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Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican
5614 Bay St(at Shellmound St)
Emeryville, CA 94608
(510) 420-0450
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- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 10 am - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 10 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
110 reviews for Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill
Review Highlights
"Those little crispy fish tacos are addicting."
(in 40 reviews)
"The place is absolutely spotless and has a great salsa bar."
(in 11 reviews)
"Grilled Veggie Burrito is awesome."
(in 24 reviews)
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110 reviews in English
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Review from Jesse R.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/25/2011
Rubio's is perhaps the best chain Mexican restaurant out there. It's competitive with Chipotle in terms of quality, but it comes without the added feature of long lines that are synonymous with Chipotle. This particular Rubio's is one of my favorites. Great service, great food, and a good price for what you're getting.
Sure, you're not going to get the prices as low as Del Taco (especially not the Taco Tuesdays) but considering the quality of the ingredients, it is a better deal overall.
The calories listed on their wall are much clearer than the other Mexican chains... they clearly state the difference between corn and flour tortillas, and their website's nutrition facts are much easier to navigate than other, similarly-sized chains.
Rubio's is a great place to go, and this one is no exception. -
Review from Alicia C.
Berkeley, CA
8/22/2011
Hooray for Rubios.
Yes, it's a fast food. But it's also cheap, tasty, and hits the spot for fish tacos.
The honey and I came here before seeing a movie, and this location is pretty nice. There's lots of seating indoors and out, some industrial chic decor, and the food is everything we expect. This location also heavily favors paper and compostable plates, cups and salsa cups.
Yum. This may be our go-to spot for pre-movie fare. Why get a hot dog and popcorn when you can get fish tacos and chips for less $$ instead?! -
Review from Tracey A.
San Anselmo, CA
8/13/2011
Two Words to know here: BEACH CLUB
Rubio's is celebrating the return of their Original Fish Tacos. I never knew they'd gone away, but whatever. Because I'm a member of their "Beach Club" they invited me to celebrate with them. Score!
* Free soft drinks
* Free, fresh, salty chips
* Free salsa (very nice salsa bar with no less that 4 excellent salsas)
* 2 free, excellent original fish tacos
* All for me and my +1
Rubio's does a great job at what they do and the staff at this location was as nice and friendly as they were at the other Rubio's I've been to in So. Cal. As a Beach Club member they periodically send out other sweet deals including a free taco coupon just for signing up.
By now you're no doubt wondering how you can become a member of this exclusive Beach Club! Give 'em your email address: http://www.rubios.com/...
This location is steps away from movie theaters, has ample indoor and outdoor seating, and even caters. When are they gonna put one of these in Marin?Listed in: South of the Border... in the…
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Review from Ty C.
Berkeley, CA
8/11/2011
I dropped by the taco 'party' yesterday. Very nice event! The manager was cool and so were the ladies who were outside running the event. The fish tacos are excellent! Everything was clean. The staff was professional and extremely friendly. The store is run well. The outside patio area is a nice place to relax and there is plenty of seating inside and outside.
I've been to Rubio's a lot, but this was my first time at this location.
The salsa are good.
I mainly wanted to sign on and give props for the event yesterday. Based on the event alone, I would give 5 stars, but I want to give a more realistic rating based on a normal visit.
As always my review are based on expectations! Don't expect a home made authentic sit down meal at a chain mexican establishment. But for what it is, it is very good. Fish tacos sets Rubio's apart from the other chain mexican food places. -
Review from jessica v.
Oakland, CA
12/9/2011
This place has decent food, but that's not why I gave it a five. The customer service here is just awesome! I don't think I've ever been treated this well anywhere else and I've been here multiple times and each time I was greeted by a friendly staff who went above and beyond to make my experience a good one. I would continue eating here even if the food was terrible that's how great the people that work here are! I work on Bay street and I'm always in a terrible mood when I go in there for lunch, but when I leave I'm always a little happier. Thanks guys!! If I could give you all raises I totally would, you deserve it!
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Review from Joan K.
Berkeley, CA
7/17/2011 5 photos
I usually like to stay away from fish & Mexican food. However, today... my friend wanted Rubio's fish tacos (World Famous Fish Taco: don't know if it is forreals). I was kinda iffy because come on... fish &&& Mexican food? I don't know... BUT I thought to myself, "I really have to train myself to like ALL foods because I am WAYY too picky. If I think it's annoying, I bet SO many people think that too."
