Chipotle Review

Chipotle Review

By Mike Poppalardo

Sentry Staff Reporter

 

Finalmente! After a long and anticipated wait, the Chipotle Mexican Restaurant opened in the Lee Heights shopping center in late December. Chipotle brings tasty Mexican food to the Arlington area  and they stepped up their game. However, with every new restaurant comes a couple of flaws.

Chipotle makes some of the best Mexican food, but this Arlington Chipotle is starting off a little rocky. The food is delicious like it is at every Chipotle, but the servers need to learn how to make the burrito and the bowl. They put very small amounts of ingredients, leaving you begging them for more food. My biggest pet peeve about this Chipotle is how they cannot wrap a burrito to save their lives. I have had many burritos from this Chipotle and more than half of them have fallen apart in my hand. While this is not a regular occurrence, it will happen from time to time, so if you are afraid of eating your burrito off the table, I recommend you get a burrito bowl instead.

Unlike the Ballston Chipotle located next to Ballston Commons Mall, which is the next closest Chipotle, the Lee Heights Chipotle has a ton of parking. From the front, it looks like there are just a couple spots, but there is actually a huge lot in the back that is usually never full. That is one of the biggest reasons that the Ballston Chipotle is so inconvenient. It has a small parking lot, which holds about twelve cars, but it is always occupied by people going to the mall and there are never open spaces. People park illegally, which put them at risk of getting a ticket or getting their car towed, and no student wants to have to deal with a parking ticket or having to pick their car up from a lot. With its small roads that were always filled with traffic, finding parking there was a near impossible task.

The Lee Heights Chipotle with ton of parking spaces is right down the road from Yorktown, so it gives seniors the opportunity to go off campus and return before the bell rings. It is also convenient for all students if they want to go after school. In the past, students would go to the Ballston Chipotle or even the Falls Church Chipotle and would not make it back in time for their next period. However, with this new Chipotle, that is a thing of the past. No more fighting for spots at old Chipotles and missing class!

Another major flaw that came with the new Chipotle is the spacing issue. The builders did not have very much room to work with due to the close-knit layout of the stores in the shopping center, so the dine-in section of Chipotle is pathetic. If you are choosing to eat in, you had better be on a date, because if you are with a group of people, you will need to eat separately since this new Chipotle has primarily two-person booths. There is one eight-person table, although that fills up quickly and is almost never available when you want to sit there due to its high demand. The lack of space also makes standing in line a hassle. When the line gets long, like it usually does, it stretches all the way down to the restroom. When they get really busy you will be out the back door.

Aside from the poor layout of seats and spacing issues, the Chipotle will probably succeed because it feels like a Mexican restaurant. It has a modern twist creating a lively atmosphere. Even the bathrooms are decorated to the max! Most importantly, the food at Chipotle is like no other. The meat is to die for, the ingredients are delicious, and on top of all of that, it is cheap and fast. You can get a burrito the size of a baby for only six dollars and you can be in and out in less than five minutes (Hint: If you are by the restrooms in line, it will take longer than that). The staff is friendly and is always trying to make sure you are satisfied. Overall, it is a great restaurant.

Even with its minor flaws, Chipotle could be one of the best Mexican restaurants ever! With its modern atmosphere, tasty food and cheap prices, it has become the new “hot “ place to go and students give it great reviews. I think the new Chipotle deserves an A-. The Chipotle does have some spacing issues, so you might want to eat the delicious food at home. Bottom line: this Chipotle is a must go!

Story continues below advertisement
Leave a comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *