Popular food critic and TikTok influencer, Keith Lee, recently revisited Chipotle for another review, causing a stir on the internet amidst his 16 million followers. According to Lee, his previous meals at the fast-food chain had lost some of their appeal so he decided to give it another shot. After spending $40.59 on his order, which consisted of a steak quesadilla, his usual chicken al pastor bowl, and his standard taco order, Lee had mixed feelings.

He enjoyed the tacos, rating them an 8 out of 10. However, the chicken al pastor bowl fell short of expectations, with Lee highlighting the seemingly dwindling portion sizes. "This was $12 or $13," he said, "and I only get four pieces of chicken." This plate ended up receiving a much lower score, a mere 2 out of 10.

A number of followers chimed in on Lee's critique of the proportion sizes, with several echoing his sentiment. "My Chipotle hasn’t been the taste sensation it used to be," one user commented, while another referenced the restaurant being "stingy with the food.”

Chipotle, however, disputed these claims, with top executive Laurie Schalow emphasizing in a statement to Today that customers can customize their portion sizes. She reassured customers, “If we did not deliver on our value, we want our guests to reach out so we can correct it.”

Some Chipotle patrons have begun to film their orders being made on their own devices as an alleged method to secure larger portions, a hack that's spread across TikTok. Chipotle humorously replied to the trend with a video showing a crowd of phone-holding customers from an employee's perspective.

Moreover, a user on Reddit suggested a less invasive way to score a larger serving – by simply asking. When ordering in-store, this Redditor advises not to shy away from requesting 'heavy on XYZ' or 'a little more.' This advice is met with the reminder to be respectful to Chipotle staff, noting that kindness might just get you that extra scoop of chicken.

In the light of these debates, it’s clear that the love for Chipotle runs deep, and tweaks in the Chipotle experience are strongly felt by customers worldwide. Who would have thought?