Unwritten Rules To Know Before Visiting Chipotle

If you're hungry but in a time crunch, but want something that feels healthier and more filling than what your standard fast food eatery offers, Chipotle is a solid option. Whether you're craving a bowl, a burrito, or tacos, this fast casual chain has you covered. The best part? You can customize your order, choosing between several different protein options and tons of fresh veggies that give your meal some extra nutritional value.

But if you're new to ordering at Chipotle — or it's simply somewhere that you don't go very often — you may not know exactly how to order or how to get your meal the way you want it. So, we're uncovering the most important unwritten rules about how to approach your Chipotle experience. Once you give these rules a closer look, you'll feel more confident about ordering from this popular fast casual chain (and you may just save some money in the process).

We get it: It's been a long day, you're exhausted, and you need to pick up some food. Chipotle seems like the perfect place to go. Generally, depending on what you order, it can be a relatively healthy choice, and if you're in a rush, there's always the option to order it ahead of time from your phone and either plan to pick it up or get it delivered straight to your door. In theory, it sounds like a great idea, but in practice, it could be a big mistake. There could be a mixup with your order, the food might be soggy by the time you get it, and, as some customers have noted, the portion sizes may not be what you expect. 

That's why it's almost always better to order in person. That way, you can not only verify what's going in your bowl or burrito, but you can ask for adjustments accordingly. Sure, you may be reluctant to take this extra step when you're tired or pinched for time, but the results can be worth it.

Perhaps you've found yourself tasked with picking up orders at Chipotle for a few people at once. Maybe you're getting food for your partner or child before going home, or maybe you're placing a coworker's order at the same time as your own. It's okay to order for a couple of people at the same time, but if you try to start ordering for several people all at once, it can really slow the line down.After all, everything is made to order and assembled one at a time, so if you're trying to get, say, four burritos and two bowls, your order will disrupt the flow of the system. What's more, this may annoy the people who are waiting in line behind you.

If you do decide to order for others at Chipotle — especially when it's busy — only place a few extra orders other than your own. For those times when you actually do need to feed a crowd, it actually may be better to order online, even if you can't see every order being made in front of you. Have tons of people you need to feed? You may want to consider Chipotle catering to streamline the process.

If you're new to ordering at Chipotle or you haven't been in a while, then you may be a bit uncertain about what you want to get when you go there. Do you want to go with a burrito or a bowl? Which protein is going to taste the best, and which toppings should you add for maximum deliciousness? It's a lot to figure out, and it may take some time for you to figure out exactly what you want. That being said, you should have a pretty good idea of what you want to order by the time you get to the front of the line. If you don't know what the options are, it makes sense to check out the menu ahead of time so you know what you're getting into.

Taking too much time to deliberate over toppings, sauces, and other variables in your burrito or bowl is likely going to annoy the staff and the other people behind you waiting to order. It's just the courteous thing to do to figure out your order before you need to make those decisions.

Although it's not really a rule that you have to use Chipotle's rewards program to get food from the restaurant, it's a good enough idea that it should be on your to-do list whenever you start craving Chipotle. This is because using the Chipotle rewards program comes with some benefits that you don't want to turn down, especially if you're trying to save some money on your food. (And who isn't?) First of all, when you join the rewards program, you automatically get a free serving of guac. Since this is arguably one of the most coveted items on the menu, we think it's worth it for this upgrade alone.

However, you also get a ton of other perks by taking place in the rewards program. Every time you order, you can earn points, which you can later redeem for food in the future. You'll also get a special reward on your birthday, and you'll have access to exclusive offers you wouldn't otherwise be able to take advantage of. You'll also get the inside scoop when Chipotle decides to add new, interesting items to its menu.

One of the most popular secret menu items at Chipotle is the Quesarito. It's essentially a standard burrito, but instead of being made with a plain tortilla, all of the ingredients are instead wrapped up in a giant quesadilla, giving you an extra layer of cheese before you even get to the fillings in your burrito. Sure, it sounds good, but according to many employees, it's a real pain to make. Therefore, ordering it when the restaurant is busy is likely to deeply annoy the employees working behind the counter as well as everyone who's waiting in line to order behind you.

If you truly want to experience the glory of the Chipotle secret menu item that recreates a beloved Taco Bell item, try to go to your nearest Chipotle location when it's not very busy. Going after the lunch rush and before the dinner rush, for instance, is probably a good idea if this is what you're craving. If you do happen to visit Chipotle when it's especially busy, go ahead and order a standard burrito unless you want half the store to be deeply annoyed with you.

Have you ever ordered guacamole at Chipotle and gotten a portion that you felt was simply too small to reach every bite of your meal? We've been there before, and if you're a true gauc lover, it's a tragic occurrence. Of course, you can always pay for two servings, but that can make your Chipotle order pretty pricey. If you want to get the best chance at receiving a large serving of guacamole with your meal, you'll want to ask for it on the side instead of actually in your meal.

