Now I love ALL Chipotles on the earth, but this one holds a special place in my heart. One day I decided that it would be a really good idea to order food online to pick up at like 5:15 after I got off work. But then when I called this lady was like, "yo we close at 5, sorry." Oh noes! But have no fear...that was just a temporary setback. I went on the corporate website and wrote a little email saying, "hey people, there are lots of lazy professionals like myself downtown who would like to order dinner and pick it up after 5...what's the deal?" Then this super nice lady (I'm guessing the manager from the place on Congress) called me back and she was like, "oh my gosh you can TOTALLY pick up food after 5 any time you want!!!" (she meant like...a little bit after 5, since they're still cleaning up and closing down at that point anyway...probably up to 5:30 or so) And then to apologize she offered me free Chipotle for up to 5 people! I ended up taking her up on free Chipotle for me and 1 other friend....I didn't want to get too carried away. But I thought that was really nice and emblematic of how much they are trying to attract business and give top service. read more

Chips and hot salsa only. FYI-the copious amounts of salt on the chips are hotter than the hot salsa. I'm eating them anyway, so they must still be pretty good. read more

I love Chipotle. I am a big fan and I eat here quite a bit, more so because Austin has a limited amount of quality burrito places. It's definitely not the healthiest food you could eat (the tortilla alone has 300 calories), but everyone needs a break from their diet once in a while, and what the hell it's pretty tasty. And seriously you should be able to skip your next meal. As for this downtown Chipotle in particular I have a couple tips: -the line at lunch time backs up to the door, but if you order on-line or via iPhone app you can walk right up to the counter (also they usually throw in a free drink if you order this way) -throw your business card in the vase. (i have won it 4 times, and the rest of my office has won it few times as well) -if you're not ready for them to douse your entire burrito in hot sauce, you can ask for the hot sauce on the side, and they'll give it to you in a little container (it's perfect for take away) read more

Wowza it's crowded. I avoid this location like the plague at lunchtime. But often I get called upon to pick up various burritos and bowls for my employers. Call it in or get ready to wait. Yesterday the line was out the door...Chipotle's so popular. Because it is so busy I feel like the food is fresher than at a deserted Chipotle. If you're into eating two pounds of food at a time and you don't mind waiting, enjoy. Any other location will take half the time. read more

Love Chipotle and this location. BTW, the company IS NOT OWNED by McDonalds. http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-03/chipotle-the-one-that-got-away-from-mcdonalds read more

Line was out the door today as well! I like Chipotle's so I stayed in line. Some of the employees were taking your order as you were standing in line to speed things up. As I was doing that, I realized that after standing in line for 15 or so minutes I had forgotten my wallet! I asked if I could go ahead and place my order since I had been in line for a while, run out to my car and then come back to pick up my food, they immediately said, sure thing no worries. So when I got to the cashier, I reminded them that I was just going to run out to get my wallet, but the manager told me not to worry, that it was on the house! Wow, I was very pleasantly surprised! Thanks Chipotle's that was a very nice thing to do and I'll make sure I come back (with money this time!) :-] read more

This venue gets 4 stars because it's just as good as any other location. What takes it down a star are its odd hours and skimpy portions. C'mon, man! read more

Overpriced crap. Freebird is way better. CMG has high prices and stuffs their burritos with a bunch of rice. No good. read more

I ordered pork tacos and within an hour and half, I was throwing up violently. The sad part was all the money I had spent on SXSW and then was sick for two days of the conference. The pork was bad and it ate me alive. When I called to tell them, they were unsympathetic and told me they would tell someone else so they could call me. I was just trying to warn them that their pork was bad. Good news is I lost 5 lbs overnight. read more

It's a standard chipotle. I've eaten here for years and never had any issues with pickup, takeout, or delivery. Staff always seem nice

Do NOT order for delivery on the Chipotle website. It sends it to a 3rd party, Door Dash, and if they don't show up to pick up the food you have no options, no recourse for resolution. The restaurant won't deliver, they say you have to contact corporate but give you an email instead of a phone number, corporate says you have to contact Door Dash even though the money was removed from my bank account by Chipotle, and Door Dash support says there's a "special team" to deal with their vendor deals but they hung up on me, twice, when "transferring" me. If you have time to go over and pick up, great! If you're at work and can't leave your desk, don't do the online ordering. read more

I gave them a four star because the food was great, the dining area was clean, the interior design of the restaurant was very... Hmmm how shall I put this Eco friendly, modern, they used a lot of wood, metal & tin... Very sleek and open. Finally the four start is for their reasonable prices! Now for the ummms... - parking was a bit difficult... - servers could be a little nicer - where's the Chipotle sign outside??? Thankfully we had yelp, and was able to confirm they were open and where they were located! Overall I enjoyed it! Wish we could have a Chipotle in Hawaii! read more

First of all: They are NOT a subsidiary of McDonalds! http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/125679/myth_that_mcdonalds_owns_chipotle Second of all: Get a delicious burrito bowl with lots of veggies and enjoy it. Chiptole actually tries to buy local and be green, support them! read more

First of all, anyone who isn't familiar with this location should be warned that parking is not easy to come by!! Now that we got that out of the way I can tell you about my great experience here this week. First of all, the place as so unbelievably clean (all Chipotle's are). The staff kept what seemed like an aggressively long line moving that what could have been a 20 minute wait was more like 5! The staff was extremely accommodating to wanting a burrito bowl but wanting a tortilla on the side, salsa on the side and other random picky eater requests. I walked out with a very filling and delicious meal withing about 6 minutes and only spent about $8. Chipotle can do no wrong in my book and this is now my favorite location! read more

Honestly, the fastest and most polite service I've received at almost any restaurant, but especially at any Chipotle. You guys are the best!

