Qdoba Mexican Grill, Owned by Jack-In-The-Box

[cheezepowder]

I noticed that Qdoba Mexican Grill is now open in Rockville on Rollins Ave. right off Rockville Pike (128 Rollins Avenue). Also other locations in MD and one in downtown DC (555 11th Street NW). I found these reports that it's better than Chipotle or California Tortilla (I'm a Chipotle fan myself). Wondering if anyone else has tried it?

Yes, Chipotle is indeed owned by McDonald's. I've tried their stuff, and have never been terribly fond of it -- their tortillas always taste like the aluminum foil they're wrapped in.

I've had better luck with the offerings at Qdoba.

I think California Tortilla is consistently the best. I used to prefer Baja Fresh, but their quality has slipped over the last year and a half. For those who like Chipotle, I'd recommend trying Qdoba. Same quickness, but better and, for reasons I can't explain, seemingly fresher (both have the food by the counter all day).

[MBK]

I noticed that Qdoba Mexican Grill is now open in Rockville on Rollins Ave. right off Rockville Pike (128 Rollins Avenue). Also other locations in MD and one in downtown DC (555 11th Street NW). I found these reports that it's better than Chipotle or California Tortilla (I'm a Chipotle fan myself). Wondering if anyone else has tried it?

I had lunch at the one downtown the other week and found nothing to distinguish it from Chipotle or Baja Fresh. Except that they serve Dr. Pepper.

[laniloa]

We have Qdoba here but not Chipotle. I wish it were the other way around. There are certainly more choices at Qdoba but I have found the food to be dry and bland. The salsas at Chipotle taste fresher and zippier.

[jparrott]

Aw, c'mon, at Qdoba you can get 3-cheese queso with carne asada steak!

[zoramargolis]

3-cheese queso with carne asada steak!

Is that anything like "prime rib with au jus gravy"?

[silentbob]

Maybe they serve panini sandwiches and ramen noodles too.

I had never heard of this chain before. Apparently, they are owned by Jack In The Box, which can't possibly bode well.

[New Foodie]

I tend to prefer Qdoba to Chipotle, but I think that's just because I used to go there a lot in college (there's one in Winston-Salem, NC). They have a lot more choices, and I actually like their salsas better than Chipotle. The 3-cheese queso is tasty, and they have quesadillas as well.

Cal Tort is good, but different than both since their offerings are of the weird burrito variety (blackened chicken, bbq, etc)

[cheezepowder]

I've gone to Qdoba twice for lunch. It's got the burrito assembly line like Chipotle. Today they also had a friendly manager type asking everyone in line if they had any questions. I like Chipotle better. The food at Qdoba didn't have as much flavor as Chipotle (yeah, probably not as much salt either). I've tried the steak burrito, shredded beef soft tacos, chips, guacamole, and three cheese queso. Steak was a little gristly, the "hot" salsa wasn't spicy at all, and the guacamole was ok but kinda bland. The three cheese queso was good (similar to the queso at California Tortilla). The chips were ok the first time but had an off taste (like old oil) the second time.

[TimmySmith]

Had to try this out, so I went Saturday to Rollins Avenue.

I got my usual (at Chipotle) hard shell tacos (I have a crunch thing). First of all Qdoba has no Carnitas which was a huge strike in my opinion. Even Baja Fresh has added them. So I got shredded beef along with various other ingredients, some I selected, some I did not (read the workers did not understand english at all, I mean none).

I was saddened by the lack of a salsa bar, something Baja Fresh truly got right and Chipotle makes up for in other ways.

The tacos themselves were absolutely tasteless. No flavor at all, nada. The hot sauce was nothing special, it looks like the spectacular red sauce at Chipotle yet does not deliver. I suppose it may have been opening jitters and I will try it again, but as for now it has absolutely nothing on Chipotle or Baja Fresh.

[DonRocks]

You cretins go ahead and tout your guilty pleasures / secret shames at Taco Bell; mine can be found at Qdoba: A Vegetarian Burrito with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, fresh guacamole, cheese, light sour cream, and double hot sauce. This is so much better than the nasty, wilted, crumpled, sodium-ridden, fat-laden rat bait from Taco Bell that I can't believe that thread is still being perpetuated. Qdoba is to Taco Bell what Five Guys is to McDonald's - it's better on every single level except price and hours. Of the five fast-food burritos I've had in the past year or so (others were Baja Fresh, California Tortilla, Burrito Brothers, and Taqueria Poblano), I enjoyed this one the most by far. It may be guilt, but it's sustainable guilt.

Cheers,

Rocks.

ETA: Okay, so it does have a touch of sodium.

[deangold]

You cretins go ahead and tout your guilty pleasures / secret shames at Taco Bell; mine can be found at Qdoba: A Vegetarian Burrito with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, fresh guacamole, cheese, light sour cream, and double hot sauce. This is so much better than the nasty, wilted, crumpled, sodium-ridden, fat-laden rat bait from Taco Bell that I can't believe that thread is still being perpetuated. Qdoba is to Taco Bell what Five Guys is to McDonald's - it's better on every single level except price and hours. Of the five fast-food burritos I've had in the past year or so (others were Baja Fresh, California Tortilla, Burrito Brothers, and Taqueria Poblano), I enjoyed this one the most by far. It may be guilt, but it's sustainable guilt.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Yeah but its not open and on my way home from the restaurant. So when I have been dealing with a-hats all night long, and just feel like ramming my head repeatedly into a concrete column studded with broken glass till its a bloody pulp, Taco Hell will just have to do. But I am near one often enough at lunch time to put it on my list of placed to try.

[pax]

You cretins go ahead and tout your guilty pleasures / secret shames at Taco Bell; mine can be found at Qdoba: A Vegetarian Burrito with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, fresh guacamole, cheese, light sour cream, and double hot sauce. This is so much better than the nasty, wilted, crumpled, sodium-ridden, fat-laden rat bait from Taco Bell that I can't believe that thread is still being perpetuated. Qdoba is to Taco Bell what Five Guys is to McDonald's - it's better on every single level except price and hours. Of the five fast-food burritos I've had in the past year or so (others were Baja Fresh, California Tortilla, Burrito Brothers, and Taqueria Poblano), I enjoyed this one the most by far. It may be guilt, but it's sustainable guilt.

Easy there, killer! Get back to me when you're suffering from PMS in East Bumbleville, VA. Take pity.