rubio's

Rubio's

530 E. University Parkway

Orem, UT

Okay, so the first restaurant on my list isn't even in Provo. You really can't blame me for not knowing where Provo ends and Orem begins though. I mean, they all just kind of blend together for me.

Going to Rubio's was kind of a last minute, I'm-in-the-middle-of-shopping-and-hungry kind of stop. So, yes, I did make my debut solo. However, don't worry (because I know you are)--there are plenty more restaurants on the list.

So, for the ratings:

While the food was really good and there was plenty to choose from--it was still a chain. Hence, the cleanliness and the service were better, but the food wasn't quite as authentic as Juan's hole-in-the-wall behind the laundromat's (I made that up--don't go looking for it). I got the Steak Chipotle Ranch Salad, and I was slightly disappointed with the amount of food for the price. That could be just because I'm used to getting a huge Cafe Rio salad for roughly the same price. It was super tasty however, and still plenty of food.

No, there weren't any free chips and salsa. Darn. However, there was a pretty good salsa bar. With three kinds of fresh salsa, limes, onions, and cilantro, I wasn't short on condiments.

All in all, a good experience. I would go again.

rating system

I've decided that for each place I eat, I will give it a rating. First off, I believe we all need to know whether there are free chips and salsa. It can make or break a Mexican food experience. Then I will have some categories in which the restaurant can get up to five chili peppers:
























I will also comment on various other factors, such as the price, the amount of food for the price, and the salsa bar (or lack thereof).

w00t