Chipotle officially added aquesadilla to its menu.- I tried the new entrée and thought it was tasty but not as good as it could be.
- My main issue was that there was an excess of tortilla that could have been filled with more cheese and meat.
For years, customers have been finding ways to order quesadillas at Chipotle even though it wasn't an official menu item nationwide. Some adults placed an order for the kids' entrrée with extra sides and others were ordering a quesadilla as if it were a secret menu item.
Now, after testing in select areas, the chain has added this melty wrap to its digital menu, a Chipotle representative told Insider.
As part of an early-access media test, Insider was able to purchase and try the quesadilla before its official launch on March 11.
As a massive fan of quesadillas of all shapes and sizes, I wasn't sure what to expect with this new menu item. I though it would either be one large tortilla folded once over itself (like it was in the Instagram photo below of a menu hack), or two large tortillas sandwiched together.
Turns out, it was neither.
The quesadilla could have been bigger
The first impression I got was the beautiful golden color. I knew from that it would be flavorful.
I picked up the first half and saw some oozing Monterey Jack and large cubes of steak, but there wasn't as much cheese as there could have been. Taking a bite, I was able to see some empty pockets of air where more cheese could have been stuffed.
I also noticed that there was a lot of tortilla that had been folded underneath and pressed. To me, it seemed like a lot of tortilla real estate gone to waste.
While this did leave me satisfied, I've definitely had more filling quesadillas for less money.
I did appreciate how much of each side dish there was, though
Customers can choose any three sides from Chipotle's menu to accompany the quesadilla.
I thought my sides of guac and salsas would come in small plastic condiment containers, but I was dead wrong. According to a press release, the quesadilla is served in a 100% compostable container that has four compartments: one for the main dish and three for sides.
After tasting the meal myself, I would highly recommend getting at least one filling side dish (as opposed to three thin sauces) to make up for the small main dish. The large portion of guac and fresh tomato salsa helped fill me up.
While I thought it was tasty, I personally wouldn't order it again
The flavors and textures were all enjoyable here. The meat didn't feel overcooked after it had been pressed into the wrap, and the cheese maintained its sharp flavor profile.
What's holding me back from adding this into my takeout rotation is the excess tortilla that went unstuffed. I felt a little ripped off.
This entrée is priced at a $0.55 premium to bowls and burritos - so the price will vary depending on location. My quesadilla came out to $17.29 with delivery fees, which, in my opinion, is way more than I would spend on this item.
If you're able to avoid delivery fees by safely picking up your quesadilla in-stores, and you're OK with some unstuffed tortilla, this may be worth a try for you. As for me, I'll be sticking to the hundreds of other local Mexican restaurants for my quesadilla needs.
This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author(s).