Qdoba or Chipotle? Which one takes the TJ Crown?
by Sam Thomas
One of the hardest decisions to make for a TJ student is the choice for lunch. Most teachers wouldn’t want to hear that, but the harsh truth is plain to see. Whether to hit up a burger joint or perhaps a sub shop may be a ponderous thought, but most of the time it comes down to Chipotle or Qdoba.
The battle of the big burrito joints rages everyday for the hearts and hunger of TJ students. The basis for both taquerias is the same: they both offer a large meal for a reasonable price. Both offer American/Mexican food with many different choices of meats, veggies, and salsas.
Upon taking a deeper look at the inner workings of both restaurants, they may seem a lot the same, but they are in fact different.
Both places offer a variety of different items. Chipotle offers burritos, naked burritos (all the makings of a burrito but without the tortilla), salads (like a naked burrito but with lettuce instead of rice), tacos (both soft and hard), and a variety of different quesadillas.
While Qdoba offers the same basic items, they go above and beyond covering an assortment of authentic Mexican dishes like tortilla soup, loaded nachos, taco salads, Mexican gumbo, and of course the amazing queso sauce. Along with the diverse lunch and dinner options, Qdoba also offers a breakfast burrito, which is comprised of eggs, potatoes, sausage, and three-cheese queso ranchera sauce wrapped in a floury tortilla.
With all the options that Qdoba has, one wonders why there even is an option on what to choose – this reporter believes it should go to Qdoba hands down. But this just isn’t the case with a recent survey of TJ students. The results were overwhelmingly clear, with seven out of ten students choosing Chipotle over Qdoba. With fifty students interviewed, thirty-five chose Chipotle to the fifteen who chose Qdoba.
Senior Chipotle lover Robbie Folk said, “I’ve been to a Qdoba a couple times throughout my life. I really enjoy their queso cheese sauce, but the rest of their ingredients just aren’t the same as Chipotle.”
While all the ingredients are made more or less the same way, it just comes down to personal preference. Some people eat Chipotle some people eat Qdoba. It’s either one or the other. Senior Qdoba enthusiast Asia Dorsey chooses Qdoba for an assortment of reasons. She said, “I like Qdoba because they don’t charge me an arm and a leg for the beloved guacamole. Also, when I order the quesadilla I don’t get charged for my additional condiments like salsas, sour cream, and meat. Also I love their Nachos so very much.“
So when it gets down to the basics it’s all about personal preference and how much money the customer wants to spend. It’s all about which one is preferred. While the majority of students at TJ go to Chipotle, many go to both.
With all the different lunchtime decisions, one can’t really take the title for good. But the students have spoken, and the crown goes to Chipotle. With personal experience dining at Chipotle during the TJ lunchtime rush, no other lunch joint can compete.
