Chipotle Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Evendale

As a former employee of Chipotle, historically I have held the chain in high regard. Unlike other brands, Chipotle is committed to farm fresh organic and local foods prepared by hand. This mission is so sacred, the chain can’t compromise its core values over a few “overblown” E Coli and foodborne illness scares. I respect that.

I placed my order on the Chipotle app at 10:30 am for an 11:15 am pickup. I arrive at the store promptly at the agreed upon time expecting my bag to be safely perched on the to-go shelf for me to grab and continue my busy day. As I enter the store I immediately sense something is wrong. Several customers are gathered around the shelf, and no orders are waiting on it. I walk up in a panic. My order is nowhere to be seen. I calm myself down, remembering the excellent reputation of the Chipotle brand. Surely, the delay would only be a matter of minutes and a crew member would no doubt quickly be on hand to offer me a free beverage to calm my nerves.

Five minutes pass and more customers are gathering around the to-go shelf. When people gather together to wait for something they typically herd like livestock in an orderly congregation, heads buried in mobile devices. Instead of joining this ritual, I was busy taking note of the way the store was responding to this crisis. This Chipotle was about as concerned with the growing line of dissatisfied customers as Exxon-Mobil is concerned about the environment. The employees moved with the urgency of a funeral home. The dedicated to-go line was manned by a single crew member who, when starting any order, would walk back and forth to the main line to pick up bowls and burritos. No discernible work-flow organization was present.

It’s 11:30 and I am breaking into a cold sweat. Two new customers enter and wait a couple moments until employees emerge with three of the largest chests of burritos I have ever seen. Clearly the restaurant’s resources were stressed by this large order and my small bowl should be complete any moment now. I relax and let out a light chuckle at my impatience.

11:45 and I am having trouble waiting, the hunger is so intense. The choices of the staff have continued to baffle me. Large carry-out orders are worked first while a growing number of smaller orders which would each take a minute or two are ignored. This way the person expecting their large carry-out order is upset, and the dozen or so small order customers are irate. What a system.

Five more minutes pass and I have to leave. I approach the cashier and ask calmly for a coupon for a free entrée for a subsequent visit as I clearly will not be receiving my order today (which has already been paid for via the app). The cashier can’t look my in the eye as he explains that a coupon can’t be provided. No problem, I say, simply cancel the current order and refund the cost, no harm no foul. The manager then is brought over to explain that online orders CAN’T be cancelled. She tells me to call a 1-800 number to spend what will likely be 30-45 minutes more of my time to finally have the corporate giant restore the $7 to my credit card account. I realize I’m dealing with the same level of customer care as a Time Warner Cable office and choose to leave, my order likely being prepared sometime in the distant future to sit idly on the to-go shelf, a complete waste of everyone’s resources and time.

So here I sit in the Wendy’s drive-thru hoping to finally receive food for payment (a privilege not a right in today’s marketplace, apparently). I suppose the thing that upset me the most wasn’t the nonsensical workflow of the restaurant, the lackadaisical attitude of the work staff, or even the upsetting and potentially illegal “no refund” policy; no, all I really needed was some form of acknowledgement that potentially my visit was unsatisfactory. I don’t need a full-blown apology, a simple “we’re having a tough day” shrug would have been sufficient. Not at this Chipotle location.

I am handed my Wendy’s bag and I dig in instantly. The food...

