Chipotle Mexican Grill (Boston)

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a national fast-food chain - it sells mainly burritos and tacos, but you can also get quesadillas, chips/salsa...your typical mexican fare. This review is about one of the Chipotles in Boston, MA - you may have a better or worse experience in a different location, but from what we've seen, it appears that quality of food and service is pretty much the same in whichever Chipotle you go to.

What makes Chipotle different from a Taco Bell is the quality of the food - there is no fake meat here - only real meat, real vegetables, real dairy, etc. And, you can taste the difference. The food actually tastes good and fresh. Typically, when we go to Chipotle, we order burritos, but we have also been known to order a "burrito bowl" occasionally. Burrito bowls are essentially the ingredients that are inside a burrito, but instead of being wrapped in a flour tortilla, they are placed in a bowl - it is less messy, if you have a place to sit down and to eat it.

All of the ingredients that go into Chipotle's food are made in-house. What we mean is - the meat is cooked/roasted/braised/whatever in-house. The vegetables are cut in-house. The guacamole is made in-house. Typically, you can watch the cooks in the back making the guacamole or cutting up vegetables or meat when you're placing your order.

One of the main complaints we have heard about mexican food is the beans - a lot of people don't like black beans or refried beans. Chipotle has the solution: substitute beans for sauteed peppers and onions and call it a "Fajita burrito" or "Fajita burrito bowl." Genius.

In terms of cost: a burrito and a beverage will cost you around $10, which is almost twice what a typical fast-food value meal would be. Personally, we think it's worth it, because the burritos are HUGE, and the quality is top notch for fast food. But, you can decide.

Service at Chipotle is generally better than what you would expect at a normal fast-food restaurant. The people who make your food work as a team - one person heats the tortilla and puts meat, rice, and beans onto it, a second person adds the other ingredients you want (lettuce, salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc) and wraps the tortilla, and a third person is the cashier and rings you up. While some people may complain about not having the same person handle their food from start-to-finish, this method is actually quite efficient. You have one person who gets good at doing one thing, so there is no delay (for instance) at the register because someone doesn't know how to ring up a fajita burrito with no meat, extra cheese and guacamole.

Speaking of guacamole...Chipotle charges extra if you want it on your burrito or salad. However, this extra charge is not always advertised. Sometimes, the person adding the guacamole will comment that "you know there is an extra charge for this?" but most of the time they don't, and you're whacked with a surprise charge at the register. There should be clearer signage regarding the extra cost.

A couple extra things about service:

1. Be careful if you are sensitive to the spiciness of food. One of us (ra) does not like tomatoes, so the mild salsa, which is more like pico de gallo, is not an option. However, the next appealing option is the red salsa, which just happens to be the spiciest salsa that they offer. So, ra always asks for "just a little" red salsa. There have been times when the employee dumps a whole spoonful onto the burrito, making it so spicy that you feel like your mouth is going to fall out of your face and onto the floor. So, the moral of the story is - don't expect to get the perfect spiciness level, and be prepared to get something that is more or less spicy than you wanted....if you wanted something of perfect spiciness, you should probably make your burrito at home.
2. On another visit to this particular Chipotle, ra was hit on by one of the employees. The conversation went like this:
• Employee: "So, what's your name?"
• ra: "I'm ra"
• Employee: "Hi ra, I'm Dave, and this is [pointing to another employee] Bob."
• ra: "Hi Dave. Hi Bob."
• Employee: "So, ra, do you have a [significant other]?"
• ra: "Yes, I do."
• Employee: "Do you want another one?

Not so great. But, you could probably get this anywhere....it won't deter ra from returning to Chipotle in the future.

Overall Rating (Chipotle): 8 out of 10

Positive: Good, quality food. Team service ensures that the line moves quickly.

Negative: Cost at ~$10 per meal is greater than a typical fast-food meal. Flavor/spice of your food is variable.