Do you like Chipotle Restaurant?

[gingersmom]

My kids and I watch "Americas Next Great Restaurant" on Sunday nights and one of the judges is the guy who started Chipotle. One opened nearby and I had never been so we decided to have lunch out and go there today.

 

I was very excited till I opened the door. It was tiny. Kinda ugly. And the menu board had about 10 things listed. It was packed with people (barely 12:00), so I had my kids grab a seat while I took it all in. We were conveniently seated at a table right next to the garbage can. As my son pointed out we did not even have to get up to throw out our trash. Oh goody!

 

My daughter kept reading the sign that said maximum capacity 54 people, as people kept coming in the door (the line was nearly out the door).

 

My kids thought the chicken was too spicy. I'm not a fan of eating on a stool with a plastic fork next to a garbage can.

 

The guacamole was amazing though. My daughter thought it was better than hers (which is saying a lot because she thinks hers is amazing :001_smile:).

 

My son concluded that it was like Taco bell. I have only been to Taco Bell once but I think I agree.

 

Am I missing something about this place?

[mommybee]

I've only been once but for me the beans and rice in my burrito were too bland.

 

I may have to try it again but I seem to remember thinking it was expensive for what I got. But it's been awhile.

[RobinF]

We love Chipotle. They serve fresh food with no hormones. Now the meat is spicy. I have one that loves it but the others usually order the pork which is not as spicy.

 

To compare chipotle to taco bell shows that you really haven't eaten at taco bell much at all :D (which isn't a bad thing).

[annabanana1992]

It is one our family's favorites! I don't get sick just thinking about what I am eating when I eat at Chipotle...

 

It is always crowded, but we usually get a table.

[Stacy in NJ]

Chipotle is a fast food resturant that serves food prepared with high quality ingredients. The food is convenient, fast, wholesome, nutritious, and delicious (imo). And that's a pretty wonderful and rare mixture in our culture.

 

My kids and I watch "Americas Next Great Restaurant" on Sunday nights and one of the judges is the guy who started Chipotle. One opened nearby and I had never been so we decided to have lunch out and go there today.

 

I was very excited till I opened the door. It was tiny. Kinda ugly. And the menu board had about 10 things listed. It was packed with people (barely 12:00), so I had my kids grab a seat while I took it all in. We were conveniently seated at a table right next to the garbage can. As my son pointed out we did not even have to get up to throw out our trash. Oh goody!

 

My daughter kept reading the sign that said maximum capacity 54 people, as people kept coming in the door (the line was nearly out the door).

 

My kids thought the chicken was too spicy. I'm not a fan of eating on a stool with a plastic fork next to a garbage can.

 

The guacamole was amazing though. My daughter thought it was better than hers (which is saying a lot because she thinks hers is amazing :001_smile:).

 

My son concluded that it was like Taco bell. I have only been to Taco Bell once but I think I agree.

 

Am I missing something about this place?

[mommybee]

Looks like I'll have to check it out again!

[joannqn]

We love it, and will occasionally (special occasion) drive an hour to eat there. They serve natural, unprocessed, real food without hormones, and you can taste the difference. I wish I could duplicate it at home; we try but it just isn't the same.

[catz]

LOVE Chipotle. I think you can taste the difference in their meat, etc. And we generally don't do any other fast food with the exception of the very occasional Subway or Jimmy Johns. I like spicy food, so no complaints there! My 6 year old is not a big fan, but we'll hook her yet. :D

[Wendi]

The Chipotles near us are small (although I've never had to sit by the garbage can!), but usually have a patio, too, which is nice. They are always crowded at lunchtime! We've only been a few times, but I like it.

 

Wendi

[JudoMom]

We love Chipotles :001_smile:.

[Brilliant]

We love Chipotle - their food is fresh and wholesome AND delicious.

 

I am :confused: at the comparison to Taco Bell. There is nothing fresh about Taco Bell. But everyone has different tastes. Don't waste your money at Chipotle (yeah, it's expensive) if you like Taco Bell more.

[Perry]

Chipotle is a fast food resturant that serves food prepared with high quality ingredients. The food is convenient, fast, wholesome, nutritious, and delicious (imo). And that's a pretty wonderful and rare mixture in our culture.

:iagree:

 

We don't have a Chipotle in my city, and I look forward to traveling so I can have my vegetarian burrito fix.

[dangermom]

Yep, we love Chipotle. It's fresh, wholesome, fast, and delicious. It's not high-end--it's fast food, only good, so it costs more. We get it to go about half the time; the buildings aren't really meant to hold all the customers, so the line does get long and it does get crowded, and that's OK. And their guacamole is divine.

