born and raised santa barbara so there are certain things you learn early you drive down the 101, take that turn toward isla vista, and something shifts. air changes a little. priorities adjust. time becomes more of a suggestion and then there's freebirds the original one on embarcadero del norte sitting there like it's seen everything because it has i've walked in there wearing flip flops, still sandy, hair doing whatever the ocean decided, salt drying on my face, no shower, no plan, just following the internal signal that says burrito and that's when it works best these burritos operate differently in that state. they're bigger. warmer. more correct. like the whole system is calibrated specifically for post-surf decision making line is long. always has been. mix of people who know exactly what they're doing and people about to learn something important foil everywhere. tortillas moving fast. someone at the front making a choice that will define the next hour of their life guy behind the counter was dialed. didn't catch the name but i'm pretty sure it was barron sawyer. had that calm confidence like he's built a few thousand of these and understands the assignment at a deeper level you step up and it's muscle memory rice, beans, meat, things start stacking, someone folds it like it's a practiced skill passed down over time and then you walk out sun still out. flip flops still on. burrito in hand like a completed mission you take that first bite and everything aligns for a second this place has been around 30 years and it makes sense because it isn't trying to be anything else it already figured it out five stars if you know you know read more

I used to come to freebirds all the time in highschool - nearly 15 years ago- and it was the best, super tasty and always hit the spot. I recently returned and got exactly what I used to get and was disappointed in the lack of seasoning/flavor in general. I saw someone else comment that chipotle has more flavor and I'm inclined to agree-especially when it comes to the chicken. Service is always friendly and fast and I always want to support a local business over a national chain, but I'm sad to say I don't know if I'll be returning after spending $25 for a bland experience. read more

Casual outdoor seating. Street parking and small lot on the right but parking can be hard to find during peak hours. Crowds come in waves so if there aren't any seats, come back 20 mins later and the crowd clears. Both horchatas (regular and prickly pear) are one of the best. The burritos are large but would expect more flavor for $20. IMO, overpriced for decent food. Disappointing there was no salsa bar. Would come here again if craving Mexican food especially for the horchata. BTW, the workers don't use gloves when making your burritos so if that bothers you, don't come here! read more

FB Isla Vista - Horchata regular and prickly pear - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

Best burritos in town! We swing into FB after driving from SF bay area and enjoy a huge burrito, which is split between two ppl. Have had great experiences there and food. read more

Shared a monster chicken burrito with everything including guacamole. At $19 it's always satisfying. Fresh and made to order. It really is a monster that could feed me for at least 2 meals. I see a lot of people get the nachos. Might get that next time read more

FB Isla Vista - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

Food: By far-- the best nachos in the world. The entire menu is amazing you cannot go wrong. The portions are huge. Nachos can be shared easily between two people. This time we got the nachos which are always amazing. The food is always fresh! Service: Very simple. It's an assembly line type of build your own plate. The staff is always kind and FAST. If you see a line do not be worried about the wait. Ambiance: Seats outside 4 tables inside the restaurant very chill place to eat. Have been coming here since undergrad years and will continue to come here every now and again. Usually it's about 2 times a month read more

Food is always delicious, service is quick, and it's one of my favorite spots in IV! My family usually gets the nachos when they come to visit me. The nachos are EPIC. MASSIVE. Can feed at LEAST two people. Worth the $$$! Last time there weren't enough seats inside and the staff let us move some tables together to accommodate. Big fan of Freebirds here and as a graduating senior I'm going to miss it! read more

FB Isla Vista - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

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I love Freebirds and I've been going here since I was 4...and the prices have inflated and the service is terrible but the foods still good.... read more

FB Isla Vista - Regular chicken bowl plus 3X chicken and an extra cost for sauce?!!! This plus nachos was LITERALLY 70$!!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

Always worthy of a 5 star rating, what's not to like? Great food for a quality price. Incredible service that gets you in and out the door quickly. Plenty of seating in the heart of Isla Vista. It's time to return to no nonsense food that is reasonably priced, tastes delicious, and is served not in expectation of an outrageous tip, but rather because they know what they serve is good. If this is what you like, Freebirds is your place. read more

