In Qdoba's defense, I got a whole wheat burrito with brown rice, so it was doomed from the start. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something was missing. All of the ingredients seemed fine, but it didn't take me there. The cashier is a master saleswoman because when she rung up my burrito, she asked, "the burrito...that's it?" I replied, "yes, that's it." A few moments later, she said, "You don't want no drink or nuffin??" This Jedi mind trick made me question everything as I know it. Was I some sort of freak or weirdo for wanting a burrito and nothing else? The pressure became insurmountable, so I splurged and ordered a drink. I was pleased to see that they had mango/passion-fruit iced tea and I couldn't wait to basque in this tropical explosion of flavor. I take a sip and there's no sugar. I got played. A panhandler came right into the restaurant asking people for money while they were eating. Any time the beggars have that level of comfort, you know you're experiencing low class eating at it's finest. +1 for not charging extra for any ingredients. read more

Walked in placed my order paid and turned right back around to get a refund. I don't play with roaches. If you see one trust me there's more. Don't go here read more

Chipotle this is not. Though the service is friendlier, the food definitely tanks this place out. I visited Qdoba with high hopes, especially since there is one right across the street from where I work. My addiction to all things burrito has reared its ugly head in the past few years, but I have been sorely disappointed by the selection in the DC region. Alas, my Texas roots have left me with an interminable craving and no way to satisfy it. Anyway, Qdoba is the standard burrito bar, with a line and a build-your-own format. Since it is basically in competition with Chipotle in the DC region, that's what I'll compare it to. Here's a ingredient by ingredient breakdown: -Tortilla: Chipotle tortillas have a certain stickiness to them that I like, while Qdoba sort of is just your standard ho-hum tortilla. Winner: Chipotle -Rice: There is something heavenly about Chipotle's rice that I have become ridiculously addicted to, while Qdoba's rice has the texture of soggy sushi rice and gets all mashed potatoey in my mouth when I chew. Winner: Chipotle -Meat and Veggie Options: Basically, both Chipotle and Qdoba offer equally good options here; however, Qdoba wins out because it offers a grilled vegetable burrito as well as ground meat for tacos. Winner: Qdoba -Salsas: Three options at both places, none of which have enough heat to satisfy my palette. Winner: The Chile -Overall: The layout, environment, and overall quality of food at Chipotle gives the appearance of something beyond a chain restaurant, while Qdoba just seems like a reheat and microwave fest. Winner: Chipotle read more

I thought about trying to write this whole review without mentioning Chipotle, but decided you can't talk about one without the other - these places are practically interchangeable. I'm generally more of a Chipotle fan, if there's a choice. But this Qdoba isn't bad... the last time I was in, I tried their shredded pork in a burrito bowl with the tortilla on the side (don't ask, this order ALWAYS gets me funny looks!). I was excited because unlike my previous lunch at Chipotle, my Qdoba burrito came with enough pork to actually last through the whole platter. At Chipotle, the meat lasts about 30 seconds and then I'm left with a big plateful of beans and rice. Plus, the pulled pork was very tasty and not at all dried out, pretty awesome considering it's extra-lean meat and so I could happily munch on my tortilla without feeling hardly an ounce of guilt. I am not a big spicy person, but I tried their medium green salsa this time around and it gave a nice zest to the burrito. Even I could tell their spicy scale is moderated for us wimpy folk, but it was perfect for me. The portions of each topping were spot on, not too much lettuce and just enough cheese. My biggest beef with Qdoba is the upcharge for guacamole - 99 cents? Really? I think guac should be included with your burrito. Maybe I'm alone in this, but I skip out on almost all the other toppings (usually, I just get lettuce and cheese, not even any salsa), so I'd appreciate the guacamole. The other minor complaint I have is that the guy who was warming up tortillas didn't speak a word of English. I thought he was waiting for my order, but he didn't understand what I asked for and so we had to wait until another guy returned to translate the request for him. Seemed a little strange to have him up front if he couldn't actually handle any of the ordering process. I like the sidewalk tables in the summer. This is a decent place to grab a cheap bite to eat before/after catching a movie at E Street - and you can follow it up with ice cream from Gifford's next door. Mmm! "Mexican" food, movies, and ice cream = perfect outing. read more

