It'd been years since I was in a Rubio's. My brother, who moved from San Diego to Spokane, WA some 30 years ago. was visiting and he still has a soft spot for Rubio's. For me Rubio's just doesn't hit the same ever since they morphed from a local San Diego exclusive to just another fast-casual chain. That said, my brother and I did enjoy our food. The Fish Taco Especial tasted pretty much as I remembered. A solid fish taco, but not the best game in town as in years past. The beans were good and the chips were Rubio's bland just as I'd remembered. My bro very much enjoyed his Especial also. Rubio's, you're ok but have certainly lost some luster through the years. read more

This is the best Rubios location I have been to in the San Diego area. The restaurant is always clean and the workers hustle to get orders out quickly. Even on Taco Tuesday, everything runs smoothly. All smiles here, especially from the workers. My favorite taco spot. read more

My husband and I put an order in on the mobile app on taco Tuesday. They have great deals on some of their tacos on Tuesdays, which is awesome. I ordered 3 of the classic chicken tacos on flour tortillas, without salsa Fresca and without lettuce. My husband ordered the 2 grilled Mahi Mahi tacos plate. The order was ready pretty quickly. The inside of the restaurant was clean and they were very busy.Our food came out great. All my customizations were made and my tacos were perfect. We definitely will come back again, we love rubios. read more

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Ordered a bowl for pick up in app. Lots of parking available, store was clean and very quiet. My order was ready and waiting, employee at the counter was nice. Bowl didn't look as nice as the menu picture but it tasted good. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Surf and Turf Bowl sauces on side - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

I used to love Rubio's, but I stopped coming for a while due to inconsistent portions and rising prices. I especially disliked how their bowls were mostly rice with very little protein. I decided to give them another try after hearing they increased their portion sizes, and I'm glad I did. I've eaten here four times in the past three weeks, and each visit has been consistent in both size and flavor. I absolutely love the Surf & Turf Bowl. It's delicious, filling, and they're no longer skimping on the protein. Now, when I'm craving a bowl, I'll be choosing Rubio's over Chipotle! read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Surf and Turf bowl with extra sauce - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Just save your money! customer service is horrible , serves cold food and can't even get their own prices down. shift leader cant even take an order properly and is extremely rude. overall horrible expirenice read more

Taco Tuesday!!!! Dropped by this place after shopping nearby. Haven't been to a Rubio for a while. This location was clean. Letty at the front was very nice and welcoming and patient as we decided what to order. Appreciate that. We chose the original fish tacos... some with some without red sauce. The breaded fish was perfect portion of the taco, tortilla and cabbage were fresh. Accompanied the tacos with their green sauce and cilantro onion mix. DELICIOUS. read more

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Gourmet shrimp tacos were delicious and perfectly cooked, as usual, and counter staff were so accommodating with swapping out refried beans for Mexican rice. Service was quick and everything was clean. Rubio's was reportedly filing for bankruptcy last June (2024), but the staff here has remained positive and optimistic in the face of difficult times. read more

First and last time We go to Rubios all the time it's our favorite Come to this location order my usual tell me they can't make my meat well done it already comes cooked I've never been to a Rubios before that hasn't made my meat well done read more

Really fresh tacos and burritos! And very flavorful as well. Only reason I came here was because I had a $10 off coupon from a couple years ago and very glad I did. Got the Taco Trio - 2 grilled chicken and 1 steak taco with guacamole and cilantro/ onion. Didn't want the cheese and salsa and all of that. Chicken was perfectly cooked and so was the Steak. Quite a good loaded amount of meat on the tacos, and a generous amount of guacamole as well. Added some mild and spicy salsa and it was beautiful. Salsa was definitely needed because it tasted a little plain on its own. Definitely like the Chicken Tacos more. Corn tortillas were also really fresh. Husband got the Burrito Especial with Steak Cauliflower Rice. I tried it and it was amazing! So so so flavorful! Very generous amount of cauliflower rice inside as well. No salsa or any sauce needed here at all. Everything was so good on its own. Friend also got a taco trio with the shrimp and mahi mahi version. He also enjoyed and finished it all up real quick! read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Taco Trio - 2 grilled chicken and 1 steak taco - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

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Daniela was amazing! Greeted me with a smile, provided excellent customer service. Even reminded me about the promo going on for every visit. Food was good. Didn't know the "fish and chips" was a full plate, lol. Kudos!! Keep up the great work, Daniela!! read more

We always love this place! I especially enjoyed their taco Tuesday specials. They have the most delicious fish tacos. The staff is always great. read more

Pros: * Friendly Staff * Easy to understand Menu * Fast service Cons: * Price to sub items seems high; $2 for Cauliflower rice instead of Cilantro lime Extra: * Gets Busy * Might need to park far away read more