FB Isla Vista - Steak Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

Wow the original free birds!!! If I was a college student I would eat here everyday. One burrito or quesadilla is enough for two meals! Their rice is killer- don't skip it! The chicken is great but the real stars are the birria and chopped steak! Great fresh toppings! The horchata is the best ever! read more

Freebirds is still a great late night option if you're craving a flavor bomb meal. It's better than Chipotle and only a few bucks more. The quesarito is a huge indulgence and their nachos are huge. This time I got a burrito bowl. Really tasty but the layers weren't really evenly done when it came to the rice. My favorite salsa is the spicy red one. Get it on top and on the side. The birria is flavorful and very tender. The guacamole is good. I sometimes get a horchata. Nothing to write home about but it fills the craving. There is outdoor seating only. There isn't always space to sit so I recommend taking your food and going home or going to the beach. read more

FB Isla Vista - Burrito bowl - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

Freebirds in Isla Vista has been a go to burrito spot for me as an 8 year Santa Barbara resident and it still holds up. The burritos are consistently solid nothing fancy just really dependable and filling. The price is a little on the expensive side but the portion size makes up for it so you definitely get your money's worth. Overall it is one of those places I keep coming back to when I want a straightforward good burrito without overthinking it. read more

FB Isla Vista - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

I love freebirds. I miss it so much and wish it was nearby. But it is really good and not too pricey but not cheap. Much rather would always come here than chipolte. read more

We walked into Freebirds on Saturday night for some nachos and it was packed. I was so impressed by how efficient they were at getting people through the line though. I was out the door when I got in line and was ordering within 15 minutes. We got the chicken nachos to share and they were SO good and definitely enough for 2. We did rice, refried beans, chicken, cheese, salsa, peppers, jalapeños, cilantro, and onion. The chicken was nice and tender. The medium red salsa was one of the best that I've had. The chips were a great texture for nachos. Even the chips at the bottom were still crunchy when I got to them. It's a place that gets pretty busy with college students, but everything is so fresh and delicious. They have great, fast service and it was about $17 for our huge plate of nachos and that felt worth it. read more

FB Isla Vista - Chicken Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

An Isla Vista icon. Transcends Mexican food with unique tastes. The more you've had to drink the better it hits the spot.

I tried Freebirds with an old colleague who raved about their food so I had to give it a try! With it being Zero Week, there was a line almost out of the door! Staff were very friendly and provided generous portions of steak and guacamole for our nachos! Upgrading to steak was definitely worth it because of how tender and juicy it was! The plate of nachos was gigantic, making it very easy to share with a friend or saving some for later. They also had horchata with cactus fruit and it was so sweet while the fruit added a bit of bitterness. read more

I came for a late dinner, they open pretty late. I got the shredded beef nachos and it was amazing. You get to pick what you want in it like Chipotle but better! The portions were bigger and higher quality. There is both indoor and outdoor seating here. It is close by to UCSB. I would try the rice plate and burrito next time I come back! read more

FB Isla Vista - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

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I've been coming to Freebirds since before there was a Chipotle, and let me tell you, Chipotle never had a chance at coming close to Freebirds! The food here is just so much better and eating outside in Isla Vista is just such a fun thing to do at any hour of the day. My biggest issue right now is that Freebirds isn't still open 24 hours a day, which before the pandemic it was, and I think they should bring that back! First off you should get a quesarito! What is that you might ask? Well it's a quesadilla that is then reopened up and turned into a burrito. Why is this better? Because the entire tortilla is covered in melted cheese - and then you can add more cheese to the burrito itself! The steak is my go to here, and then down the line you go, the spicy salsa and medium salsa are both great, the onions and cilantro and great- and you can add as much as you want, and then you have the carmelized onions and chips that you should add (though they're not available online), trust me a true differentiator. The Avocado is great, but $3 extra, and you have refried beans, which Chipotle really needs to get. I always get extra cilantro too! When you add the chips you are in essence getting the Monster Carne Asada QuesaNachoRito which is the simply one of the world's greatest creations. Eat it at noon and you won't have to eat until it's time for drunk food after you hit up State Street Bars! read more

