This Is Hands Down The Worst Mexican-Style Fast Food Chain

Mexican food is one of those cuisines with global appeal. The combination of meat, cheese, beans, rice, and spices wrapped in a tortilla (in all its various forms) delights diners across the globe, and plenty of US food chains are built upon delivering tasty treats from south of the border. While these chains vary in their authenticity to Mexico's fantastic food culture, some provide great taste, some provide great value, and some ... some are Chipotle.

Chipotle's buffet-style service and easy customization made it one of the most popular fast food chains in America, but it has been blighted with problems concerning food safety, shrinkflation, and overcharging. The slack handling of health violations has given Chipotle a bad reputation it can't quite shake. When over 1,000 customers got sick from eating its food between 2015 and 2018, Chipotle ended up having to pay a $25 million fine (roughly the cost of getting guacamole on your burrito). It's no wonder Chipotle had the dishonor of taking the bottom spot in our Mexican-style fast food chain rankings.

While the constant health violations at Chipotle have slowed down this decade, there are still other reasons to avoid the chain if you're looking for a Mexican-ish experience. The serving sizes have shrunk so far that Chipotle went viral on TikTok. Many users shared frustration with how little the employees scoop onto your burrito bowl, especially if you order online and can't object to the measly crumbs of carnitas on offer. 

The problem got so bad that even the CEO had to admit to the shrinking portion sizes. In a statement emailed to "Good Morning America" (via ABC), Chipotle's Chief Corporate Affairs and Food Safety Officer, Laurie Schalow, said that the company had "reinforced proper portioning with our employees." On top of everything, adding a couple of spoonfuls of guacamole now sets you back around $3, depending on location.

However, sometimes there's a silver lining to the portion sizes being small: some of the food just ain't it. Take, for instance, how unhealthy Chipotle's salad options can be, with some adding up to over 1,000 calories. There was also the time it released a queso so bad that people on Twitter would throw it in the trash, coinciding with a dip in the company's stocks (excuse the pun). With new Mexican-style chain restaurants on the rise, there are fewer and fewer reasons to step into a Chipotle these days, and we think that's a rare bit of good news.