By Jack Mills
If you’ve ever been inside of Chipotle you most likely have seen the masterpieces some of those workers are capable of making.
Making a burrito is an art and it needs to be made perfectly in all phases of the restaurant. The preparation of the rice and meat, the side portions, the wrap, and the temperature all factor in the process of fulfilling the satisfaction of the savvy customers such as myself.
Chipotle serves burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and salads. I personally only get burritos or bowls because you can get the most food in them and you can pack the most flavor into them.
The thing about Chipotle is that you have to go in there knowing it’s a very industrial scene with lots of metal and wood trim with music playing and lots of noise . It’s not the place where you take your wife on your anniversary.
The scent of meat and spices instantaneously makes you salivate as you walk through the glass doors. The last time I went it was packed and there was just a constant sizzle on the grill from meat. Now there are days when the workers can rep through customers very fast and there can be an obscene line and i can be out in 20 minutes. However i have waited in line for an hour before. However when I wait for that long it’s always worth it.
The first bite of the burrito is always important. If the burrito isn’t proportionally made and mixed up your first bite could be all lettuce or all rice and nobody really wants that. That one bite makes or breaks the burrito for a lot of people. Yes everyone will eat the rest of their burrito because throwing out your burrito is like a sin.
In my burrito the first thing I get is white rice. Now Chipotle’s white rice has cilantro chopped up and thrown into it with a dash of lime zest to give it some flavor. I love their rice. I have never once complained about the taste of it because it is always perfect.
Next thing I get is chicken or steak. Although the do sell barbacoa, carnitas, and sofritas but chicken and steak are at the top of their market. The chicken is usually the best meat they have however I have had some times when it’s room temperature and slimy in which i get steak which is really hit or miss.
Next are side toppings. I always get Mild salsa, Corn, Sour cream, and cheese. They do offer Queso, Guacamole, Medium and hot salsa, and lettuce. Anything other than mild salsa for ,e ruins the burrito because the spice tends to affect the flavor of all the other food inside the burrito. Corn is always perfect because you can’t really mess up making corn. The sour cream and cheese is my favorite part of the burrito because it adds the extra flavor that you can’t find anywhere else inside the restaurant.
I choose not to get queso at Chipotle because it’s too gritty and is pus like. I can’t taste the cheese in the queso at all and I can’t see it being on the menu much longer.
I’m not a Guacamole guy but it’s also an extra dollar in change to have it on your burrito. It drives people insane to spend the extra money on something that most places give for free.
I use to always get lettuce because it would wash down some of the spice in the burrito but i felt that it would take up vital space and would be more difficult to wrap since I usually get double meat and double rice.
Now if you’re the kind of person to eat inside the restaurant it’s always air conditioned and cold. Even in the winter I freeze when i’m in their. But i like it. Anyway you either sit on a leather stool and a metal high top table or in a stiff hybrid wood chair and a metal table. The metal table is pretty much their because it matches the mexican industrial feel and it allows workers to clean easier due to the constant rush of customers.
Usually music is playing. Honestly I couldn’t even tell you what kind of music it is so I call it “Chipotle Music”. It definitely gets me calm and puts me in the mood to devour a burrito.
Now the ongoing battle is between Chipotle and Qdoba. Qdoba is very good and It’s a little more consistent than Chipotle. Yes I think when Chipotle is cooked and made perfectly it is the best thing in the world. But Qdoba has more options and more of a seating arrangement with a variety of drinks and a more warm and cozy atmosphere. So it’s a similar taste but a different feel. In specific Qdoba has more side toppings and their queso is 100 times better. But there meat is not as flavorful as Chipotle. But your still more likely to see me at Chipotle because I can get a fatter Burrito there and it’s cheaper.
I get chipotle when I’m on a date, after a workout, or out with the guys. It’s a sport where I always see someone I know because it’s so popular. I’m gonna give Chipotle a 7.3 because I really love eating the food when it’s amazing, except they are too inconsistent ad have some bad days but really control the hearts and minds of a lot of people and are at the top of the Mexican food industry.