Rubio’s has some really delicious seafood tacos! It’s an American restaurant chain offering a fusion between seafood and Mexican cuisine.
Think of it like Chipotle but with a focus on fish!
Rubio’s philosophy goes way beyond just taste. Did you know? They source sustainable seafood and the menu is free from MSG or artificial sweeteners.
The very first Rubio’s opened in 1983. It all started when the founder, Ralph Rubio, encountered a fish taco at a local eatery in Baja California.
He was thrilled by the recipe and decided to make a business out of it. (Yup, they invented the fish taco before fish taco was “cool”.)
Fast forward to 2021, there are 160 Rubio’s across the United States serving multiple varieties of fish tacos – Shrimp, Mahi Mahi, Wild Salmon – they’ve got it all.
If you are on a ketogenic diet, Rubio’s brings a lot to the table (literally!)
Rubio’s offers cheese taco shells for just 2g net carbs. It’s a crispy layer of cheese that replaces your carb-laden corn tortillas. Simply order your favorite tacos and ask for the keto swap.
But that’s not all.
They also have various low-carb offerings like guacamole, cauliflower rice, chopped salads, and much more. Read on for a complete guide to surviving keto at Rubio’s.
Is Rubio’s Keto-Friendly?
Tex-Mex food is one of the most keto-friendly cuisines out there.
Here are three simple reasons backing my claim:
- All Tex-Mex restaurants offer customizable bowls. So you can choose your own ingredients.
- They have low-carb protein choices, a lot of salady-greens, and keto-friendly salsas.
- If all else fails, you can always fall back to a serving of fresh guacamole!
And by the way, Rubio’s Coastal Grill checks off all the boxes.
But that’s not all.
Rubio’s changed the whole game with the launch of their keto-style menu. Back in 2019, they came up with the ultimate low-carb replacement for taco shells.
They call it the Keto-Style Cheese Taco.
The keto trend really picked up momentum during 2019. A huge number of people jumped on the wagon and Rubio’s was bombarded with “low-carb” order requests each day.
Customers would ask for a lettuce wrap instead of the taco shell, or simply order the taco in a bowl (me included!)
That’s when the company decided to step in.
Rubio’s now offers a cheese taco shell for just 2g net carbs. It is a blend of mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and white cheddar cheese. They melt it on a hot flat grill until it becomes a crispy layer.
This means you can finally enjoy a proper taco without turning it into a salad bowl!
Rubio’s menu also includes cauliflower rice. It is a keto-friendly food that can satisfy all your rice cravings (minus the carbs!)
Their cauli rice is seasoned with citrus and cilantro. It makes for a perfect side dish with your keto-style cheese tacos.
And the best part is that it’s made with a non-starchy vegetable. As a result, a single serving of cauli rice contains just 2g net carbs.
If you make the right customizations, Rubio’s has plenty of keto-friendly options.
When I say keto-friendly, I’m talking about meals that are under 15g net carbs. This isn’t a magical number by any means. But I’ve accepted it as an ideal intake when dining out on keto.
See, there’s always a trade-off between the carbs and the food variety you can have. So whenever I’m dining out, I make sure it’s worth it.
Go below 10g carbs and you limit your options. Exceed 15g carbs and you can’t have anything for the rest of your day.
Hence, the 10-15g carb bracket fits just fine.
RELATED: Baja Fresh Keto Options
Rubio’s Keto-Style Menu Options
Below is a list of all the keto-friendly options available at Rubio’s.
Most of the tacos just require a cheese-shell swap. However, in some cases, you may have to ditch out a few ingredients (e.g. black beans, mango salsa, etc.)
Note: All the nutrition facts are based on a “one taco” serving.