So, I walk in and look at the menu && yay for cheapness (compared to the other food places in Emeryville). I was gonna order something besides the fish tacos... but it said "World Famous Fish Taco" and my friend said it was SUPER good so0o0o0o I gave it a try! :) & OMGGG it was yummy!! The fish taco (w/ flour tortilla --aka soft taco) with the hot sauce = SO good! I should've ordered 2! BUT I wasn't sure and by the time I was done with my first... I didn't want my friend to wait for me. #fail... Oh wells, I can always come back!! For $3.05 but $1.50 on Tuesdays, Rubio's fish tacos are worth it! I am SO gonna try to come on a Tuesday! :) 4 stars because it is wayy better than A-OK!
It's weird because I never heard of it until today... I just need to try new things & I am up for that challenge. yay ^^ -
Review from Brandon W.
Fremont, CA
Tried the Grilled Mesquite Shrimp Burrito. Went during lunch on a Saturday. Wait was less than 5 minutes. You have to order at the front and find your own table. Not a big fan of the roasted flavor of salsa but the mild and the salsa verde are quite good.
My go to choice:
Grilled mesquite shrimp burrito
Pros
Tables are fairly clean
Quick service
Cons
4 different selections of salsa for the chips but no hot sauce -
Review from Jerico P.
6/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's a good try.
Rubio Fresh Mexican Grill is a chain and i shouldn't have expected more, but after reading their advertised "world famous fish taco", thoughts of freshness were swimming in my head... i should have remembered, it's a chain...
the service was nice, the food came quickly, the touch of a slice of lime is a nice touch when you unwrap the "world famous fish taco" but the food was just okay...
it was a good try. it did the trick. then it was off to the movies.
until next time,
cheers! -
Review from Karly K.
Oakland, CA
10/30/2011
Four Stars for excellent service!
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Review from A K.
Emeryville, CA
12/17/2011
worst chips i've ever had. bland bland bland. fish taco was soggy and ice cold on delivery. yay for compostables, but get an insulated bag or something. it actually felt refrigerated. or maybe that was because it took longer than the 1:15 max time I was quoted.
worse than that tho is the fish taco - the fish itself was rubbery. I just couldn't in good conscience eat the last rubbery-gristely bit.
the whole meal was small - seems like a bargain when you look at the menu. I'd rather pay more for a regular sized burrito, like you get in a real taqueria.
yeah i know, lesson learned, go to a real taqueria next time!
full disclosure - I'm a little cranky also cause they left a couple small items (paid for tho) out of my order. -
Review from Laurie H.
4/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
The tacos are good enough....somehow not the same as I remember them oh-so-long-ago in San Diego when I thought they were life-changing.
The problem with this place is the atmosphere. It's downright dowdy and depressing.
Please, Rubio's - remodel - change everything - the booths, the tables, the floors, the walls - everything. Make me want to eat here again. -
Review from Robert V.
San Leandro, CA
2/20/2011 5 Check-ins Here
They say they have world-famous fish tacos or whatever- and the guy at the register was happy to point it out - but they were just okay. Overall, their food is pretty good, and the employees are really friendly. Definitely try the churros, but they may make you have to change your pants.
My roommate and I frequent the AMC theatre for reasons that don't belong on a review of Rubio's, but we definitely hit up Rubio's often and eat up before going to the movies. We never sneak food in. I swears. -
Review from Sandra S.
1/24/2011
OMG...a place that actually sells shrimp tacos...and that's good!!!! Wow!!! I am surely a FAN!!!!!!!!
I've passed this place too many times to admit but when my Cali BFF said come on, let's try it, I was following her like a puppy. I didn't even read the entire menu and my eyes stopped once I saw the grilled shrimp tacos.
Took a little while for our order to be made but who the heck can complain because they have a salsa bar!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KUDOS to that!!!!
My grilled shrimp tacos came with some beans that were to die for and some chips. I loved every single bite of it.
CONS...they should give way more chips than they give :) -
Review from Lorissa W.
Hercules, CA
8/11/2011
We came here for the Rubio's Fish Taco party. We loved their fresh fish tacos cooked to order and I plan to come back often when I'm shopping in the area. The manager and other employees were all courteous and made us feel at home. What a nice local place to have cheap fresh food! Check out their patio for a private and sunny place to eat.
