Rubio’s Review
By Debra Yen & Max Wu

I’ve always passed by Rubio’s on my way to Costco, as it is nicely situated behind the prominent sign of Pacific Commons. Since we were doing food reviews and Max recommended this fresh Mexican grill, we went in to take a look after our jaunt at Yoswirl.

The light was dim in the restaurant, but it was offset by the bright blue, yellow, and red colors. Fun, rollicking Latin music complemented the Hispanic murals and entertaining signs on the walls.

Although Max was a veteran of the place, I found the layout of the front of the store detrimental, as there was no real place to stand and view the menu overhead for newcomers like me who take a long time to pick a food item. Since we were there at a lax period in business, there was no one in line so I could leisurely stare at the menu in front of the cashier, but I can easily imagine that at a busy hour, this would hold up the line.

I ended up ordering a Chipotle Ranch Wrapsalada, a shrimp salad wrapped in a tortilla, to put it simply. Max, an aficionado of Rubio’s renowned fish tacos, ordered a fish taco coupled with a carnitas taco. My order came to $8, pricey for a salad.

The cashier, a man who didn’t talk much and had a generally blank expression, handed us neat devices that would vibrate, flash, and ring when our orders were ready.

We chose a table in a spacious back area, reached by a side hallway that caused the restaurant to seem deceptively small at first. The area had a high ceiling and was well-ventilated, but its best feature was the large windows that provided a fantastic view of the passing cars and decorative palm trees and let sunlight stream through. Definitely sit here if not ordering to go.

The machine rang in a short four minutes and I picked up my wrapsalada. Feeling just a little bit full from eating too much frozen yogurt earlier, I nevertheless dug in with much gusto, and with good reason.

The lettuce were chopped in small pieces but were amazingly fresh, and the mini shrimps were juicy. Random bits of spicy tortilla chips added a satisfying crunch, while the green tortilla wrap was nicely seasoned with various herbs. Even though I’m not a huge fan of avocadoes, the large chunk of guacamole on either end of the wrapsalada did not overwhelm the taste. Overall, a very good salad. I was left agreeably full and content.

The con to the Chipotle ranch wrapsalada, however, was that although the meal was bursting with flavor, it was a little too much so. The chipotle ranch dressing frequently overflowed and required a large amount of napkins to clean up. I also had to pick up the pieces of shrimp, lettuce, and whatever food that had spilled out of the wrap from my plate.

And now I shall hand off this review to Max, who will enlighten the rest of the population about his double-trouble tacos.

Rubio’s, although showcasing a wide variety of Mexican food, takes pride in its most renowned item: the fish taco. Since Debra had ordered the current special, I decided to go for the old favorite, along with something new – the carnitas taco.

The fish taco consisted of Alaska pollock, beer-battered and fried to a light crisp, topped with shredded cabbage, white sauce, and salsa. A simple item, but therein lay the taco’s beauty. Rather than mask the fish’s flavor, the light toppings served to enhance the combination of crispy fish and chewy corn tortilla. The fish itself was fried to perfection, leaving a nice balance between the crunchy and juicy portions.

I was somewhat doubtful as to whether the carnitas taco would match up to the likes of the fish taco, but as it turned out, the carnitas certainly did not disappoint. Although slightly overcooked, the pulled pork was juicy and well-seasoned. Guacamole and lettuce helped tone down the saltiness of the meat without covering the actual flavor, and the pico de gallo gave each bite a nice fresh aftertaste.

Having finished our main orders, Debra and I turned our attention to the chips and salsa.

I’ll start off by noting that Rubio’s chips are amazingly good. Light on the salt and not too greasy, the chips give a crispy and natural flavor. Their consistent texture means that although crisp, they do not crumble apart when eaten.

Unfortunately, Rubio’s salsas were not as impressive. The medium salsa verde had almost no flavor or spiciness to it, and tasted peculiarly sour, and the hot salsa picante tasted bitter and discordant when matched with the chips. The mild salsa and roasted chipotle performed slightly better, but Debra felt the chipotle was lacking in flavor.

I preferred the smoky chipotle over the somewhat bland mild salsa, but in the end we both agreed that the chips were probably best enjoyed without any dips.

The bathrooms at Rubio’s were separated by gender and could accommodate more than one person, thankfully. There was a large mirror for those who want to brush up before leaving the restroom, admire their own reflection, or examine a catastrophic salsa stain. The place was extremely well-stocked; a prominent sign on the door proclaimed that Rubio’s “takes pride in keeping this bathroom clean and stocked,” and to inform personnel if the sanitation was not up to the customer’s standard. Bravo, Rubio’s! As sanitation and supplies in the restroom often indicates the sanitation of food preparation, this is a good sign that the food you order at Rubio’s is not only wholesome, but also clean.

If you’re ever pressed for time and are passing near the Commons, consider stopping at Rubio’s. Although the food is slightly overpriced, it is fast and pretty high-quality. Variety is never a problem either, given Rubio’s wide selection of foods and monthly specials.

Hours:
Mon-Thu 10:30 am –9 pm
Fri-Sat 10:30 am –10 pm
Sun 10:30 am –9 pm

Score: 8/10