I tasted burritos from 3 iconic Colorado fast-food chains, and the winner was the cheapest and tasted the most complex

Monica HumphriesOct 23, 2021, 17:26 IST

Burritos from Chipotle, Illegal Pete's, and Qdoba were similar in size when Insider's author tried them.Monica Humphries/Insider

Popular fast-food burrito chains Chipotle, Qdoba, and Illegal Pete's were founded in Colorado.
After recently moving to the state, I wanted to compare veggie burritos from its three famous chains.

After moving to Denver, I decided to try and rank burritos from three fast-food chains originating in Colorado.

The author eats a veggie Qdoba burrito. Monica Humphries/Insider

I compared flour tortilla burritos filled with white rice, black beans, pinto beans, veggies, pico de gallo, hot salsa, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole from each location.

Veggie burritos from fast-food chains originating in Colorado. Monica Humphries/Insider

I compared flour tortilla burritos filled with white rice, black beans, pinto beans, veggies, pico de gallo, hot salsa, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole from each location.

At around $8, Qdoba and Chipotle's veggie burritos cost about the same, and Illegal Pete's was the only chain that charged $2 more for guacamole.

Qdoba and Chipotle's veggie burritos cost around $8, and the veggie burrito at Illegal Pete's cost around $10. Monica Humphries/Insider

Each burrito looked and felt to be about the same size and heft.

Burritos from Chipotle, Illegal Pete's, and Qdoba were similar in size when Insider's author tried them. Monica Humphries/Insider

Qdoba's burrito looked the most appealing to me with the tortilla's toasty brown spots, but the flavor didn't hold up to the looks, in my opinion.

The author's burrito from Qdoba looked toasty on the outside. Monica Humphries/Insider

I felt there was too much rice and not enough of the other fillings in my Qdoba burrito, which earned it third place in my ranking.

A crosscut of the author's veggie burrito from Qdoba. Monica Humphries/Insider

Illegal Pete's was the only chain that mixed its burrito's fillings before wrapping it up, which I thought was a nice touch.

The author's burrito from Illegal Pete's didn't have many toasty brown spots. Monica Humphries/Insider

The burrito had the best salsas, in my opinion, but it got soggy too quickly for my liking, earning it second place in my ranking.

A crosscut of the author's veggie burrito from Illegal Pete's. Monica Humphries/Insider

I thought Chipotle's colorful veggies, bright salsa, and cilantro rice were familiar and as delicious as ever.

The author's burrito from Chipotle looked slightly toasty on the outside. Monica Humphries/Insider

The burrito had the best flavor and texture, in my opinion, making it first place in my ranking.

A crosscut of the author's veggie burrito from Chipotle. Monica Humphries/Insider

Overall, I thought Chipotle and Illegal Pete's offered the most flavorful veggie burritos. But Chipotle's burrito came out on top thanks to its price, texture, and flavor.

By the end of the taste test, the author left little of the Chipotle burrito behind. Monica Humphries/Insider

Overall, I thought Chipotle and Illegal Pete's offered the most flavorful veggie burritos. But Chipotle's burrito came out on top thanks to its price, texture, and flavor.

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I tasted burritos from 3 iconic Colorado fast-food chains, and the winner was the cheapest and tasted the most complex

After moving to Denver, I decided to try and rank burritos from three fast-food chains originating in Colorado.

I compared flour tortilla burritos filled with white rice, black beans, pinto beans, veggies, pico de gallo, hot salsa, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole from each location.

At around $8, Qdoba and Chipotle's veggie burritos cost about the same, and Illegal Pete's was the only chain that charged $2 more for guacamole.

Each burrito looked and felt to be about the same size and heft.

Qdoba's burrito looked the most appealing to me with the tortilla's toasty brown spots, but the flavor didn't hold up to the looks, in my opinion.

I felt there was too much rice and not enough of the other fillings in my Qdoba burrito, which earned it third place in my ranking.

Illegal Pete's was the only chain that mixed its burrito's fillings before wrapping it up, which I thought was a nice touch.

The burrito had the best salsas, in my opinion, but it got soggy too quickly for my liking, earning it second place in my ranking.

I thought Chipotle's colorful veggies, bright salsa, and cilantro rice were familiar and as delicious as ever.

The burrito had the best flavor and texture, in my opinion, making it first place in my ranking.

Overall, I thought Chipotle and Illegal Pete's offered the most flavorful veggie burritos. But Chipotle's burrito came out on top thanks to its price, texture, and flavor.