I've never considered going here on my own, but was offered this for lunch! I got the California Bowl w/ Steak for takeout and wish I remembered to pack some salsa but I didn't T-T It was definitely missing that flavor and freshness for sure. It tasted almost like a chipotle bowl, but there was definitely more rice and beans than meat in there. The meat was dry and lacked the flavor needed without any add ins. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - California Bowl w/ Steak - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Yesterday around 6pm, I had the displeasure of eating at Rubios with my father. I've never had a bad experience here until yesterday. Right off the bat, we came in and the cashier is just chatting loudly with the cooks in the back. Giggling and being loud. That's fine, talking to coworkers is normal I've done that before. My dad ordered a burrito the classic shrimp with mahi mahi and I told the cashier that I wanted the SAME THING as him just change the beans to black beans. I don't know what else the words "I want the same thing as him" could possibly mean. (Again, she's getting distracted by the workers in the back). We pay and wait for our order. We finally get our food and immediately I notice mine doesn't have mahi mahi. I tell my dad and I wasn't gonna make a fuss bc it's not a big deal. But he insisted that I should bc we paid for it so he goes and he tells the same cashier girl who clearly wasn't paying attention and can't listen to simple orders that we ordered a burrito with mahi but with black beans. He wasn't being rude or mean because my dad just isn't that type of person. He respects restaurant and fast food workers because he WORKS in restaurants. She immediately started arguing back and said no, that I didn't order that. And my dad said "my daughter literally said she wanted the same thing as me but with black beans." Again, the same girl just argued back and insisted that I didn't say that. Like girl, I've worked in customer service and food. You're being unprofessional as hell just say you're sorry and take the burrito back. No one is being rude to you so there isn't a need to be arguing with a customer. I'd understand if he was being rude but my dad has never and will never be rude to people that work in restaurants. She finally takes the burrito and says they'll remake it. She didn't tell him there that he had to pay (we would have paid regardless because we literally asked for the burrito to have mahi mahi) and he sits back down at the table. Then a bigger girl who was one of the chatty Cathy's in the kitchen comes up to us with the rudest and unprofessional attitude. She tells my dad (not even saying hi or anything to either of us) "you wanted mahi mahi?" And he said yes because we ordered it. The she says "well no you didn't so you're gonna have to pay for it" with the nastiest attitude EVER. You would think we shot her dog with how she treated us. Like we were an inconvenience just because the cashier couldn't do her job. My dad didn't make a fuss and was still nice and said that's fine. He then asked if the burrito he ordered was supposed to have cabbage or lettuce because he could've sworn it did because it was his go to order. It's an innocent question nothing else bro. Then this girl deadass was like snapping at him and cutting him off when he was asking about if it had those greens "No, it doesn't, it never did. If you wanted that, then you should've ordered the salmon burrito. Anyways you have to pay for the mahi mahi if you want it in your burrito." And I was like that's fine, I'll pay for it because it's only $4. Your cashier should've let him know before he sat down instead of us being inconvenienced by that big girl with another damn attitude. I go up there and again I see the cashier just yapping it up with the cooks in the back and not doing anything. The big girl rings me up and I pay. While they're getting my order done, I straight up can hear the cashier, the other girl, and all the cooks laughing and chatting from the little corner on the right side of the restaurant. People are coming in and placing their orders and the cashier would be talking and laughing with the people in back in between taking their orders. Like no wonder, she didn't place my order right. She's getting distracted and mind you it's not even busy so. We finally get the burrito from the cashier who brings it up to us and I tell her just so you know that big girl was rude as hell. all she did was giggle and say "oh sorry!" Genuinely, this was the worse experience I've ever had at rubios. Whoever the managers are, you need to be watching over your team because the lack of professionalism is astounding. The girls had no reason to be rude and argue back when they MESSED up the order. read more

Great customer service. The manager Rol is always so professional, happy, and kind. We love the vegetarian options Rubios.