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Review from Andrew C.
1/14/2011 2 Check-ins Here
After running some errands at Bay St we decided to check out Rubio's and their World Famous Fish Tacos.
The g/f got 2 of said tacos and I got a Big Burrito Especial (guac, black beans, rice, sour cream, salsa fresca, & creamy chipotle sauce) w/ carne asada.
The BIg Burrito was a bust. Almost all rice and beans. Sour cream? I didn't see or taste any. Guac? Tiny specs of green? Meat? The little steak that was in it was really salty and that's coming from an admitted salt-o-holic. I was full, but not satisfied by this burrito.
The fish tacos were much better. Nicely fried fish, crunchy cabbage, tasty sauce. The corn tortillas were a bit greasy though.
Burrito: 1.5 stars
Fish Tacos: 3.5 stars
I'm rounding them to 3 stars because their garbage area is separated into Recyclables (salsa containers, cup tops), Compostables (napkins, food scraps, cups & plates), and Trash (straws and I think their plastic silverware).
We had no "Trash" on our tray today.
Rubios, great for the environment, if not for your stomach.Listed in: Al Pastor
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Review from Melinda Y.
San Leandro, CA
1/11/2011
It's not as good as I remembered, but then again I haven't been here in maybe a year plus.
After some light shopping, I had the dilemma...Pizza My Heart or Rubio's??? Oh, I DO love Pizza My Heart, but I had it a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to go get a grilled mahi mahi burrito ($7.50, 670 calories...I love knowing my intake).
It was quite a wait. The cashier was so apologetic. She was a total sweetheart. She offered me chips while I waited. Soda even. We had a good time bantering about random things. I really didn't mind the wait when I have service like this. Although, I wish the food tasted better... -
Review from Jimi W.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 1/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yummy taco...
Went to Fairfield instead of Bay Street....
SO GOOD!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/26/2011
FISH TACOS! Yum! I love the DEALS they send you for signing up for their Emails! The LOBSTER Burrito… Read more »
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Review from Michael C.
Berkeley, CA
1/27/2011
I've only ever been here on Tuesdays, for TACO TUESDAYS. It is a fantastic deal, and you save about 50% off the price of a regularly priced fish taco. Your can choose either flour or corn tortillas, and get full for about $6. It's a steal, and I try to introduce as many people as I can to this fantastic ritual.
These aren't the most authentic tacos, but they are pretty tasty. The ingredients are fresh and the fish is fried perfectly. They are pretty sizeable as well, and I would guess that an average guy could eat 4-5 and be full. The missus eats 2 usually, and I once ate 10 (how many can YOU eat?) with some friends who wanted to see it. We also sneaked them into AMC next door once, and proceeded to skillfully eat fish tacos during the movie. Not easy, trust me.
Loaded salsa bar lets me put tons of onion and cilantro on my tacos, and there are plenty of salsa options to choose from. Cashiers are friendly, food is usually served pretty quickly, and the place is kept very clean. Next time Tuesday rolls around, consider hittin' up TACO TUESDAY! -
Review from David J.
Emeryville, CA
9/19/2011
Best customer service from the manager Tofeek I have had in the four years I have lived in this area. Food excellent, fresh, and very reasonably priced--can get smaller portions--and again customer service was proactive and outstanding--they seem to genuinely care about their customers--go figure hey? I'll def be back!!!
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Review from Ria R.
Alameda, CA
I like Rubio's as far as chain food goes. The Chicken burrito especial is pretty good and the fish taco's are really good as well. It's nice that they have set up a little table with mini plastic containers for salsa's and fresh lemon or lime wedges. I wish more Mexican style restaurants had this set up going. The food travels well, and the prices aren't too bad.
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Review from Donna T.
San Francisco, CA
7/13/2011 9 Check-ins Here
Great and friendly service. I like their various salsas, especially the super spicy one! :) Good menu too and I appreciate that they include the calories in food item on the menu.
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Review from John M.
