Anybody ever eaten at Chipotle?

[cruelshoes]

A new Chipotle restaurant has opened in our neck of the woods. They send out coupons for a free Burrito (if there is anything I love, it's free food!) They have a pretty comprehensive statement on their website about what is/is not GF. Has anyone tried them?

Thanks!
_________________
-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
10-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters (12 and 2) have neg. bloodwork

A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt

[Torrey]

I have not yet eaten there, either, but there is one right down the block from my office here on 7th Ave...
We'll have to check it out!

I went to Burrito Loco in the Village this weekend--yummy food!!
_________________
~Torrey

August 24, 1975
GF BD July 12, 2004

[The Edifying Conscience]

Cruel Shoes,
IMO free food is over rated especially if it will make you sick.

I ate at Chipotle last summer in dire circumstances, but I would NOT eat there again even though I did not get sick. I watched them make several orders before I ordered and then I had specific requests of them. I ordered a salad burrito(a burrito without the shell).

If you're comfortable eating at Subway then you should feel comfortable eating at Chipotle. The staff works in an assembly line much the way they work at Subway. The staff wears gloves and does not change them between orders which is fine, but they do touch AP flour tortilla shells.

They use their gloved hands instead of a spoon to add lettuce, cheese, and a couple of other things and then that same staff person rolls up the burrito and gives it to the customer. So, the cheese, lettuce and whatever else is placed by hand is contaminated.

I don't know which of their toppings are gluten free, but the chance of cross contamination is extremely high.
TEC who never eats out

[TenKLady]

About a year ago, I sent an e-mail to Chipotle asking if it would be safe for someone on a gluten free diet to eat there because there were items on the menu that didn't contain gluten. They replied back that the risk of cross contamination was too high and they would not recommend that I eat there.

Laura

[Uz2bwise]

I eat at Qdoba all the time...it is like Chipotle. I get a naked burrito (without the tortilla) Rice, black beans chicken, sour cream, cheese,lettuce and mild salsa. It is soooo yummy!!

[Demo]

Here is the nutritional link to Qdoba.

[Demo]

Oops. http://www.qdoba.com/Allergens.aspx

[jennytefft]

I love Chipotle and Qdoba doesn't compare with taste and freshness. The pork at Chipotle is natural and so so good, but all ingredients are good and are gf except the flour tortillas and the hottest salsa. If you are really sensitive, just don't choose anything for your burrito that requires someone to add it by hand, such as lettuce. Most of their ingredients they use a spoon. Since most all ingredients are gf, there is little chance for cross contamination. I think chance of contamination would be much greater at Qdoba.
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Jenny in Colorado

[Long2Play]

My wife and I eat at Chipotle quite a bit. I have never had a bad reaction. I also eat at Taco Del Mar with really good results. They have a ton of options as well. I wish I could get soft Corn Tortilla's at Chipotle instead of just the hard ones. Chipotle and Taco Del Mar are my safe eat out choices for good Mexican Food.

Peace

[Fidissimus]

I like the way Chipotle tastes, but I got sick the last two times I ate there and so now have given up and personally don't consider it "safe".

I stick to Baja Fresh which has been good to me. I've never gotten sick eating there.
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Cheers!
Jenn

GF BD: Feb. 2001
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, dairy, eggs, almonds, pineapple and brewers yeast.
http://graindamaged.blogspot.com/

[Long2Play]

[Fidissimus]

As to the above I was just speaking from my own personal experiences. I'm no canary, but sensitive enough to know when there's a little bit of gluten in something. I have safely been able to eat at Baja and not get sick. So I will keep going back. The letter you received from them (shown in your other post) was very vague and not very sensitive to those of us w/ CD, which as always is disappointing. However it also sounds like they're just trying to blanket the issue so they don't get sued.

As far as Chipolte, it seems too coincidental to get sick from the same place on several occasions and not have the source of the contamination be from that place. Therefore, for me personally, I will not eat there. However I will conceed that I never contacted them to find out what ingrediants are "safe", so maybe I kept ordering the wrong thing. If you have a letter from them I'd be very interested to see what they had to say. Please post it in this thread.

Sorry no Taco Del Mar here...
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Cheers!
Jenn

GF BD: Feb. 2001
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, dairy, eggs, almonds, pineapple and brewers yeast.
http://graindamaged.blogspot.com/

[Long2Play]

Lyle,

As far as gluten, you're safe to eat everything we carry, except our large wheat flour tortillas for burritos, our soft wheat flour taco shells, and the hot red tomatillo salsa and the salad dressing (there is vinegar in both). Everything else will be fine. Unfortunately, the potential for cross contamination does exist. It is possible that the tortilla person touching a tortilla could touch the lettuce, and much the same the spoon portioning the beans could touch a tortilla. We cannot guarantee you there will be no crossover, sorry. And we recommend, regretfully, you not eat our food if your gluten intolerance is highly sensitive. As far as dairy, you'll wish to avoid the cheese and sour cream. There's no egg in our foods. Our staff is trained should you have any more questions. I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
David Chrisman
Mo'Joe
Chipotle

[Fidissimus]

So it doesn't seem that Chipotle is making much more of an effort than Baja other than to disclose what does and what doesn't have wheat in it. They also don't seem to mention anything that isn't fairly obvious... like the flour tortillas have wheat in them. Also thought their point about vinegar was interesting... vinegar in and of itself doesn't necessarly contain gluten. I wonder what's in it that's got gluten.

...and I will have to say I didn't order anything that they listed as a contaminate. This just goes to prove the point that their cross contamination rate is high enough that I will continue to not eat there.

Thanks for sharing their letter.
_________________
Cheers!
Jenn

GF BD: Feb. 2001
Free of wheat, barley, rye, oats, dairy, eggs, almonds, pineapple and brewers yeast.
http://graindamaged.blogspot.com/

[The Edifying Conscience]

Many companies still subscribe to the belief that vinegar contains gluten--even distilled vinegar. I'm betting Chipotle is one of them still following out-of-date information.


TEC