Well nothing food wise or service wise! But last week I applied to work at this specific location, ended up getting an interview a week ago today, went to said interview, met with the manager, before it ended he told me that he was going to hire me and send me thru email a offer letter. After leaving, I kept checking my email. Nothing. A couple days go by, still nothing! I ended up calling Saturday March 21st, the shift leader left a note with my name and number then proceeded to say that the manager will call me Monday! Monday comes no call all day! I ended up calling today! March 25th! Manager tells me he'll look into it and call me back it was 1:50pm when I called. Haven't heard back all day. Don't apply to this location if you want to get treated like garbage. And they're ignoring my yelp review cause they know they're in the wrong read more

As two bean, rice , cheese chicken burritos because they're small. 30$ and I'm still hungry. They're tasty but in what world. Go to Miguel's jr down the street. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - A 15$ bean, rice,cheese chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My friend and I stopped on to get food before going to a play. From the start it wasn't a great experience. The person wasn't super friendly, not sure if an off day or what. anyway, ordered the California chicken bowl for $13.45. It's an item I've had before at other locations so I knew I liked it and what to expect. Why is the bowl not even half full??? Not even with rice and beans filler. For almost $14 I expected more (and have gotten a full bowl before) We were there at dinner time (around 6) so there should have been enough on hand to meet the needs of a dinner rush. Taste was adequate, but not amazing. Very disappointed start to finish. Sadly, this is the kinda of thing that will make people not come back and why the company is going out of business. Try another location maybe, but this one was r worth it. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - California bowl with chicken - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This Rubio's is located in the Costa Mesa Courtyard right across from Buffalo Wild Wings. While I agree with some of the reviews about the portions getting smaller, this place is great in a pinch. The employees here have always been nice. My favorite season to come is around November when they start offering Langostino Lobster Burritos/Bowls w/ drawn garlic herb butter! They usually begin offering Chicken Tortilla Soup as well. Check in on Yelp and you can get $2 off any Langostino entree. On Tuesdays, they offer $1.99 Fish Tacos or Classic Chicken Tacos or $2.29 for the Fish Taco Especial Tacos or Steak Tacos. You seriously cannot order yummier tacos for less anywhere else. Not eating carbs? Substitute the Mexican or Citrus Rice with Cauliflower Rice for $2 more. Brown Rice w/ Quinoa substitutes are for $1. Cauliflower rice is pretty darn good! I love pickup & love love love the option to do curbside where you pull up to the front parking spots with signs and call to tell them you're there. You don't even have to get out of your car. It's the same convenience of a drive thru without having to wait. Enjoy! read more

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Based on reviews we were expecting worse but were pleasantly surprised. For the price, we thought it was pretty decent food. The fried shrimp tacos were actually very good. Cooked well, not overcooked. And shrimp were big. The sides are very small in quantity but again decent for price. Rice was in a condiment cup. Husband loved his lobster burrito. Service was fast and the place was clean. Staff were friendly and helpful with menu. We would come back. Would recommend if you don't want to spend too much and want better than fast food. Lots of space to sit with family or friends. read more

This was my second time ever coming to a Rubio's, and I was in the area, so I figured I'd eat here since I remembered the tacos being good a while back. As I walk in, I immediately see that the guy at the register has an annoyed face, and doesn't bother to acknowledge anyone that has came in. I looked over and noticed they had a ton of orders to pack. Since I work in the food industry, I understand his frustration, but you don't flat out ignore customers when they come in and have that stank attitude. As I stood by the register, I see the manager come out and help the guy bag the to go orders. He was actually the one to acknowledge us and let us know that they were a bit backed up and would be with us shortly. Once I got up to get my order taken, the same guy with the stank attitude took my order. I dined inside and ordered the Costal Trio. Honestly, the food came pretty fast even from being busy. I waited about 15 mins. My real complaint is that the food came out cold. The tortillas were hard, and the fish was pretty dry. I thought it was chicken and not fish for a second. The only thing that saved these tacos were the salsa. There was more flavor there than the tacos themselves. Finally, I can see where the reviews are coming from about the service. It definitely needs some work. read more

