Chipotle has refused to sell the Tex-Mex favorite of Queso until now. Chipotle Mexican Grill debuted several new menu items this week, including queso, two kinds of frozen margaritas, and a new dessert at their public test kitchen in New York City, the NEXT Kitchen.

“Queso is something that’s been requested from us for many, many years. Pretty much since we started,” said Chief Marketing Officer Mark Crumpacker. Each item is different but, if all goes well, Crumpacker expects queso will run in the test kitchen for about a month and then move to multiple markets across the country. He says that California and Colorado could potentially be the first locations to get Queso.

You can get the Queso on a burrito or in two different sizes (4 oz. and 8 oz.) with a side of chips. For example, the 4 oz. queso with chips would total $3.45. “It was slightly spicy, gritty, and lacked the gooeyness of standard queso” according to some but it was worth it and people seemed glad the menu item may be coming to more stores.

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Chipotle says will roll out Queso test to over 350 restaurants August 1
Chipotle Mexican Grill is bringing queso to 100 restaurants in metro Denver and 350 in the Los Angeles market on Aug. 1. Depending on how the broader test works, the new item could hit menus nationwide by mid-September, Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said.

Chipotle’s Genuine Queso is made with real, all natural ingredients and is a blend of cheddar cheese with tomatillos and chiles, Arnold said. It has a slight smoky flavor from adobo and is mildly spicy. Customers can order Genuine Queso on their entrée, on the side, or as part of two sizes of Queso & Chips side.

Chipotle’s is also testing its first dessert: buñuelos. They basically look like XL Cinnamon Toast Crunch pieces and were served with a pepper chocolate dipping sauce. In addition, the location was also testing margaritas — a classic version and a nonalcoholic strawberry-flavored one.

Moe’s Southwest Grill is already trying to call out the rival chain. They are saying Chipotle’s new cheese dip a ‘queso imposter’. “These queso impersonators are claiming to serve the perfection that is smooth and delectable queso, attempting to fool consumers across the nation,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.

Chipotle has long avoided serving queso at its chains because of its “food with integrity” pledge, which promises that its menu items will not contain artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. In a since deleted video, Chipotle said that queso is “made with artificial stabilizers to keep its shiny liquid form.” We can only hope that their queso tastes good and is not as bad for us as queso at other establishments!