First off, anyone who bases their review solely on the opinion that Chipotle is better must not understand the concept of Yelp. This page is here to review this specific location as a business, not to compare people's obviously subjective opinions on food style preference, which is something Qdoba as a company decides - not this location itself. If you like Chipotle, go to Chipotle. I LOVE Chipotle... But sometimes I go to Qdoba, and I don't expect them to be exactly the same - nor do I want them to be. Anyway - The food is great, the staff is friendly, the line moves fast, the window seats offer a decent view, there are plenty of tables to choose from, and its location is convenient to spot and get to quickly when you're on break at work. Also, I don't know about other people, but when I get the same thing here that I do at Chipotle, I spend $2 less per meal, PLUS they have their free rewards card that averages out to be about 1 free meal for every 10-13 you purchase. read more

I am from Denver, CO and Qdoba is the place out there. A chipotle alternative, the queso is a big draw. I always come hungry and expect great things. Visiting this location, I came in on a Wednesday late afternoon (by far not a busy time) and the server was somewhat unfriendly. Actually none of the staff was friendly. I ordered my food (taco salad without the bowl) and sat and ate. It was mediocre. Paid with cash and the woman was rolling her eyes at me as I paid. It's not like there was anyone behind me... Normally Qdoba is a goto for me but my experience was so mediocre I don't know if I will be back to this location read more

Qdoba is a wonderful Mexican restaurant when you want something quick like nachos, quesadillas or burritos. I love their food. My absolute favorite there is nachos. I'll have the nachos loaded up with cheese, chicken, black beans, salsa and more cheese. It's just really really tasty! This particular location is located right in the middle of everywhere. The FBI, law firms, a movie theatre, a tourist store, T-Mobile, the Metro. In other words, Qdoba gets packed fast, especially during lunch. So, you wanna go before or after the lunch rush. This place is clean and bright with large windows. The staff are absolutely friendly. Your dining experience is even better with great prices. Ugh, just talking about Qdoba is making me wanna go there...like right now. (It's just across the street from my work.) read more

This place is legitimately terrible. It's dirty, the staff are rude, and the food is sub-par at best. I've been twice - today I gave it a second chance and it disappointed AGAIN. I've tried the tacos and a quesadilla. The quesadilla today was soggy, the steak was tough and tasted weird, and the sides are not plentiful. I had to ask for extra sides for the dish, which the staff just ignored until the manager got them for me. And all of this was $10 - not worth $5 if you ask me. I could have gone to &Pizza right next door and paid the same for delicious food. I'm done - never again. read more

This place is not what it used to be. I go with coworkers once or twice a week to grab breakfast and it just continues to get worse. The staff is tolerant at best, but even more frustrating, they skimp you on ingredients something awful. It is a total crap shoot on what type of meal you are going to be served here. I have had burritos literally twice as big/small as the previous visit and been charged the same. Asking the staff for more ingredients gets you a dirty look and a sarcastic addition of ONE piece of chicken or ONE bean. A complete joke. I like Qdoba as a whole, but this location should be avoided. read more

I actually enjoy the food. The ingredients are nice and it gives you a different taste than Chipotle if you've had it all too many times. The execution isn't great however. Far too much rice, hardly any protein, and the ingredients aren't well distributed throughout the burrito. We both had to deconstruct the burrito just to create decent bites. I would hope this isn't standard at Qdoba, but the same lady that butchered my burrito, also butchered my bill by charging me for extra items. Good ingredients, poor staff and service. read more

The inside looks almost identical to Chipotle, and the set up and menu are about the same. Prices seem about the same. The food (chicken tacos) tasted pretty mediocre when I ate it. Too bad later that night I had some pretty awful food poisoning. Wont be back. read more

When I lived in Louisville, Qdoba was one of my absolute favorite places to eat period. Their quesadillas are so wonderfully full of cheese (and I'm talking a sprinkling of cheese, i'm talking about nearly an inch thick of soft deliciously melted cheese) and they have some of the best salsa's I've ever had. Until I moved there, I had never seen Qdoba before. A couple weeks ago. a friend told me that there was one here in DC. Well, I went a hunting today and found it a short walk from Metro Center I had to go and they didn't disappoint. Food is served similar to the format at Chipotle but I promise Qdoba is above and beyond what you've come to expect from Chipotle. They use better cheese, serve a really delicious pico de gallo that can't be matched... They grilled chicken is always juicy and very tasty. They also have a wide selection of specialty sauces and menu items that are unique to the chain. On top of great ingredients and menu items, you WILL get full on $5-$8 (including your drink). Their servings are more than decently sized. And I am very pleased that the people who work at this particularly location are just as friendly and nice as the ones I knew oh too well in Kentucky. After eating, I called several friends back in Kentucky to taunt them. I don't have to go back there just to get my Qdoba. read more