[Rebecca VA]

Oh, my goodness. My son eats at least one meal a day, and sometimes more, at Chipotle. He knows every Chipotle restaurant within a 40-mile radius of our house very, very well. Our family eats there all the time.

 

I was telling my son that he should get a Chipotle franchise, and I wasn't kidding. If love of a product and willingness to spend many hours a day at your place of business equals success, he will most certainly succeed in that endeavor.

[prairiewindmomma]

I *love* Chipotle.

 

I agree with the others--I eat there because the meat is hormone-free (in our case, it's even local for the chicken and pork) & the ingredients are of good quality. Dh is able to eat low-carb with us (salad + meat + toppings).

 

If you're not used to an industrial style interior (birch wood, stainless steel, concrete floors), it can seem odd....but to compare it to Taco Bell is just wrong. Read more about the recent Taco Bell meat scandal--no way I'm eating something with so many binders and extenders--it's non-food.

[Night Elf]

We absolutely love it. I agree with the other people that Chipotle and Taco Bell cannot be compared. Taco bell makes their food from processed food items while Chipotle uses fresh ingredients. That's probably why their menu is smaller than other places.

[Leav97]

I love it. My DH and kids are OK with it.

[Spy Car]

Chipotle is a fast food resturant that serves food prepared with high quality ingredients. The food is convenient, fast, wholesome, nutritious, and delicious (imo). And that's a pretty wonderful and rare mixture in our culture.

 

:iagree:

 

I'm feeling same kind of disorientation some people seem to have when they are shocked to agree with me :tongue_smilie:

 

But for a "fast food" establishment the fare at Chipotle is pretty good. I do wish they offered brown rice as an option, and vegetables are "scant" but it is still way better than most. And the food is tasty.

 

Not like Taco Bell.

 

Bill

[Angie in VA]

When I describe it to newbies, I call it a "Mexican Subway." I *HEART* Chipotle. Chipotle = LOVE.

 

I met that guy you saw on TV. Where else? At a local Chipotle. :) I told him, "You had me at Romaine!" (I hate iceberg lettuce. Blek!)

 

Sometimes the chicken is spicier than other times. Good food. Next time, fax in your order (or order online) and take it home and use your own fork. The fire code thing should be observed. I overlook the decor and music and eat the great food.

 

Thanks a lot. Now I crave Chipotle!

[kitten18]

It's o.k., I much prefer Baja Fresh.

[Jamee]

Love it! We compare it more to the Subway of Mexican.:D Hmmm, may have to go there later this week. They actually built one not too far from my parents'.

[Hillary in KS]

We love Chipotle! But... we don't eat there. I usually take it to go, because the place is always packed. :)

[Cera]

Love it! We compare it more to the Subway of Mexican.:D Hmmm, may have to go there later this week. They actually built one not too far from my parents'.

 

I think of it as Mexican Panera (I think of Taco Bell as Mexican Subway).

[UnsinkableKristen]

Nom nom nom! We LOVE Chipotle.

 

There is one within walking distance of our neighborhood (along with a Pei Wei - very dangerous :) ), and we eat there at least once a week.

 

I will say that I didn't like it AT ALL when I first tried it, though. It took me a few times to find the exact combination of things that I liked, and now I order the same thing every time and have never had a bad experience since. If you find the meat too spicy, try a burrito bowl and add sour cream and cheese to it. I find that cuts the spice nicely.

 

Mmmmm..... this is really making me want Chipotle for dinner :D

[happi duck]

Nom nom nom! We LOVE Chipotle.

 

There is one within walking distance of our neighborhood (along with a Pei Wei - very dangerous :) ), and we eat there at least once a week.

 

I will say that I didn't like it AT ALL when I first tried it, though. It took me a few times to find the exact combination of things that I liked, and now I order the same thing every time and have never had a bad experience since. If you find the meat too spicy, try a burrito bowl and add sour cream and cheese to it. I find that cuts the spice nicely.

 

Mmmmm..... this is really making me want Chipotle for dinner :D

 

:iagree: with the bolded. Also, sometimes when a new location opens up it can take a while for them to get the system perfected.

 

It is nice to have a fast option that isn't fast food.

[bettyandbob]

You are missing something.

 

There is a reason why the place is packed and people keep coming in.

 

The ingredients are extremely high quality. It is fast food, you should expect that.

 

The menu is simple, but the combinations are endless (well I don't feel like doing the math on the combinations). You pick a bowl, burrito, salad, or crispy taco. then you pick your meat/protien. You can put beans and meat in together. Then, you pick your toppings. There are several toppings, some mild, some hot.