Just got off work super late in the pouring rain. Lights were half way off and asked if they were open...Noah popped up and said got you man. Amazing service, really appreciate that. read more

It's a typical Rubio's but a bit more inviting, because it's so spacious. Great to come here after a beach day or kayaking. Be sure to download their app. It's constantly enticing folks to come by with all sorts of special deals. In fact, that's why I came by today. Free Guac and Chips with any purchase. Check them out! read more

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Great friendly service. Very clean. Salsa bar remains stocked and clean. The staff is attentive and helpful. Met the manager and he was very nice. read more

I made the mistake of ordering takeout on a Tuesday from here BUT it was because of service and food is impeccable.

Very disappointed in the service and decreased quality here. My spouse and I both grew up in Costa Mesa and now live in neighboring NB. Our families have been frequenting this Rubio's location for about 2 decades now. Usually great service, tasty food. Fast fwd to Tues June 20, 2023, 7:45 pm: On my last order (mobile order for pick up, side note: tip was automatically charged, user must be aware and not check out so quickly, recommend review order thoroughly), I came inside to pick up and more than an hour before closing, the sauces and condiments area was barren and counter top was being "sanitized". I inquired for limes, the cilantro + onions mix, salsa etc and was met with disgust, reluctance and "this is all we have." I was given one of each of the requested items (for 9 fish tacos). So frustrating that tips are not earned anymore, nor appreciated. Another side rant: Seems current service & standards are in a steep decline overall. This location is another example of this rapid decline. Companies that continue to have high standards will hold our loyalty. Not returning. Hope you treat your customers better in the future. read more

My mother passed the day before Thanksgiving in 2008. Trust me this gets funnier. I fully realize "funnier" is subjective but at the very least my story will get better. My mothers passing was quick, so quick that I learned of her diagnosis while getting off a flight in San Francisco and just seven weeks later she was gone. Hang in there, this will get better. My mother was famous for making an abundance of food products. She loved to bake and make large platters of food that literally had me and my siblings running away as as my mom screamed "Come here and try my veal meatballs!". It was just too much as the house always had food in every corner of the house. She did however do a good job at (trying) not to waste any of her efforts and donated a lot of her time to the local Catholic church. Sidenote here - No! she would have absolutely disagreed with Harrison Butkers speech as she was very much a progressive Catholic girl and worked hard till the end to fight for change. But I digress....... So yeah, I think you get the point, we grew up with food coming out of our ears and there was simply no way to avoid being fed at any time of day or night around the VB household (Tom?....Not that he will read this). Hang in there, this is almost over. Fast forward to the night before Thanksgiving. I arrived too late to say goodbye to my mother. It's taken a while, but no longer have feelings of guilt..... Trust me, this all gets better...... That evening after everyone had left the house, I remember my father (who is still with us....YAY!) and I standing in the kitchen sharing a single bottle of beer and asking "hey VB, are you hungry? Because I'm starving". And being late in the evening and really not had eaten since earlier in the morning I too was famished. However,.....the house that was always filled with food had NOTHING! Thinking about, it's Thanksgiving and we literally had nothing! Mom is exacting her revenge!!!!! So we hop into my dads car and head out, we jump on PCH thinking we would find some place to fill our stomachs. Well, it seems that because of the Thanksgiving weekend holiday, everything appeared to be closed. We did see a few bars that were open, but nothing that would we thought would serve a decent meal. But as we were getting ready to stop our quest we saw through the foggy late evening a lighted neon sign on the horizon. "Rubio's Tacos". OH HECK YES! THERE IS A GOD! A Rubio's fish taco is one of life's greatest works of art. Tasty tender fish wrapped in a warm flour tortilla drizzled with fresh lime is always perfect and mouthwatering. We pull in just as they were closing. There were three young girls working who greeted us and could not be friendlier. We were extra hungry, so obviously we ordered EXTRA tacos to take home. My dad used his Northwest Airlines credit card to pay for our meal .... Northwest Airlines? Yes, I am dating myself, but it's where he worked and retired from. He was always SFO based and commuted up that way from LAX or SNA....why this is important to know I have no clue why. Right as we got our order and were about to leave my dad asks, "hey, how much cash do you have on you?". I took out my wallet and my dad (without asking) removed $400 from my wallet ($300 in 20's and a single $100 bill). My dad had $600 in 20s wadded up in his pocket so together we had a grand. Now follow me and pay close attention. My dad asks the girl at the counter if it would be ok to speak to the other two girls in back. He then proceeds to hand those two girls $300 each and the girl in front also $300. He then places the $100 bill on the counter and says to them that they can split the last bill between them. Are you still following me here? Without hesitation that girl at the counter takes the $100 bill and says "Sparky" and heads out the front door. She hands this homeless guy (Sparky the $100 bill) and sliding him another $100 from the stash we had given her. By this time the other two girls had made their way out and also handed "Sparky" each $100 from the original amount we have them. So now each girl has $200 and Sparky has $400. "Sparky" was stoked but spots another homeless guy "Bud" on the sidewalk. "Sparky" brings "Bud" over and splits his $400 with "Bud". Now think this through...the original grand now was split five ways with all five scoring $200 each! How perfect was that? Just as perfect as a Rubio's fish taco on Thanksgiving. read more