The food was sloppily put together. The woman making my food had a major attitude and i was being polite and friendly. When I asked her if i could please have a little bit more cheese on my burrito, she looks at me, grabs a handful, and throws it on. Nothing she put on the burrito was spread out. It was just thrown on there. I am very disappointed. read more

It is really a 3.5 more than a 4. Maybe yelp should start adding halve numbers. The best way to describe Qdobo is to say that it is a different version of Chipotle. It is a great place to visit when you dont want to spend much, want to get some reasonably healthy food and dont have much time. One of the best things about this particular Qdobo (there is one more location in DC) is that it is right next to E Street Cinema. If you are going to catch a movie after work is the perfect place to get dinner so you are not starving at the end of the movie. From the people that I know there are a few that say Chipotle's flavor is better and a few that say Qdobo is better. In all fairness I think they are pretty similar and the difference in taste is barely noticeable. read more

How does one make a burrito taste like nothing? What steps does one have to take to create a tasteless burrito? Oh, and they ran out of ice on a 90-degree day. Nice. read more

Pretty decent Mexican fast food, similar to Chipotle in that their large burritos use lime-cilantro rice. But their menu has more variety than Chipotle -- for example, Qdoba offers mole sauce and "poblano pesto." As a vegetarian, I appreciated that both the black beans and pinto beans were vegetarian (at Chipotle, only the black beans are). I also loved having mole sauce with my burrito (In other Mexican restaurants it's sometimes hard to find mole sauce on vegetarian dishes). My husband and I both liked Qdoba's 3-cheese dip with chips. This hot dip had cheddar, monterey jack, and American cheeses, melted with garlic, tomatoes, and roasted poblano peppers. It was a bit on the salty side, but the chips weren't salty at all, so it all worked out. read more

This is a solid place, but nothing to write home about. We were starving after a morning walking around museums, and this was the closest place. We ordered ahead on the app. The wait was longer than expected, but since there are six of us, this happens quite often. We all had bowls and while we enjoyed them, the food didn't have the freshness that the other chain burrito place has. It served its purpose--it was a decent meal for six hungry people; however, I don't know that I would purposely set out to visit a QDOBA again. read more

Staff got the order wrong...twice. Apparently, their conversation was more important than listening to the order. The rice and tortilla were mushy and flavorless. Quite honestly, there wasn't much flavor anywhere else. I've been here and it wasn't this bad. Hopefully, this is just a bad day for them, but the other reviews lead me to think not. Go elsewhere.... read more

Never been, thought I'd give it a chance. Only plus is that it's cheaper than chipotle. Food was very bland and I'm very surprised to say that it lacked sauce. I didn't get quesso or another sauce, but I wasn't offered either. I got the extra hot salsa and fresh jalapeño and it was barely medium heat. If I am ever forced to return I'll grab some salt packets on my way out. read more

We had some time to kill before the movie, it was right next to E St theater so we decided to go inside to get a drink. The layout looked similar to Chipotle even the meats and prep station except for the industrial metal look. It was interesting. read more

In the greater Chinatown area, Chipotle is the clear victor when it comes to volume and customer count for work lunches. The line wraps all the way around the Chipotle, and waits can take quite a while. Even the call ahead line is long. Don't get me wrong, the food is good. But sometimes I don't want to have to plan way ahead for a tasty burrito for lunch. The Qdoba is hidden down on E St. and never has a very long line during lunch. The lunch burritos are fine, not Chipotle in quality, and not Pedro and Vinny's in quality. But they are large, filling and reasonably tasty. I think Qdoba is a bit more Americanized in that they offer a "mole" barbeque type of sauce, which is good but doesn't remind me of being in Oaxaca. The real gem are the breakfast burritos. Priced at about $2.50 before tax, they are filling and tasty, with flavorful chorizo. There is no better food-to-cost ratio for breakfast in this area. When you've just got to have a burrito and don't want to deal with the entire 11th grade from whatever flyover high school's bus dropped their kids off at the Chipotle, head over to Qdoba. read more

