Latest visit: Sep 2025 (Austin Bluffs @ N. Academy)
First visit: 1997 (Denver - as Z-Teca)
---9/10/25 (Austin Bluffs)
It's been three plus years since I last stepped foot in a Qdoba, and the below review explains why. I'm sometimes in the Austin Bluffs area at lunch time, so I thought I'd try this location. Perhaps they've improved again, or this store would prove to be better. Wishful thinking. Same result, higher prices. I just cannot understand the concept of making food blander. Most assuredly it's not a winning strategy? Well this pretty much drives the nail in the coffin. Unless someone insists we go here, or it's the only option while I'm starving, I cannot see Qdoba being part of my future any longer.
Qdoba current has 5 locations in Colorado Springs with one "temporarily closed" (usually that means it's permanent). It appears they fixed their website because we now know they have 845 locations worldwide (827 in the US). Colorado has 91, which is their largest presence with Michigan in second place at 72. They are in 45 states plus DC. Eyeballing it, the states that are missing are Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and New Mexico. Looks like they opened one up in Keller since we left. So there you go NE Tarrant residents.
---4/10/22 review (Monument)
As with Chipotle, I go way back with Qdoba, yet another Denver based burrito chain. They started as Zuroma then changed their name to Z-Teca in 1997, followed by Qdoba in 1999 (all due to legal reasons). In the 90s "the big 3" of burrito were Chipotle, Qdoba and Baja Fresh. The first two had a major burger chain that became it's primary owner, in order: McDonald's and Jack in the Box, whereas the latter stayed with private equity. Of these three, Baja Fresh fell on harder times, while the other two thrived. For my tastes, I liked all three but Qdoba was my favorite primarily due to their spiced ground beef option, something the others didn't bother with. They also feature a very hot salsa similar to Chipotle.
Times have changed, and Jack in the Box is out of the picture. What should be seen as a positive outcome, Qdoba has gone downhill. The flavors have changed. Sometimes I think it's just me, but then my latest venture to Chipotle has proven that is not the case. Qdoba has simply gotten blander. I've tried them many times since moving back to Colorado, but it's just not the same. They were very scarce in our former homestead of Fort Worth, having to drive to Camp Bowie which we did at least once. They finally opened in our area (Southlake), only to close shortly thereafter (2012 time frame). I used to crave those ground beef burritos with the habanero. But it appears those days are gone. Our location in Monument is nice enough (though it still has pandemic spacing? Seriously?). But it doesn't matter, as I won't be back for some time. Too many tries without a different result.
According to Wikipedia, in 2018 Qboda existed in 47 states. As with a lot of these annoying chains, they only offer a "location finder" with results for the local area. So I have no idea where they stand today, but I'm sure diminished from prior.
1997; 2002; 8/3/12; 3/6/20; 3/21/21; 4/8/22 (new entry); 9/10/25
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