Chipotle Mexican Grill

1 Oak Street
Westborough, MA 01581

508.366.0653

A word on how I write these. They are based on going out for business or with friends, so writing them becomes an offshoot of one of those events.  They are written in advance of a self-imposed Friday posting timeframe.

Sometimes, when I look at the calendar and see nothing in queue along with no upcoming business meetings, I must head out to find new alone!

Such was the case today. This is being written on Mother’s Day, and I intended to review Sabatinis.  Alas, they are closed on Sundays and Mondays.  Bruce Tretter may be Mr. Gotta-Eat, today I was Mr. Gotta-Post.  I shot down Rt 30 with the idea of reviewing the Chateau, and they were (spoiler alert) thankfully packed and I didn’t have to go in (not a fan).

Heading west on Route 9, I was in a quandary when I saw the sign for Chipotle Mexican Grill.  I have never been to a Chipotle, and was intrigued with the idea of a Gourmet Burrito.  After all, Starbucks made coffee a gourmet item.  Most of my experience with Burritos came from food carts in downtown Boston, where Herrera’s makes an awesome lunchtime Burrito.

As I walked up to the restaurant, I was surprised the outside patio had no patrons.  That should have been a warning, and I wrote it off as Chipotle not being a Mother’s Day destination.

What I was expecting was upscale.  What I got was a Moe’s.  I like Moe’s, especially the shouted greeting.  Chipotle claims to be the initiator of a new category, fast casual.

Entering Chipotle reminded me more of a McDonalds.  With everything prepared in the back.

Heading to the back, there was no greeting.  In fact, there was nobody at the counter.  There were a handful of people in the back busying themselves.

Eventually Muhammad came to the counter, and offered to make me a sandwich.  He prepped a tortilla and asked what I would like.

There is a reason I don’t like salad bars.  I don’t make a great salad.  Hmm, how am I going to make a great burrito?

Recalling how the lunch cart guys in Boston make them, I selected a series of ingredients like a seasoned pro.  Asking for steak, Muhammad immediately turned and asked a young woman for steak.  “I’m doing chicken now,” was the response.  Not wanting to argue with a woman with a knife, we patiently waited.

Spying a beer in the cooler, I went for a Corona to go with my burrito.  Sadly, no lime was offered.  And I was firmly instructed not to go on the patio with my beer, after being carded.

The bill seemed rather high for a “burrito joint”, $13.16.  No tip was required, making this seem again more like a McDonalds.

Sitting with my burrito, inside of course, I noticed my burrito was loosely wrapped, and the ingredients didn’t all seem to be working together.  I did have guacamole, and found the sandwich was a guacamole sandwich with some additions.  Not what I had in mind.

As I began eating, I took note of the restaurant.  While all the tables were cleaned, I noticed rice and other stuff on the ground and a wrapper behind the recycling bin.  Many restaurants have messes on the floor at the end of a rush; this was at 3:00 in the afternoon, and there was no rush going on.

Overall, I was disappointed.  My burrito wasn’t great, the place didn’t seem clean, and it was overpriced for what I got.  Fast Casual?  How about Fast Overpriced?  Moe’s at 61 Turnpike Road in Shrewsbury is a far better option.

Hours

Mon-Sun 11am-10pm

Chipotle Mexican Grill gets an RED LIGHT…use caution.

About the RAG scale:

       Green Light – Go and enjoy

       Amber Light – Use caution

       Red Light – Save your time and money

The Author

Gary Kelley has lived in Westborough since 1994. His reviews are what he would tell friends, and are not an academic analysis. You can follow him @glkelley or www.garylkelley.com