Ranu's Reviews

Over the past few years, I find myself spending more and more time down the Jerey Shore—and not just in the summer—I’m there year round visiting my family. Hopefully as time goes on, my “benny” status will eventually deteriorate, but regardless of my New Jersey zip code the one thing I know is food and that is why I am taking on all three of these places in one review!

Up in North Jersey, there is a Chipotle or Moe’s on just about every highway, but in the towns making up the Jersey Shore, these successful chains are noticeably absent. The Mexican food market in South Jersey is comprised of local establishments like Surf Taco, Bubbakoo’s Burritos and Fins. I don’t know if anyone could resist the freshness of Chipotle, however, something tells me that the local Mexican food scene down the shore is doing fine without Chipotle and just like the “bennies,” I think the locals might want them to “go home” or at the very least stay out of that part of Jersey.

Here’s the Deets on these Eats

Maybe it is my lack of location, but I’m not really sure when surfing became synonymous with Mexican food. All three establishments have similar themes and they all revolve around surfing. I’m going to bust this review out into a few sections, throw in my opinions on each and declare an overall winner in this burrito war at the Jersey shore.

The Vibe Inside

Fins: If you’re ever on Route 88 in Brick, it is almost impossible not to notice Fins. The building is covered in hideous fluorescent green and yellow paint. It looks like the color palette came out of a toxic waste barrel and that is one of the main reasons I never stopped in the place after passing it hundreds of times. It is as if somebody took “South of the Border” and moved it to South Jersey.

The inside of Fins is not as bad as the outside. There is a loose, tropical feel to the joint. Every TV inside features some type of continuous loop of surfing footage and there is even a decent-sized fish tank to add to the overall décor. Definitely has more of a family atmosphere.

Surf Taco: This place is the quintessential casual restaurant with a little twist of dive. The cool blue walls with orange trim set the relaxing tone inside of Surf Taco. There are also a generous amount of flat-screen TVs and a community board to support local businesses. I’m just on the fence about the Surf Taco stickers that are all over the chairs, tables and just about anything in that joint. I guess it adds to the ambience for some and detracts for others—guess I’m getting old!

Bubbakoo’s: If Fins and Surf Taco were related and mated—their offspring would look a lot like Bubbakoo’s. This place so yearns for the coolness of Surf Taco, but has the feel of a corporate cafeteria.

The Menu

Fins: The menu at Fins is quite extensive to say the least. You can find wraps, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, salads, smoothies, desserts and the worst iteration of the word appetizers—“Fins-eteezers.” Seriously? Then again, I shouldn’t expect much from the place that looks like the Mountain Dew Hall of Fame from the outside.

While I can’t commend Fins for their naming conventions, I do have to give them props for including Weight Watcher points on some of their items and for having a children’s section on their menu.

Surf Taco: For some reason, Surf Taco’s menu appears to be just as robust as Fins, but a lot less intimidating. Surf Taco has a wide selection of tacos, burritos and wraps—not to mention quesadillas, specials (enchiladas, fajitas and chimichangas), a baja bowl, combos and desserts. They do a great job of incorporating a lot of fish into their offerings and they also have an entire menu dedicated to eating healthy called “Fit to Rip” that showcases the protein, carbs, fat and calories.

Last but not least is “The Tsunami.” Hope you’re up for a challenge. Finish this bad boy in under 15 minutes and you will be forever enshrined on the walls of Surf Taco. Char-grilled Chicken, rice, beans, jack & cheddar cheeses, lettuce, sour cream, & salsa wrapped in two x-tra large flour tortillas, served WET, topped with guacamole, sour cream & Pico de Gallo. In case you’re wondering, yours truly successfully completed this challenge a few years back at the Surf Taco in Belmar.

Bubbakoo’s: The menu here is much less substantial than the other two competitors. Bubbakoo’s menu looks somewhat like Chipotle’s, but looks (and taste) can be deceiving. They have burritos (and burrito bowls), tacos, salads, quesadillas, nachos, some desserts and a fried rice patty filled with cheese and topped with beef, chicken, pork or spinach called “The Chiwawa.”

Bubbakoo’s does not point out any healthy menu options, but they do have a very unhealthy challenge called “El Hefe.” Basically it is two orders of “The Chiwawa” on one plate. I have not tried this one.

Surf’s Up!

As far as I’m concerned, the unanimous winner of the Burrito War at the Jersey Shore is Surf Taco. Their burritos are in a class all by themselves and I would put them up against a Chipotle burrito any day of the week—it is that damn good! I had chicken burritos at all three places and the other two were not even close in taste or construction. Fins was a distant second and Bubbakoo’s was an even more distant third.

