Customers across Reddit are reporting quality control issues at Chipotle, especially when it comes to one of the chains signature items—its tortilla chips.
Posters on the subreddit r/Chipotle have discussed a perceived change in the quality of Chipotle chips for weeks now, with one disheartened poster asking “Did Chipotle change the way they make the chips?” because of bad experiences with the item 4 out of 5 recent visits.
Did Chipotle change the way they make the chips? Or is just the store I frequent?
by u/oneworrytoomany in Chipotle
Critics Say Chips Have ‘No Flavor, Salt Or Lime, And Slightly Stale’
Many customers seemed to agree that, though there may have been an overall change, the one major issue with Chipotle chips usually comes down to quality control. “I think it might be your store, unfortunately it heavily depends on who is frying the chips we make,” said a Chipotle employee who commented on the post. Another commenter agreed: “It varies by store and employee. Some stores I’ve gone to, they are great; others, not so much. Also, I’ve noticed it changes some weeks or months. My guess is just the way certain employees prepare them,” they replied.
Another Redditor with "Former Employee" flair gave an unexpectedly insightful explanation for what could be the culprit when it comes to a "bad batch" of Chipotle chips:
Comment
by u/Edgimos from discussion Did Chipotle change the way they make the chips? Or is just the store I frequent?
in Chipotle
Other commenters felt that the differences in the chips they'd experienced recently pointed squarely to the chain simply making them differently in some way versus before. "No, I think they're getting a different type of chip honestly," said one Reddit user. The original poster agreed in their reply, saying "This is what I was thinking! Doesn’t even seem to be same thickness."
Quality Varies From Store To Store, Say Customers
It's not always just about the taste, either—sometimes there's a clear issue with how the chips are cooked right from the start, like in this Redditor's photo:
Fat chip by u/Enough_Method_8755 in Chipotle
It's clear that in this instance, whoever prepared the chips neglected to make sure they were all separated and failed to notice the resulting "fat chip", which was described by commenters to look "very bland and extraordinarily uncooked in the center."
On another post, the original poster lamented "Last few times I’ve gone to chipotle, my chips are plain as day. No limey-saltiness that used to make getting the chips and guac irresistible. Quite the bummer!" The user then asked, maybe rhetorically, "Will they ever go back to how they were?
One responder summed up all of r/Chipotle's concerns for Chipotle's chip quality in general: "It's quite literally worker dependent sadly. If they don't care or are in a rush the chips aren't good."
