Chipotle Mexican Grill

On September 15, 2008, I went to try out the food at the Chipotle Mexican Grill, a relatively new eating place at 2012 South Pleasant Valley Road. It's in the same shopping center as Martin's Food, right next to the highway.

Chipotle is a fast food Mexican operation, and I had never been in one before. It was a small place with four booths and four tables with stainless steel tops, and a narrow counter along the wall with high stools. There was also a patio with a few tables out front.

The menu is posted on the wall behind the counter in the back where you place your orders. The basic items are burritos, fajita burritos, burrito bowls (no tortilla), tacos, or salads. You can order them to go, or for eating there.

Any of the above may be had with chicken, steak, pork, spicy shredded beef, or vegetarian. There is a choice of salsas; one mild, two medium, and one hot. Extras are chips with or without salsa or guacamole, or guacamole. Beverages include sodas from a dispensing machine, and there are also bottled drinks, two kinds of beer, and even margaritas.

A guide for first-timers tells you to begin by deciding the style you want; e.g. burrito, bowl, soft tacos, crispy tacos, or salad. Next, you walk up to the counter and give your order to the first attendant.

I wanted a chicken burrito, so she selected a giant flour tortilla, put it in a warmer, and laid it on a square of foil. She topped it with rice, black beans, minced chicken, medium salsa, Swiss cheese, and sour cream. I found out later that their medium salsa is pretty hot by my Gringo standards.

The next attendant wrapped the tortilla around all of the toppings, making it a sandwich, also wrapped the finished item with the foil, placed it in a basket and passed it along to the cashier. I ordered a Mr. Pibb soda to go with it, and sat down at one of the tables to eat.

The paper napkins had a diagram of how the burrito should be eaten; you unwrap the foil at one end and just keep nibbling at it until it is all gone. Actually, it was quite a bit of food, and I didn't eat the very last part. If I go there again I would probably have my burrito makings in a bowl, without a tortilla, as being less messy to eat.

The experience was educational, because I had never tried a Mexican fast food place before. However, I prefer to have my burritos served to me on a platter too hot to touch, steaming from the oven, with refried beans, and all of the other good stuff, at a sit-down restaurant.

If you're curious about this operation, go to www.chipotle.com/fwi and click on the links offered to learn more about it. They make some claims about how the food they use is raised that you may find interesting.