I cherished every single bite of the Maverick Burrito I had at Surf Taco. You could easily taste the freshness of the ingredients and everything went together so well inside that perfectly wrapped burrito. The food comes out super quick and is super good! If you are going to try just one of these surf-themed eateries at the Jersey Shore, I strongly recommend Surf Taco.

The burrito at Fins fell apart pretty easy and was lacking the taste of Surf Taco’s. Their chicken was very bland and the Mexacali Blues burrito gave me the blues when I was eating it since it was such a depressing experience. Bubbakoo’s burrito tasted like Bubbapoo. If I didn’t see them cooking it in front of me, I would’ve sworn it came out of a vending machine.

The Best and Worst of the Rest

I couldn’t just eat a burrito at these places with all the different menu items, so here are some of the high- and lowlights from my experience.

Fins: I went to Fins twice and didn’t like what I ordered, however, I really enjoyed what the other people in my party had. The nachos were really good and came with generous portions of guacamole, sour cream and salsa. Still trying to figure out how the chicken on top of the nachos was spot on while the chicken in my burrito was so off base. Also, I must warn you that the jalapeños are really hot compared to other places so beware!

I know I am going to hear it for this one, but I thought the salsa at Fins was amazing—much better than the Surf Taco. Unfortunately, I didn’t try all the different varieties at Fins, but the salsa that accompanies the entrée was fantastic. It was so fresh and full of flavor.

Have to give Fins kudos for their cheese quesadilla. Wow! I was so glad my kid was full because I scoffed that thing down in no time flat. Fins took a simple dish like a cheese quesadilla and made it into a Mexican masterpiece.

I tried a smoothie called Lulu’s Crazy Kick Out which consisted of raspberry, strawberry and tropical Lulo nectar. It was no Jamba Juice, but it sure was priced like one at $5.59. Based on that, Fins must be “crazy” if they think I’m going to “kick out” another $5.59 for an average-tasting smoothie. However, make sure to take advantage of the free refills on the organic green iced tea—you won’t be sorry!

Also had their Congo Chips, which were sweet plantains drizzled with a coconut cream sauce and luau glaze garnished with Pico de Gallo. It was a pleasant surprise and would order it if you like plantains.

Lastly, I reluctantly tried their Swordfish Taco. It was just a mess of filler veggies and a small piece of swordfish. I wanted to taste the swordfish, but this little guy was bullied in the flavor department by a bunch of vegetables that had no business being in my taco.

Surf Taco: Practically everything I ever ate at Surf Taco has been fantastic. All the ingredients are fresh and you can really taste the difference. There are a lot of places that have fish tacos on the menu and most of them frighten me since you never know just how long that piece of fish has been sitting in the freezer—or worse—on the counter! No fears of diving right in at Surf Taco.

Of course, you can’t go wrong with the Surf Taco. Their signature dish consists of fresh cod battered in tempura topped with shredded cabbage, Pico de Gallo, white cilantro sauce and a squeeze of lime. Go with Combo #4 (a Surf Taco and a Maverick Burrito) to truly experience the best that Surf Taco has to offer. I even recommend their Chicken Tender Taco if you want a break from the fish or beef. This is not just a kid favorite—it is also an adult favorite of mine!

Surf Taco also has an “almost famous” salsa bar with four different flavors. I’ve talked to fans of Surf Taco and they have always told me they could drink the salsa since it is so good, but I beg to differ. The only salsa I really enjoyed was the hot. All the others were kind of blah and I prefer the salsa at Fins.

Bubbakoo’s: I visited Bubbakoo’s once and will probably never go there again given the close proximity of Surf Taco and Fins. There were a lot of positive reviews about the place online, but either they had a bad day or the people who praised the joint have never tried Surf Taco.

I already expressed my displeasure in their burrito, but their nachos were equally disappointing. It was just a pile of bland with minimal cheese and it cost an extra $1.49 for a tiny side of guacamole where Fins gave you plenty of guac with their nachos for free.

Also tried the nacho tots which were nothing to write home about. Over-fried tater tots with a processed cheese sauce—no thanks.

The End Result

Overall, Surf Taco is truly the king of the Coastal Cuisine and are the clear winner of the Burrito War at the Jersey Shore. Fins sans the burritos, is a decent runner-up to Surf Taco and is a fun place to eat if you have kids. Bubbakoo’s really does not even belong in this discussion and quite frankly, I am impressed that they are actually able to compete in this competitive Coastal Cuisine market at the Jersey Shore, however, the real question is for how long?

For more info about Fins, visit their website at http://www.finsusa.com/.

For more info about Surf Taco, visit their website at http://www.surftaco.com/.

For more info about Bubbakoo's Burritos, visit their website at http://www.bubbakoosburritos.com/.