Two New Sustainable Shrimp Dishes Make a Splash on Rubio's® Menu

Online, February 21, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Upon his return from a spring break trip to Mexico in 1983, Ralph Rubio started the fish taco phenomenon when he opened the first Rubio's in the San Diego neighborhood of Mission Bay. Since then, Ralph and his team of Rubio's chefs have continued to develop seafood dishes known for their memorable flavors and fresh ingredients. Nearly 30 years later, Rubio's continues to showcase its expertise in seafood by introducing new craveable menu additions, most recently the Smoky Red Chile Hand-Battered Shrimp Taco and the Salsa Verde Pan-Seared Shrimp Taco.

The Smoky Red Chile Shrimp Taco is served in a warm stone-ground corn tortilla and features sustainable shrimp hand-dipped in Rubio's seasoned beer batter, cooked to a crispy perfection and topped with Rubio's signature white sauce and a smoky red chile sauce made with guajillo, ancho and red jalapeno chiles. The Salsa Verde Pan-Seared Shrimp Taco is served in a warm flour tortilla and includes a melted three-cheese blend, buttery Hass Avocado slices and pan-seared sustainable shrimp. It's topped with a special salsa verde sauce made from tomatillos, poblano chiles and fresh herbs. Both tacos include a cilantro-onion mix, cabbage and a lime garnish finish.

"At Rubio's, we are passionate about seafood and committed to offering intriguing menu options to our guests," said Ralph Rubio, founder of Rubio's. "Our chef-crafted Smoky Red Chile Hand-Battered Shrimp Taco and Salsa Verde Pan Seared Shrimp Taco are not only representative of our dedication to creating memorable dishes, but also our priority to serve sustainable seafood whenever possible."

Rubio's dedication to creating enticing seafood cuisine began when Ralph Rubio took his first bite of a fish taco in Mexico almost three decades ago. Realizing he had tasted something truly unique, he began to develop his own recipe. The time he spent developing the fish taco recipe became the basis for everything Rubio's stands for today: interesting and complex flavors in chef-crafted recipes using the freshest ingredients.

Rubio's has sold more than 150 million fish tacos and expanded to 200 restaurants on the West Coast. In addition to sustainable seafood, Rubio's also offers other recipes that include chargrilled marinated chicken and steak, "no fried" pinto beansâ„ , guacamole, and a variety of salsas and proprietary sauces - all prepared fresh daily and made from ingredients sourced from California whenever possible.

Starting today and just in time for the Lenten period, fans and newcomers alike are invited to stop in to any one of Rubio's locations to get a taste of the new Smoky Red Chile Hand-Battered Shrimp Taco and Salsa Verde Pan-Seared Shrimp. Guests should also stay tuned as more details on additional exciting menu offerings are announced throughout the year.

For further information on Rubio's or to find a location near you, visit: http://rubios.com. Fans can also join in the conversation on Facebook at http://facebook.com/rubios and Twitter at http://twitter.com/rubiostweets.

About Rubio's Restaurants:
The first restaurant was opened in 1983 in San Diego by Ralph Rubio and his father, Ray, who started the fish taco phenomenon that spread across the nation. Today, Rubio's menu has grown from The Original Fish Taco® to include additional chef-crafted seafood recipes that feature shrimp, wild salmon, and ono. In addition to sustainable seafood, Rubio's offers chargrilled marinated chicken and steak, fresh made guacamole, "no fried" pinto beanssm and a variety of salsas, and proprietary sauces that are prepared daily. Rubio's is headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif., and operates 200 restaurants in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. For more information, visit http://rubios.com.