Despite being a subsidiary of McDonalds, and based mostly on the fact that this location is 2 blocks from work, I had been a frequenting the establishment. It seems that there has been a direct correlation between popularity and portion size (with salads anyway) at this location. The salad option here was a hearty one, but lately they have been very small portions and since it is 60% nutrition less lettuce, it just doesn't cut the mustard anymore...anyway, if paying upwards of $7 for a salad (w/guacamole) there are better options, that offer more than 2 oz. of meat, one tbsp. of beans, and some decent salsa.... Cheers read more

I love Chipotle, so I was excited when I discovered one in the middle of downtown. Just a few things bothered me. First of all, I hate how it's closed on the weekends and their hours are terrible (closing at 6 on weekdays) I know this is for business purposes because their busy times are during lunch breaks for anyone working downtown, but I wish they could have normal chipotle hours (maybe 11am to 10pm and open on weekdays) Another thing is whenever I go there, I get steak and they never have it ready. During the slow times, they don't even have steak prepared, so I have to wait like 15 minutes while my steak is being cooked. And they make it medium rare, even if I ask for medium well, which is very irritating. Once they offered me a free drink while I wait, but usually I'm just standing there awkwardly. I'll always love chipotle, but I have to avoid this one because of its inconvenience. read more

I call this place the Bang for the Buck Bonanza, large portions for those looking to share a burrito with your 3 person family (4 if we are talking very small people). The decor has the charm of a WW2 bomb factory, but who cares if it is located in the heart of town in a historical building. The taste was just like any other mexican food joint, really: with enough hot sauce, it is all the same. Overall I think it is great if one is hungry and wants a healthy choice of fresh veggies, grilled veggies and lean meat. read more

I'm a man of routine. When I was in college, I went to chipotle 3 times a week after journalism class. Now, I eat at this chipotle every day for lunch with my coworkers. Chipotle makes routine awesome and delicious. Chipotle on 8th and congress is no different than many other branches. It has incredibly fast and efficient service. The food is consistently delicious. This chipotle, however, goes above and beyond. The lunch time rush is crazy and they manage to keep it quick (pro tip: avoid lunchtime rush from 12-130). Their burrito bowl is my go-to. Double black beans, chicken, barbacoa, and guac...delicious! The only downfall is that they're closed on weekends. I miss my drunk chipotle :( read more

I would like to reiterate that Chipotle is not part of McDonalds. However, this is not the best Chipotle in town. It's big and has lots of seating, but the chairs are super-uncomfortable. However, my salad tasted alright. I liked the spicy dressing and the generous portion of chicken. But next time, I'm going back to my regular favorite, the barbacoa burrito. read more

You can't go wrong with Chipotle. I like how this one is just a hop, skip and a jump away from work. It's still has that Chipotle, modern-metal decor but EVERYBODY who comes here is some corporate dude wearing a suit. But hey, the burritos are quickly made and served with fluffy white rice with -- I think -- peas. I don't remember that detail at other Chipotles... read more

Someone please notify Yelp that this place is claiming to be "Mexican" food. There should be a law about miscategorizing food this way and/or giving the real deal a such bad name. This is false advertising. The guy who started this chain took cooking classes in New York and all the sudden thinks he knows how to make Mexican food. "NEW YORK CITY?!" This place gets two stars because it is close to where I work. The other three are missing because you are Chipotle and your food is always extremely bland and far too salty. I get and appreciate that the idea here is to serve Organic food, or whatever, but the fact that there is so much salt in it completely defeats the purpose, and thus the scathe. Aside from the salt, my biggest complaint is about the understaffed labor being in too much of a hurry to take the time to listen to your order, even when its slow. That process is awkward in this place as it is, and because everyone on the line is new to the job and probably new to having a job in general, it's even worse. When you start to order you immediately get interrupted with some random question about it and the conversation never has a chance to return to a normal flow. The situation deteriorates into an inconsistent series of yes or no questions, vague hand gestures, grunts, shouts over other people, and being unsure of who has your food and what they are doing with it and whether or not you should tell them what you want on it or the next person - only to be bum rushed by the cash register without even getting a chance to tell the cashier what size drink you want, if any. There should be a spring loaded tile in front of the cash register that ejects people through the roof, or maybe just two really big dudes who throw you out of the store as soon as the cashier has your money. That would be the only thing faster about and less human about this experience. I don't understand why people eat here and really wish that they wouldn't. This corporate chain (owned by McDonald's no less) should be boycotted so a real Mexican food joint can open up, so we can have some culture back. Come on Austin, you can do better than this. The food here is not that great at all and the employees are obviously treated horribly. read more