I was craving Tacos on a Thursday (haha not Tuesday) so I visited Rubios for lunch. Got their new X Blais Street Taco Plate. The signs stated that this taco plate is a collaboration between Rubio's and Celebrity Chef Richard Blais creation. Total of 3 flavorful street tacos: Ancho Po-Boy Shrimp, Blaised and Glazed Crispy Chicken and Hula Hula Carnitas. This plate also came with a side of warm tortilla chips and house black beans. With my purchase I also got a free Worlds Ocean Day reusable bag (pretty cool since its insulated). This time the bag wasn't as big so it's convenient in carrying your cold beverages or yummy goodies. Overall food was quite tasty. One less star because the restaurant wasn't as clean. Trash overfilling and messy salsa counter. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Moved away from CA last year so I had to come back to Rubio's when in town! Still great fish tacos! Rol is still a great manager. So friendly, positive and polite! Makes coming here worthwhile. read more

Food and service are always great. Sometimes, it takes a minute to get your order, but it's because they're making it fresh, so just go ahead and sit down and have a beer. beers are cheap on Friday read more

SHRINKFLATION!!! I bought 2 tacos and 1 burrito (no combo!). Bill was just bellow $30. I thought for sure it would quench my hunger... the manager handed me my to-go bag and it felt lighter than a happy meal from McDonalds! Opened the burrito and the top was deflated and the bottom was folded in a way that made it look big, but it was actually just empty folded tortilla. The actual size of the burrito was about the same as a very small coke can. Needless to say I felt like I barely ate anything. I will never go back... fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me... read more

What a disappointment this place has become. I wanted a quick, small bite to eat so I ordered a kids quesadilla. After paying $6.00, I went to use the restroom. I came out and sitting there on the table is a paperwrapped quesadilla. No tray, no chips, no napkins and no attempt to make it look appealing. Instead, a shriveled up quesadilla that looked pathetic. I got my money back and left read more

Came in for lunch and unfortunately wasnt even greeted until we said hi. We wanted to make sure our order was correct as anyone would unfortunately we were presented with attitude from the women. Even noticed the cook in the back was on his phone texting and cooking at the same time the women did nothing about it just faced the kitchen gave her back to us. So unfortunate to see an establishment in an amazing area with such poor customer service i hope they check the cameras take care of this situation read more

Great food, excellent customer service, they are fast and efficient and a great spot for a speedy lunch. What is better than a spicy salmon bowl? read more

Service was quick and friendly, food is good love the shrimp tacos. Nice outdoor eating area. One of my go-to lunch places near my office.

