The ultimate insiders dish up Chipotle secrets you'll want to know
18 Secrets Chipotle Employees Won’t Tell You
Updated on May 17, 2025
We’re required to give specific sizes of food
“The general public doesn’t really know that we’re required to give one non-heaping spoonful of each food (beans, rice, meat). The spoons that we use are the perfect size for the portion we’re required to give out—they’re the exact circumference and they’re not curved, so we don’t give too much. We’re not skimping you—we promise—we’re just required to adhere to portion sizes, and that’s a good thing because most of the time the burritos are gigantic anyway.” —Gianna, former Chipotle employee in Rhode Island
You can ask for more—with a catch
If you do get a skimpy scoop of something, Gianna shares that you can usually bring it to the employee’s attention and get a little more free of charge. However, Heather, who worked at a Chipotle in New Jersey, cautions, “Some employees might pull out the ‘So you want double?’ which then costs extra.”
Here’s when you should stop in for the shortest lines
“The shortest lines would normally occur right as we opened—so around 11 a.m.—and then in between peak hours, so often from 2 to 5 p.m. My home store was surrounded by a few high schools, so on days that kids had half days or were off, we would be slammed during the day. The slowest days were Mondays and Tuesdays, and as the week progressed, the store would become increasingly busier.” —Stephanie, former Chipotle employee of three-and-a-half years
Use this hack to get more guacamole
“When people asked for guac to go, smart people asked you to bang the plastic container down on the counter to remove air bubbles and allow for more guac! You are paying extra for that.” —Heather, former Chipotle employee in New Jersey
Or make the guacamole yourself!
It takes about 48 avocados to make a batch of guacamole at Chipotle restaurants, and between each of the more than 3,700 locations, thousands of batches are made every day. Luckily, you only need two avocados (and a few other ingredients) to duplicate the Chipotle guac recipe at home.
We hate when you order the queserito
Having to make a queserito (a quesadilla topped with burrito ingredients and rolled up like a burrito) during the lunch rush is every Chipotle employee’s worst nightmare. “I think I speak for every past/present/future employee when I say that they are a pain to make—literally!” Stephanie says. “It’s rolling a quesadilla. Hot cheese burns.”
That’s not the only “secret menu” item
You can order three kinds of quesadillas at Chipotle: just cheese, cheese and meat, or cheese and vegetables. Stephanie has also seen people order nachos, where employees put chips in a bowl and then add the normal progression of ingredients on top.
Can’t finish that bag of chips?
Gianna suggests ordering the kid-size chips, especially if you get them as a side for a burrito bowl. You’ll get a smaller portion that costs less than a regular bag of chips.
Yes, there’s a way to keep your burrito from falling apart
“If you like to really load up on the salsas or ingredients, ask them to double wrap it for you! Adds a little extra tortilla security.” —Quinn, current PR and communications manager
This secret code can save you money
Saying the words “three-pointer” or “new button” can get you a cheaper version of your favorite meal. (Both phrases mean the same thing, but the terminology isn’t uniform between all stores.) Stephanie explains how it works:
“Chipotle’s ingredients are weighted on a point system, where ingredients that aren’t as expensive to purchase for inventory purposes are rated as one point (i.e., lettuce and rice), whereas ingredients like avocados, any of the meats and cheese are counted as two points each because they are more expensive to purchase for inventory. That said, a ‘three-point’ meal might consist of a bowl with rice, beans and tomatoes or a tortilla with just rice and cheese or a bowl of chicken and rice. Those options are not charged as much as a regular meal, due to the fact that they don’t have as many ingredients. Trust me, customers like to remind us of that when they order a three-pointer!”
You can order white rice with no cilantro
Cilantro haters, rejoice! Gianna reveals that Chipotle white rice is first made without cilantro, so it was easy for her to accommodate customers with that request.
Get two Chipotle tacos for the price of one
“Order tacos but request an extra soft tortilla to be put on the bottom (as a liner almost) as well. You finish your tacos, and boom: extra taco made up of the liner tortilla and the bits and pieces that fell out.” —Matt, current employee in Chipotle’s training division
If you have a big order, order online
It’s frustrating enough for employees to make eight items for one person, but it’s even worse when the customer remembers another meal they need at the last minute. Save everyone some time and make big orders online.
Some locations have a drive-thru window
Well, sort of. You can place an order on the Chipotle app or website and schedule a time to pick it up at a “digital pick-up window.” Right now, these windows are only available at select locations. It’s not your typical drive-thru scenario, but it’s convenient for getting grub on the go.
Game changer: Sides can be free
Although ordering something “on the side” should technically be charged as a side (about $1.25), each former employee we talked to said most locations will give sides of ingredients for free. This does not include meat, guacamole and queso. Ordering a side is technically different from getting extra of an ingredient. “However, if you order sour cream on your bowl and then get some on the side, it’s the same as just asking for extra sour cream on your meal to begin with,” Stephanie says.
Please don’t ask us to mix up the ingredients
“We can also mix up the contents of your burrito so you get a little of everything in each bite—but it is a huge employee pet peeve. When customers ask us to mix up the burrito, we would have to stop what we’re doing, grab a spoon, hand mix the contents of their burrito to an unsightly mushy mess and then wrap it. Especially with a line of people, this is a big inconvenience, and it’s rather disgusting for other customers to see because the ‘guts’ of a burrito once they’ve been mixed up like that are never a pretty sight.” —Gianna
Sometimes you can get your meal for free
“For us to ‘manager comp’ a customer (making their meal free), we usually assess the situation as it happens. By that I mean, if a customer was waiting for five or more minutes on fajitas to cook, we would most likely comp their meal for the inconvenience. If a customer had an issue with an online order, we would take their name down for a free meal on us the next time they came in.” —Stephanie
It pays to be nice to us—literally
“My personal favorite was when we had our regular customers who were genuine or personable. We would occasionally comp their meals for being so loyal to our store and as a token of our appreciation.” —Stephanie
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