When choosing where to satisfy your lunch-time hunger, two prominent franchises often come to the average high-schooler’s mind. The all too common “Chipotle vs. Qdoba” feud has been going on forever, and we’re here to put all debates to rest. We decided to buy two rice bowls, one from each franchise. Each rice bowl consisted of white rice, steak, cheese, lettuce, avocado, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

Despite the E. coli breakout that has differed thousands of customers away from Chipotle, the quality of the overall bowls has stayed the same. Chipotle delivers a consistent product that keeps loyal customers coming back for more.

When comparing the end product of each chain, they are very similar in a variety of ways. Both Denver-based restaurants use similar ingredients and both assemble their bowls almost exactly the same. One of the largest variation between the two Tex-Mex giants is price. Qdoba’s fixed burrito bowl price is about $8.40- including free guacamole and queso- while Chipotle came out to be about $10.24 plus guac.

Both chains claim to use healthy, farm fresh ingredients that are nutritionally beneficial. An average meal at Chipotle is about 900 calories while average meal at Qdoba is about 800. Chipotle advertises their food to people who care about the environment and want all natural animal friendly food.

For someone who likes guacamole, Qdoba is the way to go. Even plain chips with a side of guac is about 19 cents less. A mere 19 cents seems small, but Qdoba’s guac has a bolder taste with more added union and lime juice. If you like a more straight-forward dip with exclusively just the basics such as guacamole and cilantro, then Chipotle is the better choice.

This feud between the two Tex-Mex giants is a complicated one. Both chains are almost identical in almost every way. The only major differentiation between the two is price point and the different ingredients exclusive to each chain. After doing this review both Dani and I chose Qdoba as the victor, but Olivia preferred Chipotle. The hard thing about food reviews is that the “goodness” of food is entirely based on personal preference. Everyone likes something different and because of this it is impossible to determine which chain is the best.

On paper, Westside Wired would say Qdoba won this battle but try them both and determine yourself which chain is the true winner.