So I don't like leaving bad reviews but as soon as we walked in service was bad. Not greeted...waited for the girl at the register to get off the phone. Then she says whenever you are ready! Do I walk up to the counter and then she gives me her back and starts chitchatting with the cooks. Finally realizes I'm still standing there and not helped. I say are you ready and she gives me this rude response ugh I thought he was helping you!! Never have I had this service here before. RUBIOS YOU GOTTA DO BETTER read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I wish all Rubio's customer service can be similar to this location. I visited the Costa Mesa branch last Thursday and it happened to be their World Ocean Day, they gave out a reusable tote. The menu and prices are pretty much the same as every other Rubio's. I ordered a kid's meal, which included a fish taco, beans, chips, and milk. Everything tasted good and as expected. The great customer service was what stood out. Fernando, the store manager, personally chatted with each table to ask if anything was needed. He happened to be the one who took my order and later remembered my name, he also remembered other people's names as he was making his rounds. That extra outreach goes a long way! Note that to use the restroom, you have to get buzzed in by the front counter. Easy parking, ample seating, clean restrooms, good food, good service, what's there not to like?! read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My 2 stars is for the service not the food. Came in and watched Kas argue with a customer about what his order was. Thought not sure why she's arguing instead of offering a solution but whatever. He leaves and now it's my turn to order. Well she just likes to argue! She cuts you off as you are trying to ask questions. Manager lets her talk to customers like this since he stood by while she did this. Now it's the next customers turn and she's rude to them too! Maybe she's having a bad day or maybe this is how she is towards all customers. That I don't know. I give service workers a pass usually since this is a thankless job. But she really needs to check her attitude at the door. Luckily this Rubio's is not in my neighborhood or else I would not be back to it! Food was good typical Rubio's. read more

I've stopped going to Rubio's some time ago because the portions became smaller and smaller and a Baja salad in reality did not look anything like on the picture. Today, I found myself in Newport Beach and before heading home and sitting in traffic for an hour I decided to stop for a quick meal. Because I didn't see any food places around me other than Rubio's I decided to give them a try one more time. I saw this beautiful Baja salad on the photo and that's what I ordered. In reality, what I got looked nothing like the salad on the picture, it was a very skinny, sad looking rendition of the original one in the picture. This is the last time that I will ever get tempted to visit this place. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Mexican Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I love this location! Food always arrives fast, and the service is also fast. The food is always very delicious! I've never had an issue with my order. read more

The service was good. The California Burrito is very tasty! It's not dry and very flavorful. It's a comfortable place and pretty chill.

This was my second experience here. I ordered two regular streak tacos to go. when I got home hungry and ready to eat, to my surprise I had two tortillas with next to nothing Inside them. literally a few pieces of meat mothered in tons of sauce. Money spent for nothing and still hungry. (Not worth the money or time) read more

My husband and I went here yesterday and we don't know if it's budget cuts due to Covid sadly but their food was just lacking flavor and our burrito was so small. I've been here in the past and I remember it tasting so good. We of course ordered to go and we when arrived home we couldn't believe how small our burrito was with very little meat. We also ordered nachos and the same statement goes as well. Lacking cheese and overall flavor. I know it's hard times right now but with that in mind we hardly go out to eat so yesterday was such a disappointment and we will not be attending anytime soon. read more

