Chipotle Queso Review

Photo by Ally Griffith

“Our all-real, all-delicious queso has arrived. Dreams do come true.”

When I received this text update from Chipotle on Sept. 13, I immediately ditched my PB&J and headed down Mission Road. There’s nothing better than a fat burrito loaded with carnitas, fresh tomato salsa, cheese, lettuce and guacamole (which is totally worth the extra $1.95). So when I found out Chipotle started serving queso, it felt like a miracle sent straight from heaven. But the taste? It was a curse directly from hell.

I opted for a small chips and queso for $3.35, along with a side of mild salsa and guac. Eager to try what Chipotle had hyped up, I dug into my hot queso with a salty chip. But with my first bite, I almost gagged trying to swallow it, and immediately tried to flush out the taste with salsa and guac.

The queso closely resembled melted, prepackaged cheddar slices, with the occasional chunk of unmelted cheese. Even my friends who’ve tried it agree that it tasted chunky. It was a waste of a perfectly good chip. I wouldn’t dare add this to my beloved burrito – it’d ruin my favorite lunch.

I was determined to give it another chance. I ignored my bitter memories and my friends who said it was “chunky.” The next time I went to Chipotle, I bravely ordered a small bag of chips with queso. Unfortunately, it didn’t get better the second time around: the chunks still lingered in the hot mess Chipotle unlawfully calls queso. Once more I was forced to resort back to salsa and guac.

Overall, it did my favorite fast food chain a disservice. As much as I wish I liked Chipotle’s queso, in the future I’ll stick with Salty Iguana’s Iguana Dip.