Don Ruben's Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Municipalty of Irqah

Place is quaint and cosy, tucked in a middle of DQ. On weekends it could be quite sombre though. Stepping inside, you can already notice all the Mexican memorabilia decorating the walls and every corner of the place, especially the day of the dead skulls behind the bars, which adds up to the authenticity of the place. we ordered a few things on the menu, the Pulled Beef Birria Taco, Asada Steak Taco, Fish Taco and the Nachos Carne Steak and of course drinks. While I enjoyed the dishes overall, we found them slightly underwhelming in terms of variety. I expected a mix of bold, distinctive flavors with each different dish, but that wasn’t quite the case. The birria de Res filling was dull in terms of flavours, lacking the traditional mexican spices, probably the recipe was tuned and watered down to suit the local palette. The tortillas appeared fresh and homemade, which I appreciated, though they were a bit too thick for my preference. But kudos for the effort for not using prepacked ones. The fish taco was juicy and enjoyable but not the best out there. The Asada Taco, served on a crispy tortilla, was delicious, but again, the taste had the similar flavour profile as the Birria de Res. The same goes to the chunks of beef on the Nachos Carne. The nacho chips, although crispy, was also too thick for my liking.

A few aspects could be improved. First, the table arrangement and size. Most tables were rounded and quite small. We are a family of three—two adults and a toddler—and our dishes were meant for sharing. With everything we ordered, we barely had enough room for our own plates. This led us to finish some dishes quickly and return the plates to the kitchen so we could eat the rest more comfortably. Secondly, while Don Ruben emphasizes Mexican street food, which typically involves eating with one’s hands, there was no wash basin or sink available for patrons. We were provided with wet towels, but only after requesting them, as they weren’t automatically offered—at least not during our visit.

Overall, if you’re craving an authentic taste of Mexican cuisine, Don Ruben's is definitely worth a visit. Just keep in mind that it's a street cum comfort food concept, so the offerings focus on classic flavors rather than a wide range of flavourful palette. We would certainly go again, though next time, we might order one fewer item...

A hidden gym among DQ’s various eatery’s and endless cafes. It stays true to authentic Mexican cuisine. The flavor profiles are astonishing, in balance, blend and depth. Lime zest, Chili powder, fresh vegetables and the incorporation of dense protein create a fulfilling and intoxicating meal. The Baja Fish Tacos were served and prepared well, fish was light and fried thoroughly while remaining airy and crispy with every bite. The set sauce on top offered a savory and creamy finish for the palate, and with the addition of limes lined on the side of the plate, for the inclusion of an acidity taste, it balanced out the buttery topping. A welcomed contrast. Portions were amazing especially for Saudi standards. pricing for dishes are surprisingly modest there, further vindicated by the portion size and fast preparation. In addition to tacos, Don Ruben’s loaded fries are a west coast classic, presenting that very child-like, stable presentation. A must for kids, and a yummy appetizer for a party of 3 or more! The beef tacos served with a side sauce was my favorite. Mainly the sauce, there is a Cilantro element to the ending notes and very earthy and herb heavy beginning. This sauce poured over the beef Tacos(Quesabirria) is complementary to the beef’s more texture heavy enjoyment rather than flavorful enjoyment. Impressive indeed. Possible con is location, not too visible and no indoor bathroom. The lack of a bathroom may be a problem for some, but personally, completely normal for many Mexican and Hispanic restaurants in America and Mexico alike, especially those in more urban or fast paced areas. Service was Excellent, barely a wait time. The staff professionalism is nice counterbalance to the Restaurant’s warm and...

Don Ruben promotes Mexican street food and says one should be relaxed and rustic and eat with thier hands ( I couldn't agree more) and for the most part they do deliver. In a city where Mexican food is not the easiest to find I was happy to finally try them however I was hoping to see more selection such as Tamales or Elotes and Esquites which would make them stand out even more.

We arrived an hour from closing and I assume that's why only "Tacos" were available with a 45m wait as was told to us by the cashier (food arrived in about 30m).

The restaurant is more of a relaxed canteen with some Mexican decor and murals which I do appreciate. But what I don't appreciate was the poor ventilation and poor air conditioning (I'm ok smelling like tacos but the setup was in comfortable) as well as being served coca cola that was not cold (not everyone likes ice with thier drink and even on street kiosks one would still expect a cold drink). Staff overall were good and hard at work as it was crowded (and many to go orders being prepared).

We had soft and fried crispy tacos all with real corn tortillas made in-house (no prepackaged boring supermarket tortillas here). The chicken was not to my liking the filling was too watery and lacked flavor not seasoned. The shredded meat crispy tacos with seared cheese was excellent and did take me back to Mexico. The cubed steak tacos were pretty good as well (particularly with fried crispy tortilla). It was disappointing that they weren't served with a little bit of salsa or salsa verde or jalapenos on the side as standard.

Worth trying out and if you're in the area a quick fix of Mexican food from here is a good idea. Hoping to try other items...