4 Brilliant Chipotle Hacks Your Lunch Depends On

Chipotle has solidified itself as the crown prince of lunchtime, and with good reason — it’s freaking delicious. But, because even perfection can be improved upon, check out these Chipotle ordering hacks that will give you even more bang for your buck. Carnitas and a little extra change in your pocket? Now that’s my idea of a good day.

Have you ever gotten a deal that was so good, you felt the urge to rush out of the store before anyone realized what happened? Usually, this kind of thing occurs when someone makes a mistake at the register or when you have a personal relationship with your server, but sometimes it happens because you're a wily bargain sleuth, and that last one is always the most satisfying.

You see, just like the American tax code, there are many loopholes in Chipotle's menu and prices structure. Lots of these loopholes involve knowing how to order, rather than what to order. Some of them exist based heavily on the company-wide policy that all non-guacamole toppings are free with the purchase of a protein.

I'll be your CPA (Chipotle Price Abater, that is) through the wonderful world of still-relevant Chipotle hacks so that your burrito doesn't get audited.

1. Order slowly, and don't put all your cards on the table at once

This is counter-service psychology 101. If you do ask for a second scoop of meat, don't say the word "double" unless you want to for sure pay extra. Try asking for "more" or "another scoop" and see if word gets passed on from the meat scooper to the salsa ladeler to the checkout person. If you do order double meat, mention it after your server has already given you your first scoop. That way, you know you're not getting cheated on a first scoop serving size because your server knows you're getting a second scoop.

2. Order a bowl and a tortilla on the side, because you're better at rolling burritos than the employee on Sharpie duty

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably already heard of this hack a million times, but this trick does improve your burrito yield by quite a bit. If you're more a fan of fajitas or tacos, you can also get up to three smaller tortillas free with your bowl instead.

3. If you're eating vegetarian and don't order sofritas, the guac is free

That's right, people. If the only protein in your burrito is in the beans, you get a heapin' helpin' of guacamole 100 percent free. Getting a completely veggie burrito costs the same as chicken or sofritas, but let's be real, you're gonna add guac anyway, so you'll save approximately $2.

4. Don't order chips and salsa, order a side of salsa with your burrito and then chips

Most Chipotle employees won't charge you for the salsa you order with your chips, but just in case, it is company policy to charge around 50 cents extra for "chips and salsa" than they do for chips alone. Sides of salsa, however, come free with your entree.

For more ideas, check out Bustle on YouTube.

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