9/9/2010
Down on Bay Street with some extra time to kill before our movie started, the girlfriend & I were confronted by hunger. There are sufficient dining options on Bay Street, but in the land of chain restaurants I have a go-to solution that I often pick when it's available - Rubio's. The reasoning is simple. It's quick, fairly cheap & doesn't make me feel totally gross after eating it. The ingredients are fresh & the food doesn't come saturated in surplus grease.
Being on Bay Street, this location isn't convenient to get to unless you're already here for something else. For a quick bite to eat before a movie, it's perfect. The girlfriend had her usual & I had a Beer-Battered Fish Buriito. I also ordered a soda, which our cashier forgot. It worked out for the better though as he just spotted me one for free. The food was good. The burrito wasn't greasy even though it had fried fish in it. We were on our way with still time to spare before our show.
I love me some Rubio's. When it comes to food on the fast &/or cheap, I'm definitely a fan. -
Review from David L.
Oakland, CA
7/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Can't go wrong with $1.50 fish tacos :)
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Review from Patricia H.
CA
7/5/2009
When we come over to Emeryville before and after seeing a movie, we're always looking for quick snack - and only want to pay snack prices. The other choices, Zao Noodle, CA Pizza Kitchen, Asquew Grill, etc. are a little more than we want to eat or pay.
That's where Rubio's comes in. I am not a fan of Mexican food chains, but Rubio's does the trick. I love their fish tacos, and wish we lived closer so I could do the Tuesday fish taco special. The place is absolutely spotless and has a great salsa bar. If they gave free chips with a taco order I'd give them another star.
As an added plus, the folks who work here are very nice - and the bathrooms are immaculate. Score!Listed in: Eating in the fidi/north…
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Review from Kathleen W.
Albany, CA
1/21/2008
+1 star for being relatively fast (Elephant bar gave us reservations for 5 hours later. Useless assholes.)
+1 star for decent food and packaging it in such a way that I can usually sneak it into the movies.
+1 star for serving beer
+1 star for the salsa bar. Yay for Chipotle salsa. -
Review from D e v a n.
Oakland, CA
10/13/2006
I've been eating at Rubio's almost my whole life. And they've always been good to me. When I was little, their mascot Pesky (as in pescado, get it?), a fish with a mustache inside a taco, kind of disturbed me. I think they realized how unappetizing he was and dumped him. I can't recall seeing him around lately.
I usually get the bean and cheese burrito kid's meal. It's the perfect amount of food, and you get a little churro and cool toy.
In the 80s, before they jumped on the "fresh" Mex bandwagon, they would use liquid cheese for the nachos. It was fucking glorious. I've never been able to find an equivalent.Listed in: Nacho Cheese = Happiness in a…
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Review from Greg G.
8/17/2008 2 photos
It's Tuesday. You're hungry. You're broke. Where are you gonna eat?
RUBIOS! $1 fish taco Tuesdays... man, i cannot begin to tell you how many times I've eaten here on Tuesdays. Those little crispy fish tacos are addicting! It got to the point where me and my friends practically had a Rubio's Tuesday club... it was just an unspoken rule, Tuesdays we eat at Rubio's for the fish tacos.
Everything else here is pretty good, too. Not like OMG it's the greatest, but it tastes better than Taco Bell.
Seriously, just get the fish tacos.Listed in: ! Ay, Caramba !
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Review from Charlene L.
San Francisco, CA
9/6/2006
SO hate me if I like this chain. I will gladly show you my willingness to eat with the masses by shoving down tasty fish tacos like there's no tomorrow down my gullet.
Expect to share your dining area with techs from surrounding firms, teeny boppers fresh from shopping and cops passing some time. -
Review from Angela N.
11/26/2005
WANT A MEAN CHURRO THAT'LL SET YOU BACK LESS THAN $1? Come here!
That's all I know about Rubio's so take these 5 stars with a grain of salt. I just happen to really like churros, and Rubio's makes them all warm and cinnamony and just crunchy enough. -
Review from Denise Q.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/2/2010
When I want a taco that reminds me of Southern CA this is my stop.
The authentic taquerias up here in Northern CA while serving delicious food definitely make food differently than the ones in Southern CA. So if I want a little reminder I come here. Though not the best or even the same as what I am missing, it is close enough!
And the prices are reasonable, and the location of this particular Rubios is ideal, right in the middle of shopping!Listed in: A Little SoCal in Northern CA
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/28/2008
If there was a drive through this would almost be considered fast food, but it isn't.
