It has taken more than two decades for Chipotle to release their own queso, and on September 12, the Mexican grill chain rolled out the cheesy-goodness in restaurants nationwide. However, has the queso lived up to expectations?
Simply, no. Chipotle’s rendition has its issues rooted in taste and texture and has no business being synonymous with what so many call “liquid gold”.
The queso is notably bland and lacks any wow-factor when it comes to taste. Not only does it lack any semblance to authentic (aka Moe’s) queso, it’s thick and clumpy, differing from the smooth and silky texture we are used to (from Moe’s). Then to send the last domino crashing down, it’s yellow.
Since when is queso yellow?
For some time, the distinct difference between Chipotle, and its closest competitor, Moe’s Southwestern Grill, has been the availability of queso. Though Chipotle’s new queso is new and creative, it still does not match to Moe’s signature side dish. “The queso was decent because of its originality, but it lacked flavor and just doesn’t compare to the queso that Moe’s offers,” said Tommy Inacio, senior.
Chipotle says they were patient and precise when developing the queso, making sure to only real ingredients were used. Although Chipotle’s queso is “healthier”, it certainly has not benefitted the restaurant’s reputation.
Perhaps the introduction of queso is Chipotle striving to mend a tainted reputation that stems from food contamination over the years. Is the queso enough for Chipotle to bounce back? We’ll let your taste buds decide.
