5 ms·

chipotle is possibly the only fast food / fast casual that feels somewhat healthy. Real, whole food. Minimal fried options. Decent value. I wish more players oc

chipotle is possibly the only fast food / fast casual that feels somewhat healthy. Real, whole food. Minimal fried options. Decent value. I wish more players occupied that niche. The quality over the last 3 years has been abismal though regardless of which location I go to. The food prep stations are always a mess by the end of day - verging on health hazard. The meat seems to have gone down in quality too. Every time I’ve eaten there in the last 2 years I’ve thought to myself “god chipotle sucks now I’ll never eat here again” But every other month or so I’m by a chipotle, trying not to eat complete garbage, in a time crunch, and trying not to spend $17 on processed food and chipotle is there waiting to disappoint me. Again.

plutoplanet 4y ago
[dead]
- the_gastropod 4y ago
  There is no compelling scientific evidence that seed oils are unhealthy. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/scientists-debunk-seed-oil-health-risks/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/scientist...
  - m0llusk 4y ago
    That is just one study among many and as such is a poor summary of science in this area. Contrast this with soybean oil being linked to metabolic and neurological damage to mammals: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200117080827.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200117080827.h... The science here is still in contest, but there is significant evidence to argue over.
  - 0xcde4c3db 4y ago
    Seed oil bashing goes way beyond merely lacking scientific backing; it's literally just a 4chan meme that escaped containment and then got confused for a serious argument.
- eddsh1994 4y ago
  Why would these oils be worse for you than others, to the point the meal becomes unhealthy?
  - m0llusk 4y ago
    There is a lot of argument about this. Much of the data points or may point to increased rates of death and disease but does not necessarily pinpoint the chemical reactions involved. This is not uncommon with dietary medicine. Nearly fifty years passed between "Pure, White, and Deadly" being essentially rejected and buried and Dr. Lustig's "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" becoming a runaway hit based on the extremely detailed analysis of the chemistry of sugar digestion. One red flag is that these oils are not traditionally eaten, but have been recently engineered for production using chemical processes that take advantage of high temperatures and pressures. These are engineered substances that are new to us. The most common explanation has to do with these oils being relatively easy to transform such that exposure to heat, such as in cooking or within the body, causes them to break down into substances similar to glue or shellac. Cleaners have a range of special soaps and scrubbers targeting this specific problem. Long used natural oils like butter, olive oil, and coconut oil do not break down this way or generate buildup on kitchens that requires special soaps to remove.
    - lotsofpulp 4y ago
      I have been using canola oil and sesame oil for my whole life, and I can clean all the pots and pans with cheapest dish soap at Costco, even when frying. I have not noticed any extra cleaning or difference been those and butter.
      - m0llusk 4y ago
        You may be using relatively low temperatures. Also, the buildup is not typically on the pans but around them on the stove, counter, walls, and anywhere else that splatter from frying lands. In any case, you represent at most one anecdotal data point while there is a whole industry geared to handling this stuff. I have done a couple of thousand house cleanings or so in my career so I think my experience may have a weight that yours lacks.
jxf 4y ago
> chipotle is possibly the only fast food / fast casual that feels somewhat healthy. Real, whole food. There are a ton of healthy fast casual places that would meet this description — Cava, Sweetgreen, et cetera. They're certainly not as widespread as Chipotle, though.
- vanilla_nut 4y ago
  As far as I know those basically only exist in a few major US cities. Some smaller metro areas have alternatives -- Illegal Pete's in CO's Front Range comes to mind, or Mighty Taco in Buffalo -- but if you're driving across the country, or in a rural or suburban area, Chipotle is frequently the only non-fried fast casual option.
- polalavik 4y ago
  Chipotle is still a much better value than cava / sweetgreen - which will Both set you back somewhere around 15-19 after tax. Chipotle is somewhere around 10-14 after tax. Also chipotle can be hacked to get more food - double rice/beans, Get a bowl, ask for tortillas on the side, Etc. it is exceptionally good value w.r.t other food places these days. Just not good food anymore.
vanilla_nut 4y ago
