Eating out is always exciting, you don’t have to prepare it and you could get just about anything anywhere. From Italian to Japanese, the options are endless, but today we’re going to talk about Chipotle, the home of the burrito bowl. Based on the popularity of Chipotle and the lines at going right out the door, I would say Chipotle is great place to eat at, despite their sky high prices. As you continue to read this paper, you’ll get a full evaluation of Chipotle based on the food preparations, services, presentation, prices, and cleanliness.
First, I’d like to start off with an evaluation of the food. Chipotle serves a healthy version of modern Mexican fast food. It’s like a “build it yourself” kind of place, like Subway. You chose whether you want a bowl, burrito, taco and more, then your meat of choice and variations on toppings. They have a lot of options as well as a kids menu, many drinks to pick from as well as a soft drink fountain, and the options to get chips and salsa or guacamole. And drink refills are free! On the flip side, it can be a hit or miss with Chipotle depending on location and time of day. You never know how well the quality of the food will be or if they ran out of anything. And depending on who’s working, you may get too big or too small servings of your meat and toppings. I know that for me, it sucks to spend that much money on a meal and have there be not enough meat or too much rice in my bowl, especially since eating out is a treat for me.
Next, we jump to the service. I work in the business of serving people directly, and I know people can be frustrating, but you need to put a smile on your face because you represent where you work. It’s so awful to say hi to the person who will be making your lunch and they just glare at you, because then their service is bad. We want friendly, helpful and knowledgeable people making our food and for that, Chipotle is the place to go. It’s staffed with clean, charismatic and hip people which makes eating there all the more fun. Usually the service is good there, but sometimes during the lunch and dinnertime rush, they work too slow and run out of specific things causing stress on the workers because the line builds up with angry and impatient customers. The wait time usually isn’t so bad because they serve their food in sort of an assembly line set up so you’re not waiting for forever to get a hot meal. They even do take out, you can download an app to order your meal and walk right up to the cash register to pick it up and pay. That’s one of my favorite parts about Chipotle.
Presentation is key. If the way a place looks, no one is going to want to go there, whether it’s homes, stores, or restaurants. Chipotle has a nice look to it. It’s got a creative name and sign outside, nice big windows and shaded patios to seat more people and to allow the customers to enjoy their meal outdoors. They have plentiful seating that is arranged in a neat and spacious fashion, so it’s hardly ever crowded. They have many locations and usually good parking. There’s always good and familiar music as well, so it’s a hip place to be. The inside décor is nice, warm colors and an updated ambiance to suit all likings. Overall, Chipotle is a good looking business. Maybe that’s why it’s so popular and well known!
Price is the majority of everyone’s concerns when choosing a place to dine at, seeing as we are struggling as an economy. I’m learning to be a frugal person and it’s not easy in a town like Orland Park, because there are places to spent money left and right. Luckily, Chipotle takes any kind of payment so it’s not like you’re doomed if you don’t have cash, but lunch at Chipotle today costed me $9.15 and all I got was a burrito bowl. No drink, no sides. I can get enough food to fill three people off the dollar menu at McDonald’s with that kind of money! Their five choices of meats are what makes the majority of the bill. The meats range from five to seven dollars and toppings and extra of anything bumps the price up. These aren’t horrible prices, but you can definitely find cheaper places out there! One of my favorite things on their menu is their guacamole, so when I go there, I typically ask for it in my burrito bowl. When I saw the price go up a couple bucks, I was stumped! People tend to forget to look and the overhead menu with all the prices and just look at what’s spread out on their buffet of food. When I looked at the menu to add things up myself, I found that the guacamole is $1.80 for one scoop, and it’s not a generous scoop! From now on, I only go to Chipotle as a treat once in a while, because it kills your wallet if it’s a regular habit.
Last but most definitely not least, cleanliness. I’m a germiphobe, I bring wipes everywhere I go in case I need to wipe a table or sanitize my hands. When I go to Chipotle, I never feel the need to wipe down the tables and chairs just to eat without the idea of germs in my food. The staff does an awesome job at keeping things neat. Even their bathrooms are clean and always stocked. Part of the kitchen and the grill is visible to the customers, and the meat is made fresh right in the front. They even refill the toppings every few hours or when it gets low so they don’t run out or sell old food that’s been sitting out. All the workers wear aprons and gloves and do a great job keeping things clean and neat. They even wipe the food bowls and plates when they spill on the side so we don’t stick our hands in sour cream or guacamole. I would by far give them a ten for cleanliness. They really care for the good of their customers.
Chipotle is overall a good restaurant to pick if you’re in the mood for something tasty and price isn’t huge problem for you. Based on my evaluation of their food preparation, service, presentation, prince, and cleanliness, I would give Chipotle a nine out of 10, mainly because of their prices. They present themselves well and give a good name to the business based on everything I talked about. They care about their customers and usually, give them enough food for the price they are paying.
Life Through My Hazel Eyes 