Chipotle is my favorite fast dining restaurant. I have been there more than anyone else I know over the last eight years or so, and as a result I have a lot of thoughts and tips. This review will be "tl;dr" for many, so I will include headings so you can read whatever portions that you want.
First, here is a very user-friendly nutrition calculator for the health conscious diners:
https://chipotle.com/nutrition-calculator
Burrito Bowl:
I often order the burrito bowl, because you can get a lot more food than if you ordered a burrito or tacos. It is free to get extra anything except for meat and guacamole. I usually get double rice, double beans, and multiple salsas. I had a friend who would get 4x rice on every visit back in Arizona. The only limitation is your shame as you order.
If you really want a tortilla, you can order it on the side at no charge. You can also start with the tortilla in the bowl.
Tacos:
The soft corn tortillas are awesome, but they can fall apart easily depending on the ingredients that you include in the taco. Although it may be unusual, if you ask for a little rice to start with, that will keep the tortilla together by keeping the sour cream and/or salsas under control.
Burritos:
Similar to the taco issues, if you order barbacoa, sour cream, and hot salsa without much else, you are asking the employees to wrap a liquid burrito. This will not end well.
Meats:
The chicken is the most consistent and the cheapest, so that is the meat that order most often as a poor student. Barbacoa is spicy, shredded beef. It is the best out of the five options when it is done well. The steak and carnitas (pork) are a step behind, but pretty good to change things up. Sofritas is a tofu that has been marinated in a spicy sauce. It is a lot more flavorful than other tofu meals that I have had, so it is a good option for vegetarians.
This Location:
The service at both Champaign locations isn't particularly good, but part of my impatience with them might stem from the fact that I know more about the food and the ordering process than some of their employees. This location is better than the Green Street location, because there is not as much of a wait. I have waited over 30 minutes on Green Street in the past.
Many people dislike Chipotle because it is not authentic Mexican food. These people then go on to eat Taco Bell. This is not authentic Mexican. It is something different and delicious, and far better than Moe's, Panchero's, and Qdoba. Others dislike Chipotle because they don't order properly on their first visit. I hope this review helps with that.
*I have not ordered this yet, but you can get a quesarito, a burrito wrapped in a quesadilla. You would just pay for both items. Ideally, you should order this when they aren't very busy.
You can also use their app to order before you get there so you can go right to the register and avoid the wait.
My usual order:
Bowl- Double white rice, black beans, pinto beans, fajita vegetables, chicken, hot salsa, corn salsa, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, lettuce
Take out guac, and this is under $8.