Chipotle Mexican Grill is a chain restaurant throughout the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. Their menu is simple, focused, and worth a look if you are in the mood to eat Mexican food. For those of us very north of the Mexican border, we are pleased to have such an option when it comes to fast food. Recently, in fact, this chain has moved to Canada and we are very happy! For those who follow food trends, Chipotle has developed a following that borders on the fanatical. They have, however, raised the ire of many long-term fans with the revelation recently that their pinto beans were, in fact, not vegan as they were cooked with bacon. For this post, we are obviously NOT eating the pinto beans.
Many people associate Mexican food with tacos, burritos, beans, and rice. We were pleased to know that all of those choices were available here. In fact, that is most of the menu. This chain offers steak, pulled beef (barbacoa), chicken, pulled pork (carnitas), and vegetarian options. Because the vegetarian options are merely about not adding meat to the dish, we don't have to worry about whether or not vegetarian items are cooked on the same grill or if they are served with the same utensils. We felt very comforted in knowing that each food item had its own serving utensil and never mixed. There were only a few items that we had to avoid, and that was simply for the ingredients of dairy products (i.e. cheese, sour cream), and only one of the bean offerings (pinto beans) had bacon, which we also avoided. We asked about the rice, to find out if they used a chicken or meat base for flavouring, and found that they season the rice with cilantro and lime juice to make it fully vegetarian. So, even the vegan options were plentiful! In fact, on the Chipotle website, they have a section to address allergies, gluten intolerance, vegetarian and vegan options, showing that they are fully aware of dietary limitations.
While going through the line at Chipotle's, we were able to easily ask for the things we wanted to include, and to avoid the ingredients we did not want (cheese, pinto beans, sour cream). We were also able to ask the worker to include extra veggies, which was really unnecessary because of the already massive quantities they included. We were both completely full after eating only half the meal!
We chose to order one bowl and one burrito. They do offer hard and soft taco shells, but we opted to stick to the burrito, where everything would be held together for us. Also, we did not see the difference between the bowl and the salad apart from the actual container in which it is served. So, we ordered two things that we would enjoy, and to show you how this restaurant chain is a good option for a quick, Lenten-appropriate meal.
Chipotle stands out from other chains by listing their vegetarian fare loud and proud!
"V" for vegetarian.
The burrito was the first thing that we tasted. It was so good. The combination of rice, beans, vegetables, and guacamole were light and filling all at the same time. The flavours from the black beans, the citrus rice, and the cilantro really came through on this burrito. The lack of meat and cheese did not make this any less satisfying -- in fact, the seasonings and spices really shined through this burrito. Perhaps the addition of cheese would have balanced the bite of the cilantro, but the lime in the rice was a perfect compliment to the cilantro. The other flavours that really came through this dish included the fresh tomato from the two salsas -- tomato salsa and corn salsa. The salsa and the guacamole were the binding agents with delightful tastes that made us believe this was a complete meal.
As you can see, this veggie burrito is MASSIVE!
The Buritto Bowl is also a very large amount of quality food.
The bowl we chose was also vegetarian. We chose the same ingredients, still excluding the pinto beans, cheese, and sour cream. The serving size was just as plentiful, with the only difference was the bowl did not have the flour tortilla. Everything was spread out across this bowl, and made the dish look like a full salad. We were impressed with the height achieved on this bowl, but realised that it is the amount of each ingredient that is the really impressive part.
The flavour of the bowl was just as fresh, just as delightful as the burrito. We did identify one difference that had nothing to do with the burrito. The burrito had strong, distinguishable flavours, whereas the bowl had more muted tones of the cilantro, lime, and salsa. We believe that this is because the ingredients are all spread out over the bowl, and that makes each flavour more mild. In the burrito, the flavours are all tied up together and you get a little of everything in each bite. With the bowl, you have to work harder to get everything in each bite, and that mutes the bite of the cilantro and the tang of the lime. Still flavourful, the bowl was lighter and easier to eat than the burrito. (we have more practise using a fork)
Both were good, but there was one unexpected highlight to the meal -- the guacamole. Sure, it's a simple addition to any meal. Avocados are tasty and so good for us and the primary ingredient in guacamole. But, for a chain restaurant, we would not have expected to find actual pieces of avocado and onion in this sauce. We were impressed that we could identify the actual chunks of vegetables and spices -- avocado, onion, and bits of cilantro. As we spread the dip on the chip, we could see all of the components. This is one topping we wish we had extra.
For $3.15, one can buy a sizeable amount of corn chips and a modest amount of high quality quacamole.
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Just out of curiosity, we wanted to compare the meat-filled version of the bowl with the vegetarian version of the bowl. We were impressed to see that the size of the dish changed proportionately when more ingredients (meat, cheese, sour cream) were added. What that means is that the vegetarian version was as plentiful as the meat version. Another bonus of the vegetarian version is that Chipotle provides the guacamole for no additional cost; normally, adding guacamole to a burrito or burrito bowl costs a customer $1.95.
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OK, back to the meat version -- we had some people join us to taste both for us, so we could get a bigger spectrum of opinions. Five people ate two bowls, one burrito, and one order of chips and guacamole, and we each had a plentiful meal from it. Of course, not all of us ate the beef bowl, but the three who did enjoyed it tremendously. The general consensus was that the flavour of the beef (barbacoa) was so consistent and lovely, that was the best part of the bowl. Everyone agreed that the sour cream was unnecessary for flavour or texture, but it was a nice touch because everyone likes sour cream. The taste of the beef with vegetables, combined with the creaminess of the sour cream and guacamole made for a textural fiesta in our mouths. Ole! We all did agree that that same textural fiesta was brought to life in the burrito, too. Everything rolled up nicely in a huge flour tortilla made this experience so worthwhile, and we were thrilled to have such a satisfying vegan option here, appropriate for Great Lent, and appropriate for any fasting season. We would definitely return to Chipotle Grill.
On the left, a regular meat burrito bowl which we bought for a family member who is unable to fast from meat for Lent this year due to medical reasons. On the right, the vegetarian (in our case, vegan) burrito bowl. They are both very large. The vegetarian version includes a sizeable amount of the excellent Chipotle guacamole (for non-vegetarian fare, the chain charges $1.95 for a pretty large scoop).
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| A cross section of the vegetarian burrito. Please note the corn, brown and white rice, black beans, guacamole, cilantro, tomatoes, medium and hot salsa. All of it was delicious! |
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The vegetarian burrito bowl from above.
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Heavenly Father, bless my parents and all those who love and care for me. Help me in all ways to be respectful and obedient to them according to Your will. Send down upon me Your grace to perform all my duties carefully and faithfully, to avoid unacceptable company and influence and to resist all temptation that may come my way. Help me Lord to live a serious, good and godly life, praising You constantly and glorifying Your holy Name. Amen.
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