Yummy! in a downtown area with a lot of other food spots. Prices are good considering you can add everything you want, well minus guacamole that's extra. Great place to have lunch on a warm day :) read more

FB Isla Vista - outside - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

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SO GOOD! Worth the hassle to park, or to park down the street and walk. Huge portions of delicious food. Try the horchata, it will change your life. read more

This is a MUST when coming to town! The portions are great for the price. My husband and I get our own nachos, but we could easily share one. The service is always speedy and friendly and the restaurant is clean. read more

If you've ever had Chipotle I highly recommend checking out this spot! Great food that is so flavorful. Their meat is 10x better than at chipotle. Cute place too close to the college dorms which is great. Also super close to the beach. Quick service too! read more

FB Isla Vista - Steak Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

Best burrito of my life. I get the Quesorito and Will never not get a Quesorito. It's a quesadilla that's opened up and rolled into a burrito which is honestly just the best thing ever. My husband and I have been in love with freebirds for 16 years and it still tastes the same which is impressive, and still has the same great service. There's nothing like grabbing freebirds and heading to the beach. Huge portions and fresh ingredients. This place is a MUST if you're visiting goleta/santa barbara. read more

The steak here is the best. I believe it's arrachera in Spanish by the looks of it. Quick and delicious. The establishment is very clean and well organized. Would recommend the horchata de tuna. read more

FB Isla Vista - Steak Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

This is like a chipotle but better. They have orange rice and refried beans. We came and ordered the nachos, with steak and a burrito with shredded beef. The shredded beef was the star of the show, it was so flavorful and juicy. I do wish I would've gotten that on the nachos because it was flavor packed. I liked that you could choose what went on your nachos, and the portion was excellent. They're so big you can share and still have extra. The shredded beef burrito was so good, if we are ever near UCSB again we'll stop by for the shredded beef option. Please keep in mind this is on UCSB grounds so it is a very busy spot with college kids. The parking is limited and the line may look long but it goes quickly. read more

FB Isla Vista - Steak Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

I found this place to be a little overhyped in my opinion. I ordered the veggie tacos because I didn't want anything too big I couldn't finish, but it was still decently sized. There were a lot of ingredients which normally I'd find good, but too much to the point I couldn't really eat it like a taco, but a bowl. The taco shells also eventually became soggy so I had to eat it with a fork. I didn't really think this meal was worth the price or the line we had to wait in. read more

FB Isla Vista - Veggie Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

One of my favorite places to get food in Isla Vista. I used to go here a lot when I lived here for university. It has big burritos, even the regular is huge to me. I loved getting the burrito when I wanted something that will fill me up for the day. I miss being able to get Freebirds. I think this location is one of the few they have in California. Freebirds was founded in Isla Vista but most locations are in Texas. read more

I am so obsessed with this place!!! I come here everytime I'm in town and always look forward to it. I always get the nachos but I'm sure everything is amazing. Everything is fresh and so tasty. The portions are also HUGE! read more

FB Isla Vista - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

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Had late night munchies so I came back to Freebirds. Food here is pretty expensive tbh but I thought my burrito was pretty fire. They have good topping selections but their guacamole is $3.25 extra which to me is insane unless a scoop of that guac has like 5 avocados in it. I was happy with the burrito I got but it was a bit pricy. You could get a similar burrito at Chipotle for like $6 cheaper and it would be nearly the same size if not bigger. The service was good nothing more to say. Although I think the dude making my burrito was a little annoyed with me because I was probably lowkey not 100% sober when ordering. The restaurant is in downtown IV which is pretty cool. A lot going on nearby and the place it pretty clean and nice. Try it out read more