You've heard of "Yo' Momma" jokes, right? Well, how'd you like some "My Momma" jokes?: My momma never met a bland dish she didn't like... which explains why she and my Poppa didn't last... Some mommas swoon over men. Some mommas swoon over men with dough. My Momma swoons over dough. Sourdough... You ever see the list of items restricted from carry-on to a commercial airline? My Momma's list of dietary restrictions makes that list look like a one-sentence Yelp review. Did I get the hook yet? My momma don't eat fish, don't eat black beans, can't handle spicy, or nuts, don't do tacos or burritos... frankly, the list has grown so long and complex that it's best to let her choose the place and have her place her own order. This time though, Scootch and I picked the place and were bringing dinner back to her house, and she'd asked for a cheese enchilada which Rubio's doesn't do. Well, I don't know where they got that gem of an employee but she suggested the "Grilled Grande Bowl" and offered to separately wrap up every single ingredient so that Momma wouldn't be surprised and wind up in the ER later that night. Wow! Grilled chicken, pinto beans, 3 different cheeses, pico de gallo, cabbage, rice, chipotle dressing, fresh guacamole and all of it in little separate containers (screw the environment, this is for Momma)! Momma was thrilled! She proclaimed the whole thing so delicious that she'd now actually step foot inside a place with the word "fish" in the name. The rest of our food - fried fish tacos, salmon tacos, guac, chips, beer - was good too. Great service, nice fresh food (best eaten right there, as fried fish doesn't travel well)... no complaints. As they say, "If Momma 'aint happy 'aint no-one happy". Momma was happy!! read more

This used to be an easy 5-stars from me. Maybe 20 years ago. The menu changes over the years and the use of lesser ingredients knocks it down to three stars. Guacamole used to be decent; now it seems more of a guacamole-flavored paste. Fish tacos aren't always hot. I've never found a burrito to be enjoyable with lettuce in it-- it seems to wilt and get slimy due to the heat of the other ingredients. Now for the positive part of the review and why I still eat here at all: their pinto beans are amazing. Peppery, lush, rich. Their salsas (the picante and verde versions) are flavorful and go well with their cuisine. The fish tacos, when hot, are good (but not as good as when they used real guacamole-- then the Fish Taco Especial was worth the upgrade price... now? Not so much). read more

Love the fish burritos! So disappointed that our local Rubio's closed down, so whenever we're out of town, and we find a Rubio's, we try to eat there! read more

Unfortunately for this particular Rubios I walked in and then right back out due to the fact it smells like an old dirty public restroom throughout the restaurant. I was actually surprised to see 30% of the tables filled and people ordering in line. I prefer to smell good food being cooked rather than stale piss. I know this is a harsh review but it's something that you'd think a manager or anyone would fix... read more

I get cravings for their balsamic roasted veggie salad with salmon, such great flavors, especially if you add some of the goodies from their fully stocked salsa bar. I love the green salsa, very fresh and flavorful. My husband loved their steak gourmet tacos with bacon, small portion and a bit pricey, but it is his go to. Kids meals are generous, I recommend the chicken quesadilla for the best bang for your buck. Sign up for their email club to receive coupons, free taco, bogo meals, well worth it! Nice clean location with great service, worth checking out. read more

$2 off-check in offer!? Woohoo..was coming here either way but saving $$ is always nice! It was pretty busy during lunch rush and we jokingly asked the manager..fernando..if we'd get our food before our lunch hour was up..he was friendly & made quick conversation even with my colleagues being indecusive on their order. He also made sure we got our food promptly. The food was good as fresh and salsa bar was clean & well stocked. Fernando forgot to apply my check-in offer but nonetheless we got our hot food and we had plenty of time to make it back to work read more

We went for dinner and sat outside. Inside looked sparse do you keeping everything sanitary. Our food was really good. The staff was very nice but seemed overwhelmed. Our orders came out quick. The food is worth coming again. I recommend the balsamic grilled veggie salad. Yum! read more

Staff totally confused about their own menu. I tried to order two tacos to go but somehow they couldn't get this simple order correctly. I noticed that others had the same issue. read more

Their lunch time staff which includes Rol and Cassandra are always a pleasure to see. Great customer service and they work hard around the clock. Obviously the food is delicious. Will continue to come here for lunch. read more