 

And for those of us who cannot tolerate wheat, you can ask the person to wash hands and take you through the line (rather than pass you to the next preparer at the next station). So, while the restaurant has flour tortillas my kids have had bowls, salads and crispy tacos and never had a reaction.

[abbeyej]

Chipotle is a fast food resturant that serves food prepared with high quality ingredients. The food is convenient, fast, wholesome, nutritious, and delicious (imo). And that's a pretty wonderful and rare mixture in our culture.

 

Yes, precisely. It's quick, inexpensive food that's made with ingredients I can feel good about my family eating. You can choose to eat poorly there (white flour tortillas, anyone?), but you can also choose a big bowl of romaine lettuce topped with organic beans or naturally-raised meats, fresh pico de gallo, and freshly made guacamole.

 

It can get crowded, and the aesthetic is very industrial-chic, but the food is consistently high quality and the ingredients don't make me cringe.

[The Governess]

Chipotle is one of the few fast food places I feel safe eating at. They use meat that has been humanely and naturally raised. They are trying to do it right in an industry where few establishments care about what they are serving their customers. I would eat there just for that reason. It's a bonus that their food is delicious. :D I love their carnitas (which are not spicy) and occasionally treat myself to a bag of their chips (YUM).

[Jenny in Florida]

To compare chipotle to taco bell shows that you really haven't eaten at taco bell much at all :D (which isn't a bad thing).

 

Full disclosure: I kind of like Taco Bell. I worked at one as a teen, and I still eat there!

 

I like Chipotle, and I don't think there is any comparison to Taco Bell, other than the fact that they both serve Mexican-inspired food.

 

Bear in mind that we don't eat meat. So, I can't speak to that part of your concern. I like that you can ask to have items assembled just like you want them. And I think that menu with "just 10 things on it" is misleading, because you can vary those 10 basic items in all kinds of ways.

 

I suspect you might have been expecting too much. Chipotle is just better-than-average fast food. For what it is, I like it a lot.

[kitten18]

And for those of us who cannot tolerate wheat, you can ask the person to wash hands and take you through the line (rather than pass you to the next preparer at the next station). So, while the restaurant has flour tortillas my kids have had bowls, salads and crispy tacos and never had a reaction.

That is GREAT! :thumbup:

[6packofun]

I think their chicken/meat is much better, too. I eat the carnitas (pork) which is the mildest spice of their offerings. I think their salsa is good, their guacamole is good, their tortilla chips in the bag are awesome! (I've gotten one stale bag in all the years of going there) especially with their yummy queso dip! Now, we are NOT into authentic Mexican/Hispanic cuisine at all--mainly because we just don't *know* what is authentic--but I love Chipotle. While not perfect, I like their ethics, as well.

[gingersmom]

Love it! We compare it more to the Subway of Mexican.:D Hmmm, may have to go there later this week. They actually built one not too far from my parents'.

 

I don't like Subway either so that could explain it.

[OnTheBrink]

Like Taco Bell? Taco Bell doesn't even use real meat! :svengo: Comparing Taco Bell to Chipotle is like comparing public school hamburgers to a 5 star steak restaurant!

 

Drama aside, every Saturday on my way to , I go into Chipotle for a steak fajita bowl, chips and guacamole. I have half for lunch and half for dinner. Delish! Hands down beats every other fast food Mexican place exponentially.

[Stacy in NJ]

great veggie options. I'm not vegetarian but play one when eating out (particularly at fast food type places). I don't like to eat meat I haven't prepared myself (yes, I know that's a bit weird). :001_smile:

 

:iagree:

 

We don't have a Chipotle in my city, and I look forward to traveling so I can have my vegetarian burrito fix.

[Rhonda in TX]

I don't care for it at all, but I have a friend who loves it.

[Jamee]

I don't like Subway either so that could explain it.

 

The comparrison to Subway comes through the "build your own" aspect. You can go to either and never get the same thing twice, you know? Now, I've never been to Panera, so I may have to seek one of those out before returning to Japan. But yeah, if we weren't having a big dinner this evening, I'd be on my way to Chipotle!

[Lady Florida.]

We don't have one in our town, but I've eaten at Chipotle twice when I was in a city that had one. Ds thought the flavor of everything was good but the meat was too spicy. There are quite a few Chipotle restaurants in Orlando (not far from us). Next time we go there and have a chance to eat at one, I might suggest he try the carnitas.

[I.Dup.]

