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How to Chipotle! (A Handy #HCSurvivalKit Guide)

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Shuyin Yu
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Lisa Chen
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar U Toronto Contributor

This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.

So it’s midterm season, you’re starving, and you finally made your way to one of the Chipotle Mexican Grills that are way too far away from the University of Toronto Campus. (Seriously though, why don’t we have one at U of T yet?) But the moment you walk into the door, you get overwhelmed by the amount of choices presented to you. What the Guac are you supposed to do?

I went out and made the best of my own Chipotle Experience and created a guide to help you through the perils of Chipotle–and, in doing so, got an amazing meal. Let’s be real, people, the best part of the #HCSurvivalKit is definitely the FREE CHIPOTLE BURRITO.

1. Know what you’re ordering!

BURRITO: your choice of rice, beans, protein/guacamole, fajita veggies, salsa, cheese, sour cream, and/or romaine lettuce all wrapped up in a beautiful, perfect tortilla.  

BURRITO BOWL: Same as the burrito, but with everything in a bowl instead of a tortilla.

TACOS: Soft flour or crispy corn tortillas filled with protein/guac, salsa, cheese or sour cream, and romaine lettuce.

SALAD: Romaine lettuce with your choice of beans, protein/guac, salsa, cheese, and the chipotle-honey vinaigrette.

2. Choose your “meat” or alternative.

CHICKEN: grilled and tender white meat.

STEAK: for those who like their red meat.

CARNITAS: braised, shredded pork.

BARBACOA: tender, shredded beef.

SOFRITAS: vegan, organic tofu that’s been packed with spices.

And for someone who doesn’t want any of the options above, there’s always GUACAMOLE at no extra charge!

3. Rice, Beans, Cheese, and Veggies, oh my!

 

CILANTRO LIME RICE: Comes in both white and brown varieties.

BEANS: Black and/or Pinto, both simmered to perfection.

FAJITA VEGGIES: sauteed bell peppers and onions, it’s a sweet way to get your veggies.

ROMAINE LETTUCE: for a little extra crispness.

CHEESE: the perfect blend of white cheddar and Monterey Jack.

4. Salsa? Yes please!

Fresh Tomato: the mildest of the four, it’s also the most chunky–but it’s delicate and fresh and a perfect veggie addition.

Roasted Chili-Corn: a medium salsa, whole kernels of corn add a sweetness to the entire dish.

Tomatillo-Green Chili: another medium salsa, this one is the greenish liquid. It might look a bit strange, but it is SO good.

Tomatillo-Red Chili: careful, it’s hot. This is the red liquid that resembles lava–try it, but be forewarned!

You can mix and match these salsas for sure, but watch out to make sure your burrito isn’t too soggy! Oh, and if it does get a bit too hot, just remember that you can always ask for some sour cream as well!

5. What the Guac do you mean that guacamole costs extra? (What you can get extra, and what you can’t.)

If you want a burrito bowl, but still have the tortilla, just ask for it on the side. It’ll be nicely wrapped and perfect for sharing!

Double Meat might cost extra, but you can still ask for two different kinds! Just ask for half of each.

Careful! If you order a protein, the guacamole is going to cost you extra!

You can mix and match anything in point three and point four–you can even ask for extra rice, beans, veggies, and salsa!

Be moderate and know that your burrito still needs to be wrapped! Or covered!

If you want to hack your order and get the most bang for your buck, check out this Buzzfeed video to get the biggest, bestest burrito ever: https://youtu.be/lCUctHYQQTs

You can get a side with your order at just about any location–salsa, guac, chips, and a refreshing drink are amazing complements to that perfect burrito that you now have.

Finally: ENJOY YOUR AMAZING ORDER.

Now that you mastered the power of the burrito, go forth, young Collegiettes, and enjoy that amazing win from the #HCSurvivalKit!

P.S.: Here are some extra helpful hints and suggestions

Unless you are alone in a Chipotle with a really nice staff, DO NOT for the love of Guac, ORDER THE QUESARITO. The people behind you will hate you for your inconsideration, and it’s extra work for the workers.

Want to sound like a pro? Don’t pronounce the L’s in “tortilla”! It’s actually more of a soft “Y” sound. Say “Tor-TEE-ya” rather than “Tor-TEE-la” and you’ll be fitting right in.

For those who didn’t win the Chipotle Mexican Grill coupons, never fret! We’ve still got you covered! If you love guacamole but can’t afford to pay extra for it, Chipotle released their recipe here: http://chipotle.com/guac-recipe (According to Buzzfeed, it’s pretty darn good. https://youtu.be/dlBGdtC_0ho )

Photo Credits:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3b/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill_logo.svg/1024px-Chipotle_Mexican_Grill_logo.svg.png

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2482394/thumbs/o-CHIPOTLE-FREE-BURRITO-570.jpg?17

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-10-28-Chipotle_burrito2.jpg

http://www.leanitup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/VegChipotleChips.png

http://www.hercampus.com/sites/default/files/2015/07/23/chipotle-giftcard.png

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Shuyin Yu

U Toronto

Shuyin is currently studying at the University of Toronto in the northern land of Canada. She specializes in English with a minor in Creative Expressions and spends her free time reading, writing, and being confused at other people. She has a passion for poetry, a soft spot for kittens, and a crippling caffeine addiction. Between her insanely complicated Starbucks drinks, ungodly large David’s Tea collection, she can be seen running around the St. George Campus, trying to figure out where her classes are. Luckily, she spends a good amount of her time in Graham Library and Hart House so she can always be found between the rich wood settings as she types away on her laptop. She also manages the social media outlets for the UToronto chapter, and is working on her GRE's while trying to boost her GPA. Besides working on a short story collection and a series of poetry for the past year, she occasionally freelances for the various papers and journals around campus. If she's staring at you, she's just people watching for inspiration. Maybe one day, she will be able to write full time--until then she’s moving full steam ahead towards graduate schools.
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Lisa Chen

U Toronto

Lisa Chen is currently a second year student majoring in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (it's a thing - I swear!) with a minor in English and a joint minor with Singapore National University in Asian Culture and Literature. When she is not editing articles for HerCampus and marveling at the amazing content her writers produce, Lisa is an executive on the Arts and Science Student's Union (ASSU) where she represents and advocates for the interests of over 24,000 students enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Lisa hopes to study law after graduation, preferably somewhere warm like California because Canadian winters are ridiculous and she loves high-waisted shorts. If you see her around campus, don't be afraid to come say hi! Especially if you love Adventure Time and Harry Potter as much as she does. 
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