Over the past few decades, Taco Bell and Chipotle have dominated the Mexican fast-food market, even becoming a large part in the subculture of modern suburban teenagers. However, because of anti-obesity campaigns by the government and the media alike, there seems to be a completely unfair bias towards Taco Bell, while Chipotle has somehow gained an undeserved cult-like following.

Let’s start with the menu. Chipotle boasts simplistic offerings, including staple meals such as burritos, burrito bowls, and tacos. Not much more. Taco Bell, however, is well known for numerous fast-food innovations like the Doritos Locos Tacos, tacos with a shell made of Dorito chips, and their unique twist on chalupas, a traditional Mexican cuisine. Where Chipotle’s menu is boring, Taco Bell’s is diverse, presenting the customer with a wide array of Mexican foods to explore.

Delicious foods, however, come at a price, or rather, a huge calorie count. Nobody has ever argued that Taco Bell is healthy fare, but one common misconception is that Chipotle is. A burrito from Chipotle with vegetables, carnitas, cheese, guacamole, and salsa is actually heavier in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and carbohydrates than McDonald’s Big Mac, a fast-food staple infamous for being unhealthy. 

Then, there’s the restaurant atmosphere. Modern Taco Bell restaurants are fashioned to look like an old-style Mexican cantina, completed with whitewashed walls and tiled floors. In addition to the appropriate decor, there is always a smoky aroma drifting around the restaurant making customers feel like they are enjoying their golden burrito right in the middle of Mexico City. Chipotle, though, imitates the architectural style of many modern restaurants and stores by using a drab, desperate scheme of industrial metal and wood. Personally, I don’t want to eat in a warehouse.

Taco Bell stays true to its roots, but Chipotle has become symbolic of its customers: fake food and culture masquerading under the marketing points of “fresh” ingredients and upbeat soundtracks in their commercials. My dollar is not only better spent at Taco Bell, but it goes farther as well.