It is an example of the new iteration of chain eateries that focus on quick, fresh, and hip.
Chipotle Mexican Grill in ChicopeeFocusing on freshness, Chipotle likes to characterize itself as serving "food with integrity." The chain sources organic and local "when practical" (their words, not ours) and tries to use meats from animals raised in a sustainable manner.
The Chicopee location, which is sited adjacent to the Massachusetts Turnpike entrance on Memorial Drive, offers a warm-toned but decidedly industrial environment. There's a minimum of decorative enhancement -- seating, lighting, floors, and ceiling treatments are all starkly utilitarian.
An outdoor dining terrace is available.
Service is walk-up style. After ordering, patrons move along a display line, directing the assembly of their burrito or taco from among various ingredients offered.
Everything is served on disposables.
The bill of fare at Chipotle Mexican Grill is thus more component list than menu. Only four end-product categories are described: burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads.
Pricing is determined by the protein component incorporated. Chicken and vegetarian items are $6.45, while those built with beef or pork cost $6.85.
Those four core ingredients can be customized with a variety of items such as lime-cilantro rice, pinto beans with bacon, various salsas, chopped romaine, grated cheese, and more.
Additional sides such as Chips & Salsa ($2) are also available.
An order of Chicken Tacos ($6.45) took its cue from Chipotle's adobo-marinated, grilled chicken. Three soft corn tortillas (crisp fried shells are also available) were layered with chicken chunks and garnished with fresh tomato salsa before being topped with grated cheese and romaine lettuce.
The chicken contributed a smoky, spicy heat; the other ingredients were just the fresh and cooling counterpoints the composition required.
A burrito filled with Carnitas (seared, braised pork -- $6.85) also got a measure of kick from its meat component. White rice infused with cilantro and lime added an interesting taste bud experience, as did vegetarian black beans. We also requested a few spoonfuls of sour cream and a measure of roasted chili-corn salsa.
The result was a fairly spicy tortilla roll-up of generous, though not exactly belly-busting, proportions.
Our third choice, a Bowl made with Barbacoa (braised beef -- $6.85), was our favorite of the three. The beef had been simmered in a thin tomato-and-chipotle pepper sauce, a process that both tenderized and deeply flavored the meat.
Ladled over brown rice and garnished with a scoop of bacon-laced pinto beans, some grated cheese, fresh tomato salsa, romaine, and an extra-charge ($1.95) double dollop of guacamole, the meat made the bowl into particularly satisfying experience.
We also shared an order of Chips & Guacamole ($3.15). The fresh-fried chips were crisp and tasty, and the "guac" turned out to be a lush treat whose delicate avocado flavor wasn't obscured by excessive onion, cilantro or salt.
However, the latter two tastes, along with cumin and spicy heat, ended up being major flavor themes in most everything we sampled. Their universal presence wasn't objectionable, but they do apparently bracket the experience Chipotle customers get to enjoy.
Moreover, those for whom "mild" means more-or-less spice-free are unlikely to favor what Chipotle Mexican Grill has to offer. Even though we made deliberate efforts to lower the voltage in some of the items we ordered, we found the heat nonetheless quite noticeable.
Though some Chipotle Mexican Grill outlets offer beer and margaritas, beverage selections at the Chicopee location are limited to soft drinks and bottled juices.
No desserts are available.
Kids visiting Chipotle Mexican Grill get to choose from Cheese ($3.25) or Meat ($3.75) Quesadillas, and a kid's Taco Kit ($4.25) is also available.
In addition to an ordering app for smart phones, Chipotle Mexican Grill offers on-line and fax ordering at its web site chipotle.com.
There's a second Springfield-area Chipotle location at 7 Hazard Avenue in Enfield, CT.
Name: Chipotle Mexican Grill
Address: 530A Memorial Drive, Chicopee
Phone: (413) 592-5455
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Entree Prices: $6.45-$6.85
Credit Cards: All major cards accepted
Handicapped Access: Accessible, with rest rooms equipped for wheelchairs
Reservations: Not taken