find someone to help me get the rest of my order. By the time I came home with my order, it was almost 1 hour later and everything was soggy. We will not be calling our orders in
to this location anymore.

I don’t care for seafood… and I don’t usually get fish or shrimp tacos!!! I have to say that the shrimp tacos from Rubios are the best I’ve ever tasted! They taste like I’m by the beach at a fine dining restaurant!
They have beer and really yummy sangria!
YUM O!!! I like them grilled or fried.

Fast service. Professional.
Super clean in restaurant. Salsa bar always full. Fountain soda bar at your service.
Outdoor seating available. No tv screens. No music. Fresh food– orders are always correct. Real utensils!!! Yay.