I walked in with my boyfriend 10 minutes before closing and received great customer service. The food was tasty and hot and we were not rushed at all. Quinton was very friendly and personable and came over to check on us a few times. He is definitely a great representation of the company. Will be returning soon. read more

You can order online & pick up at the to go window out back. You get to *skip* the ordering line. WHAT, that is outrageous! Soooo worth it. Gigantic.Burrito. And I love their cilantro rice -- I went to A&M, so I feel a little traitorous loving this more than Freebirds, but whatevs, it is yummy, quick, easy, and good. And relatively cheap, though not cheap enough for me to go everyday (hello, $$2-2.50 tacos at El Chilito right nearby!). But I could eat half and save the other half for dinner, so maybe it works out to $3.50-4 per meal, which then becomes mighty cheap! Yes, that is brilliant justification... read more

This Chipotle is the closest to my place, however it closes everyday at 6 pm. I cry every time. Other then that it's great.

HAVE THE WEIRDEST HOURS!!!! With all the downtown condos, events, State Capitol, and hotels, I am shocked to discover they are only open Monday-Friday 11-6pm. Everything else is a typical Chipolte. STAY OPEN ON WEEKENDS AND LATER!!!! LAME read more

This is my first Chipotle experience. I was in Downtown Austin for the Film Festival and needed dinner between films, but didn't want to break the bank. They had extended their hours and were open until 8pm, which was great since I entered at 7:50pm. The venue was clean and had a few people inside. It was almost closing time. The girl making my order I selected a bowl with shredded beef, white rice pinto beans, salsa, and corn salsa. shredded beef had a thick texture and had a strong beef taste which was very good and blended in well with the other ingredients. The meal tasted very good and was definitely worth more than the price. I would definitely come here again. read more

I could see how someone working in food service during SXSW might be a bit discouraged by all drunken chaos throughout March, but this Chipotle boasts smiley, speedy, and delightful employees. read more

How does a place with fresh ingredients, incredible value, friendly staff, and perfect guac go without five stars? This is a no-brainer if you work downtown. Healthy'ish, filling, and fast. read more

Very consistent and convenient. I go here for lunch usually a couple times a week. They are good about using a remote credit card machine during peak times to keep the line moving. read more

I went in during the lunch time rush and was really kicking myself for not ordering ahead online. But, to my surprise, I was out of there in under 15 minutes. The line stretched the entire length of the room, but it never came to a halt. This staff has it down. I was so pleased with how quickly they took care of everyone, and without mistakes. Thanks Chipotle! read more

Pretty fresh Chipotle with quick service. We came here twice in our 5-day Austin stay. It's a good location if you're staying downtown; just sucks that it's not open on the weekends. read more

If you go during lunch, you may experience a LONG line but it moves kinda fast. I tend to go around 11:30a or 1:00p, as the line isn't so long during that time. I haven't had the chance to dine-in, because it is usually crowded during the times I go. I love the burrito bowls, but the seasoning has been hit or miss. Some days the meat is seasoned great, while other days it may be bland. Same goes for the rice. You get large portions though. I have seen people ask for "a little more" if they want more. Be prepared to order when it's your turn in line, because the ordering process moves quite fast at this location. You can order online or via app and you can walk right to the pickup window. Very fast pace at lunch. read more

They had quite a long line, 3/4 of the way to the door, and only one person serving people, she had to go all the way down the line for each person. They had a number of employees wandering around doing other things, apparently what they had to do was more important than dealing with customers. read more

I eat at Chipotle all the time and love the food; this location is no exception. I wanted to leave this one a review, however, to call out Quentin, one of the employees there. He's super helpful, takes initiative, and is relentlessly positive. Really appreciate his hard work and awesome attitude. read more

The burritos here are incredibly amazing. The meal and drink combo is impressive. I will continue eating here on a regular basis.

There was not one, but TWO festivals on congress ave today. There was a film festival right next to 8th street, and a massive book festival that ran from 8th street to the capital. There were hundreds of people walking around and every restaurant was packed during lunchtime... till well after 2pm maybe later. Even quiznos was packed. But one restaurant had no one in it -one restaurant that was maybe 100 feet from the massive cspan book tv tent, and a half a block from the film festival. Today I waited for 10 minutes in a long line at quiznos at 2pm for a sandwich with my child and husband, when we would have much rather had a Chipotle burrito. I guess y'all don't like money, because you lost thousands today. read more

Lunch can be super busy. Either get there when they open at 11a or order online, designate a pick-up time, and pick it up accordingly. The veggies tacos are the best! read more

I've gone to this place several times since I work downtown. I ordered my salad online and was relatively disappointed... They forgot to put in the most important ingredient, the dressing!!! And the salad looked more like a burrito bowl :( read more

As far as Chipotles go, it's not too different. If you're going for lunch, get there right when they open at 11 or else you'll be waiting in line for 20 minutes. read more