Chipotle Bowl vs Burrito: Which Has More Food?

When visiting Chipotle, many customers wonder which option provides more food: the burrito or the bowl. This article aims to clarify the differences between the two and offer tips on maximizing your meal quantity.

Standard Portion Sizes

At Chipotle, a burrito generally contains less food than a bowl. The reason behind this is the wrapping method: a burrito involves all ingredients being tightly packed inside a tortilla, while a bowl has the same ingredients but is not as dense due to the open-top design. This allows for a slightly larger volume in a bowl despite potentially containing the same amount of ingredients.

Maximizing Your Meal Quantity

While a burrito typically has a smaller standard portion size, you can still get a larger portion by asking for extra servings of rice, beans, and other toppings. For instance, if you order a bowl and request extra servings of these items, you might end up with a larger overall volume compared to a standard burrito. This is especially true if you plan to get a double-wrapped burrito, which can be more challenging and messy for the staff to prepare.

Additional Ingredients

In addition to the main meal, you can also order side cups of additional ingredients or salsas. These can be useful if you’re concerned about your burrito being too chonky and want the added ingredients without the bulk. However, it's important to note that extra meats, guacamole, and queso will cost extra.

The Role of the Tortilla

It's worth noting that a burrito comes with a tortilla, which adds to the overall volume. The bowl contents, on the other hand, should essentially be the same as the tortilla contents, minus the tortilla itself.

Employee Training and Intuition

Chipotle employees are trained to feel the weight of the food they are giving out. While the article mentions that they are not formally trained to know the weight of the food, their training allows them to estimate the appropriate portion size based on their handling of the ingredients. This is why the bowl naturally tends to hold more food, even when the weights might be similar.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while both the bowl and the burrito can contain the same amount of ingredients, the open-top design of the bowl often results in a larger volume. However, if you're looking to maximize your portion size, ordering a bowl with extra servings of rice, beans, and other toppings is a great option. For those preferring a burrito, consider asking for extra ingredients to make up for the smaller size.