UPDATE: Sept. 18, 2017 at 1:30 p.m.
It's only been a week since Chipotle started selling queso nationwide, and early reviews aren't looking so hot for the chain.
Many customers are taking to social media to air out their frustrations over the new menu item, and the overall consensus is that Chipotle's new all-natural queso — made from cheddar cheese, tomatillos, tomatoes, and a variety of peppers — is pretty disappointing.
These reviews come after Chipotle released a statement announcing it tweaked its original recipe — which it tested at 350-plus locations in California and Colorado this past August — after getting customers' feedback. Apparently, the cheese dip still isn't worth the type:
The truth definitely hurts. But, again, it's only been a little over a week since its release, so hopefully Chipotle can take this feedback in stride and try tweaking the recipe a bit more.
UPDATE: Sept. 06, 2017 at 12:40 p.m.
Earlier this summer, Chipotle began testing queso at lucky restaurants in New York, Southern California, and Colorado. After a seemingly successful run, the cheesy dip is launching nationwide beginning Tuesday, September 12.
According to a press release, the sauce can be added to an entrée for $1.25, or purchased as a large side for $5.25, though prices may vary slightly by location.
Chipotle's hesitation regarding queso, which customers have long asked for, had to do with finding a way to make it using natural ingredients.
"Additives make typical queso very consistent and predictable, but are not at all in keeping with our food culture," CEO Steve Ells said in a statement. "Our queso may vary slightly depending on the characteristics of the aged cheddar cheese used in each batch, but using only real ingredients is what makes our food so delicious."
The dip is made from cheddar cheese, tomatillos, tomatoes and several kinds of peppers, and doesn't include any preservatives or added colors or flavors.
ORIGINAL POST: July 10, 2017 at 2:42 p.m.
If you've ever wished Chipotle made queso, you're not alone. According to Eater, the cheesy dip is the most requested dish that's not on the menu at Chipotle. But that's all about to change. Starting today, people can order queso and other new menu items at the Chipotle NEXT Kitchen at 504 6th Avenue in New York.
"All of our competitors sell queso, and we know some customers don't come to Chipotle because we don't offer it," Chipotle CEO Steve Ells said in an internal memo sent to the company's approximately 65,000 employees today.
So why hasn't Chipotle jumped on the cheesy bandwagon yet?
"But because we refuse to use industrial additives, added colors, flavors or preservatives in our food, it's very difficult to make queso that meets our standards," Ells said in the memo.
In addition to serving queso, the Chipotle NEXT Kitchen will also debut a salad with an avocado citrus dressing, plus frozen margaritas including a classic version with blanco tequila as well as a virgin strawberry margarita.
So when will the rest of America be able to get their hands on Chipotle queso? If the dish ends up being extremely popular at the NEXT kitchen, Chipotle will consider rolling it out to as few as 20 locations up to "a couple hundred" restaurants Ells told Eater.
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