Ruben’s

Great meal. Caesar Salad (for 2), Steamed Clams (Awesome), Octopus with Chipotle Sauce (incredible) and the Salmon with Fig Sauce (outstanding) and let not forget the Margaritas (yummy).
The waiters were great and the restaurant is beautiful.

I’ve been coming to Ruben’s Sunday brunch for about 10 years now. First when he was across the street from Las Gaviotas, then when he took over the Palm Grill, and now at his new location. It has never been a disappointment.
There are only two brunches I will go to, this one and the La Fonda brunch. The La Fonda brunch has a much larger variety of food offerings and is right on the ocean, but Ruben’s has a much better atmosphere. Here, you will have live music and Mexican folk dancing. The space is also more open and spread out.
The brunch is $ 17 per person which includes bottomless Mimosas. The food offerings include menudo, oysters, pozole, paella, civeche, waffles, traditional Mexican dishes and grilled meats.
The service is impecable. Our server, Adrian, at the first mimosa asked if he should refill the drinks as needed. I told him yes and he kept the drinks flowing.
If you are looking for a good time on top of some good food, then Ruben’s is worth a visit.
Tip: Pay in cash if you can. They will try to charge a 3% fee on American credit card transactions.

I don’t know why someone has posted that Rueben’s has moved when it hasn’t! It’s still here in Primo Tapia just 100 ft from the entrance to Cantamar..

Food was good but we didn’t order anything special. I had a plate of huevos mexicana which was as good as you could expect — not life changing but a large plate of food, very tasty and only $ 4.50. My girlfriend had a salad and lobster bisque which were both very tasty. My only grievance was how long it took to get our food — maybe 30 minutes. The lobster bisque did have a baked philo dough crust which is likely the culprit so I am not too broken up about it.

Went to Rubens for my birthday. 4 people in our party had the best ceasar salad prepared at the table. We all agreed it was the best we had ever had
I had the flank steak served with fresh vegetables.
The serving was substantial and prepared to my order.
The meat was tender and juicy.
One of us had the BBC ribs. Very tender an well prepared. A chili relleno was also ordered and was very good.
The salsa was excellent. A little bite and fresh
I would definitely recommend this new and modern restaurant with an excellent and courteous wait staff.

While the new location may be new, Ruben has been in the industry for quite a while and it shows. Everything from an eloquent staff, to the beautiful setting, to the refined flavors. And the night doesn’t have to stop at dinner. Ruben has plans to keep the night going with live music, karaōke and a fully stocked bar.

Best caesar salad and lobster bisque ever! Fabulous collection of Guadalupe Valley wine country Mexican wines. Warm wood interior, crack long fireplace (romantic) and popping bar with ocean view…

Just awesome! Food is great, service is great
And entertainment is outstanding! It’s a must if u are in the area!

Wow, I’ve been to Rubens last 3 restaurants and each has been better than the last… but THIS takes the cake. What a impressive place! He has built what may end up being the nicest restaurant in all of Baja. There is soooo much to see and I only saw a bit as we showed up a little late in the evening.
It’s located in Primo Tapia… right in front of Cantamar. (just below the gas station) There’s a faux light house outside that you can use as a landmark to find it.
Walking in… wow, this place is huge. And all brand new. And of course built VERY nicely. The service was quick and enthusiastic and seated us quickly.
We had the cesar salad… hand made table side like the old school fancy restaurants. It was very good… done properly (and it was) it takes about 15 mins to make. For the price ($ 10) they are NOT making money on that… impressive.
I had the Filet Mignon and it was very good. A perfect medium rare. It came with potato and grilled asparagus… very tasty. The price was not cheap by Baja standards ($ 20) but overall for the location, quality and ambiance… a reasonable price.
And as always, Ruben stopped by to make sure everything was up to par.