1. Hula Hula Carnitas Bowl
- Carnitas
- Cabbage
- Chipotle Sauce
- Guacamole
- Black & White Sesame Seeds
- Cauli Rice
Nutrition: 530 Cals | 38g Fat | 20g Carbs | 8g Fiber | 29g Protein | 12g Net Carbs
2. The Original Fish Taco
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Beer-Battered Wild Alaska Pollock
- Cabbage
- Lime Slice
- Mild Salsa
- White Sauce
Nutrition: 360 Cals | 27g Fat | 13g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 14g Protein | 12g Net Carbs
3. Fish Taco Especial
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Beer-Battered Wild Alaska Pollock
- Cabbage
- Cheese
- Cilantro and Onion
- Guacamole
- White Sauce
- Mild Salsa
- Lime Slice
Nutrition: 420 Cals | 9g Fat | 16g Carbs | 2g Fiber | 17g Protein | 14g Net Carbs
READ MORE: Keto-Friendly Options at Pancheros Mexican grill
4. Ancho Po-Boy Shrimp Street Taco
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Flash-Fried Ancho-Lime Shrimp
- Cajun Aioli
- Cabbage
- Salsa Fresca
- Lime Slice
Nutrition: 290 Cals | 23g Fat | 10g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 12g Protein | 9g Net Carbs
5. Wild Alaska Salmon Taco
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled White Alaska Salmon
- Cabbage
- Chipotle Sauce
- Cilantro and Onion
- Fire Roasted Corn
- Lime Slice
Nutrition: 280 Cals | 18g Fat | 8g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 20g Protein | 7g Net Carbs
6. Wild Mahi Mahi Mango Taco
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled Wild Mahi Mahi
- Cabbage
- Chipotle Sauce
- Guacamole
- Mango Salsa
Nutrition: 270 Cals | 18g Fat | 9g Carbs | 2g Fiber | 19g Protein | 7g Net Carbs
7. Grilled Gourmet Taco with Shrimp
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled Shrimp
- All Natural Bacon
- Avocado Slices
- Chipotle Sauce
- Cilantro and Onion
- Roasted Chipotle Salsa
- Toasted Cheese
- Lime Slice
Nutrition: 250 Cals | 19g Fat | 6g Carbs | 0.5g Fiber | 15g Protein | 5.5g Net Carbs
8. Wild Mahi Mahi Taco
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled White Mahi Mahi
- Cabbage
- Chipotle Sauce
- Cilantro and Onion
- Fire Roasted Corn
- Lime Slice
Nutrition: 250 Cals | 16g Fat | 8g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 19g Protein | 7g Net Carbs
9. Salsa Verde Shrimp Taco
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled Shrimp
- Avocado Slices
- Cabbage
- Cheese
- Chipotle Sauce
- Cilantro and Onion
- Salsa Verde
- Lime Slice
Nutrition: 280 Cals | 19g Fat | 9g Carbs | 2g Fiber | 16g Protein | 7g Net Carbs
MORE: Taco Bueno Low-Carb Guide
10. Crispy Chicken Street Taco
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Crispy Chicken Tossed in Franks RedHot® Sauce
- Cabbage
- House Ranch
- Pickled Celery and Jalapeno
- Cotija Cheese
Nutrition: 300 Cals | 22g Fat | 13g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 13g Protein | 12g Net Carbs
11. Hula Hula Carnitas Street Taco
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Carnitas
- Mango Salsa
- Black and White Sesame Seeds
- Cilantro and Onion
- Cotija Cheese
- Lime Slice
Nutrition: 250 Cals | 15g Fat | 10g Carbs | 0g Fiber | 19g Protein | 10g Net Carbs
12. Grilled Gourmet Taco with Carnitas
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Carnitas
- Avocado Slices
- Cilantro and Onion
- Cheese
- All Natural Bacon
- Chipotle Sauce
- Roasted Chipotle Salsa
Nutrition: 320 Cals | 23g Fat | 6g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 20g Protein | 5g Net Carbs
13. Classic Taco with Carnitas
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Carnitas
- Cheese
- Romaine Lettuce
- Chipotle Sauce
- Guacamole
- Salsa Fresca
Nutrition: 330 Cals | 23g Fat | 8g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 20g Protein | 7g Net Carbs
14. Rubio’s Street Taco with Carnitas
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Carnitas
- Guacamole
- Cilantro and Onion
Nutrition: 230 Cals | 14g Fat | 6g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 18g Protein | 5g Net Carbs