We love Chipotle, nothing else compares to it in taste, IMO. I will gladly sit by a trash can and eat a chicken burrito from Chipotle. :tongue_smilie:We're just sad we don't have one within 2+ hours of us!!

 

When we lived near one, their burritos were the only thing that got me through the first trimester- it was the only thing I could eat without feeling sick!

[gardening momma]

I love the Barbacoa meat. I like to get the medium salsa, but the two together are a bit too spicy for me. Last time I got Barbacoa and the mild, fresh salsa, and it was still spicy. But I missed the flavor (not the heat) of the medium salsa. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go back and torture myself some more. :D

 

It's very difficult for me to eat a whole burrito in one sitting. I usually eat half and take half home.

[FriedClams]

We love Chipotle, nothing else compares to it in taste, IMO. I will gladly sit by a trash can and eat a chicken burrito from Chipotle. :tongue_smilie:We're just sad we don't have one within 2+ hours of us!!

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

[tearose]

I really like Chipotle, but it is an occasional indulgence for me. Yes, they use real ingredients and their meat is better-sourced, but the amount of calories in a burrito is staggering. Of course, you can do the burrito bowl option and leave out the tortilla, skip the sour cream and/or cheese, etc., but I'm not sure that I'd necessarily call most of the combinations "healthy." Tasty, yes :)

[Shellydon]

No. It is AWFUL.

[Michelle My Bell]

My son concluded that it was like Taco bell. I have only been to Taco Bell once but I think I agree.

 

Am I missing something about this place?

 

WOW... I cannot disagree more. Chipotle is my FAVORITE place to eat of all places. I adore the steak fajita burrito with sour cream, cheese and fresh salsa. The chips are sometimes stale, but the guac is AMAZING. I can usually only eat a whole burrito if I eat it for lunch & dinner.

 

Taco Bell... not even close. :lol:

[Joker]

We love Chipotle. Our only problem is their serving sizes are way too big so we have to agree on the ingredients we want because we share. :001_smile:

[Margo out of lurking]

Like it very, very much, although I prefer Q-Doba. Four years ago, we moved to a city that does not have a Chipotle. That's always our first choice whenever we travel out of town, even if it's just for the day--we'll plan to stop at Q-Doba or Chipotle.

 

One is finally opening up here later this spring(?). Woo-hoo!

 

Meanwhile, we continue to make our own giant burritos at home; we're having them tonight, in fact.

[UnsinkableKristen]

When we lived near one, their burritos were the only thing that got me through the first trimester- it was the only thing I could eat without feeling sick!

 

How funny! I hated Chipotle until I got pregnant with #3, then had a random craving for it, and then found my perfect order. It ended up being the only thing I could keep down for the first half of the pregnancy! My husband was ever so pleased - it's his favorite place :). We still ate it regularly after I had the baby, but now that I'm pregnant with #4, we are eating there much, much more often :D

[I.Dup.]

How funny! I hated Chipotle until I got pregnant with #3, then had a random craving for it, and then found my perfect order. It ended up being the only thing I could keep down for the first half of the pregnancy! My husband was ever so pleased - it's his favorite place :). We still ate it regularly after I had the baby, but now that I'm pregnant with #4, we are eating there much, much more often :D

 

Well that must mean the food is good for us there!! :D

[Angel]

We love Chipotle. They serve fresh food with no hormones. Now the meat is spicy. I have one that loves it but the others usually order the pork which is not as spicy.

 

To compare chipotle to taco bell shows that you really haven't eaten at taco bell much at all :D (which isn't a bad thing).

 

:iagree:

 

Chipotle is a fast food resturant that serves food prepared with high quality ingredients. The food is convenient, fast, wholesome, nutritious, and delicious (imo). And that's a pretty wonderful and rare mixture in our culture.

 

Again :iagree:

 

That said, we almost NEVER eat inside a Chipotle. The food is awesome, the space is not. Especially with our dd with sensory issues. We get ours to go and bring it home and eat in quiet ;) The guac is amazing! Dh could eat there every day.

[Jamee]

We love Chipotle. Our only problem is their serving sizes are way too big so we have to agree on the ingredients we want because we share. :001_smile:

 

I think they've actually cut the size of their burritos too, which is scary. I wish they did a smaller portion size as well.

[bettyandbob]

To compare it to Taco Bell is ridiculous. There is nothing remotely healthy about Taco Bell and the food doesn't taste good.

 

I don't like the comparison to Subway either. Perhaps Subway does the build your own thing and perhaps Subway has "healthy" options, but Subway does not try to obtain quality sources for it's ingredients. I would not choose to eat meats at Subway. I'm not interested in eating nitrates and prefer antibiotic free meats.