Chipotle Mexican Grill

 

8

28

Ernest C.

Boulder, CO

(rating the 29th Street location specifically, the one I visit most often)

You hear it a lot, but it's outdated and incorrect: McDonald's no longer has ANY investment in Chipotle Inc.  And at least in Colorado (California as well, probably), they use "clean" meats (naturally raised, antibiotic-free, sometimes from family farms, etc.).  Hatred is so often for the wrong reasons.  Hate 'em because they're a nationwide chain if you want, but I don't think this is an evil corporation worthy of it.

Do they make "awesome" burritos?  No.  But they *are* quite tasty, in fact probably even better than most, for the style that they are (big, fat-ass, hand-held, kitchen sink wraps).  They walk all over Illegal Pete's for example, a place that locals seem to want to rally behind just for being the "little guy"...but seriously...worst fajita vegetables EVER.

And here's another interesting thing...I participated on Burritophile.com for a while (yet another rating site, guess what subject matter), and finally had a trip to San Francisco come up.  All the folks on there blather on and on how Cali burritos are on such a higher level than the big chains and burritos from other states.  I tried 2 or 3 of the higher rated local joints while there, and man was I excited!  I was fully expecting burrito taste sensations unparalleled.  Alas, it was not to be.  They were ultimately still just meat, beans, salsa, etc. wrapped in a tortilla.  One even had that "cafeteria" smell to their food, despite being a very small family-run and highly respected place.

Let's face it: Cali-style burritos are NOT rocket science.  Use fresh ingredients and prepare them well, and that alone can make all the difference in the world.  Chipotle keeps it simple and fresh, so they're damned enjoyable.  Does it have to get more complicated than that?  Not for me, it seems.  I don't drench my burritos in sour cream, cheese, and sauces...it's about the meat and veggies to me.  Only gripe is that their fajita veggies are sliced too small...I like 'em in larger chunks a la Qdoba.  But they *are* still crisp and fresh tasting, an idea that seems foreign to Illegal Pete's.  And why the hell doesn't Big City even offer fajita vegetables?!  Everyone seems to love them too, but they're really not that great (other than offering 10" burritos, which are much more sensibly sized).

So, yeah...they're a chain and they're not particularly exciting.  But all the same, this is currently my go-to place for these types of burritos.

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40

403

Dustin G.

Denver, CO

Chipotle - Boulder Pearl Street

Damn! Chipotle is getting a bad rap!

A: Not owned by McDonalds: look it up on google, seriously
B: Yeah...I'm going with Amanda W.s review on this one...two pounds of food, what do you expect?
C: Free-range meat? Cheap? huh?
D: Free student drinks = yesssssssss
E: Options are not as plentiful as most Mexican places(uh, I don't even know I would call it that really) but the fact that for a solid 5 dollars and some chump change you get a meal that will last you the rest of the day? That's the American dream baby!

But anyway, this Chipotle, as compared to the rest is the sort of standard I've seen. 95% of the time you get a great burrito, 5% of the time they flounder: you can tell the ingredients aren't fresh. 80% of the time the chips are great, 20% of the time they are either stale or taste like they have been excavated from the Dead Sea they have so much salt.

Parking is a huge pain here, and the bathroom apparently connects with the one next door, seeing as how I ended up in a completely different place once. Twilight zone.

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22

189

Amanda W.

Boulder, CO

Awww c'mon guys! Stop ragging on Chipotle!

A) McD's doesn't own them anymore. I was a Chipotle fan before, during, and after the McD's ownership and never noticed a change in quality.

B) To paraphrase another reviewer: Did you really expect that 2 pound mass of meat, beans, guac and sour cream to be low-cal? The burritos are HUGE, enough for two meals or two people, however you want to divy it up. But I DO appreciate that my gazillion calories come from fresh veggies and organic beef, pork and chicken. Way to go!

I'm a supporter of the local guy, in this case I have 2 choices: Chipotle and Illegal Pete's. These 2 are always going head-to-head and, like Coke or Pepsi, you have to be in one camp or the other. I'm in the Chipotle camp all the way.