It's not a… Read more »
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Review from Tony U.
10/8/2007
3 1/2 stars with a bump up to 4 stars. I arrived at the Bay St to watch a movie yesterday at 6:57; the movie, Rush Hour III (not very good), was scheduled to start at 7:25pm. It was Sunday night. Not so crowded.
Rubios was conveniently located next to the ticket office. I ordered a lobster burrito special with beans, drink, and nachos.
Everything was tasty, the service very fast, and quality given it was fast food was very good. When I was done, I walked at a comfortable pace and got to the seats at the theatre at 7:21pm.
Rubios is a great emergency place to eat a quick dinner prior to watching a movie at Bay Street. -
Review from Nicole C.
Los Angeles, CA
3/27/2011
I used to really like Rubio's but after today I'm over it. There was nothing bad about the food but there was nothing good either. Way too much of that nasty white sauce. I ate one taco and a few chips. All the rest went in the trash.
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Review from Brittany D.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2008
We often have food from Rubios from our various trainers and it is almost always decent. But two very special things must be avoided @ Rubios due to their ability of addiction, Nachos and the Grilled Grande Bowl. Now like all fast food places there is the possibility of getting sick. This location has a seemingly low rate of bubble gut post consumption. That alone plus the availability of Vanilla Coke, make this place pretty worthwhile.
Me likey! -
Review from Sagruilla P.
Berkeley, CA
3/26/2007
I've gone to this location 3 times, and the first two times it would have gotten maybe a 3-star because I thought it was fresh and good, but this most recent time was a 1-star. To be fair, I'll give it a 2-star average.
Okay, I know this is fast food, so I don't expect too much, but all three times, the chips have been inedibly stale, and the guacamole has been an underripe, milky pale avocado sliced into hard, unscoopable chunks with parmesan sprinkled on top. This time, the cheese in the bean and cheese burrito was not melted, perhaps due to the room-temperature beans. Nasty and tasteless.
UPDATE: Went back again cuz sometimes you have to go to Bay Street, and sometimes you've gotta eat there. This time, the beans were a good temperature and the cheese was melted. BUT THE CHIPS WERE STILL STALE! We didn't gamble with the guacamole this time. I'll bump it from a two star to a three star. -
Review from Daniel O.
Oakland, CA
9/10/2010
Awesome food, good location, friendly staff, quick service (even when busy). I go here at least once a week for the fish tacos. I wasn't a big fish taco fan until I ate at Rubio's. The fish taco plate is the perfect amount of tacos, beans, and chips. The salsa bar offers mild to hot and there are two soda fountains so waiting for other people to fill up usually isn't an issue.
I would recommend taco Tuesday where they offer $1.25 fish tacos after 2 PM. If you are wanting grilled fish tacos, this $1.25 doesn't apply, only the "World Famous Fish Tacos". Both are great and worth every penny. Check out this place or any Rubio's for that matter. All the locations I have been to (Emeryville, Tracy, Palo Alto) have been great.
Also, they cook their food with no MSG or lard! -
Review from Rita E.
Concord, CA
$1.25 Fish Tacos w/ extra lime and the green sauce
+ churro
+ Corona
= the best Taco Tuesdays! -
Review from Elizabeth J.
Oakland, CA
9/15/2009
This is my go-to place for a quick meal when I'm suddenly starving at Bay Street, or my husband & I are catching a movie at the theater.
The fish tacos are good, reasonably cheap, and quick. Pretty good for mall food, right? And they have a decent salsa bar with tasty green salsa. My favorite. -
Review from Stel G.
San Francisco, CA
7/30/2006
$1 Tuesday Fish Tacos?!!! There's one on Market Street in SF-- YAY!! 2 things I did not know!! Thanks Yelpers.
So I like eating here .. well I really only get one thing: the FISH TACOS!! yummy yummy .. -
Review from Nico A.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2007
For a short period of time Rubio's was the only Mexican food that I would touch. I grew out of my dellusion quickly, but still am fond of the many after work summer evenings I spent here with a summer fling...
Good times, Good Taco's, no pun intended. -
Review from Celeste B.
Oakland, CA
2/17/2011 4 Check-ins Here
My favoriteMexican, fast food chain. Excellent salsa. Love the shrimp tacos and salads.