I am so sad that the Metro Center location doesn't participate in the Qdoba card rewards program. Maybe other area locations do, I'm not sure. All I know is that if they did, I would have racked up so many free entrees by now. Let's see.. one Qdoba visit a week (I'll round down) x 52 weeks / by 12 (I think that's the Cosi standard) = 4.3 free entrees. Many people do not know this, but Qdoba has some great breakfast deals. I especially like their breakfast quesadilla, which is a regular sized tortilla, filled with your choice of meat (chicken, steak or chorizo), cheese, eggs and potatoes and pico de gallo if you want it, sour cream and guacomole on the side. Then they put it under the grill for a couple minutes and out comes a warm melty breakfast for $3 + tax. The one downside to Qdoba is their rapid fire assembly line at lunchtime. I know most lunch places do that to maximize efficiency, but Qdoba takes it to another level. Woe onto you if you are slow and they pass your order on to the next person. I have received some death glares when they have to pass my order back up the line to add corn salsa or something. read more

Oh, Qdoba ... how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: ~ close to my office ~ delicious lime-tinged tortilla chips ~ generous build-your-own burritos (sometimes ordered in a bowl) ~ perfectly-sized quesadilla's (get it with chicken!) ~ fresh guacamole ~ incredibly fast service, even when the line seems to stretch for miles YUM. read more

Three little words: SCARY. FAKE. CHEESE. Although it's a diet-killer, a good bowl of queso with hot chips is almost better than frozen Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to me, but the queso here is one of those strange, hard-to-identify blends that's somewhere between the dairy equivalent of bathtub caulking and warm Elmer's glue. "Natural" flavoring, color and bits of chile and green peppers added, of course. I fared much better with the chicken quesadilla, which was pretty good. The nachos had an excellent amount of toppings on them, served hot with a very fresh taste WERE IT NOT FOR THAT DAMN EVIL CHEESE AGAIN. The place has the similar look and feel of Chipotle, but with a lot more variety on their menu. If they can do something about their queso recipe, they might give the competition a run for their money. Shame, because they're also right next door to the Landmark Theater on E Street, where they needed to have a good restaurant put down some roots. I might go back again, but not for a while. When in the neighborhood taking in a flick and I want to grab a quick bite before (or afterward), I think I'll stick with Potbelly around the corner for now. read more

very good tasting food and customer service, although it's caused quite a bit of discomfort after digestion.. 3days after eating still discomfort. lesson learned, from now on will be ordering less frequently. read more

We were in DC for four days and tried some local restaurants. By the third day we were seeking out Qdoba for some consistent, familiar, comfort food. This location did not disappoint! It was hot and fresh. The service was friendly. Seriously, best meal we had in DC! read more

I've never been to one of these before I visited DC. Gotta say.... I like! I equate it to Moe's. I ordered the Steak Mexican Gumbo. I know this is a fast food place, but not a crap one. I really enjoyed my food and my kids (even picky one) did, too. The portion sizes fill you up!! Wish I could have taken leftovers back with me, but didn't want it all in the fridge. Thought the line meant a huge wait, but not the case. Went by pretty fast. read more

Solid burrito place. The interior looks like Chopt/Chipotle/[insert name of other contemporary, quick service place that does most of its business during the lunch hour] - meaning a lot of wood and metal work going on, and loud music. At Qdoba, you go up to the assembly line counter, name what you want off the menu, then pick and add ingredients as it moves down the line. Then you bust out your wallet and pay at the register. Sounds familiar, right? Qdoba also has its "own" cookies and brownies at the register. Since there seems to be a dick measuring contest between Qdoba fans and Chipotle lovers going on here, I guess I'll throw in my opinion and note that Qdoba is pretty decent, and slightly beats out Chipotle - but not by much. I'm sure they both get most of their food from Sysco. What else is really expected out of most inexpensive, fast food places in which you order off an assembly line anyway? The flavor at Qdoba is on the light side, which is good depending on what you order. It's not "wow!" but it's also certainly not wet cardboard. It's satisfying and the portions are generous. I like the vegetarian burrito with pinto beans and the salsa roja. I should have ordered Habanero, but I forgot. Oops! Maybe next time - meaning I will be back. The staff is pretty friendly. Just watch out for self-important customers who like to give the employees a difficult time. read more

