Chipotle Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Bremerton

1/8/2024 HAPPY NEW YEAR

In my immediate area, we are getting some newly built fast food places. Chipotle happens to be one of them. If you were here on the East side, you would have to drive ten minutes or so to get to the Chipotle in Silverdale, Washington, so it was close; however, this would be more convenient for people with few transportation options.

We both had almost identical bowls. Mine was plant-based protein; my hubby chose carne asada with added guacamole for a cost.

You choose rice, white or brown, both of us picked brown, then select a protein, chicken, barbacoa, steak, carnitas, veggie, or sofritas (plant-based). You then choose beans, black, or pinto, and so on.

We did ask for two small tubs of their hot sauce that they did not include in our to go order. The food was ok in taste but portions seemed a little small for the cost.

I realize this is a new restaurant in this immediate area, but some staff needed to use work time appropriately. There were three people ahead of us and seven people behind us, and no one, for seventeen minutes (I timed it), was creating the orders upfront.

I saw four people in the back kitchen area; a couple looked busy trying to make stuff up to refill it up front, which they would need to; they looked the busiest. I saw one sweeping for a quick minute; he put the broom away, went back and forth, and wasn't doing anything that I could see. The fourth person finally came up (or returned) and started taking and making orders, so it was just the one person upfront. I saw one person at the register, just standing there because there was no one checking out yet, and then two more staff near her, talking. They could have been on break, but it didn't look good with so many people, for so long, waiting to place orders, no one was there creating or fulfilling orders. Shouldn't there be at least two, maybe three staff members creating people's orders? Especially newly opened and during the rush time?

I have always been concerned with made-to-order restaurants, not just Chipotle, but other made-to-order restaurants. The idea is excellent, but the execution part could be better. It is the cross-contamination of food items that bothers me so much, I'll explain. There are containers or tubs filled with various food items and or toppings, like Chipotle, which offers different meats, beans, etc. They rush through, trying to fulfill the order or orders and move the person along to help someone else. In a rush, food items are often dropped, splashed, or merged into other bins or containers; hence, cross-contamination happens.

Aside from not wanting a topping or a filling with other items dropped in the same container, it could be more aesthetically appealing, but instead, it looks messy or gross. But what concerns me most is someone with food allergies or someone vegetarian or vegan. Food allergies can be life-threatening, and if you are vegan or vegetarian, there may be a concern if someone orders plant-based protein and comes to discover there are steak pieces that happen to get mixed in.

I hope things improve with this store. They are new, and I hope it was a one-off night for them, but for now, I'll stay away for a few months and try them again during summer. As always, this is my opinion; feel free to try them out yourself 🙂

Here is hoping everyone has a beautiful 2024 and continues to support locally-owned small businesses! Please remember, be kind to ALL...

Let me start by saying, I love this location. But this was the worst experience I’ve ever had. I am a die hard for chipotle but this location shocked me. I ordered my food via the chipotle app from the parking lot. Received my food within 10 minutes and when I went to eat my burrito, it was cold. The burrito was falling apart, the contents on the inside were liquid. As if this were a soup, I honestly couldn’t even finish my meal. I asked for double meats and I could barely find ONE PIECE in my entire burrito. I’m not a complainer, and I definitely don’t take the time to do reviews but this HAD to be spoken on. This was DISGUSTING AND THIS RUINED MY WHOLE NIGHT. I love chipotle down. But this… this was unacceptable. There’s no point of return with this. I fight so hard to defend this country by serving the United States Navy. And all a sailor wanted, was to enjoy their favorite burrito from chipotle & guess what I was met with….. D I S A P P O I N T M E N T. I hope the person who made my burrito was just having a bad day because otherwise if that’s how they actually make every burrito, they should find another profession. Real chipotle customers know…. we ride at dawn for chipotle. But this.. I don’t know, this was bad. Please this location needs help in the etiquette department when it comes to...

!!Avoid at all costs!! I don't really know how a place like this exists. Chipotle is a national chain and should have reasonable upper management, yet somehow they opened a restaurant with 0 oversight, training or expected professionalism from their "employees". They should not have opened a brand new location without proper staffing or training, and this store (I don't believe they fulfill minimum requirements to be called a restaurant) was just allowed to exist with people who apparently walked in off the street and put on aprons. It's a disgrace and the corporation should be ashamed of their lack of quality control. No other chipotle gets behind like them, I've never experienced waiting and extra half hour to 45 minutes for pre-made food that needs to be scooped into a container. A group of handless chimpanzees would have more success. One star is too kind. I've worked in restaurants, and I'd put my head in the frier out of shame if I was as braindead as...