Chipotle said it wouldn’t offer queso. Now, it’s trying out … queso

Didn’t Chipotle once snark that it would never put “goopy cheese” on its menu?

But now it’s test-marketing a new “queso” dip?

Heads are spinning, but mouths are salivating over news that the chain is test marketing a new Tex-Mex cheesy dip.

This from the same company that once reportedly told customers in a snippy video that “queso has to be made with artificial stabilizers to keep its shiny liquid form. Ever heard of all-natural goopy cheese? Do you think there’s a magical cow that squirts queso out of its udders?”

Hey guys. Chipotle found a “magical cow.”

On Monday, according to Eater and Business Insider, the chain began serving a queso dip in its first public test kitchen in New York City.

“Apparently, the company found a way to crack the enigma of the all-natural queso code,” Business Insider dishes.

The publication sent queso spies Hollis Johnson and Kate Taylor to the Chipotle NEXT Kitchen in Manhattan to check it out.

The company’s only public test kitchen, unveiled Monday, will serve Chipotle’s newest dishes and drinks, according to Eater.

The most anticipated item? Hands-down, the queso, Eater notes, which can be ordered at the restaurant with an entree, on the side or with chips.

Company execs tell Eater that queso has been the most requested dish not offered on the Chipotle menu.

“All of our competitors sell queso, and we know some customers don’t come to Chipotle because we don’t offer it,” CEO Steve Ells wrote in an internal memo sent to the company’s employees on Monday, Eater reported.

“But because we refuse to use industrial additives, added colors, flavors or preservatives in our food, it’s very difficult to make queso that meets our standards,” until now.

The Business Insider taste-testers who tried the queso on Monday found that it’s nothing like goopy cheese.

This dip has little drip.

“On first bite, the difference between this all-natural queso and the standard Tex-Mex variety is immediate,” Business Insider writes.

“While the typical Velveeta-based dip is smooth and elastic in its cheesy richness, this cheddar-based version has a grainy texture more reminiscent of a roux-based sauce.”

“No Insta-worthy cheese pull here — the queso is viscous and texturally closer to a chowder than nacho cheese. However, that’s not necessarily an insult. The savory, rich flavors are all present, with a slow, pleasant, smoky burn.”

“While the lack of elasticity is disappointing to queso traditionalists, when it’s added to a burrito, these textural flaws are all but forgotten.”

Chipotle fans on social media are singing over the news. A few have already dropped in at the test kitchen and posted photos and videos of the golden goodness.

No word on when the dip might hit menus across the country.

This story was originally published July 11, 2017 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Chipotle said it wouldn’t offer queso. Now, it’s trying out … queso."