Frederic Melton
Chipotle, a fast-casual dining chain, offers a variety of Mexican food options to its customers. The restaurant is known for its fresh ingredients and quick service, with a small but diverse range of ingredients. Customers can choose from various proteins, rice and bean options, salsas, veggies, and of course, cheese. The cheese options at Chipotle include shredded Monterey Jack cheese, which is included in the price of the meal, and queso, made with Monterey Jack, white cheddar, and peppers, which comes at an extra cost.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese type | Monterey Jack, White Cheddar |
| Texture | Semi-hard, Rich |
| Flavor | Mild |
| Meltability | Melts well |
| Source | Wisconsin, California |
| Manufacturer | Meister Cheese, Petaluma Creamery |
| Milk Source | Pasture-reared cows without rBST |
| Standards | Adheres to Chipotle's "Food with Integrity" standards |
| Restrictions | No artificial hormones, Antibiotics only for treating sick cows |
| Herd Requirements | Constant access to pastures, fresh water, and clean shelter |
| Production | Emphasis on sourcing from family farms and small-scale production |
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What You'll Learn
Chipotle's cheese options
Chipotle offers two types of cheese: shredded Monterey Jack and queso, made with Monterey Jack, white cheddar, and serrano, poblano, and chipotle peppers. The shredded cheese is included in the price of your meal, but queso always comes with an extra surcharge, whether added to a burrito bowl or ordered as a side with chips.
Monterey Jack is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk, and it is one of the 53 ingredients that Chipotle uses in its dishes. It has a rich texture and a mild flavor, making it a good pairing with bolder ingredients like salsa or seasoned proteins. It is also a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine, having been first produced in California by Mexican Franciscan friars. Chipotle sources its Monterey Jack from two creameries in Wisconsin and California, both of which adhere to the company's "Food with Integrity" standards. These standards include the restriction of antibiotics to treating sick cows only, no use of artificial hormones, and constant access to pastures, fresh water, and clean shelter for the cows.
Queso, a cheese sauce, was added to the menu in 2020 after the first version received backlash. The new version, or "Queso 2.0," is much creamier and has remained on the menu since its release.
While Chipotle has not made any official statements on extra shredded cheese, some employees and customers have noted that there is an unwritten rule where asking for more cheese after the third time will likely result in an extra charge.
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Monterey Jack cheese
Chipotle's cheese offerings include shredded Monterey Jack cheese, which is included in the price of your meal. The cheese is made in Wisconsin by Meister Cheese and in California by Petaluma Creamery, and it is produced from pasture-raised cows that are reared without rBST (bovine growth hormones). The cows are also not treated with antibiotics unless they are sick. The farms that supply the cheese adhere to Chipotle's "Food with Integrity" standards, which include restrictions on the use of artificial hormones and requirements for access to pastures, fresh water, and clean shelter.
Monterey Jack is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that melts well when exposed to heat. It has a rich texture and a mild flavor, making it a good complement to bolder ingredients like salsa or seasoned proteins. Chipotle uses shredded Monterey Jack in its burritos, tacos, and bowls. The cheese is also used to make quesadillas and the queso dip, which was introduced in 2020 and also includes white cheddar, serrano, poblano, and chipotle peppers.
While shredded cheese is included in the price of a meal, queso is always an extra surcharge, whether added to a burrito bowl or ordered as a side with chips. According to some Reddit users, asking for too much extra shredded cheese may result in an additional charge. However, Chipotle has not made any official claims regarding extra shredded cheese.
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White cheddar
Chipotle uses two types of cheese: Monterey Jack and white cheddar. While the former is more popular among customers, the latter is also a key ingredient in the chain's menu. White cheddar is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. Chipotle does not specify where its white cheddar is produced or from whom the milk is sourced. However, the company states that all its cheeses come from pasture-reared cows raised without rBST (bovine growth hormones).
Customers can add shredded cheese to their meals at no extra cost up to a certain point. However, requesting excessive amounts of cheese may result in an additional charge. Queso, on the other hand, always comes with an extra surcharge, whether it is added to a burrito bowl or ordered as a dip with chips.
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Queso 2.0
Chipotle has become a fast-casual dining empire since its founding in 1993, with its fresh ingredients and quick service. The restaurant chain has a small but mighty lineup of ingredients, and cheese is one of the most sought-after ingredients that Chipotle offers. The shredded white cheese that Chipotle uses is commonly known as Monterey Jack, a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. Chipotle's Monterey Jack cheese is used in quesadillas and queso dip, and happily added to any menu item.
Chipotle fans clearly love their Monterey Jack, but the chain also offers white cheddar. In fact, Chipotle limits itself to using only 53 ingredients, and two of those key elements are Monterey Jack and white cheddar. The brand's Monterey Jack is sourced from Wisconsin and California, from cows raised without bovine growth hormones.
In 2020, Chipotle introduced Queso 2.0, a new version of its cheese sauce that received widespread backlash. The updated sauce is made with Monterey Jack, white cheddar, and serrano, poblano, and chipotle peppers. Queso 2.0 is much creamier than the original and has remained on the menu ever since.
Queso is an extra surcharge at Chipotle, whether added to a burrito bowl or ordered as a dip with chips. However, a pinch or two of shredded cheese is included in the price of the meal. Turning a burrito into a glorified quesadilla with lots of extra cheese may result in an additional charge.
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Extra cheese surcharge
Chipotle offers shredded Monterey Jack cheese, a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that melts well. This cheese is included in the price of your meal and is often added to any menu item upon request. However, Chipotle has been known to charge extra for large amounts of shredded cheese. While the company has not made any official statements regarding extra shredded cheese, employees have stated that they are limited in how much they can give per customer. According to some Reddit users, asking for extra cheese more than twice may result in an additional charge.
Chipotle also offers queso, a cheese dip made with Monterey Jack, white cheddar, and peppers. Queso always comes with an extra surcharge, whether added to a burrito bowl or ordered as a side with chips. The introduction of queso to the menu in 2017 was a response to customer demand for a dippable cheese spread. The original recipe received negative feedback due to its texture, so Chipotle reformulated the sauce in 2020, resulting in a much creamier version that remains on the menu.
The availability and pricing of extra cheese at Chipotle may vary depending on the location and individual store policies. Some Reddit users who work at Chipotle have mentioned charging for extra sides of cheese when the customer does not order an entree or has already received cheese in their bowl. Others mention charging after a certain number of sides, usually three or four.
While Chipotle does offer cheese as a standard ingredient or side, the amount included in the meal price is limited. Customers who desire more cheese may be subject to an extra surcharge, particularly for large quantities of shredded cheese or the addition of queso to their order.
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Frequently asked questions
Chipotle serves two types of cheese: Monterey Jack and White Cheddar.
Monterey Jack is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that melts well when exposed to heat. White Cheddar is made from pasture-reared cows raised without rBST (bovine growth hormones).
The cheese at Chipotle is shredded and is included in the price of your meal up to a certain point. Queso, on the other hand, will always be an extra surcharge.
Chipotle's Monterey Jack cheese is made in Wisconsin by Meister Cheese, and in California by Petaluma Creamery. They do not specify where their White Cheddar is made.