All food is delicious, excellent service, no signs outside
Red Menudo, tamales and grilled clam are outstanding, careful with buffet hours and prices

Ruben had a dream. A classy, big, gorgeous restaurant that offered fine dining. And he made it happen. And even though the huge back patio (intended for brunches and wedding receptions) is still incomplete, that is something we must get used to if we are to immerse ourselves in the «there’s always mañana «Baja way. That’s ok with me. It was quite beautiful inside, tastefully decorated, rich with stone work, tile and lots of wood, with white table cloths, flickering candles, and quite elegantly modern in attitude. And the hospitality that would not quit.
We were guided here by someone who knew Ruben and had no doubt he would make us happy. It was a memorable evening.
We tried to be discrete in ordering, our group of 6 friends. We failed miserably. And we really barely sampled the menu.
First, a huge bar where we sat around, imbibed, and admired the new surroundings.
After being seated at our table, we ordered a bottle of wine to share, then started with a tableside Caesar salad, something I haven’t seen in a couple decades. Had to try it. The waiter pushed out a cart laden with tons of small dishes and bottles, even the raw egg, all the ingredients necessary for making an authentic salad. It took about 5 minutes, each ingredient added one at a time and expertly blended. The performance was fascinating.
Out came a couple of baskets of garlic bread. Mind you, not just any garlic bread. Thinly sliced, delicately buttered, still soft and hot.
Then out came another appetizer. Guacamole. Not your Grandmother’s guacamole. This one was generous, lumpy, even had cubes of cream cheese in the mix. Served with thin pita chips, it was unusual and tasty.
When I saw Shrimp Scampi listed as an appetizer, I knew this was my «dish» for the evening. And I was so right. Despite only 5 large, sweet shrimp, it was the copious amount of garlic, wine and butter sauce that pushed me over the edge. I cleaned my dish, left not a drop of sauce, greedily sopped it all up with that great bread. I shall probably go to hell for this. And I spent the rest of the evening, and most of the next day, fiendishly calculating how to get that dish again. Nobody took my blatant hints, but some day, I shall.
The rest of the group each naïvely ordered a bowl of the lobster bisque. Eating light? Right. Who knew it was so huge? Who knew it was completely sealed with a buttery puff pastry lid? Who knew it would be another showpiece as the waiter cracked open the middle and drizzled sherry into the hot soup inside. It was creamy and rich and filling (I stole a spoonful). My only wish would have been to discover chunks of lobster meat inside. This one was a smooth one.
No matter. I was still sopping up that amazing scampi butter and tearfully moaning words of endearment.
The grand finale was yet another tableside showpiece. If you have never seen Mexican Coffee made, this is* the* place to do it. The cart came out displaying the bottles of Tequila and Kahlua. First they glaze the edge of your glass with sugar, then caramelize it by fire. Then comes the igniting of the different alcohols that have first been poured into a ladle. And a generous sprinkling of cinnamon that sparks like fireworks. Still blazing, they pour it into your glass. Then comes the hot coffee. And lastly, a generous topping of whipped cream and a cherry. What fun. And how delicious.
After all this great food and several spectacular shows, each couple only paid $ 75. Total. Where can you do all this in the states? And where can you find kinder hospitality?

Ruben has now moved into his brand new building about half a block south of his old location. It’s in Cantamar, just north of Primo Tapia on the west side of the libre (free road). It is a beautiful large new building but it was made to look rustic so it fits right in to the neighborhood. My wife and I ate here on a Monday evening at about 8:30 so the place had few people in the dining room and several people in the adjacent bar. The service was good, but you could tell it was a new place because the waiters were not that familiar with the menu. The medium rare rib eye steak was cooked perfectly (American Style without all the crap many Mexican places pile on their steaks). The big problem was that by the time they got my order right the steak was not hot anymore. The roast veggies were outstanding. The meal came with either mashed potatoes, baked potato, or «Fettuccini Alfredo». We ordered the Fettuccini Alfredo but what we got was fettuccini noodles with absolutely no sauce. Nice and al dente, but kind of naked. The House Red Wine was excellent. Since it was my wife’s birthday the house sent a nice piece of cake which was very good. I’ll be back, hopefully they will work out their growing pains.