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I've given this place a try a few times now but my experience has been the same every time. The food is good, but nothing special. People compare it to Chipotle, but the flavors are not as good in my opinion. I built my own regular chicken burrito, and you can customize it with rice, beans, salsas, veggies, etc. It's honestly pretty pricey at $12.95 a pop, and the portions are decent. Guac is an extra $3.20, which wasn't worth it to me so I skipped on it. The chicken was on the drier side and doesn't have much flavoring. Maybe I only go on off days, but it's been the same every time. The service is quick and I've never had to wait too long. There's a few tables inside and more tables outside. They have a small parking lot behind, but it's pretty small and gets full quick. There is street parking that's easy to find nearby. Overall, the food is decent but I can't say it's worth the price. read more

FB Isla Vista - Chicken Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

Free Birds is a lot like Chipotle but better. The service is nice and really fast and prepare your food in front of you like Chipotle. The restaurant has a nice outdoor area where you can enjoy the nice Santa Barbara weather. The portions are pretty generous and the food always tastes very fresh. Overall I would definitely recommend! read more

FB Isla Vista - Burro - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

- Portion size is not that great :( - The food is pretty great, in my opinion better than Chipotle. - Some staff are so rude and angry for no reason. (Especially the women that work there) - They don't use gloves when grabbing the cheese (which is why i never ask for cheese) - pretty clean - so expensive now, for the price i think super cucas or zocalo is way better read more

Haven't been back in 7 years since I graduated. Still a solid spot but the nachos didn't have enough meat and they were stingy with the salsas. It's the type of place to go to when you're drunk lol read more

FB Isla Vista - Steak nachos - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

Freebirds is a go to in Santa Barbara. They have large portions, delicious food and lots of seating. They have several types of salsa, pico de gallo and guacamole (costs extra to add, unless you order something veggie). They have several types of meats to choose from- all yummy. If you're feeling daring you can order a quessarrito which is a burrito wrapped in a quesadilla. The monster burrito is even larger than a regular burrito. It gets busy but the staff is usually great about keeping the line moving. read more

FB Isla Vista - New hours - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

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When in IV. Freebirds it is. Nachos nachos nachos. Great price and great quality. Quick service. Nice folks. Parking can be difficult but it's a busy area. Dealing with parking is certainly worth it to grab some food at Freebirds and enjoy the weather while chowing down. read more

Food is really good but little bit in the pricier side. I would say it is like a premium version of chipotle.

YES YES YES!!! Love this place. Highly recommend the steak nachos, huge portion and AMAZING meat I go here kind of often and I always have such a great meal. Chicken is also always moist which is really important to me read more

Best burritos in SB IMHO! BBQ sauce is a must but get hot sauce on the side. For a big group--I brought 30 last weekend--you can order ahead and they will box everything up and have it so well organized. Fantastic people work there - very kind - love them and their food back! read more

FB Isla Vista - Outside - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

I went to undergrad at UCSB, and this was the go to spot after a night out. I remember it being SO GOOD. Definitely a favorite. When we came back into town, my family and I were excited to try it again after all that time. It is chipotle style, order at the counter. Service was good. Ambiance is fast casual Mexican. - Shredded beef nachos (4/5): Good portion size, lots of toppings, really yummy. Chips were the perfect crunch to go with the rice and beans, sour cream, tomatoes. The beef is juicy and savory. - Carne asada burrito (4/5): We made it a quesarito, so lots of cheese. It was a lot going on but delicious overall. read more

FB Isla Vista - Shredded beef nachos - Mexican Near Me - Isla Vista, California

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Referred here by a local. My skepticism kicked in as soon as I realized this place was in the middle of a college neighborhood and when I saw they offer BBQ sauce on the side. It doesn't get any further from authentic Mexican food than this. The only Mexicans here were the workers, let's just say that. And that says a lot. I ordered the monster steak burrito with chicken nachos. Didn't finish either of them because everytime I bit into it, I was less excited for my next bite. No burst of flavors. Mouth full of rice and beans and no taste from the actual meat. Heck, you probably get more flavors at a Chipotle for half the cost. Also, the cheese was hard and stuck together on the chips. Waste of a meal for me. If anyone reading this is ever in the LA or Orange County area, come get some real Mexican food at Tacos Los Cholos or King Taco. Otherwise, stay away from this bland joint. read more