Chipotle!

CHIPOTLE
a highly biased restaurant review

If you're looking for a burrito bigger than any other burrito (the king of burritos?), with fresh ingredients, hotter-than-hot spices and peppers, and uniquely savory meats, Chipotle is your place. I've been to locations all across the US, from east, to west, to north, to south, and the devotion to a quality meal is always the same. While Chipotle could be categorized with chains like McDonald's (which formerly owned the largest piece of Chipotle stock) and Taco Bell, because it, too, produces a product "for here" or "to go" in a fast and repetitive manner, it is NOT in the same category. Chipotle endeavors to provide you with a fast AND fresh, healthy-ish (not the healthiest thing ever, but much, much better for you than your typical fast food), great-tasting, hunger-slaying, palate-building meal. Taking a hint from Chipotle's rapid growth and multiplying regular customer pool, other chains have sprung up or, having been founded before Chipotle, expanded in order to compete with the uniquely styled chain. So, why Chipotle?

1. Understated environment.

The clean feel of Chipotle's decor is no mistake: the white walls, complemented by the bare-bones, pipe-exposing lack of a traditional ceiling; the strange, naked-feeling artwork; the basic furniture; and the no-frills floor makes for a comfortably understated environment. Be yourself, because it'll help flavor the environment. You won't clash with anything. All types welcome there, because they want you to set the mood with your hunger and obvious zest for good tastes. Chipotle, instead of feeling stereotypical, like many other places in its category, feels clean, fresh, and open. They're not hiding anything, and you know it.

2. Friendly staff and order setup.

The burrito-makers behind the counter want to make your burrito, the way you want it. You don't even have to know the names of things, you can just point at what looks good, or tell them an amount and point, and they'll make it for you. It's kind of like the customization available at Starbucks, but you get to physically see your options. They make your burrito, to your liking, giving you a starting foundation and a smile. Moreover, every option really looks fresh. The items are replaced/replenished regularly. The guacamole is greeeeen. The meats are steaming next to the steaming beans and the steaming rice. The salsas are uncontaminated. The sour cream is pure white. The cheese is a milky pearl color and freshly grated, not sticking together in one formerly grated block. This is a step above what I've seen at any other place in the same category. They know what's good, and what's fresh, and they'll make it for you.

3. TASTE!

Definitely saving the best for last... TASTE is the major reason why you, and all your friends, relatives, schoolmates, coworkers, partners, pets, small children, large children, roommates, teammates, doctors, and acquaintances should choose Chipotle first. Chipotle understands that better taste comes from closer attention to details like freshness, composition, growing tactics, feeding methods and sources, use of hormones (or the lack thereof, as is the newest thing with their sour cream and soon, their cheese), and quality of foods and the people that produce them. You can taste the spices in a Chipotle burrito that no other places take the time and money to add. You can taste how fresh the avocadoes that went into the guacamole were, and you know that the guacamole was not made much before your burrito was. If you want to taste with all that you are and all that your tongue has to offer, Chipotle is the most obvious choice. You can taste the roots of Mexican food in a way that you can't at fast food Mexican places or at locations of direct competitors of Chipotle.

So, go get some Chipotle. If not right now, tonight. If not tonight, tomorrow night. For locations, menus, nutrition info, and other fun things (like watching fresh guacamole being made via live feed), go to http://www.chipotle.com. Customize an order. I recommend a chicken burrito bol with half the normal amount of rice, some black beans, a stripe of the red hot salsa (be careful, this stuff burns everything it touches, but it's delicious), sour cream, lots of cheese, and a serving of guacamole. Or be traditional and get it wrapped in a tortilla. Any way you do it, it's tasty.

In other words, Chipotle, because no detail goes unnoticed, unstudied, or unappreciated.