Today was my first time trying it and may be a little bias because I love that it's so close to my work and it is so cold and rainy out today. Just being decent and saving me a trip to the way over crowded china town or "the shops" on F street was a treat in and of itself. I had the naked burrito with no meat and was happy with it. Plenty of other stuff to fill up and did not even finish. I like that they had more veggies and salsa's to pick from. Others have mentioned chipotle and it is very similar. Honestly I liked this one better. The past few times I've been at chipotle the medium salsa was way to vinegary but Qdoba's was not. Being that I'm only 2 blocks away predict I will be eating here a lot more. read more

I tried this restaurant once and plan on not going back. The way the food looks on the menu board and what I got (two soft bean tacos) sucked. The filling was runny and looked like vomit. I needed a fork to scoop up all of the filling dripping out of the tacos. read more

This was my first time visiting QDOBA. I ordered a shredded beef taco bowl salad. The crunchy flour shell was quite tasty, but the salad ingredients were just average. The guacamole has no flavor (but the plus is that there's no up charge like at District Taco or Chipotle). The black beans are premixed with corn which is a negative in my opinion. I guess I would prefer the ingredients of District Taco or Chipotle to QDOBA but do like the taco shell option. Just ok. read more

The absolute worst. I ordered from grub hub and the food was supposed to be delivered by 3:50. Then I got a message saying 4:15. I called the restaurant and was told to call grub hub. I tried calling the driver but he never answered...:but marked my order as delivered. Poor customer service by management and staff! Never again! read more

I so appreciated that when I asked for guac on my taco bowl, the girl reminded me before she scooped it that there was extra charge. I knew there was an extra charge this time, but I think this was great customer service. Also, they put sufficient amount of guac on there. I had a bad experience with the guac at Chipotle - they put barely enough guac on there and it was my first time, the line was moving fast, and I didn't realize they charged extra for guac until it was too late. As a result, I like this place better than Chipotle. My taco bowl was very good and hte bowl itself was edible, they didn't try to trick with the guac and gave a sufficient amount and they had Dr Pepper in the soda machine. We came at prime lunch hours, and though it was busy we got through the line quickly and got a seat. A-OK in my book! read more

This store is very clean and the service is quick. The big thing is the food is fresh and the customer service is friendly which makes it all the better. I come here for breakfast some days just to grab a burrito and relax before my day starts. Nice lil spot to come to read more

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Food was perfectly delicious although the woman who was making my food was quiet and very hard to understand with her accent. Update: Good service and great food. Love this place and is also great for groups ^-^ read more

Qdoba was a pretty solid food stop. We'd been walking around DC for several hours and were starving. It's very close to Ford's Theater. Pretty quick line, reasonable price, and good quantity and quality. The burrito was huge. The pork was a little dry but overall, the food was great. read more

Even though it is further away from my office and its food is nearly identical to Chipotle, I go here a lot more frequently. Why? Quick, efficient lines, plenty of seating. Can't say the same about the Chipotle in Chinatown. read more

This place is basically a copy of Chipotle. I don't know which came first, but seriously they are like the same place. But, I prefer Chipotle for a few reasons, the main one being that Chipotle has the lime flavored rice, and Qdoba does not. My fiancee, however, prefers Qdoba because it has more menu options like nachos with toppings than Chipotle does. Eh, I still think Q is order-rated. Skip it. read more

I thought I had died and gone to hell - no air conditioning on one of the hottest, most humid days of the year. Food was inferior to Baja Fresh or Chipotle. This was the Qdoba downtown on E Street, next to the movie house. read more

Ok, I love building my own burrito and I have eaten at both Qdoba and Chipotle a lot. I really do enjoy Qdoba a lot. I generally order a chicken burrito with pinto beans and a spicy salsa, cheese and sour cream, sometimes I get lettuce, sometimes I spring for guacamole and sometimes I get a chicken queso burrito at Qdoba. I seem to be one of the few people who actually prefer pinto beans because they nicely balance out the heavy dose of hot sauce that I have smothered on. I agree with the others who comment on this place's great location next to the E Street Cinema. I have also eaten here during lunch breaks when I used to work in the area. I definitely appreciate the more "authentic" taste of the Qdoba flavors and indeed the variety options for someone who always tends to order some sort of chicken burrito like myself. I have taken friends here who visited from overseas to let them experience the American fascination with burritos. I can also say that I come here a lot with a vegetarian and I notice that she tends to order different things every time. In other words, there are lots of options for a vegetarian. She really seems to like their gumbo too, though I have yet to try it. Over all, I do somewhat prefer this chain to Chipotle although it is harder to find. I do wish that this location had more seating. It often gets easily crowded. read more