Historically, tumultuous times offer some of the best opportunities to buy stocks, and the market's recent mess surely qualifies. There are few companies that investors are comfortable owning today, but many investors think burrito seller Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) is a good bet, even in this market.

In our Motley Fool CAPS community, 89% of the 2,242 investors rating the company are bullish, so there's no shortage of reasons why Chipotle will thrive -- three of which I've highlighted below.

But here at the Fool, we're all for looking at both the good and the bad sides of an investment. Once you're done with this article, you can read the case against the stock, weigh in with your own comments below, or rate Chipotle yourself in CAPS.

1. Impressive earnings
Similar to burger chain Steak n Shake (NYSE:SNS), Chipotle has been making progress in its recent quarters. It pulled in nearly 14% higher third-quarter revenue than last year while growing same-store sales, and generated a 77% jump in net income -- quite a feat as consumers watch their spending. Many CAPS members think its higher-quality menu will continue to help set it apart from cheaper fast-food chains like McDonald's (NYSE:MCD), Yum! Brands (NYSE:YUM), and Wendy's/Arby's (NYSE:WEN), and continue to drive profitable operations.

2. Room to run
While the recession has prompted Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) and video rental chain Blockbuster (NYSE:BBI) to close locations, Chipotle is on track to have about 130 more stores this year than it did last year. The company already has more than 900 locations and expects to grow just as much next year while planning to open its first location in London.

3. Strong balance sheet
Many CAPS members think Chipotle's balance sheet puts it in an excellent position to support its growth, unlike debt-laden companies like CKE Restaurants. It's free from long-term debt and has about $238 million in cash. Many investors see Chipotle as having an advantage, therefore it's able to prudently continue on its high-performance growth path.

To see details of what CAPS members are saying now about Chipotle, just click on over to Motley Fool CAPS and have a look -- or add your own thoughts directly to this story in the comments box below.