Qdoba Mexican Grill

CLOSED as of July 2013. Thanks to Jose for making all those chicken burritos so well with that extra dash of habanero salsa.

3.5 stars.
I first tried Qdoba at a recent Unilocal event and returned last night to use a free entrée with drink purchase coupon we received courtesy of Unilocal!Lovely perks! Anyway, Qdoba has a build-​your-​own entrée menu similar to Chipotle, but with slightly more options. They have some special sauces, such as 3 queso and mole sauce… which I haven’t tried but they sound good. Taste-​wise, there’s really no complaints. Food is solid! Rice, beans, meat, salsa, corn, sour cream… always a winning combination. And the salsa’s definitely got more heat than the ones at Chipotle which is a plus.
If you’re in a salad mood, try the Mango Salad! It’s really refreshing and served in a taco bowl. Would get again.

Been here about three times now and service has always been really great. Always been given a burrito fit for a king and they are more than happy to give you samples of their salsa on the side. At least they do it when I’m there. :)
Their burritos are pretty bomb. I might like them a little more than Chipotle if they added free guac to my veg burrito like Chipotle does.
Clean place, good food, good service.

Not on par with Chipotle, but decent fast for a fast Mexican fix.

It’s been probably three years since I’ve had Qdoba, and a Chicken Mexican Gumbo was calling my name! Just as good as I remembered it, and I ate the whole bowl =) Even better, they offered it with a drink for $ 6.00 if you had a college ID. Good thing for me, I still have mine. Bad thing, I no longer have my qdoba card from college =(

3 ½ stars. It’s Chipotle-​like. Super fast and customizable. I prefer the «naked» burrito. I got the chicken which was decent. I like that they have queso, and it’s pretty good. I appreciated that they gave me as much lettuce as I wanted, which was quite fresh.
The portion was huge. I ate it for lunch and dinner and was full from both.

Qdoba felt like I stepped into a Baja Fresh, but wants so bad to be a Chipotle. They have an extensive menu of typical fast food Mexican food such as burritos, tacos, etc. I tried their Craft 2 Combo where you can pick two items from a truncated «healthy» menu. I got two tacos with steak and gumbo with chicken. I did like the fact that their portions are a good large size, but I think that the rice and beans lacked flavor. Even the local taco trucks around the area have food that are more flavorful than this place. I thought that the employees that work here were really nice, but I feel that they need to improve their eye fatiguing menu and food if they want to compete with the authentic Mexican food around the area.

It was okay. It was my first time here and the first thing that comes to mind is a Chipotle knock off. I honestly haven’t heard of this place until I drove past by it in Alhambra and Unilocaled it. I had the regular chicken burrito. The white rice was bland, and the chicken had little flavor. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good, just felt like something was missing. The service was great even though the lady gave me pinto beans when I specifically said black beans –_​_​– other then that, it’s was good.

Had a grilled chicken burrito with a whole wheat tortilla and brown rice. I’m glad they had the healthier option available at no additional cost. Staff was very nice and helpful with making choices, as there were a lot to make. They have a great combo options too. This location is always clean and less crowded, and that’s why I come here over the Alhambra Chipotle.

CON: 1 star for this experience of not being able to use the Unilocal check-​in offer!
For my first time here, I came here expecting to use the Unilocal check-​in offer for an entrée & drink for $ 5. Unfortunately, the check-​in offer isn’t valid anymore!!! x| I learned this AFTER I came into the restaurant! x (Not until I checked in did I see the expiration date for 10÷31÷12.
So my message to Qdoba would be… «PLEASE take OFF that expired check-​in offer or update the expiration date!!»
PRO: Food was fine, so 4 stars.
Otherwise, the food I ordered was good. I ordered the Naked Burrito (similar to Chipotle’s burrito bowl) w/​Grilled Flat Iron Steak.
So overall, this place would be a 2.5 star place only because I couldn’t use the Unilocal check-​in offer.

Stingy with portions. Especially later in the night it seems as if they don’t want to make more so they dole it out less so as not to run out and have to make more.
That said, it’s never been crowded when I’ve come.
Overall, meh.

