Rubio’s KETO Friendly Options for the Low-Carb Diet (2023)

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Team Unicorn

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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.

Table of Contents

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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

2. The Original Fish Taco

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Beer-Battered Wild Alaska Pollock
Cabbage
Lime Slice
Mild Salsa
White Sauce

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

4. Ancho Po-Boy Shrimp Street Taco

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Flash-Fried Ancho-Lime Shrimp
Cajun Aioli
Cabbage
Salsa Fresca
Lime Slice

5. Wild Alaska Salmon Taco

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Grilled White Alaska Salmon
Cabbage
Chipotle Sauce
Cilantro and Onion
Fire Roasted Corn
Lime Slice

6. Wild Mahi Mahi Mango Taco

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Grilled Wild Mahi Mahi
Cabbage
Chipotle Sauce
Guacamole
Mango Salsa

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

8. Wild Mahi Mahi Taco

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Grilled White Mahi Mahi
Cabbage
Chipotle Sauce
Cilantro and Onion
Fire Roasted Corn
Lime Slice

9. Salsa Verde Shrimp Taco

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Grilled Shrimp
Avocado Slices
Cabbage
Cheese
Chipotle Sauce
Cilantro and Onion
Salsa Verde
Lime Slice

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

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

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

13. Classic Taco with Carnitas

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Carnitas
Cheese
Romaine Lettuce
Chipotle Sauce
Guacamole
Salsa Fresca

14. Rubio’s Street Taco with Carnitas

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Carnitas
Guacamole
Cilantro and Onion

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

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

17. Classic Taco with All-Natural Chicken

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Cheese
Chipotle Sauce
Grilled All Natural Chicken
Guacamole
Romaine Lettuce
Salsa Fresca

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

19. Rubio’s Street Taco with All-Natural Chicken

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Grilled All-Natural Chicken
Cilantro and Onion
Guacamole

20. Rubio’s Street Taco with All-Natural Steak

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Grilled All Natural USDA Choice Steak
Cilantro and Onion
Guacamole

21. Keto-Style California Bowl

Cauli Rice
Chipotle Sauce
Guacamole
Romaine Lettuce
Salsa Fresca
Roasted Chipotle Salsa

22. Keto-Style Cilantro Lime Bowl

Cauli Rice
Avocado Slices
Romaine Lettuce
Cilantro Lime Mojo Sauce
Grilled Veggies
Toasted Almonds

23. Chopped Salad

Add-on Steak or Salmon
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Romaine Lettuce
Cabbage
Cheese
Salsa Fresca

24. Grilled Gourmet Taco with Veggies

Keto-Style Cheese Tortilla
Grilled Veggies
Avocado Slices
Chipotle Sauce
Cilantro and Onion
Roasted Chipotle Salsa
Toasted Cheese

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!

Team Unicorn