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Chipotle Mexican Grill is a Denver, Colorado-based chain of gourmet quick burrito restaurants where you choose the ingredients to go into your gourmet burritos or tacos. Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, the restaurant is also known for its chunky freshly-made guacamole and large portions. Over 730 Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants have opened with nine Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants located in Las Vegas.
Chipotle Mexican Grill offers a menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere.
The nine Las Vegas restaurants serve all naturally raised meats (beef, pork, and chicken), from animals raised in a humane way, never given antibiotics or added hormones, and fed a pure vegetarian diet with no animal by-products. All of the dairy Chipotle serves is made with milk from cows that are never treated with the synthetic hormone rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone), and an increasing percentage of the beans it serves are organically grown. It’s all part of Chipotle’s vision to serve what founder, chairman, and CEO Steve Ells calls “Food With Integrity,” a pledge that has the company working with like-minded sources to help it serve food that is raised with care, not chemicals. Through their vision of “Food With Integrity,” Chipotle is seeking better food not only from using fresh ingredients, but ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food.
“We are changing the way the world thinks about and eats fast food,” said Ells. “For too long, great food has really only been available in high end restaurants and specialty food markets, but Chipotle is making the same gourmet quality food available and affordable so everyone can eat better.”
The restaurant is similar in concept to sub shops in terms of layout and ordering. Chipotle's menu consists of five types of items:
- Burrito (giant flour tortilla, cilantro-lime rice, filled with either black beans or pinto beans, choice of meat or vegetarian with guacamole)
- Fajita burrito (a burrito with sautéed onions and green peppers, with a vegetarian option of beans instead of meat)
- Burrito Bowl (burrito or fajita ingredients, without the tortilla, served in a bowl)
- Crispy or soft tacos (no rice or beans unless asked for with a choice of meat)
- Salad (served with a container of chipotle-honey vinaigrette)
The above items come filled with one of the following items:
- Chicken marinated in chipotle pepper adobo and grilled
- Carnitas (shredded pork) seasoned with thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries, and cracked pepper; seared and then braised
- Barbacoa (shredded beef) seared and then braised in chipotle adobo with cumin, garlic, and other spices
- Steak marinated in a spicy chipotle pepper adobo and then grilled; lean and medium-rare
- Vegetarian (guacamole), guacamole is also available as an extra cost option with one of the other four fillings
Also any of the following can be added:
- Cilantro-lime rice
- Black beans
- Pinto beans (contains pork)
- Fresh tomato salsa (mild)
- Tomatillo red-chili salsa (hot)
- Tomatillo green-chili salsa (medium hot)
- Roasted chili-corn salsa (medium)
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Guacamole
- Romaine lettuce
Side items include chips and guacamole, chips and salsa, guacamole only and chips only.
Many of these items are gluten free though the flour tortillas for both the burritos and the small tacos contain gluten. The hot red salsa contains small amounts of gluten from distilled vinegar.
The price depends only on the meat ordered, with the exception of an extra charge for guacamole on non-vegetarian orders.
Additionally, there are several so-called "secret items" not listed on the regular overhead menu. Some of these are listed on the children's menu, such as quesadillas, rice & beans bowl, or individual tacos. Other "secret items" are just combinations of existing ingredients like a sauce based on mixing a "to go" cup with half Tomatillo Red-Chili Salsa and half sour cream.
“Chipotle has always offered a new perspective on food,” said spokesperson Chris Arnold. “That comes from the food we serve, including more naturally raised meat than any restaurant in the world, but also from the experience. Sometimes that means working to help community organizations like the Sunrise Children’s Foundation and sometimes it means giving our customers burritos for 100 percent off just to say ‘thanks.’”
For more information or find a location, visit www.chipotle.com.
The two newest Chipotle Mexican Grill locations:
Chipotle - The Cannery
2546 East Craig Road., Ste. 100
North Las Vegas , NV 89030
702-633-4463 (phone)
702-642-2409 (fax)
Chipotle - The Arroyo
7340 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy, Ste. 100
Las Vegas , NV 89118
702-361-0203 (phone)
702-269-8102 (fax)