15. Grilled Gourmet Taco with All-Natural Chicken
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled All-Natural Chicken
- All Natural Bacon
- Avocado Slices
- Chipotle Sauce
- Cilantro and Onion
- Roasted Chipotle Salsa
- Toasted Cheese
Nutrition: 270 Cals | 19g Fat | 6g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 18g Protein | 5g Net Carbs
16. Grilled Gourmet Taco with All Natural Steak
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortillas
- Grilled All Natural USDA Choice Steak
- All Natural Bacon
- Avocado Slices
- Chipotle Sauce
- Cilantro and Onion
- Roasted Chipotle Salsa
- Toasted Cheese
Nutrition: 280 Cals | 20g Fat | 5g Carbs | 0g Fiber | 19g Protein | 5g Net Carbs
17. Classic Taco with All-Natural Chicken
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Cheese
- Chipotle Sauce
- Grilled All Natural Chicken
- Guacamole
- Romaine Lettuce
- Salsa Fresca
Nutrition: 280 Cals | 19g Fat | 7g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 19g Protein | 6g Net Carbs
18. Classic Taco with All-Natural Steak
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled All Natural USDA Choice Steak
- Cheese
- Chipotle Sauce
- Guacamole
- Romaine Lettuce
- Salsa Fresca
Nutrition: 300 Cals | 21g Fat | 6g Carbs | 2g Fiber | 20g Protein | 4g Net Carbs
19. Rubio’s Street Taco with All-Natural Chicken
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled All-Natural Chicken
- Cilantro and Onion
- Guacamole
Nutrition: 180 Cals | 10g Fat | 5g Carbs | 0g Fiber | 16g Protein | 5g Net Carbs
20. Rubio’s Street Taco with All-Natural Steak
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled All Natural USDA Choice Steak
- Cilantro and Onion
- Guacamole
Nutrition: 190 Cals | 12g Fat | 4g Carbs | 1g Fiber | 17g Protein | 3g Net Carbs
21. Keto-Style California Bowl
- Cauli Rice
- Chipotle Sauce
- Guacamole
- Romaine Lettuce
- Salsa Fresca
- Roasted Chipotle Salsa
Nutrition: 310 Cals | 25g Fat | 18g Carbs | 8g Fiber | 6g Protein | 10g Net Carbs
22. Keto-Style Cilantro Lime Bowl
- Cauli Rice
- Avocado Slices
- Romaine Lettuce
- Cilantro Lime Mojo Sauce
- Grilled Veggies
- Toasted Almonds
Nutrition: 390 Cals | 32g Fat | 23g Carbs | 8g Fiber | 9g Protein | 15g Net Carbs
23. Chopped Salad
- Add-on Steak or Salmon
- Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- Romaine Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Cheese
- Salsa Fresca
Nutrition: 500 Cals | 36g Fat | 14g Carbs | 4g Fiber | 30g Protein | 10g Net Carbs
24. Grilled Gourmet Taco with Veggies
- Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
- Grilled Veggies
- Avocado Slices
- Chipotle Sauce
- Cilantro and Onion
- Roasted Chipotle Salsa
- Toasted Cheese
Nutrition: 230 Cals | 17g Fat | 11g Carbs | 2g Fiber | 9g Protein | 9g Net Carbs
25. Keto-Friendly Sides & Extras
Rubio’s has plenty of low-carb sides that fit the keto bill:
- Cauli Rice: 2g net carbs
- Guacamole: 2g net carbs
- Fresh Greens: 3g net carbs
- Cheese (1 oz): 2g net carbs
- Chipotle White Sauce (1 oz): 0 carbs
- Sour Cream Side: 1g net carbs
- White Sauce (1 oz): 0 carbs
Note: According to Rubio’s official website, white sauce and chipotle white sauce have 0 carbs. But the truth is that a 1 oz serving has negligible carbs so they write it off as ZERO.
But you shouldn’t go overboard with these sauces thinking that they have no carbs at all.
Conclusion
So does Rubio’s have a keto menu? The answer is yes!
Follow these quick hacks for your low-carb order:
- Swap out the taco shell with their unique cheese tortillas.
- Avoid beans, rice, quinoa, tortilla chips, wraps, and corn.
- Use their official nutrition calculator for tracking your macros.
- For beverages, stick with just water, unsweet tea or coffee, and diet coke.
Rubio’s Street Tacos have the least amount of carbs. They contain very basic ingredients like cilantro, onion, and guacamole. If you want to enjoy a delicious taco without feeling guilty at all, this is your fix!