1 Oak Street
Westborough, MA 01581
508.366.0653
A word on how I write these. They are based on going out for business or with friends, so writing them becomes an offshoot of one of those events. They are written in advance of a self-imposed Friday posting timeframe.
Sometimes, when I look at the calendar and see nothing in queue along with no upcoming business meetings, I must head out to find new alone!
Such was the case today. This is being written on Mother’s Day, and I intended to review Sabatinis. Alas, they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Bruce Tretter may be Mr. Gotta-Eat, today I was Mr. Gotta-Post. I shot down Rt 30 with the idea of reviewing the Chateau, and they were (spoiler alert) thankfully packed and I didn’t have to go in (not a fan.)
Heading west on Route 9, I was in a quandary when I saw the sign for Chipotle Mexican Grill. I have never been to a Chipotle, and was intrigued with the idea of a Gourmet Burrito. After all, Starbucks made coffee a gourmet item. Most of my experience with Burritos came from food carts in downtown Boston, where Herrera’s makes an awesome lunchtime Burrito.
As I walked up to the restaurant, I was surprised the outside patio had no patrons. That should have been a warning, and I wrote it off as Chipotle not being a Mother’s Day destination.
What I was expecting was upscale. What I got was a Moe’s. I like Moe’s, especially the shouted 
greeting. Chipotle claims to be the initiator of a new category, fast casual.
Entering Chipotle reminded me more of a McDonalds. With everything prepared in the back.
Heading to the back, there was no greeting. In fact, there was nobody at the counter. There were a handful of people in the back busying themselves.
Eventually Muhammad came to the counter, and offered to make me a sandwich. He prepped a tortilla and asked what I would like.
There is a reason I don’t like salad bars. I don’t make a great salad. Hmm, how am I going to make a great burrito?
Recalling how the lunch cart guys in Boston make them, I selected a series of ingredients like a seasoned pro. Asking for steak, Muhammad immediately turned and asked a young woman for steak. “I’m doing chicken now,” was the response. Not wanting to argue with a woman with a knife, we patiently waited.
Spying a beer in the cooler, I went for a Corona to go with my burrito. Sadly,
no lime was offered. And I was firmly instructed not to go on the patio with my beer, after being carded.
The bill seemed rather high for a “burrito joint”, $13.16. No tip was required, making this seem again more like a McDonalds.
Sitting with my burrito, inside of course, I noticed my burrito was loosely 
wrapped, and the ingredients didn’t all seem to be working together. I did have guacamole, and found the sandwich was a guacamole sandwich with some additions. Not what I had in mind.
As I began eating, I took note of the restaurant. While all the tables were 
cleaned, I noticed rice and other stuff on the ground and a wrapper behind the recycling bin. Many restaurants have messes on the floor at the end of a rush; this was at 3:00 in the afternoon, and there was no rush going on.
Overall, I was disappointed. My burrito wasn’t great, the place didn’t seem clean, and it was overpriced for what I got. Fast Casual? How about Fast Overpriced? Moe’s at 61 Turnpike Road in Shrewsbury is a far better option.
Hours
Mon-Sun 11am-10pm
Chipotle Mexican Grill gets an RED LIGHT…use caution.
About the RAG scale:
Green Light – Go and enjoy
Amber Light – Use caution
Red Light – Save your time and money