Before you tar and feather me, hear me out. I really don't mind Chipotle, but I don't see why it is so loved. I think that there are a few reasons why this isn't as good as everyone claims it to be. Every item on the menu has two core items: rice and meat. I take issue with these two items and it harms the experience significantly.

Rice

Every items has rice in it. In Mexican food, rice is a cornerstone so this is to be expected. They claim it to be "cilantro lime rice" in the menu board, but I cannot taste the alleged lime addition, and if I were blind I would not know there was cilantro. I am not a huge fan of the herb (tastes like soap), so since I am so acutely against it, I should notice the slightest hint. Another fault I have is the moisture level. There is a small deli near where I used to work. It is called the "American Latino Deli" and they have some of the best rice known to man, mostly due to the amount of butter that goes in. Each grain is significantly lubricated with salted butter and gives the rice a gentle sheen. This layer traps the steam from the rice and keeps it from drying out in the heated containers they sit in all day. This practice also introduces salt. Many chains seem to shy away from salt, but a little goes a long way to amplify other flavors.

Source: Pixabay

Meat

I have had both the chicken and the carnitas from Chipotle. The chicken was on the dry side (which tends to happen), but was seasoned alright. The carnitas were moist, mostly because they were sitting in a pool of liquid, but had really no flavor. I think the idea seems to be to go as neutral of meat seasonings so that the addition of sauces, cheese, beans, and guac really dominate the flavor. This seems stupid to me. If Chipotle is a self-styled "Mexican Grill", I want the meat to taste like it came from a Mexican grill.

Source: Pixabay