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Baja Fresh & Rubio’s battle over best gourmet tacos
August 20th, 2008, 5:00 am · 24 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
Baja Fresh and Rubio’s are going mano-a-mano with their new gourmet tacos.
In late July, Rubio’s introduced four Grilled Gourmet Tacos: Sirloin Steak, Garlic Herb Shrimp, Grilled Chicken, and Portobello Mushroom & Poblano Pepper. So what makes them gourmet? Cost: $3.29-$3.99. (click on photo to enlarge)
They are loaded with tasty, upscale ingredients such as avocado slices, cotijia cheese and real bacon bits.
This week, Baja Fresh counters with its own gourmet tacos: Taco Trio Platter. For $6.99 , you get three tacos (chicken, steak and shrimp) and a side of rice and beans.
Unlike the Rubio’s taco, each taco offers slightly different ingredients. For ex
ample, the steak taco comes with a spicy, tongue-lashing Diablo sauce (shown left) that works nicely with the carne asada.
The chicken taco (my least favorite) is topped with a sweet fresh salsa and a small slice of grilled pineapple. The shrimp taco comes with cabbage and sliced avocado.
It’s hard to compare these tacos because the ingredients are not totally identical. The steak tacos at both eateries are very good, but I’d have to give Rubio’s the edge when it comes to flavor.
After all, it’s hard not to love something drizzled with bacon bits.
New on the Menu: Want to get the latest updates on menu changes at your favorite chains? Check out my special New on the Menu section, where I keep a running tab on the latest menu items introduced at eateries.
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I must have missed all the ads on the Baja Fresh ones when I visited my local chain on Monday. I did try the ones at Rubio’s last week, and they were really good, far better than I was expecting and a major improvement over their Street Tacos. On the pricey side at close to $4 per taco, but I enjoyed it enough that I’ll get it again.
Both of those restaurants are garbage in my opinion. I can’t imagine that they make a taco worth $4
Please bring back the old owners of Baja Fresh! Since they have been bought out, have you notice that most of their are like a “Ghost Town”? The food is awful!. Would rather eat off a roach-coach.
Awww I like Baja Fresh, maybe each location is different. My family just eat there yest. My husband had the fire roasted shrimp taco, which he said was the best taco he ever had. I had one of those chicken (salad) burrito, and that was really good. We enjoyed our lunch.
i like my own tacos!
Baja Fish Tacos in Laguna Niguel is the best. Rubio’s are pretty good too.
TACONAZO.com has the best tacos ever ever ever… they pioneered the fish taco, shrimp taco, fish burrito, & shrimp burrito…
they were the first… just wait ’til there everywhere…. be afraid, very afraid!
I really wish Oregon had a Rubios. I loved the Burrito Especial combo with a fish taco.
Both these places are bad. I agree with beachBum Bob, Baja Fresh has gone to pooh since they were bought out and corporatized. Everyone I know talks about that.
What a joke the register is….Gourmet food from fast food chains.
Baja Fish Tacos has the best food hands down. I used to be a devoted Wahoo’s fan but their fish has been tasting a little too fishy of late. Baja Fish is always fresh.
Wahoo’s is still better than both of these places.
The best place to eat tacos is Wahoo’s. You’ll never have a better fish taco and the salsa is awesome. Plus they’re only 2.25.
Fabulous
baja fresh all the way. Their fish tacos are great.
They both suck. I make the best tacos, salsa and guacamole this side of the checkpoint!
this is to expensive i go to mcdonalds for 29 cent hamburgers
Baja Fresh needs to bring back the Burrito Dos Manos!!!!!
my tacos are the best or from some of the taco stands in the oc at least for the price of one taco at these 2 places i can have 4 or 5
$4 for a single taco? Come on! There are plenty of other choices. Although not as well known, we love Los Primos (RSM) where they have actually lowered their prices to $5 for several combo meal choices.
Both Baja Fresh and Rubios need to go back to the basics. Good authentic tacos at about $2 each!
Wahoo’s is awesome, Rubio’s rules and Baja Fresh drools. But I agree with most of you … homemade tacos are the best!
I’m still reeling over $4 a taco!!! from a fast food chain!!!! Alerto’s Rules
Rubio’s is the best. I’ll never get tired of their shrimp or lobster burritos. Baja Fresh seems to hope the success of their restaurant will lie on the many kinds of salsa they offer. Big deal. I don’t care about the salsa, I care about the quality of the food. Rubio’s has the freshest chips and meatiest tacos. Wahoo’s is just ok. Pretty much on par with Baja Fresh.
how many calories in the trio taco platter?
I haven’t been to either one, but I had awsome fish tacos at The Cheesecake Factory one night. I’m fairly new to Mesa and would love to find a place to get fresh (not fried) tacos without braking the bank.
who is the baja fresh girl on the end of the baja fresh salad burrito
that says if its not baja fresh its just not fresh the dark headed blue eye girl
who is that