The Chipotle cheesesteak quesadilla trend is getting out of control. After going viral on TikTok last month, this off-menu order—basically a quesadilla with extra cheese and fajita veggies—is causing problems at the fast-casual Mexican chain. Now, some TikTok foodies are jumping ship to the rival chain Qdoba because certain Chipotle branches refused to serve the dish.
You’d expect Chipotle to welcome the sudden influx of new customers, but some restaurants are reportedly refusing to make the so-called Philly cheesesteak quesadillas. One possible explanation is that it’s considered a fire hazard to add so many extra items to the recipe, though that has not been confirmed.
At any rate, some Chipotle locations are making it clear that cheesesteak quesadilla orders aren’t welcome, as proven by this TikTok video where a customer abandons Chipotle and goes to Qdoba instead.
@elevatedmindset100 #greenscreenvideo @QDOBA is the answer to your Quesedilla quest WAY MORE FLAVOR#quesadillatrend #chipotlehacks #KAYKissCountdown #2023goals #chipotlequesadillas #foodiehacks #foodietiktok ♬ Selfcare-demo – Bella Moulden
TikToker @elevatedmindset100 shared a clip from a Chipotle restaurant with a weirdly specific sign on the counter: “Protein and cheese only on quesadilla!” In other words, this Chipotle wouldn’t let customers order fajita veggies in a quesadilla, a defining characteristic of the viral TikTok order.
But when @elevatedmindset100 drove to Qdoba, they had no problem fulfilling an identical order—and the TikToker even points out that Qdoba and Chipotle appear to use the same equipment behind the counter. She went on to say the Qdoba quesadilla also tasted better.
She’s not the only one to make this leap. In a video viewed more than 130,000 times, TikToker Chelayne (@chelayne_) shared a clip of herself ordering the cheesesteak quesadilla and sauce from Qdoba, with the caption, “POV: Chipotle is acting funny so you take your money elsewhere.”
She rated the meal 6.5/10, adding in the video description, “Their [vinaigrette] is sweeter but the hot sauce helped.”
@chelayne_ Their vinegrette is sweeter but the hot sauce helped #steakquesadilla #chipotle #qdoba #vinegrette #foodie ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
This whole cheesesteak quesadilla situation is an accidental PR success for Qdoba, because as more and more TikTokers complain about Chipotle’s quesadilla policies, Qdoba keeps coming up as a superior alternative. The comments section on this particular TikTok is full of these reactions.
“Tbh Qdoba is underrated af,” one user wrote.
“Qdoba’s queso alone beats chipotle,” another said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @chelayne_ via email.
