As students head out of school for Easter break, many of them will engage in the great lunch time debate: Moe’s or Chipotle? Two of The Rambler staff members weigh in with their opinions.

David Estes for Moe’s

Moe’s is a southwest grill chain in the United States that was started in 2000, in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a Mexican restaurant that is classified as fast casual, and can be closely compared to restaurants such as Chipotle and Qdoba. These three Mexican chains are highly competitive and it is a highly debated topic on which one is the best. Qdoba is a less popular restaurant, and the debate is mostly between Moe’s and Chipotle.

While Chipotle builds their business model off of their fresh ingredients that are prepared in store daily, nothing compares to the comfort food served up at Moe’s. What makes Moe’s stand out over any other restaurant is their queso and chips. Chipotle has queso and chips, but it comes nowhere close to Moe’s. The first thing that makes Moe’s stand out is that there are free chips and salsa served with anything on the menu, and you can ask for as many chips as you want. Chipotle serves tortilla chips as well, but the chips are not nearly as fresh, and they come with an extra charge. While queso costs a little bit extra, it is totally worth it if you are looking to indulge in some comforting Mexican cuisine.

It is proven that Moe’s is overall cheaper than Chipotle in almost every category. The only way that someone is going to spend more money at Moe’s than Chipotle is if they decide to get queso, but it is completely worth it. With the free chips at Moe’s, you are bound to fill up quicker, and most likely will not be able to finish your meal. Whenever I go to Moe’s, I can never finish my meal, and I always have leftovers to eat later on.

The next thing that makes Moe’s a clear winner in the debate is Moe’s Monday. Every Monday Moe’s runs a promo where you can get a burrito and a medium drink for $5.99, and of course there are unlimited chips and salsa along with that, too. This is an amazing deal that Chipotle prices can’t even come close to. The best thing about this deal is that unlike for a usual burrito, there is no up-charge for additional toppings, such as guacamole. If Moe’s was not already the clear winner in this debate, Moe’s Monday easily settles it.

Keegan Welka for Chipotle

Chipotle is the best Southwestern style grill Erie has to offer. I’m making this declaration because I’ve tried both Moe’s and Chipotle several times, and it’s allowed me to come up with this conclusion. The quality, taste, and service I experienced at Chipotle has been better than that of Moe’s every time I’ve eaten and compared the two.

A common defense mechanism for people that believe Moe’s is better than Chipotle is immediately jumping to the queso. 

“I just love the queso at Moe’s,” Rambler writer Regan Schleicher said. “However, I remember one time I got a burrito at Chipotle and brought it to Moe’s for queso… that was good.”

When looking at this argument, we have to realize we’re comparing food chains, not chip dips. While queso is a factor in deciding between both these places, it shouldn’t define your decision on which place has better quality food.

“I’ve gone to both, and quite honestly, I think Chipotle has much better quality food then Moe’s,” senior Luke Bongiorno said. 

“Chipotle simply has better quality ingredients than Moe’s,” senior Rockne Seidel said. 

While meals at Moe’s may be a bit cheaper than those at Chipotle, it is evident that you are paying for a distinct quality improvement.

Approximately three months ago, I went to Moe’s for a steak burrito. When I took my bites, I realized that the meat was very dry. I wasn’t getting a lot of flavor from the beef, and it was honestly disappointing. A few days later, I went to Chipotle and also got a steak burrito. The quality difference was very evident. And maybe I can chalk it up as Moe’s maybe having a bad batch of meat, but gauging both experiences I’d say Chipotle had a much better steak burrito.

“I like Chipotle because there’s more goth chicks there,” physics teacher Mr. Biebel stated.

With this statement, from arguably the most appreciated teacher in the senior class, it is evident that this debate is now finalized. Chipotle is, by far, the best Mexican Grill in Erie, Pennsylvania.