Ruben has been on a quest for the dream restaurant he could own. He has been building his business and a loyal following. With each of his last four restaurants in different locations in Baja, he has always served great dishes and at a great price.
His latest operation had a «soft opening» two weeks ago. This is the largest building he has ever occupied. He has no sign on the building as yet, but it does have a lighthouse. The construction is still happening and about six weeks behind schedule, but Ruben has done something VERY SPECIAL in Baja. He has renamed this establishment «Ruben’s El Sabor de Baja» (the taste of Baja).
He has a new chef, new menu (with some old favorites), mostly new staff and a beautifully decorated place that has outdoor seating, a formal dining room for 80 and a bar/​entertainment area that seats 50 or more.
The entrance to Ruben’s is on the «free» road near the exit & entrance to the toll road (KM53) at Cantamar (Primo Tapia). It is next door to a Pemex gas station in Primo Tapia.
The bartenders, waiters and cooks are all super friendly and welcoming to American travelers. Ruben is always walking around greeting his guests.
Happy hour every day!!! Friday, Saturday and Sunday music supplied by local musicians such as Wandana, a popular, local band.
The diverse menu has a good selection of seafood, steaks, ribs, chicken and Mexican dishes. We especially like the steamed clams, table-​side prepared Caesar salad, tortilla soup, hamburgers, ribs and steaks. Many people (myself included) swear by the lobster bisque. He has a «bar food» menu that I tried. I had two tacos — cochinito pibil and pulpo (grilled octopus) y queso. Awesome flavors, great salsa (hot) and big tacos for $ 2. I also tried the grilled garlic scampi. Fresh and delicious, served with garlic bread. No vampires after that meal.
Fast, FREE WIFI.
We wish Ruben luck with his new venture. Over the last 20 years, he has proven to be one of Baja’s best owners. Suggestion: get there before everyone else discovers it. Right now the weekends are pretty busy.

Went here to watch fight, they had a lot of people, food was bland, ordered 3 orders of the skewers, what a mistake, ordered guac and there were no chips. Food quality was poor, won’t come back to this place, $ 18.50 dishes not worth it.

$ 15 Sunday seafood buffet is a bargain. Entertainment and champagne gratis. Drinks are big, tasty and potent. Definitely worth a visit.

PRIME RIB /​POSSOLE /​RIBS /​CEVIXHE /​CLAMS /​OYSTERS…
This place exceeded my expectations. We arrived for Suunday Brunch, it was a little slow, but within minutes the locals started pouring in. Atmosphere is perfect as this is nestled in a small gated community! (Cantanar) Rueben was awesome, he was busy working the whole time, side by side with his employees! The quality of the food is second to none, every dish i tasted was authentic and fresh!
As soon as we started eating we were already planning another trip back just for Brunch!
O yeah… It’s only $ 15 for champagne brunch!

Sunday brunch is awesome here. Live music, great service and good food. The serve paella, prime rib, chili replenish, bbq ribs, etc.

While here on vacation we had the good fortune to meet Ruben himself who was very friendly and helpful. We sat outside and met some of the friendly local stray dogs… very cute.
Coconut shrimp was awesome and it seemed every dish we ordered was creative and well cooked.
Ruben recommended a fishing trip to us and kindly set it up for us as well, after our trip for a little money we brought him our fresh caught fish and he made fresh ceviche for us as we waited in the bar area drinking beers. Absolutely one of the most fun restaurant experiences we had.

You can’t beat this place for $ 15.00 brunch. Chicken mole is so good, and after going to a bachelor party last night, the menudo was the perfect cure for my hangover. Tamales were so moist, they melt in you mouth. Marco’s, our server was awesome

Our second stop at this restaurant left both Hubby and me with some terrible food poisoning. Sad to mark it off of my list of good Baja restaurants.

Love it here!!! Antonio is the best bartender. Kids love adults live food is good beer is cold and prices are good.