Hello everyone! Today I will be reviewing this Chipotle’s store location off of Stockdale Highway. I’m sure that many of you have already heard of them from a friend or relative who lives in the area. I read about this place from a vegan magazine, whose author was really eager to recommend Chipotle’s for anyone who is a vegetarian.
In my best description, this is a restaurant chain that serves a variety of Mexican food in the style of Subway; but instead of getting a sandwich artist, you get a burrito pacifier. Burritos and tacos are on the menu, as well as “fajita burritos” and bowls. All food dishes come with your choice of chicken, steak, carnitas, or spicy beef; and you can also get it vegetarian style with rice, beans, sour cream, and more. Soft drinks and alcohol are choices of beverage here.
Just like Subway, Chipotle’s usually does not have drive-thru. Instead you have to walk all the way into the building to place your order. The decision not to have a drive-thru at more of their store locations is a mystery, since Panda Express and Starbucks have been adding that feature to their store members for some years. That isn’t to say that dining is tactful, but it does feel silly to come inside the restaurant just to get something on the go. Subway has been maintaining drive-thru locations recently, so Chipotle’s need to catch up.
As far as this Stockdale location goes, it really does seem as if a drive-thru should have been added, ‘cause otherwise I find the arquitecture to be extremely boring. When you walk inside, all you see are steel walls and steel tables. Seeing all the steel design may give some mild headaches and depression. I really don’t see how any of this could be appealing. School cafeterias look tons better than this… um, you know?
Some reviews here do take mention that the lines usually are long. Nonetheless, it is important to take note that some stores will get more customers than others. Since Stockdale Highway is placed right off of here, the incoming cars are going to drive up somewhere albeit a grocery store or a restaurant. Close encounter anyone? :?
Now, customer service here could definitely be improved at a major level… big time. From the visits that I have paid to this place, I can reassure anyone that the working crew is disorganized. Often times they will slop on an ingredient before they even ask you anything, like as if they were making a burrito for a dog as quick as they can. And if you want to ask them a question, forget it… they just mumble a pile of incoherent nonsense under a low tone to themselves. Some workers behave okay, some are just plain rude; however, facts are facts, and the fact is that they are a lost monkey tribe in a wilderness filled with bananas and coconuts.
(in other words… below average)
The magazine author whom I mentioned earlier did say that they use fresh ingredients in their products. So, when reading this, keep in mind that I am reviewing the food itself, not the freshness of the food. If I was to talk about the freshness of their menu in this review, I would have mentioned certain aspects of the Chipotle’s chain… such as… CHIPS BEING SOLD IN A BAG! XD
(I guess it was toooooooo hard for them to get a salsa bar…lol)
Their meats are pretty good for the most part, but they leave you with something more to be desired. Greasy meats are frowned upon for good reasons, but Chipotle’s meats are too bland. Blandness is eaten from top to bottom, and has no point of even existing. The cilantro-lime rice was pretty good, but the beans are as bland as the meats. This is strange since beans are often called “the musical fruit cousins.” Oh, and the sour cream and guacamole just plain suck. I’m sorry, but both of them are bland, full of liquid, and have no flavor to them at all. The white tortilla was okay though, it’s about as good as Del Taco’s version.
Dining room is pretty clean to say the least; at least I know where to sit when having a meal. I would have pounded this place even more if their tables weren’t clean enough. I should mention that their restrooms are open to the public, which is a great thing.
It should be mentioned that the “1 $” rating you see on the top left of the webpage is the customer-cost rating. It means that a meal at this establishment costs less than ten dollars a person. I can definitely put that into question; you see, all their dishes here cost around six dollars, without ingredient additions. If you wanted to add guacamole to your plate, it would cost you an additional $1.70. That makes their guacamole 3 times the price of Green Burrito’s, and their version of guacamole is much more tasty and fresh. In addition to that, you have to pay for chips and salsa (or just chips if you want) and beverages, which could easily cost you 12 buckaroos for the entire meal. This makes Denny’s look like the new fast-food dog in the house.
In conclusion, this restaurant is horrible in every which way and should be prevented at all costs.
My rating: 3 diet cokes out of 10 (BAD)