Why? Well, you might just get more than a standard serving size this way, allowing you to stretch that guac further and get more creaminess in every bite. In the worst case scenario, you'll just get the standard amount, but you may be able to spread it throughout your dish more evenly. Although it may not always pay off with extra guac, if you ask us, this Chipotle ordering hack is always worth a try.

As you watch your burrito or bowl be prepared at Chipotle, you may be compelled to ask for bigger portions of the ingredients. However, you should be ready to pay for those bigger portions, especially if you're asking for more meat or guacamole. While it may seem like the serving sizes can be quite inconsistent in general, Chipotle actually does have set standard serving sizes. If an employee gives you more than your fair share of certain ingredients without charging, they could get in trouble with management.

Therefore, it's probably not a great idea to ask for extra helpings that you're not prepared to pay for. It can put the Chipotle employee in an uncomfortable position, and if they decide to oblige, their manager could reprimand them. If you do want larger portion sizes, go ahead and let the employee helping you know that you're willing to pony up for it.

Sometimes, Chipotle locations can be busy and loud, which can make it difficult for you to point out what you want when it comes to toppings and add-ons. If the Chipotle employee can't hear you — or you can't hear them — you may be left trying to sort of mime what you want them to add to your bowl, burrito, or tacos. Therefore, it can be tempting to actually lean over the glass to point at what you want. However, this is not a great idea.

First of all, it's just rude. You're getting into the employee's personal space, which might make them feel uncomfortable. But beyond the fact that reaching over the glass is a social faux pas, it's also unhygienic. You don't want people leaning over your food with their dirty hands, right? Well, then, you shouldn't do it to others, either. If you have to point at a specific item on the Chipotle topping lineup, do so in front of the glass.

It's well past traditional time and you suddenly find yourself craving a meal from Chipotle. Maybe you didn't get the chance to order dinner earlier, or perhaps you're just ready for dinner round two (we don't judge). Heading to Chipotle can be a good option in this case, right? Well, maybe not. Going to Chipotle right before the team is getting ready to lock up isn't the most considerate thing to do, as it hinders the cleaning up and closing down process. However, if you do manage to make it into the restaurant with enough time for the employees to finish up your order before the store closes, you run the risk of your local Chipotle not having the ingredients you want in your bowl.

After a certain point in the day, a lot of the ingredients could be sold out, which means you may get a dish that's missing some of your favorites. Therefore, it's a better idea to go earlier in the evening, when they're more likely to still be stocked with everything you want in your bowl, taco, or burrito.

We are big fans of getting the best possible bang for our buck when we go out to eat, especially considering that restaurant prices only continue to rise. Therefore, if there's a way for you to get more food for the same price, it only makes sense to jump at the opportunity. At Chipotle, that's definitely an option if you're craving a burrito. Instead of ordering a standard burrito, though, you should ask for a bowl and two wraps. The ingredients in the bowl will add up to around two burritos, but you're only paying the price for a single bowl, which makes this an excellent deal that you don't want to pass up.

Of course, you'll actually have to assemble the burritos yourself, which may not be ideal if you're not great at wrapping them. But by learning how to fold a burrito properly, you can save yourself a lot of money at Chipotle (and get tomorrow's lunch taken care of without having to do any meal prep).

There may be times when you go to Chipotle, craving a specific combination of ingredients, only to find that the location you're at is already sold out of something you want to add to your dish. This can be a bummer, especially if it comes down to an integral part of your meal. Even though you might be disappointed, it's generally not appropriate to ask employees if they have more of a sold-out ingredient in the back. It puts pressure on them to leave the floor when they have other customers to attend to, and most of the time, if they did have extra ready, it would already be clearly available.

Instead of getting discouraged, perhaps consider it a sign that you should try something new with your Chipotle order. Maybe you go for the chicken instead of the steak, or try out a different salsa than the one you usually select. Sometimes, a sold-out ingredient at Chipotle is an invitation to discover a new favorite item that you would otherwise overlook.

If you walk into a Chipotle location already completely sure of what you want to order, whether that's because you checked the restaurant's menu on the website ahead of time or simply because you always order the same thing, you may feel tempted to just rattle off all the ingredients you want — without paying any mind to the order of your order. After you select your base, you'll usually then be asked to pick rice and beans before getting into the protein and various toppings. Chipotle employees typically go down the line and add the ingredients according to the way the ingredients are laid out, so you should try to follow the order of operations so as not to gum up the assembly line.

Sure, you may be excited to pick a salsa, but not before you order rice and beans. When the Chipotle employee is in the protein section of the line, tell them what protein you want — not what veggie toppings you're craving that are halfway down the line. This streamlines the ordering process and makes it easier for everyone to get their food as quickly as possible.