Review: Qdoba's New Chicken Tinga Is A Welcomed Menu Addition, But It Can't Beat An Upgraded Classic

I'm not sure who it was that looked at Mexican food and thought it would be perfect for serving Subway-style, but I'm endlessly glad that they did. I remember being a child and loving the ability to customize my own sandwich as I walked down the cafeteria-like counter watching a sandwich artist, as they are now called, put together my personalized order. Turning that process into a build-your-own-burrito bar took that joy and added layers of the flavors I'm far more likely to crave now in my adult life.

While many have popped up over the years, Qdoba is honestly new to me. We've had one in my area in Warwick, Rhode Island for a while now, but with so many options out there I had yet to make my way over. Now, with the arrival of a few new menu items meant to highlight the fall season with Qdoba's comfort season lineup, I found myself with the perfect chance to rectify my failure to try out a restaurant I've never visited. 

Qdoba, hopeful for as many people to try its new menu items as possible, was kind enough to provide me with a $20 gift card to purchase a cup of the seasonal tortilla soup and an entree to order with the new protein on the menu, chicken tinga. Despite the fact that I did not pay for these items, I assure you I will do my absolute best to remain impartial and not let the company's generosity impact my review.

When it comes to reviewing new products, my first concern is one of perspective. While the job doesn't technically require it, I knew I'd be doing this story with the newly released menu and chose to stop in once in a non-professional aspect to try the food at least once before this piece. I strive to be as unbiased as possible, so I thought having at least a baseline of expectation would be beneficial.

With my first taste of the food secured, and genuinely enjoyed, I was ready for the new menu items to come out. I headed to my local Qdoba in Warwick, Rhode Island, and after a short drive arrived ready to order. Unfortunately, the dining room was surprisingly busy for opening time. I realized that taking my photos in the restaurant would be a bit difficult. Thankfully, the helpful staff informed me that they had a procedure in place for take-home orders, and assured me the food would be both delicious and photogenic when I arrived home. I moved forward with placing my order, and was looking forward to giving everything a taste. 

I chose to order the soup with the brand-recommended toppings, the adobo chicken, cheese, tortilla strips, and guacamole. This would allow me to try the soup without causing it to lean too much into my personal tastes. The new protein, chicken tinga, I chose to order as part of a bowl. I requested the staff put the chicken on the side so I could taste it on its own. 

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Foolishly, I had assumed Qdoba's soup would simply have some tortilla strips on top, and I was thrilled and scared to see how a bowl made of fried dough would hold up to the moisture of soup. While you can choose any proteins and toppings to add to the soup, the basic build seemed like the best way to try it for the first time. 

The soup had a perfect spice level that added to the warmth and homey feeling, without being hot enough to put off those who don't enjoy spicy foods. There was a bright acidic note from the fire-roasted tomato base, which worked perfectly to carry the seasonings and bring them together. The broth had a light smokiness and a wonderful depth of flavor. I was also thrilled to see that despite the soup being wet, it was thick enough to hold back from immediately soaking into the crisp shell. 

Once I'd added the chicken, tortilla strips, and guacamole, I found that the end product was almost more of a stew than a soup, but I had no complaints about that fact. While I don't think the guacamole was a great choice, as it mostly got lost, the chicken was a perfect protein for tortilla soup, and the richness of the sour cream drizzled on top balanced each bite and made for a delicious experience. Honestly, this soup is exactly the type of comforting dish I want in the fall, and is a must-try the next time you stop in.

Next up on my list of items to try was Qdoba's new protein option, chicken tinga. As a fan of Mexican food, I've had chicken tinga many times before. Of course, I am more used to seeing it shredded rather than chopped, but I suppose in Qdoba's case the intention is to highlight the flavor profile rather than the classic preparation method. 

The restaurant describes the flavor as smoky and bold. I hate to say it, but I do think that it could use more when it comes to both of those descriptors. While there was a lightly smoky flavor to the chicken, I found that the smokiness paled in comparison to the rich notes of smoke and char in the soup. There was certainly more boldness to the flavor of the tinga that wasn't present in the adobo chicken, but it still felt just a touch mild for what I expected. Of course, that's not to say it wasn't exquisitely tender and juicy. 

The flavor was mildly spicy, with a hint of smoke, and left a rich spiced flavor on the back of the tongue. Having tried the carnitas in the past, I was actually very happy with the overall flavor of the chicken. In the end, I have to say I would order it again, despite thinking that it could have used just a bit more seasoning to really make it stand out. 

When I think of fall-season meals, I think of stew, pot pie, roast chicken, and other simple but warming dishes. To me, the fall is about bold flavors made simply and without excessive frills. Looking at both the new chicken and returning soup, I can't help but feel one succeeds better than the other. Simply put, go try a bowl of soup. 

While I'm sure those who are die-hard Qdoba fans would notice the richer flavor profile of the chicken tinga, I can't help but feel that the flavors were not enhanced enough to be fully noticeable when buried beneath a mountain of rice, beans, salsa, and whatever other toppings you enjoy on your bowl or in your burrito. If you were to eat the chicken on its own, then you'd get the chance to enjoy that depth of flavor and extra spiciness, but as part of a mixed meal it doesn't pop as much as it should. 

The soup, on the other hand, is dramatic, bold, and so packed full of flavor that even I was shocked. Not only does this stew-like soup have everything it needs to warm you up in the coming cold weather, but the ability to customize it with your own choice of protein and toppings makes it unique. Despite all of that, the real glory of this simple dish is the way the tortilla bowl slowly soaks in the last bits of broth to become a rich, crunchy, and filling treat to end things off.

The Qdoba comfort season menu includes the return of the tortilla soup, the new chicken tinga protein choice, and also highlights the already available queso fundido. While the queso dip was released in September 2026, the other items became officially available on November 3. All three items are available at all locations. 

A create-your-own bowl with the new chicken tinga will cost you $9.95 plus applicable taxes in your area. The restaurant also offers a mini bowl option. This smaller bowl costs a few dollars less at $6.95 when made with the chicken tinga. The new tortilla soup is priced according to your choice of protein. My purchase, with the suggested adobo chicken as my protein option, cost me $10.85 before taxes. Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

Depending on your choice of protein and toppings, the tortilla soup can total anywhere from 380 to 790 calories. The chicken tinga bowl, depending on your choices, can have from 480 to 500 calories. However, the chicken tinga can be ordered as a protein option in any of Qdoba's dishes, and calorie counts will vary according to which options are chosen.