My last taste of Chipotle Mexican Grill was the past Summer in New York. I have been left Chipotle-less for 6 months and when I got word that Chipotle was coming to Vancouver, I jumped for joy and so did my friends. We are a bit nuts, so once, we actually drove to Seattle just for Chipotle. When Chipotle invited me for a preview of the restaurant the night before the December 13th, 2012 opening, I had to say yes!
Chipotle Vancouver is the 6th location in Canada. After a successful launch in Toronto with 5 restaurants, it was time for them to come to Vancouver. Even though this is the first location in Downtown Vancouver, there are plans to expand to bring in more locations. There is no word on when or where, but expect more Chipotle locations in the near future.
All their ingredients are local and organic, so it is not 100% the same as the other Chipotle locations around the world.
The Vancouver location has huge windows so you can see everyone inside enjoying their meal.
They have some funky seating in the front.
The interior has lots of seating and each table is lit up with light overhead.
The high tables have bag hooks! BAG HOOKS! As a woman with a purse, it’s very important to have those since it’s kinda gross putting your bag on the floor. Or if you have shopping bags, it works wonders too.
You start by picking your type of item, then protein, and then all the filler to go inside. All basic items are $8.95. Guacamole is $2.21, which in my opinion is quite expansive…but it is real avocado.
Line up on the right side of the restaurant and work your way down the line as you create your perfect meal. The staff is very friendly and can help if you have questions.
Depending on your item, you can choose white rice or brown rice, then pinto or black beans.
The hard part is choosing the protein – chicken, steak, carnitas, or barbacoa.
Then you can add a variety of salsa from mild, medium, and hot. Throw on some sour cream, cheese, and lettuce. Remember, the guacamole is extra.
Depending on what you add-on after you build your burrito, it can cost you anywhere between $10 and $20. On the bright side they offer beer and margarita too. If you have kids, there is a kids menu too. I wish I was a kid sometimes.
The drink fountain is on the side.
If you are not in the mood for sugary pop, they have unsweetened tea. I keep thinking this is water, but it’s not.
Don’t forget your napkins, it will come in handy! There are also variations of Tabasco sauce for you to add a kick to your meal.
Chips ($1.20)
You can also add guac or salsa dips for a small charge.
Burrito ($8.95) cross-section looks like that. I couldn’t suggest you eat it like this unless you were sharing with a friend. It would definitely get messy.
M made his burrito without any vegetables, just rice, pinto beans, hot salsa, and steak. Sometimes it good to forget about the vegetables and ask for more rice, beans and salsa. You really can make your burrito anyway you like!
Soft Shell Tacos ($8.95) comes in 3 pieces. @Cruzpresso ordered his with all the same ingredients, but you can have different proteins in each taco if you preferred.
Hard Shell Taco ($8.95) comes in 3 pieces too. It’s a bit hard to eat if you are a messy eater. Remember to grab some napkins.
Salad ($8.95) has the lettuce underneath and all the toppings piled on top! The protein that came with this item was the steak. It’s chewy like a steak but it deliciously marinated.
Bowl ($8.95) + Guacamole ($2.21) I added carnitas meat and everything except the cheese into my bowl.
Thats what the inside of the bowl looks like. It was delicious and oh so filling.
Chicken Bowl ($8.95) minus the lettuce haha.
The chicken is hiding under all the ingredients. The chicken was quite tasty and flavourful.
We ate everything except for the kid’s meal or the vegetarian options. Burritos and bowls are quite popular! You can’t go wrong with any of the meats either. My person favorite item is the bowl with the barbacoa. It’s a good place to go if you are particular about your food. It’s very customizable to how you want it made.
If you are used to the Chipotle in the US, just know…the portions look smaller and you are paying about $2 more.
It’s great to have Chipotle in Vancouver, BC but it is quite similar to Red Burrito. In the end, the whole table agreed that Chipotle did taste better and they are dedicated to bring in good ingredients that are local, fresh, organic, and have no synthetic hormones.
Chipotle Mexican Grill is ready to start serving customers December 13th, 2012 at 11am!
We Rate Chipotle Mexican Grill: 
Address:
818 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC
Website:
http://www.chipotle.com/
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