Qdoba Mexican Grill

Decent food, though they don’t put much meat in the burritos. The front door is left open so The dining room ends up being about 50 degrees in the winter time so it’s pretty uncomfortable to sit down to eat.

This Qdoba location was one of our go-​to lunch spots in downtown. The staff is nice, and efficient enough to get you out of the place faster than you’ll assume when you encounter long lines. The space gets packed during lunch, as expected, but the turnover is fast, so tables open up pretty quickly. Like many downtown establishments, the rush will leave the space feeling a bit dirty (but honestly, most Qdoba’s I go to aren’t winning clean restaurant awards any time soon).
The burritos aren’t anything special, but where Qdoba always got our business is a) the rewards that help you earn free burritos, b) the shorter lines compared to Chipotle, and c) the free guac. Who doesn’t love free guac!!! Oh, and the burrito-​only line that opens for lunch isn’t a bad idea either!

As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I try to avoid chains and most especially fast food in favor of locally owned, mom & pop types of establishments for a number of reasons: I like to support the local economy, the small business person, and I have noticed that you usually get more «heart and soul» put into your meal from the local proprietor. But Qdoba was the order of the day today and I must say that it wasn’t half bad.
I got the burrito bowl which is essentially all the stuff you’d find in a burrito without the tortilla. You get your choice of white or brown rice, black or pinto beans, grilled chicken, ground beef, pulled pork, grilled steak, or shredded beef covered in a sauce, veggies, salsa and cheese. The layout is a bit cramped and the service is assembly line /​cafeteria style as you individualize your meal and then pay at the end. The total bill is a little over $ 8.00; a little more if you get a drink. I found the servers behind the line to employ brevity in a courteous way while trying to keep people moving through the line. It’s a pretty good system.
My burrito bowl tasted better than I expected. It was warm, flavorfully spicy and everything tasted fresh and good without that «fast food» quality. Qdoba is not a bad option if you’re hankering for some Mexican zing but in a rush.

Downtown Pittsburgh, PA.
Even though Im not a big fan of Mexican food, I like this concept for business. Cutting down on bread is a great idea using the naked burrito concept. I have been in Qdoba before never ate because it reminded me of a salad and it wasn’t what I wanted to eat then. So Mike S. tells me to try it. It was great because I get to add what I like and tasted fine. But I guess you are kind of your own chef here.

I’m closer to the one near the Steel Plaza, but I normally walk the extra block & head here. Even though the layout is literally smushed, i kinda feel as if there is a little more seating here and that the line goes faster. I also prefer this location’s Queso compared to the other location.
I’ll show my cheap side & mention that I only stop in on Taco Tuesdays and $ 5 burrito Fridays. Honestly, I thought I was crazy until I read Lucretiz’s review– I’m like 90% sure my taco & burritos get downsized because of my size. I watch them make these full, plump tacos & burritos then when it’s my turn it’s like next to nothing! So thanks Lucretiz’s for letting me see that I’m not truly crazy!
NOTE: they recently added those cool Coca-​Cola machines. so if Orange Coke is your cup of tea, stop in! Also, as of February they added 2 new quesos! Queso Diablo (jalapenos & chipotle) and Queso Verde (cilantro & lime juice) Both are made from their 3-​cheese queso

As fast food goes, I generally avoid it like the plague that it has become, but when our company received an envelope full of two-​for-​one coupons, with my limited choices for decent and affordable lunches downtown on days that I’d not prepped something at home, Qdoba won me for at least a try, and they became like my fifth in line for something to eat downtown.
These coupons were only good for this one specific location downtown, so this location got us.
I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed, and over the course of the next two months, we went through quite a few of these coupons. Almost every time we went in, the place was really busy, but they’ve divided it into two lines. One for burritos only, and the other for the rest, and it seems to work out rather well for keeping a smooth and timely flow.
The food itself is pretty good. I mean it IS fast food, so the crew from The Chew won’t be standing in line to assess its gourmet goodness, but considering the crap that most conveyor belt fast fooderies crank out, Qdoba actually puts out a decent edible and I dare say even tasty product. I’ve gotten steak burritos and nachos, and neither have disappointed. They are decent sized, filling, and come with that thing that eludes a lot of fast food factories… flavor. It’s not what I’d call cheap, nor is it expensive. For what you get, it’s about right. The steak doesn’t taste like freeze dried dog food, and the additives like guacamole and cheese are fresh.
Additionally, the staff at this particular location isn’t the usual paper-​hatted line-​up of minimum wage zombies. Some of them are actually kind of adorable, including the little guy who usually starts you off in the burrito line. A slightly cherubic guy, he’s friendly, being the starter of the burrito, with the tortilla, meat and rice/​beans, seems to genuinely like his customers, and then he passes you on to the next staff member who will stuff the remainder of goodies into your burrito, and usually, they’re just as friendly.
All in all, this is a nice option for a downtown quick lunch. Decent food, ok prices, pleasant staff, and a quick in-​and-​out. A chain worth linking with.

Nothing special, move along

I usually pass over this restaurant in favor of the Qdoba on Sixth.
Nothing special and also the restaurant is very narrow and you have to squeeze pass people entering the restaurant to get to the fountain drink machine. This Qdoba is poorly laid out and I never feel completely comfortable eating here.
I often wonder if because of my size I get served less food. My tacos are always filled with the tiniest bit of filling at this Qdoba. Yes I may be a small person but I am paying the same price as the next person. So it does annoy me when I’m served less and this happens all the time here.
I cannot get full eating even 3 tacos at this Qdoba, it’s not a good value for my money.

Busy at lunch. 1 line for Burritos and 1 line for everything else. You get through the line pretty quickly. Typical Qdoba. Choice of steak or chicken. Decent food for a decent price. Rice is a little bland. Steak is spicier than the chicken. Had a new cashier today that tried to charge us $ 10+ for 4 tacos with fajita veggies.
Limited seating inside. Most people get it to go. If you show your company badge you get a free drink. If you join the rewards program you get a free burrito after 10 entrees with Monday being worth double.