Catering By Chipotle

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This past weekend I hosted a holiday party at my house. I am a firm believer that when you host a party your food should be the most important thing you showcase. People love to eat and they don’t want to just eat chips and dip. They want something hearty that is going to fill them up, especially if you serve drinks at your party as that will increase appetites.

I chose to go with Chipotle catering. They offered several delicious options that were perfect for my party and they served as few as 6 or as many as 200. I liked that they handled all of the food because it meant less work for me. I called 2 days in advance and they took my order quickly and efficiently.

I ended up going with the big meat spread for 20 people which included the following:

  • steak
  • chicken
  • carnitas
  • White and Brown Cilantro-Lime Rice
  • Black Beans
  • Pinto Beans
  • Fajita Vegetables (only with The Big Spread)
  • Fresh Tomato Salsa (mild)
  • Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa (medium)
  • Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa (medium hot)
  • Tomatillo-Red Chili Salsa (hot)
  • Sour Cream
  • Guacamole
  • Cheese
  • Lettuce
  • Chips
  • Crispy Taco Shells
  • Soft Flour Tortillas
  • Bowls, Utensils, Napkins
  • Serving Spoons & Tongs
  • Stands, Chafing Dishes & Fuel

When I got to the store everyone was super nice. An employee behind that counter handed me a complimentary drink to have while I waited for them to bring my order out. When it finally came out they carried it out to my car for me in 2 separate trips.

Here is what it looked like before it was all unpacked. My car smelled so good on the ride home.

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They give you EVERYTHING you need. Chafing dishes,  fuel,  stands, plastic serving spoons, tongs and paper bowls. All you have to do is put a bit of water in between the pans and the food and then light the sterno. All of the meats were individually labeled too.
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Chipotle’s chips are so good. They are flavored in a citrous lime salt which makes them unique in an ultra positive way. Their guacamole was also very  fresh and chunky too. The way real guacamole should be. It was hand mashed, ripe Hass avocados, mixed with freshly chopped cilantro, red onions, jalapeño peppers, citrus juice, and salt creating a  silky, sexy and delicious guacamole.
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The fresh tomato salsa  had Chopped red, ripe sweet tomatoes, mixed with red onions, jalapeño peppers and freshly chopped cilantro for a mildly tangy, refreshing taste. It wasn’t runny or soupy and it tasted terrific on all of the tacos.
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The “Big Spread” also includes shredded lettuce and shredded cheese which makes for a great salad along side your meal. I loved that the lettuce was bright green and crisp and there was no red or wilted pieces in the bowl. I saw a lot of my guests use the lettuce to top off their tacos.
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The crispy taco shells were plentiful and the perfect size to stuff meat into. They did not get soggy and held up really well.
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Now let’s talk about their meat. I ordered steak, chicken and carnitas. The steak looked and smelled really good. It was nicely seasoned and even had a little spice to it. However, upon eating it, we discovered the meat was bit tough and chewy and it was definitely the last thing to go.
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The carnitas on the other hand were amazing. It’s seasoned pork which was braised to perfection. It was tender and delicious and all of my guests were raving about it. It was definitely the first thing to disappear.
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The chicken was also really delicious too. It was tender having a delightful charred flavor and was not overly seasoned. I was told that Chipotle’s chicken is marinated overnight in their smoky, spicy chipotle pepper adobo, then grilled. The char marks impart a subtle caramelized flavor.
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If you have never had Chipotle’s cilantro lime rice you are missing out on something amazing. Their rice is simply a thing of beauty. It  is light, fluffy and never soggy,  They also gave us brown rice too which was great for an alternative.
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The pinto beans  were seasoned with several herbs and spices to achieve a smoky aroma and a mildly sweet heat. I loved these and I put it on top of my rice. It was a great combination.
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The black beans were  seasoned with cumin, garlic and other spices, then slow cooked until tender and slightly al dente.
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The fajita vegetables were perfectly cooked. The vegetables were fresh, sliced green bell peppers and red onion sautéed in a touch of soybean oil with chopped, fresh oregano. The vegetables were bright and slightly crisp. It was great having some vegetarian options for my guests too.
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My favorite ingredient of the night though was the roasted chili-corn salsa.  This Sweet, succulent corn,  was blended with roasted poblano peppers, jalapeño peppers, red onions and freshly chopped cilantro. I could have poured it on everything. We had some leftover and I ate it the next day with my eggs and a little meat.
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We also had Tomatilla-Green chili salsa, and the Tomatillo-Red Chili Salsa. Both made excellent additions to top off everyone’s meal. They were spicy and full bodied and even tasted great with the lime tortilla chips.

