Both Chipotle and Qdoba offer burrito bowls on their menus. While they may seem very similar at first glance, there are some notable differences between a Chipotle burrito bowl and a Qdoba burrito bowl.
Ingredients
The core ingredients in both Chipotle and Qdoba burrito bowls are the same – rice, beans, protein, salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, etc. However, there are some differences in the specific ingredients used:
- Rice: Chipotle uses cilantro-lime rice, while Qdoba uses Mexican or brown rice.
- Beans: Chipotle offers pinto or black beans, while Qdoba has pinto, black or Anasazi beans.
- Protein: Both offer chicken, steak, carnitas (pork) and barbacoa (shredded beef). Qdoba also offers Impossible meat.
- Salsa: Chipotle has mild tomato, medium tomato and spicy tomato salsas. Qdoba has mild salsa, hot salsa, verde salsa, queso salsa, etc.
- Veggies: Both offer lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers and more. Qdoba also offers guacamole.
- Cheese: Chipotle uses Monterey Jack cheese. Qdoba uses Mexican 3-cheese blend.
- Sour cream: Chipotle’s is nonfat Greek yogurt. Qdoba uses regular sour cream.
So while the core ingredients are the same, the specific items used in each burrito bowl are a bit different between the two chains.
Portion Size
Chipotle burrito bowls tend to be larger than Qdoba’s. A standard Chipotle bowl contains around 1,000 calories. Qdoba burrito bowls range from 500-850 calories for a regular sized bowl.
Some key portion differences:
- Rice: Chipotle provides unlimited rice whereas Qdoba portions 4oz of rice.
- Beans: Chipotle provides unlimited beans whereas Qdoba portions 2oz of beans.
- Protein: Chipotle portions 4-6oz of protein while Qdoba does 3oz.
- Cheese: Chipotle provides more cheese than Qdoba.
So Chipotle burrito bowls tend to be more generously portioned overall, resulting in higher calorie counts.
Customization
Both Chipotle and Qdoba allow for customization of burrito bowls, but Chipotle offers more flexibility.
At Chipotle, you can choose:
- Rice (white, brown, no rice)
- Beans (pinto, black, no beans)
- Protein (chicken, steak, carnitas, barbacoa, vegetarian, sofritas)
- Portion size (regular, half, double)
- Extra ingredients (guacamole, queso, etc.)
- Every salsa, cheese, lettuce, etc. option
At Qdoba, you can choose:
- Rice (Mexican, brown, no rice)
- Beans (pinto, black, Anasazi, no beans)
- Protein (chicken, steak, carnitas, barbacoa, Impossible meat)
- Portion size (regular or mini sizes)
- Some extra ingredients (guacamole, queso, tortilla strips)
- Salsa and sauce options
So Chipotle offers more flexibility in customizing your bowl to your preferences.
Cooking Methods
Chipotle and Qdoba use different cooking methods for preparing their meats:
- Chipotle grills, braises, or sous vides all of its meats fresh in the restaurant daily.
- Qdoba prepares its meats offsite and reheats them in the restaurant before service.
So Chipotle emphasizes its use of fresh, in-house cooking methods while Qdoba leverages offsite commissary kitchens. This leads to some differences in meat textures and flavors.
Prices
Chipotle burrito bowls are generally more expensive than Qdoba’s. Here’s a comparison of prices for a chicken bowl with rice, beans, salsa, etc:
| Restaurant | Price |
|---|---|
| Chipotle | $8-10 |
| Qdoba | $7-9 |
However, Qdoba frequently offers discounts and loyalty rewards that can drop the price of their burrito bowls. Chipotle generally does not offer as many discounts or rewards.
Nutrition Facts
Due to the larger portions, Chipotle burrito bowls tend to have higher calorie counts and nutritional values:
| Nutrition Facts | Chipotle Bowl | Qdoba Bowl |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1000 | 500-850 |
| Fat | 20g | 10-17g |
| Carbs | 100g | 65-80g |
| Protein | 50g | 25-40g |
Qdoba burrito bowls provide less calories, fat, carbs and protein due to the smaller portion sizes. Those wanting a lighter meal may prefer Qdoba.
Taste
In terms of taste, reviews are mixed. Some feel that Chipotle’s burrito bowls have fresher, more authentic Mexican flavors given their cooking methods and cilantro-lime rice. Others feel Qdoba offers more variety and intensity of flavors with all their salsa options.
Here are some average user reviews on taste:
Chipotle: 4.5 stars – “The meat is really flavorful and the fresh cilantro lime rice gives it an awesome Mexican flavor.”
Qdoba: 4 stars – “So many salsa options to choose from. I love the spicy queso and hot salsa mixed together.”
So taste preferences come down to personal opinions on freshness vs flavor intensity.
Conclusion
While Chipotle and Qdoba burrito bowls are similar, there are some notable differences:
- Chipotle offers cilantro-lime rice, more generous portions and greater customization.
- Qdoba provides more salsa options and frequent discounts.
- Chipotle grills meats in-house while Qdoba uses offsite kitchens.
- Nutritionally, Chipotle bowls are higher in calories due to larger portions.
- Taste depends on preferences for freshness vs intense flavors.
Overall, Chipotle burrito bowls emphasize freshness and customization while Qdoba is known for flavor variety and value. Both can make an excellent Mexican-inspired meal, so taste and nutrition preferences can help choose between the two.