I ordered a kids meal through the drive-thru at around 10 PM (chicken, quesadilla, white rice, and beans) and picked it up within about 5 minutes of ordering.
There were multiple issues with the order. No utensils were included, so my friend had to go inside to request them. We were also told they were out of chips, which was disappointing but understandable.
Once I opened the meal, I realized I had been given brown rice instead of the white rice I ordered. When my friend asked about it, staff explained they were out of white rice and substituted brown rice without letting us know or giving us the option. A quick explanation at the window would have gone a long way.
The food itself was also cold. The quesadilla cheese was barely melted and still visibly separated instead of melted together, and the meal did not seem freshly prepared despite being picked up shortly after ordering.
Most concerning, the chicken appeared undercooked, which made me uncomfortable finishing the meal.
I also attempted to resolve the issue through the app’s support/refund system, but my request was automatically denied despite the combination of order inaccuracies, food quality issues, and food safety concerns.
For context, I worked at Chipotle previously, so I understand late-night shifts, ingredient shortages, closing tasks, and that mistakes happen. I’m not expecting perfection. What made this frustrating is that the store was completely empty when I picked up my order, so this didn’t seem like a case of being overwhelmed or backed up. Communication about substitutions, serving food at proper temperature, and basic order accuracy are normal standards, and this experience missed those standards across multiple areas.