Chipotle Menu To Fess Up To Bacon Usage Because Of Tweets

Chipotle has always advised on its website that vegetarian and vegan customers should avoid its pinto beans. The beans are cooked with "a small amount of bacon," unlike the Mexican chain's black beans, which are vegan. But in-store menus do not indicate the porkiness of the pinto, and Chipotle's burrito assemblers are instructed to inform customers of the bacon inclusion only if they order a burrito without other meat.

This policy meant that at least one regular Chipotle eater, Maxim senior editor Seth Porges, unwittingly ate lots of bacon over the past several years. Porges does not eat pork, as he said in a letter to Chipotle, "for religious and cultural reasons," and so was shocked to discover, after years of eating Chipotle's pinto beans, that it contained bacon. Consumerist reports that Porges tweeted about the shocking discovery, and also emailed Chipotle CEO Steve Ells, to complain. Ells responded immediately. He told Porges that the chain would change its menu to include a mention of the bacon in its pinto beans.

The timeframe for the menu change is unclear, but perhaps Chipotle will add the bacon notice when it starts offering brown rice and breakfast burritos nationwide -- or maybe as it rolls out its vegan-friendly garden blend option or its delicious new chorizo filling. Ells should also be thankful that Porges isn't a Hindu in need of costly spiritual cleansing after his irreligious consumption.

Here's the series of tweets that led to, and revealed, Chipotle's menu change.

1 of 4

Seth Porges

1 of 5

First Slide

Previous Slide

@sethporges
Seth Porges

After more than decade of ordering Chipotle pinto beans, I was told they have bacon. As non-pork eater, I feel ill. cc: @ChipotleMedia

"The Chew" Cast's Many Costumes

gadgets/slideshows/233346/slide_233346_1108830_small.jpg

Food Robots Around The World

2012's Craziest Fast Food Items

The World's Most Expensive Wine and Spirits

World's Most Gut-Busting Meals

Best Chocolate Bars

comments(2656)

featured comment

Reply | Share

Gronkie said on 18 Thursday 2011 pm31 3:39 pm: People who have all these rules about eating have an eating disorder that is just being tolerated by a society that has far more food than it knows what to do with. I guarantee that the people in Somalia or other food-challenged countries would be glad to have those pinto beans bacon or not. So you're pinto beans had bacon in it, just don't order them next time, and if you feel guilty because you enjoyed them, get over it.

Total comments: 2656 | Post a Comment

1 of 5

Comments

[Susanna PoteeteMarshall]

08:08 PM on 08/26/2011

heres proof http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/ingredients/ingredients.aspx

[Susanna PoteeteMarshall]

08:02 PM on 08/26/2011

this guy should've asked or gone on their website it cleary says they are bacon in pinto beans how hard is it to ask? or go onto their website to check? either way a lot of people do realize the pinto beans have bacon in them. it is this guYs fault for not asking. They will tell you if they have any meat in the beans if order a veggie item other then that ASK! OR CHECK on their website!

[Concerned about the law]

05:03 AM on 08/26/2011

Pork is on the grill of most eateries, Mexican and otherwise. Most restaurant kitchens are not 'kosher' or truly vegetarian in the way that food is prepared, cooked, or managed.

I can taste the pork in a Chipolte chicken burrito, though I never order beans. I am very adamant about NO beans in the burrito, and will state so, about 3 or 4 times, in Spanish and English.

Chipolte is guilty of labor frauds in California. It hires nearly all Mexicans, Spanish speaking individuals in all of its eateries in Northern California that I have frequented. ICE finally cracked down on them.

After becoming unwell directly after eating a burrito from a Chipolte, I decided not to purchase a burrito from them again.

[T. Joseph Landry]

09:23 PM on 08/25/2011

If you want authentic Mexican food, find the nearest "taco wagon" and check out the amount of people at it. If it has a steady stream you'll find the real deal. One nice Mexican woman opened one about a half mile from my house. The food was very fresh and was prepared in a way that spoke of someone with a culinary backround. Utterly delicious and so much better than menu's that are assembled by franchised "Mexican" food chains that are run by suits with business degrees.

[Christopher Valverde]

05:30 PM on 08/25/2011

You're joking, right? You had no idea there was bacon in pinto beans?

[Andrew Landgraf]

02:39 PM on 08/25/2011

Porges, you dirty sinner.

