Lots of Praise for Chipotle

If you are lucky enough to live in a city that has a Chipotle, you are probably aware of how awesome they are. Before my diagnosis, I went there all the time because they were delicious and economical. I frequent them now because they are very gluten friendly. If you're not familiar with the restaurant, it's a fast food burrito place that only uses fresh, organic, free-range foods. The have salads, burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and chips. For protein, they have chicken, steak, carnitas, barbacoa, and beans. They also have a delicious cilantro lime rice that I love. And the best part? Most of their menu is gluten free! Obviously, the burritos and soft tacos are out, but most everything else is fine. I get a vegetarian burrito bowl with corn salsa, pico de gallo, salsa verde, sour cream, and guacamole. The guac is free with mine, but costs extra if you get meat. The hot salsa is not guaranteed gluten free (the other ones are), and while lettuce and cheese are fine on their own, there is cross-contamination issues because they pick them up with their hands. This makes me sad a little, because I love cheese and lettuce on my burrito bowl. On the upside, they're one of the only restaurants with gluten free chips and hard taco shells! Before I order, I explain that I have food allergies and ask them to change their gloves. They always do this happily! Chipotle uses an assembly line format, so a different person usually adds the toppings. Instead, I ask if the first person who changed their gloves will finish my bowl, and most locations also do this without issue. Most locations even recognize me and have started learning my requests and my order. Like I said, though, some locations are better than others about my allergy. The Chipotle on Colonial drive near the Fashion Square Mall is by far the best location. They are always willing to help me and the food is always of high quality. The one on Orange Ave in SODO is consistently good as well, except that when the first person tries to finish my burrito bowl, the second person usually gives some grief about it. I thank the adamant people who refuse to hand the bowl over. The locations on Semoran and Sand Lake have been nice so far, but I don't go to those much, so I can't really say definitively how I'd rank them. The location to avoid is the one in Winter Park on the corner of Orange and Fairbanks. The portions are small, the food is not as good as the other locations, and they are unbelievably unhelpful about my allergy. They refuse to make the whole bowl with one person. The last time I went, I explained that I had a gluten allergy, and asked the girl working to change her gloves. She brought back the gloves and as she put on one, she laid the other on top of the flour tortillas. When I asked her to get a different glove, she gave me a nasty look. She then refused to complete my bowl, and told the second person to change her gloves in a snippy tone of voice. I was not impressed. Go to Chipotle! Just not the one in Winter Park.

Knowledge - 4 stars
Accommodation - 4 stars
Taste - 5 stars

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