Rubio’s Coastal Grill – A new look on an old favorite
One of my family and I’s favorite places to eat is Rubio’s. The one by our house in Laguna Niguel just went through a major change….for the better! You can still get the same amazing food you had before but they have changed the look and added a few AMAZING new menu items.
They revamped the inside and outside of the restaurant to be reminiscent of the brand’s beach heritage with hues of cobalt, green, indigo and sand. The wonderful art panels which detail the brand’s philosophy, quality ingredients and cooking techniques are spread throughout the dining room. The look and feel of the place is fresh, warm and inviting.
One of the perks of being a food blogger is I get to eat with some pretty great people. This time was no exception. I got to sit down and have dinner with Ralph Rubio himself! I was actually quite star struck! But let me tell you this guy knows his food and is passionate about how things look and especially how they taste. Ralph along with Celebrity Chef Mark Miller put together a new and updated menu without messing with the favorites that everyone loves. So yes you can still get their good ‘ol original fish taco! Which they just sold their 200 millionth!! (Yes they keep track)
RUBIO’S COASTAL GRILL
So the first thing I tried was the Sangria. It is delicious and fresh and really very wonderful. This will go perfect with all of the dishes I am about to try. I also can just imagine myself sitting outside by the fountain watching the kids run around while sipping on this with some friends…..ahhhhhh that sounds heavenly!
One of my all time favorite guacamole’s is at Rubio’s handmade Guacamole. They also have this to die for Roasted Salsa and their chips are freshly made not store-bought! I tried really hard not to eat too much of this but it was SO HARD! I knew there was much more yummy stuff on its way.
The first course was their new Tostada Frescas. They are served with 2 tostada’s and you get your choice of pan-seared shrimp, grilled chicken or roasted veggies. Their new lemon white sauce is drizzled over the meat or veggies along with handmade guacamole, a blend of spring mix and butter leaf lettuce and salsa fresca all atop a crisp corn shell. This by far was my new favorite go-to item at Rubio’s. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and the flavors were married perfectly to create that awesome flavor explosion in your mouth.
Since we didn’t get to try the grilled veggies on the Tostada Fresca we were brought out a side dish of them. I am not a huge lover of veggies but these were probably the best grilled veggies I have had. Green, red, and yellow peppers, squash, zucchini and red onion grilled with their own special seasoning. Mmmmm so good!
Our second course was The Pacific Mahi Mahi Taco with Fire roasted corn and the Blackened Regal Springs Tilapia Taco. The Mahi Mahi you can get seasoned with garlic and olive oil or blackened with a mix of spices. It’s grilled on an authentic comal (all their fish is grilled on a comal where as their chicken and beef are cooked on a grill) and topped with fire-roasted corn, their creamy chipotle sauce, a cilantro/onion mixture and green cabbage. The Tilapia is house blackened on the comal and topped with a creamy chipotle sauce, salsa fresca and Serrano slaw. If you like a bit of a kick in your food then get the blackened tilapia. Explosive flavor with a good amount of heat!
And last but certainly not least was dessert. Besides their churro they have added 3 more items. A home-style Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie, A Chocolate Ganache Bar and A Limon-Coconut Bar. I thought I was full by this point but just tasting these delicacies I just could not stop eating! The Chocolate Ganache Bar was my favorite out of the 3.
I highly recommend checking out the new and improved Rubio’s Coastal Grill. Everything I tasted was fantastic and Ralph Rubio is one of the nicest guys and really cares about the food his restaurants produces.
About Rubio’s® Restaurants:
Rubio’s first opened in 1983, in the San Diego neighborhood of Mission Bay. Today, counting the ocean as a source of inspiration, Rubio’s uses sustainable seafood in nearly all of its seafood dishes and continues to expand its menu with innovative recipes ranging from sustainable shrimp to Atlantic salmon. In addition, Rubio’s also offers crisp fresh salads, grilled marinated chicken and steak, “no fried” pinto beans, handmade guacamole, a variety of proprietary salsas, and craft beer and sangria beverage options. The award-winning restaurant regularly receives accolades for its famous Original Fish Taco®. It was also recently named the number one Mexican chain on Consumer Reports’ latest survey as well as ranked as one of Fast Casual’s ‘Top 50 Movers and Shakers’. Rubio’s participates in a variety of ocean-centric efforts throughout the year including its annual CoastFest celebration and beach cleanup. Rubio’s is headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., has over 4,000 employees and operates 193 restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. For more information, visit http://rubios.com.