In short, it’s Mexican with its quirks.
In the last three weeks, I’ve tried pretty much every ingredient Qdoba offers and have tried some form of every entrée they make. (They offered customers at this location a free entrée for every 5000 steps on a pedometer, so I bit.)
Salsas:
Pico de gallo: Pleasant and mild. I’ll add this to anything except the ranchera burrito.
Verde: Tart, medium heat. Works best with the pork IMO.
Roja: Medium heat. I like this with the shredded beef or steak.
Habañero: Pleasantly spicy, not overly so. Mix with sour cream to migitate the heat.
Corn: Mild.
Black bean and corn: Only available with the taco salad, otherwise extra. Mild.
Ranchera: Saucy. Only available with the ranchera burrito or bowl, otherwise extra. I like the garlicky kick.
Ancho BBQ: Sweet, zesty. I just don’t care for this in my burrito, but my wife likes this with pulled pork.
Salad dressing: Creamy, spicy, fat free. Tastes like the first two.
Meats:
Steak: My first choice. Lean and good flavor.
Chicken: Hit or miss. Get it if it’s moist and fresh.
Shredded beef: Tender, mild, distinct cumin taste.
Pulled pork: Tender, mild. Could use more heat.
Ground beef: Mild. I’d use this in taco salads or nachos.
Veggies:
Guacamole: Tart from the lime, creamy, delicious.
Fajita onions and peppers: Soft, tender, flavorful. Available only with the ranchera burrito, otherwise extra.
Grilled veggies: Squash, zucchini and red pepper with lemon pepper. Just seems to me like it doesn’t belong here.
Lettuce: Romaine. I pile this on in a vegetarian burrito.
Dairy:
Sour cream: There are two bins of this — one for the quesadillas (thicker) and one for the other dishes (thinner). They taste the same.
Cheese: Standard issue jack.
Queso sauce: Peppery and spicy. A worthwhile add-​on. Get this with the steak.
Tortillas: I tried the chips and taco salad shell. They’re kinda chewy. I’d stay away from those and just use soft tortillas or go «naked». Oh, the whole wheat tortilla isn’t bad either. Mrs. G prefers her quesadillas on wheat.
Rice: Make sure it’s soft. One time it was under-​cooked.
The Queso burrito with steak has been my go-​to before (and still is when I’m really hungry), but oddly, the Vegetarian burrito (the one with guacamole, not the «grilled veggie» with the squash) is my newest favorite.
Service is friendly and helpful.
Pay attention to the Facebook page (qdobasocal) for deals like the one I scored. They have a Mobile club too.

You’re like Chipotle but pricier!
Qdoba is located in this small strip mall with Starbucks, Subway, and Jamba Juice. I wanted to get a salad from Subway but decided to check what this place had to offer.
The assembly line is just like Chipotle. In fact they offer a lot of things here like Chipotle but what stood out to me was the Mango Salad! I skipped the tortilla shell and got myself some greens, black beans, corn salad, salsa, and that mango dressing/​salsa (diced up red onions, mango, and tomatoes with some cilantro). Pretty tasty and all vegetarian! I docked off a star because this was pretty pricey! The salad with a drink is about $ 10! Since I checked in on Unilocal,I got $ 5 off for an entrée and a drink. Phew!
Can you lower your prices please? I’d probably frequent you more if you did!

These places are popping up everywhere, Chipotle, Qdoba, and now Café Rio. The food is good but not great. The only thing that I would change is that the food should be served hotter, we ordered tacos and the tortillas were cold. Heat up the tortillas!

It’s like chipotle. American take on Mexican food. I occasionally drop by for lunch since it is across the street from my work. It’s not horrible, but do not go here if you want authentic Mexican food.

Went to lunch here the other day… never knowing the existence of Qdoba or how much I’d become obsessed with it. ;) Wish there was a closer location!
Like Chipotle… fresh ingredients… make as you order… they have burritos, tacos, nachos and GUMBO! Choose your meat, choose your type of beans… rice? Choose your salsa… Add cheese, sour cream and/​or avocado.
Clueless? They were nice to not laugh at my ignorance of Qdoba and all the many, many options that were in front of me.
Why is it better than Chipotle? Cleaner, VERY nice staff (at this location, and the Upland location — review coming soon!), more options, and GUMBO!
Have I mentioned the gumbo yet? It’s like a Mexican stew made how I want it. :)

I stopped here the other day simply because it was nearby somewhere I had to be. I’ve eaten here before but I must have forgotten the experience.
It mimics Chipotle, but is stingy with the ingredients. A burrito bowl was $ 6+ and quac was $ 1.19. The shredded beef was on the tough side. The service was good, but the taste was just not there. The guac was good.

I’ve been here 3 – 4 times now, and I still can’t get myself to love this place… I mean everything here looks good enough, the menu actually has a great combination of things that should satisfy almost anyones taste… I can’t really pin point it, but I always leave this place feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Maybe its poor ingredients, or poor execution of putting everything together. At least the everything feels clean and well kept.
Overall, theres nothing about this place that I love, but theres also nothing that I hate. I think the Mexican Gumbo is probably the best thing.

I came here with a bunch of schoolmates. It really just reminds me of Chipotle. My order was the Queso burrito with grilled chicken. I couldn’t tell what’s so special about the cheese but maybe I’m just not a burritos person.
A complementary soft drink comes with showing your student ID! =)

Heh, I don’t blame everyone for comparing Qdoba and Chipotle. They really are very similar
I don’t get Qdoba much cause there are fewer locations around. The flavors here are lighter. It’s something good and different whenever I get it. Yum!