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Of course I baked some fudgy peppermint bites to finish off the night.

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I highly recommend Chipotle Catering for your holiday party or any event you may need to feed a large amount of people. The service is friendly and  they have a section on their website here describing special diet information. There are several vegetarian options including sofritas.  My guests were all happily full by the end of the night and everyone.

Here is some info about Chipotle you man not have known:

  • They serve the very best sustainably raised food possible with an eye to great taste, great nutrition and great value.
  •  Whenever possible they use meat from animals raised without the use of antibiotics or added hormones.
  • They source organic and local produce when practical. And they use dairy from cows raised without the use of synthetic hormones

For more information visit www.chipotle.com.

Chipotle Mexican Grill on Urbanspoon

18 thoughts on “Catering By Chipotle

  • February 2, 2014 at 3:24 am
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    Great detailed review! How was the portion size? Did it really satisfy 20 people?

    Reply
    • February 4, 2014 at 12:45 am
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      Joseph,yes. We had more than 20 people at our party and we still had leftovers.

      Reply
  • March 21, 2014 at 2:49 am
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    Hi just wonder how much should i order for 40 people?
    Thanks

    Reply
  • May 20, 2014 at 8:12 pm
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    VV I suggest calling your local Chipotle as they all vary.

    Reply
  • June 3, 2014 at 2:17 pm
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    Great review, thanks for this! For a birthday party of 20 adults and 20 kids, do you think the order for 20 people would suffice?

    Reply
    • June 3, 2014 at 5:26 pm
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      Yes, I do! We had a lot left over. I would suggest maybe ordering some extra burritos or something for the kids but this should be just fine.

      Reply
  • October 3, 2014 at 7:33 am
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    I had to feed 8 teenage boys and ordered Chipolte catering. When I called they informed me that the minimum order was 20….so reluctantly, thinking I would have so much left over, I ordered The Big Spread (3 meats) for 20. NEVER AGAIN!! 8 boys ate one burrito bowl each (only 2 had seconds) and my 13 yr old daughter had 2 soft tacos. The little amount of food they gave us was gone….ORDER FOR 20 fed 9 people!!! There was hardly any meat….if you look at this lady’s pictures….you can see the foil pan through the meat. The barbacoa that we received was a little mound in a big foil pan. The pans are only about an inch and a half deep…..so the rice just covered the pan’s bottom. It cost us $292!! I could have eaten in, had each order 2 burritos and it would have only been about $160!! Of course, they gave us about a year’s supply of sour cream!!

    Reply
  • November 7, 2014 at 8:57 pm
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    All these just for 20 people. I’m planning my son’s birthday and thinking of ordering as well. I have 30 adults.. should I order good for 30 or just a little less.

    Reply
    • November 8, 2014 at 6:08 pm
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      It depends. We still had food left over but not everyone ate. I think you will be good with this amount. You can always buy dessert for after.

      Reply
  • December 29, 2014 at 5:49 am
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    This post was very helpful! The Chipotle catering looks pretty good!

    Reply
  • May 14, 2015 at 8:21 pm
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    I am ordering this for a large graduation party. 150ish. do you think I should stick with that number or will I have too many left overs?

    Reply
    • May 16, 2015 at 6:21 pm
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      Tracy, this is for a party of 20, will you be ordering several of them?

      Reply
  • July 16, 2015 at 5:08 pm
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    Did they give you free catering in exchange for the review? I know Chipotle does that a lot. And I agree with Nancy Trauffler, Chipotle is pretty expensive for the amount of food you get. I LOVE Chipotle but it’s definitely a once-in-a-while food for me.

    Reply
  • August 27, 2017 at 3:03 pm
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    So, this was forever ago but I’m planning a partyy for 25 adults and 15 kids and I’m wondering if I need to order based on 40 or less?
    Thank you.

    Reply
  • November 6, 2018 at 5:58 am
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    Well this is extremely fascinating indeed. Would like to read just a little more of this. Excellent post. Thanks for the heads-up…This blog was really insightful and knowledgeable.

    Reply

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