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The price increases are just out of control. $18.08 for 2 tacos plate and small drink. Prices keep creeping up thinking we don't notice. I'm done with Rubio's incompetence. I just ordered and explained to Jacob that I had food allergies, so no red sauce and no pico. I go to get limes, and they are mostly brown . so now we're going to pay $18 for a two taco plate and get brown limes . I'm sorry if you want to raise your prices to restaurant prices then you need to step up your service and your food. Then they bring me my plate with Pico all over. They take it back to make new ones, and BRING ME BACK THE SAME TACOS PICKING OUT THE PICO!!! What ignorance!! Would have sent me to that hospital. Mady brings me the revised plate. I then ask her if her mgr is here, she says she is the mgr.?? Then had the conversation about how they just picked it out and brought it back to me. She says I just gave it to them I didn't watch them. Maybe a proper mgr would have trained their employees about allergies and possibly killing someone, from their lack of being trained properly and LISTENING skills. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - 1 person meal at a fast food chain. - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Fish tacos are always good on a Tuesday. I tried their California burrito which was good I'm flavor but pretty small for $13. I'm pretty sure a pre-teen would not get full of it but luckily I had rewards and paid a reduced price for that meal. I ordered through the app which was convenient however not sure what the point is to include salsas in the order if I have to pour them myself when I arrive for pick up. Other than that Rubio's is solid. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - California burrito - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

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Great fish tacos. New item: Mexican hot chocolate cherry. NO WAY! It is the regular churro with "a thin thread of chocolate within". You are given melted marshmallow to put on it. There is NO chocolate or at least any I saw in the three I bought. read more

I love Rubio's but the Rainbow Bowl is awful. Ditch the grilled sweet potatoes, ditch the pickled onions/slaw!! Replace onions with raw red onions. Not sure what a good replacement would be for the sweet potatoes - more protein? Or, just remove Rainbow Bowl from the menu. read more

If you feel entitled to break state law and bring large dogs into the restaurant and feed them from your table. This is the place for you. If you are allergic to dogs and dog feces in your food, then maybe avoid Rubios. Not up to safety codes. In the dozens of times I've encountered pets where they don't belong, they've never once been service animals-not once. read more

Catering is a rip off! Don't do it! Paid over $300 for 20 people and it barely feeds 15!! Fish was great, chicken too salty and beef was okay. They sent 3 personal sized salsa and zero sauce for fish tacos. read more

I moved away several years ago and I miss Rubios. Well if this Rubios represents the changes made during Covid then I'm highly disappointed. I ordered three street tacos and a soda. The total was over 13$ and i stood right there in a non busy restaurant and took the food immediately and opened to eat and it was cold and so little meat... no chips, no nothing else. I was too disappointed to complain and I'm wishing i had gone to the La Mesa one as that is the one i raised my son on :). I am not going to bother going to another Rubios after this experience. read more

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This is my fourth and probably my last visit here to this location. I really enjoy Rubio's food but they are simply just becoming too expensive and the customer service experience has been disappointing. On my last visit to the Town Center Pkwy Santee location I felt that the level of customer service was seriously lacking; combined with the high prices that's a formula that says don't waste your hard, earned money here anymore. What happened to the Rubio's chain? Over $13 for three tacos is absolutely ridiculous; that didn't even include a drink or chips! My opinion is that this particular Rubio's location is not better than a two star rating. I kept returning thinking it would get better in the way of customer service but that did not happen. Two star rating for now. read more

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Was in last night getting something for my wife. Clean and nice inside. Open salsa bar which I don't see in the other San Diego Locations The thing that made the biggest impact for me was when the called me for the to go order was the manager(?) opened the box to confirm what I was given was what I ordered. I CANNOT tell you the last time I had something like that done. I thought it was very professional and customer focused. Not often in the area but will try and come back read more

It's our second go around at this particular location and both times my fish burrito for whatever reason seems to be all breading and no fish, apparently it's probably an easy way to hide those pieces in a burrito. Hard to understand when you pay a premium price for a burrito and you get nothing but cabbage and batter. Probably the last time I'll visit Rubio's, nothing like the old days when you actually had a good fish burrito. At the end of the day corporations wanna make a ton of profit..So I guess if you're in the mood for crunchy batter and no fish this is your go to place. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

This is the best Rubio's location I have been to in San Diego. Welcoming, courteous, and attentive staff. The store is very clean and the patio is nice too. The food came out very fast and tasted amazing. I highly recommend this location. read more

Good fresh semi-healthy, fast Mexican food. Great fish and shrimp tacos. Well lit, clean environment.

We found a 6 inch long hair strand inside a fish taco. Lost our appetite. Limes also had no juice, very dry.

It's not 2010 anymore: the relatively small, basic chicken burrito costs $11 plus tax. Ralph isn't part of the business at all; it's a massively indebted, private-equity owned business that overextended and went bankrupt in 2020, closing stores across entire states to survive COVID. But somehow there is still value to be found at good ol' Rubio's in 2023. They're still doing Taco Tuesday, charging $1.99 for fish tacos all day on Tuesdays. And they're not cutting corners -- these fish tacos are exactly what they normally charge $4.99 for the rest of the week. They're delicious and substantial. After many years in the wilderness, I'm a Rubio's regular again! I definitely would not recommend them at the usual $4.99 price point, but the Tuesday pricing is truly a San Diego bargain. read more

