A new cheesy challenger has just entered the ring for a viral TikTok quesadilla showdown.
On Jan. 7, Mexican fast-casual restaurant Qdoba posted a TikTok that takes direct aim at Chipotle's viral Philly cheesesteak quesadilla hack. In the video, Qdoba announces that it has already put the item on its menu — right after Chipotle announced it would be added to its own menu in March. Forget the Chicken Sandwich Wars: Is this the start of the Quesadilla Wars?
Qdoba's video opens on a hand holding a “PROTEIN AND CHEESE ONLY ON QUESADILLA!” before tossing it in the garbage. This is a direct reference to a TikTok from user @bmar1992 showing a sign they saw posted at the register of their local Chipotle that had the same message but with "No TikTok trends allowed" added.
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“Hey, can I get the TikTok quesadilla?” says a man in the video to a Qdoba worker behind the counter. The worker piles cheese, grilled adobo steak and fajita veggies onto a tortilla before the camera cuts to a cheese pull after the quesadilla has been assembled.
“Don’t wait till March,” says the man before he takes a couple of bites of his steak-and-veggie quesadilla.
This video comes on the heels of a Chipotle menu hack that went viral recently on TikTok: an order of a steak quesadilla with extra cheese and fajita veggies that fans say tastes like a Philly cheesesteak. Chipotle announced its menu addition by partnering with the social media influencers whose videos caused the item’s popularity: TikTok food reviewers Alexis Frost and Keith Lee (who added his own special sauce by mixing the chain's Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette and sour cream).
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In addition to the hack frustrating many Chipotle workers across the country, many critics wondered why they have to wait at all when Chipotle already has the ingredients in-store.
Qdoba says its restaurants didn’t even have to add anything new to the menu in order to accommodate the TikTok hack.
“Qdoba prides itself on its customization options and serving guests their own creations through our Create Your Own entrées,” Karin Silk, chief marketing officer of Qdoba tells TODAY.com via email.
“Quesadillas have always been a staple of our menu so being able to offer the freshest ingredients to create the now-viral Cheesesteak Quesadilla is nothing new for us," says Silk. "With guests creating their own dipping sauce with our Citrus Lime Vinaigrette and sour cream mixture, it’s been fun to see different ways our guests are adding a punch of flavor."
For now, Chipotle has not responded to Qdoba's declaration of war, but several fans have declared their allegiance to one side or the other on social media.
“Going to qdoba tomorrow for lunch cause they have the steak quesadilla with fajita veggies on they menu,” tweeted one Qdoba fan.
“Chipotle wild for sayin they gon put the quesadilla on the app in MARCH,” reads another tweet. “I don’t even fw chipotle like that but imma take my a-- right to qdoba cause yall trippin.”
“Qdoba said you don’t gotta wait til March to get the quesadilla hack with them lmao they petty,” tweeted another person.
On TikTok, videos have already popped up of other creators trying out Qdoba’s version of the hack for themselves.
“Do you know what I did? I went to Qdoba instead and I ordered the same thing,” says user @eatdrinkbemandy in a TikTok of her trying a cheese-crusted version of the menu hack. “In my opinion, Qdoba is highly underrated anyways."
But, of course, there are those who have pledged their loyalty to Chipotle, Lee and Frost.
“It’s bigger than chipotle we doing this for Keith,” reads one comment under Qdoba’s TikTok.
“@Keith Lee told me to get it at Chipotle,” reads another TikTok comment. “Good things come to those that wait!”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY
