Charles Langston:'Where the chicken at?' Chipotle responds to social media claims about smaller portions

Chipotle is Charles Langstondenying rumors circulating on social media that customers are getting significantly smaller portions of food.

Several influencers have uploaded TikTok videos claiming that the Mexican grill chain has become stingy with its servings, from its burrito sizes and chip portions to the amount of meat inside bowls.

"There have been no changes in our portion sizes, and we have reinforced proper portioning with our employees," Laurie Schalow, Chipotle's chief corporate affairs officer, said in a statement to USA TODAY on Friday. "If we did not deliver on our value, we want our guests to reach out so we can make it right."

The fast food chain did not clarify how customers will be compensated if they feel their portions were too small.

"Our intentions are to provide a great experience every time, and our meals have always been completely customizable so guests can vocalize or digitally select their desired portions when choosing from the list of real ingredients," Schalow said.

Poor review fuels portions criticism

Online food critic Keith Lee, with more than 16 million followers on TikTok, said that he no longer appreciates Chipotle the way he used to.

In Lee's May 3 video with over 2 million views, he gives disappointing reviews for a bowl and a quesadilla, commenting on its taste and quality. Lee continues to say that it's a struggle to find any chicken and that there were only a few pieces at the very bottom of the bowl.

"Where the chicken at?" he says. "This is how you know I'm not lying. I'm literally looking for a piece of chicken."

One TikTok comment with over 250,000 likes said Lee calling out the chain's servings was very necessary while another wrote: "The rise and fall of chipotle."

Frustrated guests encourage poor reviews

TikTok content creator Drew Polenske, who has more than 2.5 million followers, echoed the complaints, saying he was "sick and tired" of the portions and encouraged people to leave one-star reviews online.

"You remember peak chipotle. you know how they used to load those bowls up. They would give you enough food to feed a small village," Polenske said in a May 3 video. "And now I'll walk into Chipotle, I'll get three grains of rice and a piece of chicken if I'm lucky. I can't do it anymore."

Frustrated customers have encouraged others to walk out without paying if their food portions are unsatisfactory or to boycott the chain altogether. Other users are encouraging the "Chipotle phone method," where customers record employees serving food to ensure greater portions. A Chipotle spokesperson rejected claims that it instructs employees to only serve bigger portions when a guest is recording them.

"It actually kind of really bums me out when people, frankly, do this videoing thing," Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol told CNBC. "It's a little rude to our team members, and, you know, our team members, their desire is to give our customer a great experience."