Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Two New Shrimp Tacos at Rubio's

Yesterday I attended a tasting event at Rubio’s in Torrey Highlands, where two new menu items were introduced to food bloggers/writers from the San Diego area. Founder Ralph Rubio was on hand to demo and answer questions.

The first was the Smokey Red Chile Shrimp Taco. It has three beer-battered shrimp in a corn tortilla, topped with a smoky red chili sauce, Rubio’s white sauce, shredded cabbage, a chopped cilantro/onion mix, and lime garnish. Price: $3.79 for one, $7.69 for a two-taco platter with beans and chips.

I’m a fan of just about anything beer battered, and this didn’t disappoint. The red chili sauce was a bit sweet on its own, but with the crispy shrimp and a shot of lime, it was very good, smoky, with a bit of warmth from the red jalapeños and richness from the ancho and guajillo. It was perfectly messy to eat, which I didn’t mind a bit.

Our second taste was the Salsa Verde Pan-Seared Shrimp Taco. Served in a flour tortilla (which was grilled golden on one side), it contained four shrimp, cilantro/onions, cabbage, a three-cheese blend, avocado slices, and lime garnish. The salsa verde is made with tomatillo, poblanos, cilantro, basil, and tarragon. Price: $3.99 for one, $7.99 for the two-taco platter.

This one was good, too. The shrimp was nicely pan-seared, and the herbaceous salsa complemented it well. I didn’t really need the cheese, but it didn’t detract.The avocado added the necessary richness, and some acid from the lime highlighted the sweetness of the shrimp. I also liked the crisp flour tortilla, which provided some good texture and chew.

It’s easy to like free food, especially when shrimp is involved. But, would I pay full price for either of them? Yes, I would (unless it was Taco Tuesday). I thought both were nicely done, tasty, you get a decent serving of shrimp and veggies, and the price point is good, especially for the plates.

Rubio’s new shrimp tacos will debut Tuesday, February 21, and will be permanent menu items.

Rubio’s

Various locations and hours.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

East San Diego County has only one bike lane

So you can get out of town – from Santee to Tierrasanta
Next Article

Live Five: Rebecca Jade, Stoney B. Blues, Manzanita Blues, Blame Betty, Marujah

Holiday music, blues, rockabilly, and record releases in Carlsbad, San Carlos, Little Italy, downtown

Yesterday I attended a tasting event at Rubio’s in Torrey Highlands, where two new menu items were introduced to food bloggers/writers from the San Diego area. Founder Ralph Rubio was on hand to demo and answer questions.

The first was the Smokey Red Chile Shrimp Taco. It has three beer-battered shrimp in a corn tortilla, topped with a smoky red chili sauce, Rubio’s white sauce, shredded cabbage, a chopped cilantro/onion mix, and lime garnish. Price: $3.79 for one, $7.69 for a two-taco platter with beans and chips.

I’m a fan of just about anything beer battered, and this didn’t disappoint. The red chili sauce was a bit sweet on its own, but with the crispy shrimp and a shot of lime, it was very good, smoky, with a bit of warmth from the red jalapeños and richness from the ancho and guajillo. It was perfectly messy to eat, which I didn’t mind a bit.

Our second taste was the Salsa Verde Pan-Seared Shrimp Taco. Served in a flour tortilla (which was grilled golden on one side), it contained four shrimp, cilantro/onions, cabbage, a three-cheese blend, avocado slices, and lime garnish. The salsa verde is made with tomatillo, poblanos, cilantro, basil, and tarragon. Price: $3.99 for one, $7.99 for the two-taco platter.

This one was good, too. The shrimp was nicely pan-seared, and the herbaceous salsa complemented it well. I didn’t really need the cheese, but it didn’t detract.The avocado added the necessary richness, and some acid from the lime highlighted the sweetness of the shrimp. I also liked the crisp flour tortilla, which provided some good texture and chew.

It’s easy to like free food, especially when shrimp is involved. But, would I pay full price for either of them? Yes, I would (unless it was Taco Tuesday). I thought both were nicely done, tasty, you get a decent serving of shrimp and veggies, and the price point is good, especially for the plates.

Rubio’s new shrimp tacos will debut Tuesday, February 21, and will be permanent menu items.

Rubio’s

Various locations and hours.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Asada days and adobada nights

A little taste of Loreto in San Diego.
Next Article

Firecrackers and fresh masa

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader