Second Place: Chipotle

As the Cambridge weather nears freezing and our workloads call for all-nighters, one thing remains constant in the life of nearly every Harvard student’s diet: the burrito.  In this mini-series, we’ll be posting detailed reviews and rankings of grilled chicken burritos from four different establishments (Boloco, Chipotle, Qdoba, and Felipe’s), judging on criteria ranging from temperature to tortilla thickness. By the end, we hope to have made the lives of inebriated wanderers and starving studiers a little easier, while offering an easy tool for Reading Period procrastination—burrito rankings.

Burrito #3: Chipotle’s grilled chicken burrito

Includes: Chicken, cilantro-lime rice, black beans, tomato-onion salsa, cheese, and flour tortilla.

-50 points for an overpowering taste of onion.

Price: $6.25

Neutral: cheaper than some alternatives, but not cheap enough.

Weight: 1 lb, 2 oz.

-200 points for being comparatively puny.

Tortilla: Thin, tasteless, and rather hard around the edges. Does not make for an enjoyable textural experience.

-200 points for crunch.

Rice: Flavorful and moist—the cilantro really has an impact—but not warm enough.

+500 points for flavored rice that actually tastes like its label.

Guacamole: $1.95

-100 points. Way too expensive!

Chicken: Juicy, spicy, and flavorful. Defines the burrito.

+1,000,000 points for getting chicken right.

Cheese: One giant clump…in a bad way.

+500 points for having a presence, -100 points for failing to melt.

Extras: Corn salsa and sour cream (good consistency).

+400 points for free sauces, -100 points for being boring.

Hours of operation: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

-200 points for the most limited hours.

Deals and steals: Occasional $2-per-burrito promotions and deals for Harvard students.

+300 points for showing Harvard some love, -100 points for eliminating an annual Halloween tradition (disappointing those who dressed up as burritos this year, expecting free food).

The bottom line: Chipotle’s grilled chicken burrito didn’t quite live up to Flyby’s high standards—the tortilla was a serious issue—but it had some high points. The chicken, a Chipotle specialty, was delicious, and the rice was unique as well. A little more melty and a little less costly, and this burrito could have risen to the top of the pack.

Total points: 1,000,950

Final Ranking: 2/4

Photo by Flyby Blog/The Harvard Crimson.