Likewise. Chipotle has been my go-to "fast casual" option for years because, despite being a little salty, it actually feels like real food. And you can get a pretty healthy meal as long as you go light on the cheese and sour cream. Chipotle restaurants seem to have a lifecycle: they open, work really hard to get a decent reputation, and then slowly rot. I suspect that management gives the employees free reign to create a good customer experience for the first year or two, then eventually starts turning the profit screws -- trimming lobby and bathroom cleaning, skimping on the employee count at peak times, etc -- and soon enough the restaurant becomes a horrorshow to enter on a weeknight, with long and unmoving lines, piles of trash looming over the receptacles, filthy tables, and poorly stocked ingredients on the line. It would be really interesting to hear the low-level employee experience of someone who's been working at Chipotle since before the Taco Bell CEO started the transformation into... Taco Bell.
- dgfitz 4y ago
  > ...as long as you go light on the cheese and sour cream. Huh? Why do you claim cheese and sour cream are unhealthy?
  - PragmaticPulp 4y ago
    Calorically dense foods like cheese and sour cream are fine in moderation. They are easy places to introduce caloric excess if not used in moderation.
  - rom-antics 4y ago
    Together they're hundreds of extra unsubstantive calories. Not unhealthy per se, but it pushes the calorie count of the meal pretty high.
    - antisthenes 4y ago
      Dairy is one of the most substantive protein-rich calorie-food there is, right up there with meat and eggs. For active people and those trying to gain weight, it's a godsend.
RcouF1uZ4gsC 4y ago
> chipotle is possibly the only fast food / fast casual that feels somewhat healthy. But they were one of the few big chains to actually have an outbreak of food poisoning from contaminated food https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/chipotle-mexican-grill-agrees-pay-25-million-fine-resolve-charges-stemming-more-1100-cases-foodborne https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-c...
alexfromapex 4y ago
Another great thing about them is their transparent supply chain that encourages healthy sourcing. I think the issue with the bad experiences is probably because the workers feel underpaid and hence do a poor job.
coldpie 4y ago
If you're sticking to one location (as opposed to traveling, where speed/consistency is valuable), try keeping an eye out for local Mexican joints or counter-service diners/convenience stores/etc. They'll be a little pricier than the national chains, but I've found their quality is usually higher. They are definitely harder to find, but with some effort you can dig them out. Just to provide a concrete example, there's a convenience store near my woodworking shop that doesn't even have a website, but they do counter-service lunch & dinner and they make a killer burrito. I never would've found it other than randomly searching "lunch" on Google Maps one afternoon and walking over to give it a shot. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Joe's+Market+%26+Deli/@44.9857877,-93.2221263,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x52b32d015d219b05:0x5765a5b9886ef2e9!8m2!3d44.9877219!4d-93.2258299 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Joe's+Market+%26+Deli/@44....
2devnull 4y ago
“Decent value.” I can’t agree. It used to be within reason, never good value. I went last year, just wanted to splurge and not cook that night, but was made to wait an unreasonable amount of time while the kids running the place chatted with their friends and when I finally ordered and payed, was shocked that it was nearly 15 dollars for burrito! A burrito, especially the simpler ones I eat without the unhealthy cheese, guacamole etc… cost at most a few dollars to make, even with premium ingredients. That’s without economies of scale, which chipotle obviously has. The most amazing part of that outing was seeing high school kids in there ordering this high priced food as though it were a regular event for them. Not even a special “night out” or Friday night date, just “another day, another 15 dollar burrito bowl.” No wonder kids are in debt and can’t pay off their college tuition loans! 15 dollar burritos is hard no from me.
- coldpie 4y ago
  "Remember when lemonade was a cent? It is now a dollar." http://achewood.com/index.php?date=10132005 http://achewood.com/index.php?date=10132005
  - 2devnull 4y ago
    Funny. :) But in all seriousness, I can get a good authentic burrito made by real Mexicans for less than $10, so why go to chipotle and pay 50% more and a side dish of “attitude” from the local high school kids who want to close early.
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  I get a sofritas bowl without meat and guac and it is less than $10, which is good for a vegetarian option. I do not understand how restaurants make the economics of avocados work for them. 1 avocado is worth at least $1, if not $2 (was $2+ a lot of last year) at Costco. And there is a good chance the avocado will not be all usable. I assume they are adding a filler ingredient to fluff it up? Or ignoring the bad parts? A $2 markup for guac seems like it would not yield much profit.
  - 4y ago
barrenko 4y ago
To be fair, food delivery startups are wreaking havoc on food stations all over, it's getting harder to stay organized and clean.
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  I do not understand how a person picking up food can affect cleanliness where it is prepped.

