On the Richmond Burrito Trail: Hilltop’s recently opened Chipotle Mexican Grill

It was OK. 

If we were on a road trip far home and stopped for lunch, we would probably be really happy with these burritos from Chipotle. But we live in a burrito wonderland, not a burrito desert. Chipotle’s slab must stack up to local favorites like Taqueria La Bamba and Tacos El Tucan.

So, that is how Chipotle's burritos will be judged.

The Richmond Chipotle Mexican Grill parachuted into Richmond on December 5 with great fanfare we didn't really understand. It is located across from the Hilltop Auto Mall in the old Jovance Salon & Day Spa building.

We used to like Chipotle – a lot. You could get a huge burrito made with tasty ingredients. The chicken was our favorite part of Chipotle. They used adobo marinated chicken thighs and grilled them, so you got nice charred chicken bites of really flavorful juicy meat that would make you overlook some of the burrito’s shortcomings. 

Denver-style burrito

Chipotle was founded in Denver, Colorado, so we will refer to this burrito as a Denver-style burrito as it is far from our local much-celebrated Mission Style. Chipotle has most of the ingredients you expect in a burrito: rice, beans, meat, cheese, salsa, and sour cream wrapped in a large flour tortilla. It is wrapped in foil and approximates a burrito well, but it is not quite right. 

Chipotle’s tortillas are steamed, so you get a gummy wrap rather than a warm, flakey, toasty grilled tortilla. The chain also opts for cilantro-lime rice that falls all over the place when you take a bite rather than traditional Spanish rice. The swap of refried beans for pinto beans causes a lack of cohesion necessary to keep the burrito intact. Those pintos start plinking on your plate instead of helping hold the tube meal together. 

We only found a few bites of dry, gray, and not well-sauced chicken that was nothing like we remembered. The grilled peppers and onions we’ve enjoyed in the past, were now overcooked and mushy. 

We did get a whopping amount of guacamole on our slab, and while it was good, it threw off the proportions and cooled down our burrito. The hot red chili sauce was one of the few highlights that gave the burrito the heat we were after. We didn’t come across any cheese in the Chicken Burrito and only found unmelted cheese shards in the Veggie Burrito.

Chipotle seems to have shifted its focus from primarily making good burritos to marketing them broadly and prioritizing a predictable customer experience.

Customers have begun roasting Chipotle online, claiming the fast-casual restaurant's quality has slipped and its portions are skimpy. Chipotle’s CEO even took the time to respond to the complaints.

The Chicken Burrito weighed 616 grams, while the Veggie Burrito was even smaller at just 553 grams. Our bill came to $31.33 for the two burritos and the chips.

Hilltop is also home to El Sabor De Guadalajara, where we found the most enormous burrito on the Richmond Burrito Trail, and the surprisingly delicious gas station burrito from El Burrito Loco.

On the Richmond Burrito Trail: Hilltop Mall’s El Burrito Loco

Nestled inside a gas station taqueria on Hilltop Mall’s Ring Road, El Burrito Loco delivered a culinary surprise: tender carnitas and a generous helping of guacamole that lent each bite a creamy embrace. The Chevron Burrito defied expectations with every bite. The Super Carnitas Burrito assembly invited reflection — each

Grandview IndependentSoren Hemmila

On The Richmond Burrito Trail: Hilltop’s El Sabor De Guadalajara

The deliciousness wafted from El Sabor De Guadalajara’s bag of goodies on the ride home. The Richmond Burrito Trail was partaking in a Chile Relleno-centric visit to a little restaurant located in a cluster of businesses ringing the former Hilltop Mall.

Grandview IndependentSoren Hemmila

Let us know where to eat next, and check back next week for another stop on the Richmond Burrito Trail.

The Grandview Independent has been embarking on a culinary adventure to explore every taqueria, food truck, and restaurant in Richmond. This initiative, dubbed the “Richmond Burrito Trail,” aims to showcase our city’s diverse and delectable burritos.

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