Texas Man Goes To Chipotle, Asks For Cheese On His Steak Bowl. The Worker Tells Him Something Shocking: ‘Since When Is Cheese Just For Online Orders?’

A Texas man says a routine Chipotle order turned into a bizarre 20-minute ordeal over cheese. Viewers suspect that this is a result of prioritizing online customers.

On Aug. 19, a customer (@pmperceval) shared his experience in a viral video that has amassed 356,000 views. “I just went to Chipotle and had the most insane experience I’ve ever had,” he starts.

Why Did Chipotle Allegedly Refuse To Give The Customer Cheese?

The customer visited a Chipotle on Anderson Lane in Austin, Texas, and ordered a steak bowl. He said the restaurant had few customers when he arrived. He went through the usual ingredients before asking for cheese at the end. According to him, a worker said the restaurant had run out.

Then, the customer noticed another employee preparing a bowl with a large amount of cheese. He asked whether she could use some of that cheese on his order. That request reportedly received an unexpected response. “She’s like, ‘I’m sorry, cheese is for online orders only,’” the man recalled.

The customer questioned the policy since he could see cheese sitting nearby. He also argued that the worker could have told him about the restriction earlier. “If you would have just told me that at the beginning of all this, I would have just ordered it online,” he said.

He said another employee then turned around and identified herself as the manager. She allegedly repeated that the cheese was for online orders only. The man then decided to place his entire order through the Chipotle app. He said he even had to watch the employee prepare it afterward. “I’m a paying customer,” he said. “I feel like that should be prioritized over the people that are ordering online.”

The customer ultimately ordered online and used a free birthday guacamole promotion. He said the entire ordeal lasted around 20 minutes or longer. He also claimed the employee put his cheese into two separate containers inside the bag. “I can’t understand the layers of corporate bureaucracy and the willingness to adhere to them,” he said.

“I will never eat Chipotle again,” he said. “It makes zero sense.”

Does Chipotle Prioritize Cheese For Online Orders?

Chipotle does have some items that customers can only order digitally. For example, the company says customers cannot order its quesadillas at the restaurant counter. Chipotle explains that its special grill press requires a digital-ordering process. However, Chipotle has not publicly stated whether it has a policy to prioritize regular shredded cheese for online orders.

That being said, Chipotle heavily emphasizes digital orders. The company reported that digital sales represented 36.7% of food and beverage revenue in 2025. That figure includes orders from its website, app, and third-party delivery services. The company also gives customers certain digital-exclusive promotions. For example, some queso promotions have only applied to website and app orders.

However, that does not necessarily mean Chipotle prioritizes online customers over people standing at the counter. Instead, digital orders help Chipotle organize incoming orders and manage restaurant operations.

BroBible reached out for comment to @pmperceval via TikTok direct message and the TikTok comment section and to Chipotle via email.