Everything is just tastier at Chipotle. I can taste the lime and cilantro in the guac, the chicken is marinated, the barbacoa is spicy! (I'm talking myself into going there for dinner as I type.) Everything at IP is so dang bland! =(

Plus, if you need to get lunch fast on a crazy workday, you can order online! Just found that out myself, I'm psyched.

I agree that it would be nice to have some more tortilla options, afterall you get to customize everything else. And by the way, flour torillas for tacos are not at all uncommon, they're called "soft tacos".

This Chipotle location is nice for people-watching on the patio. I get the industrial interior, but I can't say I'm a fan. All that stainless steel makes the place cold and loud.

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1707

245

Hiker Chicka e.

Boulder, CO

The food here is tasty, but the place is owned by McDonalds.  That means "el cheapo" ingredients with lots of calories.  Their vegetarian burrito  has 14 grams of fat and 1120 calories.  Compare that to a big mac with 30 grams of fat and 438 calories.  And who eats vegetarian anyway?  Please don't fool yourself thinking this stuff is healthy, it's not.  It's better than say, Chinese take out or pizza, but definitely not every day food.

Here's a CSPI survey I found online at skatelog.com  

Chipotle's Chicken Burrito (with black beans, rice, cheese, and salsa) weighs in at nearly 1,000 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat.

Chipotle's Vegetarian Burrito (with black beans, rice, cheese, guacamole, and salsa) weighs over a pound and provides 1,120 calories and three-quarters of a day's worth of saturated fat (14 grams).

Chipotle's Barbacoa Burrito (with shredded beef, pinto beans, rice, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa) hits nearly 1,300 calories and three-quarters of a day's worth of saturated fat. That's the equivalent of a Quarter Pounder, a large order of fries, and a large Coke.

Chipotle's Chicken Burrito Bols --burritos without the 340-calorie flour tortillas--are CSPI's only recommended "Better Bites" at Chipotle. A Bol with chicken, black beans, lettuce, and salsa, has just 430 calories and four grams of saturated fat. Rice instead of lettuce adds about 200 calories

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12

71

nick w.

Boulder, CO

So, as many other have noted, it's not as healthy as you might think.  What did you honestly expect a solid pound of carbs and meat?  Who goes to a burrito place expecting a healthy option anyways?

The bottom line is these are solid burritos and a pleasant location with nothing more.  Not a lot of options, but it satisfies the basics.

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0

12

Jace G.

San Francisco, CA

It barely quenches my craving for mexican food. What's up with the white rice? And flour tortillas for tacos (where's the corn?). I'd call it more of a wrap place than a mexican place. I've been here three different times, trying three different things and all have been pretty bland.

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Elite '08

18

124

Margot L.

Mountain View, CA

C'mon folks, Chipotle is a chain owned by McDonald's.  Even though I only worked 2 blocks away from this place for 3 years, I think I only came here 5 times.  The burritos are unimpressive and there is a much better alternative at the other end of Pearl (Illegal Pete's) with tastier black and pinto beans, better vegetarian offerings, and punchier salsa.  I do like the daily quizzes tho.

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47

213

Zomb E.

San Francisco, CA

I love this specific chipotle.  If you're a college student be sure to show them your I.D. card for a free drink.  Plus they do a special question everyday which gets you a free burrito if you can answer it......good luck.

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6

7

Michael G.

Boulder, CO

A few simple, organic ingredients arranged in the manner you want: on a burrito, in a taco or a fajita. Great lunch spot; popular, but the line moves fast. Also, they work well (and is super cheap) with kids.

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7

31

David Z.

Boulder, CO

Just  a great place to grab a healthy burrito and chips with awesome guacamole. Yes, students get free sodas; they even comp'ed my whole group the other day just to be nice.
Yes, NO LONGER owned by McDonalds, which probably means they care too much about quality and the environment and not enough about "the bottom line" for McD's to keep them.
About Chipotle vs. Illegal Pete's, I could not agree more with some others that IP's is just so bland; it's almost like eating canned ingredients vs. fresh! Illegal Petes needs to step up and get better ingredients and better spices, not to mention make their locations less dingy.
As for nutritional value, I think Chipotle is really quite healthy (and no contest at all compared to fast food super-size sodas, fries, etc.). If you are someone who doesn't get much exercise, just ask for less rice and get water instead of soda (it's those simple carbs that will lead you towards diabetes).

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