TL
Takaiya Lee
Sep 18, 2026
I visited this Chipotle around 3 PM, when it was fairly empty, so I expected the service to be pretty straightforward. Unfortunately, it was anything but.
The customer before me received a HEAPING bowl — and I mean HEAPING. Generous portions of protein, toppings, everything. Then it was my turn, and suddenly the portion sizes went on a diet. The employee put what looked like half a scoop of chicken in my bowl, causing me to have to pay for double protein just to get a reasonable amount.
She was so consumed with making sure the cashier knew I had double protein that she started skipping over my ingredients and toppings. Multitasking clearly wasn't on the menu either.
Then came our kids' quesadilla — and yes, you guessed it: barely put together.
After making our food, instead of continuing to do her assigned job on the line and helping the customer behind us, she walked over to the register to help ring up items. Mind you, there was already another employee working the register. So now the line worker has abandoned the line, the customer behind us is waiting, and we're all just standing there wondering what exactly is happening. At 3 PM. In a fairly empty restaurant. Interesting.
Then came the interaction that really took the experience from frustrating to uncomfortable. We asked about the new Chili Lime chips, and she explained that they didn't come with the kids' meal. Fine. But then, in Spanish, she said, “Oh, they're trying to get something for free.”
Excuse me?
Was that comment made because I'm Black? I can't say for certain, but it certainly felt unnecessary and disrespectful. And here's a little news flash: Black people can be bilingual too. Speaking Spanish around us doesn't mean we don't understand what you're saying.
You would think we were asking for something out of her personal wallet instead of simply asking a question about an item.
She was so worried about making sure we were charged for everything that she somehow managed to miss ingredients, barely put together a kids' meal, leave her station while a customer was waiting, and make an unnecessary comment about us — all in one visit. You would think the ingredients were coming directly out of her paycheck.
For a location serving the Duke Medical area, this experience is embarrassing. What about the families who come through here after visiting a loved one or receiving the worst news of their life? The bare minimum should be kindness, professionalism, and getting someone's food right.
The portion inconsistency was annoying, but the attitude and unnecessary comment are what really made this experience unacceptable. Definitely not the experience I expected.