The line was a little bit long but it was during lunch hour so it was expected, I ordered two fish tacos and their shrimp bowl which was delicious. You can even order small beers here like corona, Pacifico etc.. this location was relatively clean and the staff were very friendly. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Gooooood eats - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

I am a fan of the Grilled Chicken Gourmet Tacos, The Original Fish Tacos. Stepped out today and tried the Californina Burrito from Rubios, unfortunately there's nothing special about the burrito. I am going to leave a four star because their chips always taste stale or from yesterday's batch, If I am being served a side of chips they gotta taste better. read more

Rubio's Coastal Grill - Californina Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

For a quick bite, the food here is decent. I like their chicken burritos. The staff is great, I prefer coming here instead of other locations read more

I had their Healthy Mex Grilled Chicken burrito with black beans, rice, and salsa on a wheat flour tortilla with a side of tortilla chips which came with the burrito. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rSJHbQCzAOhSoA0mcr0vYw?select=tss7K_L4__pkFiDHSlHf9g#KORLw-PFjy3isBR-zwGvKQ) I also had a medium unsweetened iced tea. All together my meal came to right under $10. The burrito was handsomely filled with all the ingredients. In fact, when I sliced it in half, the ingredients came bursting out. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rSJHbQCzAOhSoA0mcr0vYw?select=tss7K_L4__pkFiDHSlHf9g#5nyWFF0dMJOy7S1cyR474g) I really enjoyed eating the burrito with the green salsa from the salsa bar. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rSJHbQCzAOhSoA0mcr0vYw?select=tss7K_L4__pkFiDHSlHf9g#A5oARWWHmw5dHKFpQju9Ow) The salsa was very flavorful and had a medium kick. The grilled chicken was tender and moist, and the black beans and rice were well prepared and seasoned well. I was happy that the whole wheat flour tortilla was moist and not dry. Good stuff. The salsa bar was clean and well stocked. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rSJHbQCzAOhSoA0mcr0vYw?select=tss7K_L4__pkFiDHSlHf9g#G-7oWF8HVu9D3_M_W25FOw) The employees were great and had a great sense of humor. I noticed there was good communication between the front and the back where the food was being prepared. They were very efficient. read more

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We've always loved Rubio's, but this location really needs help. We walked it and the place smelled like dirty laundry and cigarettes. Not only did it stink, it was dirty. The floor was dirty, the counters...We walked out. We didn't order anything. I know places are short staffed, but not paying attention to cleanliness is a deal breaker for me. I really hope this was a fluke, but I can't say I'll go back. read more

I placed an order to go here last night and got it delivered really fast. The taste of the food was great. Can't go wrong with their classic fish tacos. We ordered some build your own taco kids meals and there was so much food for the kids. The only reason I'm giving three stars is that I specifically asked for no cilantro on our street taco meal due to an allergy and this came with lots of cilantro. We had to find another dinner option for this family member. Other than that good food and great delivery service. read more

Went in with a buddy of mine. Vinny (who looked like a manager of the store) greeted me and my friend with a great attitude. He was super accommodating throughout the transaction, clarified coupon details, and even went above and beyond and made some substitutions for me so that I could get some extra guac for my chips. No other Rubio's has done that (although I wish they would). Outstanding guy that Vinny is. read more

I must say.... this Santee Rubio's is the cleanest one I've been too. Very well kept up. The salsa bar was on point. I had a bad experience at the one in Alpine, ca ... so I never went back.... how I ended up at the Santee store I received coupons in the mail and I said you know what let me give the Santee restaurant a try. Glad I did was was different experience then in Alpine.... so I would for sure go back! Santee Rubios rocks.... will come again read more

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Joseph is awesome! Good job Joe! $2 beers and $6 two taco plate combos Blackened Salmon tacos are bomb WooHoo! read more

The ONLY reason why I'm even giving them a 2 star was because the food was great! The service here is horrible... the cashier had an attitude because I was mistaken on what one of the tacos where called. The manager trying to help his cooks in the back was just in their way. Food took almost 25 minutes to even get. Seriously, step up the hospitality game. read more

What happened to this place? I gave it three stars, because the food was pretty good, but the portions were 1/2 the size. I have always ordered a chopped salad with some kind of protein. It wasn't any bigger then a dinner salad. Hard little chips to go on top. My DH ordered fish taco plate and the tortillas were less then 3 inches in diameter. The fish was only 2 bites. The tortilla chips were 1/2 as much as were the beans. The price was even higher. I understand if they needed to raise prices, but cut portions too. With all the Mexican places in Santee, I don't see this place lasting unless they can get their act together. I will check back on Yelp to see if they change. read more

Love Rubios. Ordered on line & link said I wud receive a text (or email) when order was ready. I never did. Walked in store & waited 5-10 minutes when finally an employee asked me if I needed help? He walked to a set of shelves I had not seen & there was my order obviously sitting there before I even entered the store. The website should be corrected to read "come inside store & pick up on self-serve/take-out order shelf" instead of "we'll text/email you when ready". Having not done much pick up orders this past year I wasn't aware of this procedure. read more

Always great service everytime we go. Vinny knows what I get before I get to register. Clean facilities! They need to bring back the classic style button on der register though! Salsa bar always clean and full read more