★★★★★ Food quality ★★★★★ Service ★★★★★ Ambiance ★★★★★ Value ★★★★★ Menu selection ★★★★★ Location/Accessibility ★★★★★ Overall experience Today, I had the pleasure of visiting a renowned, nationwide Mexican grill restaurant, Chipotle. Many had recommended this eatery to me, including SP, a former Culinary Operations Manager (COM) of a Cincinnati branch restaurant. Surprisingly, CA, a member of the upper class, expressed his interest in accompanying me to lunch and went as far as to state "I'll eat whatever you eat". As per my usual routine, I placed my order online one hour prior for a swift and easy pickup. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I was met with a bustling crowd of customers. Taking a moment to survey the interior, I was struck by the bright and fresh ambiance that enveloped the space. The floor and ceiling employed a dark and warm color scheme, effectively maximizing the space horizontally. Tables and chairs were arranged thoughtfully, creating an illusion of spaciousness. The counter was tucked away, and the online order shelf, which I had been looking for, was conveniently located nearby. Three female staff members manned the counter, and it was safe to assume that there were more in the kitchen. A lively yet subtle background music played at low volume. As I left the restaurant with my order in hand, already packaged and waiting for me on the shelf, I sensed all eyes upon me as I took photographs for this review. My order was neatly contained within a generic paper tote bag, accompanied by eating utensils and some napkins. Now, let's discuss the food. I ordered the Burrito Bowl, which was brimming with brown and white rice, pinto and black beans, half carnitas and half sofritas, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, tomatillo-red chili salsa, fajita veggies, and a bottle of Blackberry Izze. The food was presented in a beautiful wax paper bowl with an aluminum lid, a uncommon sight at a fast-food establishment. As I opened the container, a delicious and fresh aroma wafted out. A bed of romaine lettuce sat atop the dish, evoking the imagery of a verdant summer morning meadow. Upon taking the first bite, I was pleasantly surprised by the mild yet flavorful taste. The veggies were fresh and crunchy, and the carnitas was lightly seasoned, but the flavor didn't make much of an impression. The sofritas, although the taste and texture was overshadowed by the other ingredients, still served as a source of plant-based protein, which was appreciated. The fajita, however, was an absolute standout, with the seared savory flavor and fleshy texture. Though it was limited in quantity, each bite was savored. The sauces added a bit of spiciness, but I enjoyed the occasional pang on my tongue, which aided in enhancing the mild flavors. When the spiciness became too much to handle, the Blackberry Izze came to the rescue, providing a light, refreshing taste. For my snack, I opted for a Burrito filled with brown rice, pinto beans, black beans, steak, fresh tomato salsa, tomatillo-red chili salsa, and romaine lettuce. The Burrito arrived in a massive wrap, which initially made it a bit challenging to eat. With the guidance of my former Chipotle COM and upper-class acquaintance, I finally learned the proper technique for consuming a burrito. Although the wrap was thin and the filling a bit loose, all the ingredients blended well together. The diced steak added a much-needed savory flavor to the bite, creating a more harmonized flavor. This time around, the burrito leaned more towards the sweet side, eliminating the need for spiciness. As for CA, he opted for a Burrito Bowl with a white rice, tender chicken, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, tomatillo-red chili salsa, cheese, and sour cream. After finishing his meal in a private area reserved solely for the elite , he returned simply stated, "I like chicken," leaving me pondering the thoughts and preferences of the upper class. I will definitely be back for more, and I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a delicious and...

I wholeheartedly wish I could give you negative stars! I have eaten chipotle at many different locations since the restaurant came to this city and it’s probably my favorite place to eat and that’s really saying something because I’m the most picky eater I know. This location is the worst I’ve ever been to. It’s 2 minutes from my house and it’s very convenient but due to how bad it is I refuse to give them my business anymore after today. Over the past 2 years I’ve lived here, on more than 20 occasions I’ve come in to eat and had to leave empty handed because they were out of chicken or steak or cheese or a a combination of them. Just today I walked in at 5:30 right about the start of dinner time and waited in line for five or so minutes just to find out they were out of steak and cheese. I left and had to drive 15 minutes across town to the next closest location to eat my favorite food. Two weeks ago I came in at 9:15 at night and there were no employees at the counter or in the grill area. The only people I could see were the two employees who were in the dining area just standing there having a conversation while I stood there for almost 15 minutes. There were 5 customers behind me. I glanced over at the food and the rice was dry and clumpy and the beans were cooked to the sides of the pan and the chicken looked like it had been sitting out for hours it was a dark brown and looked just as bad. I turned around and told everyone behind me the food wasn’t fresh and looked nasty and left and went home hungry. As someone who has worked as a manager in the food industry, this is completely unacceptable to me. Every single employee in that restaurant would be unemployed cause I would not tolerate that kind of behavior and total disregard for food quality and service. I haven’t bothered to complain to a manager because I honestly don’t think it would make a difference, there is no way any decent manager can see what’s happening and not be just a guilty as every other employee. In conclusion, I ten out of ten would recommend anyone who reads this to find a different location to get your food. It pains me to say it but I think I will take my business to a different restaurant all together unless someone from chipotle finally puts a stop to this. I will update my review if I’m contacted by chipotle about this and they make it right. Thanks for reading and...