[kevinc5a]

03:25 PM on 08/24/2011

Well Porges, I guess you're a pork eater after all.

[VINER]

11:49 AM on 08/24/2011

and nothing is hot... they load lukewarm meat in then cool it even more with cold salsa etc. You get a cold meal. Its a ok meal, just cold.

[Viper1st]

08:54 AM on 08/24/2011

Why would anyone eat at Chipolte Mexican Grill?

They're being investigated by DOJ / ICE for hiring illegals ~ illegals, unvetted for medical background checks by the USCIS

[Thunder Fuxxx]

03:10 PM on 08/24/2011

Oh. My. God! Did you call 911? Half the vegetables you eat were probably picked by illegals -- please play it safe and just don't eat. At all.

[Fred K Pope]

05:55 AM on 08/25/2011

That's funny

[AllyCat7]

05:13 PM on 08/24/2011

Cuz it's damn tasty!

[O K Ali]

01:43 PM on 08/22/2011

As a rule, unless I see the beans prepped, I go without. I'm well aware of the use of pork in many vegetable side dishes in the south as a flavoring tool and I treat Hispanic dishes with the same caution.

[AllyCat7]

05:14 PM on 08/24/2011

Agreed. It's too bad pork is laced into so many foods that don't need them! I always get disappointed when I find it in clam chowder or Italian Wedding soup :( lol

I've been safe at Chipotle, though. I always got the black beans.

[beavercreek]

11:53 AM on 08/22/2011

I've never seen anything come out of there I wanted to eat, but given so many people don't eat pork all restaurants should inform people. Just the right thing to do. McDonald's got in trouble for frying they fries in beef flavored fat.

[hebrewzzi]

11:37 AM on 08/22/2011

If you don't know that beans in Mexican cuisine usually has some element of pork in it, you're kinda of an idiot. Also, if you keep kosher or you're a strict vegetarian you should not be eating at these places...they are not required to strictly separate all ingredients, nor would it be economically sustainable for them to do so. People who have dietary restrictions are eating at these establishments at their own risk. Chipotle has never advertised itself as a kosher or vegetarian eatery, so the fault lies with the consumer. Also, every time I've ever gone to Chipotle I've been informed that the pinto beans have pork in them...I usually still get them even though I'm a "vegetarian." Bacon is delicious. :-)

[beavercreek]

11:55 AM on 08/22/2011

Um, I don't think you're a vegetarian if you eat bacon. Sorry, that's for us animal eaters.

[ChiefBetsy]

10:35 PM on 08/25/2011

I agree with everything you say. Also, every time I have ever ate at Chipotle that have asked me if I want vegetarian black beans or pinto...when I have asked they have said that the pinto are not vegetarian. Get over it people. Why is the business always at fault? If you want to be a vegetarian are they supposed to hold your hand? If you are that strict then don't eat out and carry a soy cheese sandwich in your pocket all day.

[Viper1st]

11:04 AM on 08/22/2011

I don't eat at Chipolte ~ Hire illegals instead of U.S. Citizens, but ~ wants 300 million U.S. Citizens to patronage their restaurants

[beavercreek]

11:56 AM on 08/22/2011

If that's your requirement I don't think you can buy most of the food produced by large corporations.

[Beth Grierson]

12:08 PM on 08/22/2011

Or eat in a lot of smaller restaurants, either.

[Viper1st]

09:32 AM on 08/24/2011

You're right ~

Grocery stores should label the fruits & produce sections (right next to the "Organics"

That ~ "This produce harvested by illegals" Giving the U.S. Consumer notice that produce may have been subject to TB, carried by 3rd world laborers, illegally in the USA

[maripy03]

12:48 AM on 08/24/2011

You clearly have no idea where your food comes from or who handles it.

[Viper1st]

09:28 AM on 08/24/2011

figures ~ from a Zero

[AlaskanEagle1990]

08:33 AM on 08/22/2011

I wonder how many Orthodox Jews are going to sue this place? Or vegetarians....

[AllyCat7]

05:16 PM on 08/24/2011

Or Muslims like me. Thank goodness I always got the black beans. But even if I got pinto, I wouldn't sue. That's just ridiculous. If anyone asked them, I'm sure they would've said yes. If they said no, however, then maybe grounds for a suit.

[leajazz]

07:37 AM on 08/22/2011

Eat out at your own risk.

[Thunder Fuxxx]

03:21 PM on 08/24/2011

That's what she said. Sorry.