We ranked the entire menu so you can create the best Chipotle order possible

Chipotle is popular with vegetarians looking for some serious bang for their buck without the pressure to consider animal proteins. While you'll need to go to your local Tex-Mex sit-down spot for the sizzling platter experience, Chipotle's fajita veggies – thinly chopped and well-seasoned slices of bell pepper and onion – offer a nice base for enjoying fresh salsas and other flavors.

Made with spicy organic tofu, bell pepper, poblano pepper, onion and more, Chipotle's sofritas offers lots of umami for a meatless option. Many customers are surprised to learn that it has more fat, sodium, carbs and sugar than their other proteins. (It also has fewer calories and less protein as well.)

Your choice is black or pinto – although some customers ask for both, and others skip the beans entirely. But would you believe Chipotle serves some fancy black beans? The company uses varieties such as Condor, Blackhawk, Domino, Valentine and Black Magic. If you're looking for a richer, smokier bean experience, go with the pintos.

When going all-out at Chipotle, it’s hard to turn down some queso. Whether you have the staff slather it on to your bowl, or order some on the side for dipping, you can’t go wrong. Chipotle’s take on queso features a bit of spice, and you’ll want to make sure you have enough chips on hand for every last gooey drop.

Both of Chipotle's rice options – brown (favored by the health-conscious) and white – are steamed, seasoned with citrus, and sprinkled with cilantro. While traditionalists eschew rice in their tacos, many a Chipotle regular can't resist adding rice to their order, regardless of whether it's a burrito, taco, bowl or salad.

Everyone has their own preferred style of tortilla chips. Made with corn masa flour, sunflower oil, water, lime juice and kosher salt, Chipotle's chips are served warm and are exceptionally light, thin and crispy.

True aficionados of Mexican cuisine know how important salsa is. The right one can make a dish, while the wrong one can ruin a meal. Chipotle offers four salsas of varying heat levels and textures, meaning there’s something for every palate. Our go-to is the lightest of the bunch, the fresh tomato salsa: vine-ripened tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and spices. There are red and green tomatillo-chili salsas, the latter of which gets a kick from Tabasco. And for some texture, consider asking for the roasted chili-corn salsa, which contains sweet corn, poblano peppers, jalapeños and cilantro.

Chipotle wins major points for hand-mashing its guac. In fact, seeing an employee working their way through a mound of avocados is a common occurrence. Chipotle’s guac depends on the quality of the avos, but in general you should be able to discern hints of garlic, red onion and cilantro.

For many Chipotle devotees, it’s all about the animal proteins. Sometimes we opt for the carnitas (hand-shredded, braised pork seasoned with juniper berries, thyme and bay leaves) or chicken (marinated overnight in smoky, spicy chipotle pepper adobo, and then grilled and charred), though most of the time we go the beefy route. Chipotle’s responsibly-raised beef is first cooked sous vide, then marinated overnight in the same chipotle pepper adobo, and finished on the grill (for steak) or slow-braised with aromatics and hand-shredded (for barbacoa).