Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle Mexican Grill makes fast-casual burritos, bowls, tacos and salads for people who want assembly-line speed without losing the sense of a made-to-order meal. By our assessment, it is strongest when the menu is kept simple and the ingredients are familiar: rice, beans, meat, salsa, guacamole, all put together in front of you. The trade-off is obvious too, because the whole experience depends on line movement, portion choices and the current state of the grill, so it can feel rough when the room is crowded. It sits above basic fast food and below sit-down Mexican restaurants, and that middle ground is exactly why it has such a large audience. The name carries a plain, very American kind of Mexican food rather than regional depth, and the US catalogue note matches that picture. The line at the counter is the whole point of the format, and that is also where it can fray.