plutoplanet 4y ago

[dead]

the_gastropod 4y ago
There is no compelling scientific evidence that seed oils are unhealthy. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/scientists-debunk-seed-oil-health-risks/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/scientist...
- m0llusk 4y ago
  That is just one study among many and as such is a poor summary of science in this area. Contrast this with soybean oil being linked to metabolic and neurological damage to mammals: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200117080827.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200117080827.h... The science here is still in contest, but there is significant evidence to argue over.
- 0xcde4c3db 4y ago
  Seed oil bashing goes way beyond merely lacking scientific backing; it's literally just a 4chan meme that escaped containment and then got confused for a serious argument.
eddsh1994 4y ago
Why would these oils be worse for you than others, to the point the meal becomes unhealthy?
- m0llusk 4y ago
  There is a lot of argument about this. Much of the data points or may point to increased rates of death and disease but does not necessarily pinpoint the chemical reactions involved. This is not uncommon with dietary medicine. Nearly fifty years passed between "Pure, White, and Deadly" being essentially rejected and buried and Dr. Lustig's "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" becoming a runaway hit based on the extremely detailed analysis of the chemistry of sugar digestion. One red flag is that these oils are not traditionally eaten, but have been recently engineered for production using chemical processes that take advantage of high temperatures and pressures. These are engineered substances that are new to us. The most common explanation has to do with these oils being relatively easy to transform such that exposure to heat, such as in cooking or within the body, causes them to break down into substances similar to glue or shellac. Cleaners have a range of special soaps and scrubbers targeting this specific problem. Long used natural oils like butter, olive oil, and coconut oil do not break down this way or generate buildup on kitchens that requires special soaps to remove.
  - lotsofpulp 4y ago
    I have been using canola oil and sesame oil for my whole life, and I can clean all the pots and pans with cheapest dish soap at Costco, even when frying. I have not noticed any extra cleaning or difference been those and butter.
    - m0llusk 4y ago
      You may be using relatively low temperatures. Also, the buildup is not typically on the pans but around them on the stove, counter, walls, and anywhere else that splatter from frying lands. In any case, you represent at most one anecdotal data point while there is a whole industry geared to handling this stuff. I have done a couple of thousand house cleanings or so in my career so I think my experience may have a weight that yours lacks.

jxf 4y ago

> chipotle is possibly the only fast food / fast casual that feels somewhat healthy. Real, whole food. There are a ton of healthy fast casual places that would meet this description — Cava, Sweetgreen, et cetera. They're certainly not as widespread as Chipotle, though.

vanilla_nut 4y ago
As far as I know those basically only exist in a few major US cities. Some smaller metro areas have alternatives -- Illegal Pete's in CO's Front Range comes to mind, or Mighty Taco in Buffalo -- but if you're driving across the country, or in a rural or suburban area, Chipotle is frequently the only non-fried fast casual option.
polalavik 4y ago
Chipotle is still a much better value than cava / sweetgreen - which will Both set you back somewhere around 15-19 after tax. Chipotle is somewhere around 10-14 after tax. Also chipotle can be hacked to get more food - double rice/beans, Get a bowl, ask for tortillas on the side, Etc. it is exceptionally good value w.r.t other food places these days. Just not good food anymore.

vanilla_nut 4y ago

Likewise. Chipotle has been my go-to "fast casual" option for years because, despite being a little salty, it actually feels like real food. And you can get a pretty healthy meal as long as you go light on the cheese and sour cream. Chipotle restaurants seem to have a lifecycle: they open, work really hard to get a decent reputation, and then slowly rot. I suspect that management gives the employees free reign to create a good customer experience for the first year or two, then eventually starts turning the profit screws -- trimming lobby and bathroom cleaning, skimping on the employee count at peak times, etc -- and soon enough the restaurant becomes a horrorshow to enter on a weeknight, with long and unmoving lines, piles of trash looming over the receptacles, filthy tables, and poorly stocked ingredients on the line. It would be really interesting to hear the low-level employee experience of someone who's been working at Chipotle since before the Taco Bell CEO started the transformation into... Taco Bell.

dgfitz 4y ago
> ...as long as you go light on the cheese and sour cream. Huh? Why do you claim cheese and sour cream are unhealthy?
- PragmaticPulp 4y ago
  Calorically dense foods like cheese and sour cream are fine in moderation. They are easy places to introduce caloric excess if not used in moderation.
- rom-antics 4y ago
  Together they're hundreds of extra unsubstantive calories. Not unhealthy per se, but it pushes the calorie count of the meal pretty high.
  - antisthenes 4y ago
    Dairy is one of the most substantive protein-rich calorie-food there is, right up there with meat and eggs. For active people and those trying to gain weight, it's a godsend.

RcouF1uZ4gsC 4y ago

> chipotle is possibly the only fast food / fast casual that feels somewhat healthy. But they were one of the few big chains to actually have an outbreak of food poisoning from contaminated food https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/press-releases/chipotle-mexican-grill-agrees-pay-25-million-fine-resolve-charges-stemming-more-1100-cases-foodborne https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-c...

alexfromapex 4y ago

Another great thing about them is their transparent supply chain that encourages healthy sourcing. I think the issue with the bad experiences is probably because the workers feel underpaid and hence do a poor job.

coldpie 4y ago

If you're sticking to one location (as opposed to traveling, where speed/consistency is valuable), try keeping an eye out for local Mexican joints or counter-service diners/convenience stores/etc. They'll be a little pricier than the national chains, but I've found their quality is usually higher. They are definitely harder to find, but with some effort you can dig them out. Just to provide a concrete example, there's a convenience store near my woodworking shop that doesn't even have a website, but they do counter-service lunch & dinner and they make a killer burrito. I never would've found it other than randomly searching "lunch" on Google Maps one afternoon and walking over to give it a shot. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Joe's+Market+%26+Deli/@44.9857877,-93.2221263,16z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x52b32d015d219b05:0x5765a5b9886ef2e9!8m2!3d44.9877219!4d-93.2258299 https://www.google.com/maps/place/Joe's+Market+%26+Deli/@44....

2devnull 4y ago

“Decent value.” I can’t agree. It used to be within reason, never good value. I went last year, just wanted to splurge and not cook that night, but was made to wait an unreasonable amount of time while the kids running the place chatted with their friends and when I finally ordered and payed, was shocked that it was nearly 15 dollars for burrito! A burrito, especially the simpler ones I eat without the unhealthy cheese, guacamole etc… cost at most a few dollars to make, even with premium ingredients. That’s without economies of scale, which chipotle obviously has. The most amazing part of that outing was seeing high school kids in there ordering this high priced food as though it were a regular event for them. Not even a special “night out” or Friday night date, just “another day, another 15 dollar burrito bowl.” No wonder kids are in debt and can’t pay off their college tuition loans! 15 dollar burritos is hard no from me.

coldpie 4y ago
"Remember when lemonade was a cent? It is now a dollar." http://achewood.com/index.php?date=10132005 http://achewood.com/index.php?date=10132005
- 2devnull 4y ago
  Funny. :) But in all seriousness, I can get a good authentic burrito made by real Mexicans for less than $10, so why go to chipotle and pay 50% more and a side dish of “attitude” from the local high school kids who want to close early.
lotsofpulp 4y ago
I get a sofritas bowl without meat and guac and it is less than $10, which is good for a vegetarian option. I do not understand how restaurants make the economics of avocados work for them. 1 avocado is worth at least $1, if not $2 (was $2+ a lot of last year) at Costco. And there is a good chance the avocado will not be all usable. I assume they are adding a filler ingredient to fluff it up? Or ignoring the bad parts? A $2 markup for guac seems like it would not yield much profit.
- 4y ago

barrenko 4y ago

To be fair, food delivery startups are wreaking havoc on food stations all over, it's getting harder to stay organized and clean.

lotsofpulp 4y ago
I do not understand how a person picking up food can affect cleanliness where it is prepped.