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    The Red Bird

    4.6 (163 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order The Red Bird Takeout or Delivery

    The Red Bird Photos

    THE RED BIRD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Red Bird

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    Hira R.

    The loaded fries were easily my favorite thing on the menu! The chicken was juicy and flavorful, but what really stood out to me was the batter. It's different from the typical super-crispy hot chicken coating--it's smoother, packed with flavor, and lets the chicken stay incredibly tender. The sauces are honestly the star of the show and bring everything together perfectly, especially on the loaded fries. The $5.99 sandwich deal is a great value if you're just looking for a quick bite, but I think the best bang for your buck is the 2-sandwich combo with a drink for $13.99. It's a much better value and gives you more food for only a few dollars more. l

    Nikki N.

    We ordered an Original Chicken Sandwich with fries and a Mild Chicken Sandwich. The restaurant was clean, and although we visited during lunchtime on a Saturday, it was surprisingly quiet. The fries were excellent and ended up being one of the highlights of the meal. I also liked the slaw, though it was a bit too peppery and spicy for my partner's taste. The Original came with cheese, while the Mild sandwich was noticeably larger but did not include cheese. I'm not sure whether the size difference was intentional or related to the different menu items. Unfortunately, the chicken itself was disappointing in both sandwiches. The meat was dry, and the coating was not to our liking. It almost felt like a thin sheet wrapped around the chicken rather than a crisp, flavorful crust. The chicken breast was also underseasoned and lacked much flavor on its own. The bread was only lightly warmed and could have benefited from a proper toasting. Nothing was particularly bad, but nothing stood out either. Aside from the fries, the meal felt fairly forgettable, and it's probably not a place I'll revisit.

    CHICKEN CAESAR WRAP

    I just had the new chicken wrap last night and it was insane. The Redbird always takes it to another level when it when flavor. The wrap you just could eat one half you have to finish it completely. Red bird has the unique style of creating new items that always has you wondering what is next on their mind to make. J the manager and his team are the Heart for the Lake forest location. They are always on point and professionals. Love this place. Plus both owners are from Washington DC like me. We know how to cook and eat good food.

    Chicken Slider medium spice
    Jake M.

    First off, the customer service here is amazing, which is something a lot of places now a days miss. This place blew us away. So glad that it's so close to where we live too. Onto the food, it's perfectly done. Best chicken I've had in a while and everything is seasoned to perfection. Really excited to go back but our first time there was a 10000/10 experience.

    Combo
    Scott M.

    Was craving some fried chicken and had not been to a Red Bird before so why not give it a try? Located in the same location as the legendary Dude Where's My Curry (RIP) it is very clean inside and you will be greeted with some great customer service. Any questions will be answered right away. Pretty good Halal chicken sandwich if you ask me. Several spice levels so if you love heat they can accommodate but if you aren't a fan of spicy then they have that as an option too.

    Two chicken sandwiches w fries and chicken cheese fries
    jovine l.

    Red Bird Hot Chicken & Fries follow @jo.bellyy for more recs! I found a DAVES DUPE and dare I say the deals are even BETTER (plus they're halal!). Literally where else can you find a spot that gives you TWO HUGE chicken sliders AND fries for $14??? Not to mention they have a great variety of spice levels and other dishes to suit your own preferences. What I Got: Two Sandwiches w/ Fries Chicken Cheese Fries Red Bird Hot Chicken & Fries 27412 Portola Pkwy, Lake Forest, CA 92610

    Their rice bowl. lettuce was old and turning pink. rice was bland.
    Elaine P.

    The service was nice and the inside was clean but I wouldn't come back for food. Got the medium spice bowl and the rice was disappointing. So bland and flavorless. The lettuce was old and wilted and turning pink. Just ate the chicken and left cause why eat boring tasting carbs.

    Chicken cheese fries, hala chicken rice bowl, 2 chicken sandwiches with fries combo
    Deanne S.

    I was craving hot chicken sandwich, so we decided to try this place. It was very clean and spacious. The cashier was very helpful and recommended 3 items on the menu that is a must try. So we ordered the #2 which is 2 hot chicken sandwiches with fries, the chicken cheese fries, and the halal chicken rice bowl. They offer a 6 levels of spice. We tried the mild and medium levels. When out order came out, I was so shocked to see the size of the chicken sandwich. The chicken was HUGE!!! And I've been to a lot of hot chicken sandwich spots and this place has to be the best prices that I've ever seen. My favorite was the rice chicken plate. The white sauce is sooo tasty! Overall, I would give this place a 9/10.

    X-hot Chicken Sandwich
    Joe S.

    These days, the LA / OC chicken sandwich contest is pretty much at MMA main event level. A field of heavyweights scrapping for honor, where any new upstart has to be perfect or they're only seconds away from a firm size nine and the hazy sound of a bell accompanied by some tasty canvas. I'd been looking forward to bringing Red Bird into the fray for a while after hearing good things locally, and I had high hopes when my partner and I visited for a midweek dinner. The location has plenty of parking, and was empty when we arrived. The music was pretty loud but just below obtrusive, with speed garage playing from the main speakers. Somewhat annoyingly though, it clearly wasn't to the chef's taste, and the R&B blasting from the kitchen somewhat clashed tempo-wise. The counter staff were great, taking time to go through the entire menu in a way that would've been super helpful to the less initiated (chicken nerd ego claim lol). The prices were very reasonable too, and the portion sizes huge - especially with the 'divide and conquer' #2 meal that contains not one but two chicken sandwiches and a heap of very enjoyable crinkle-cut fries (with a lovely honey mustard dipping sauce that was probably the highlight of the lot). Sadly though, the sandwiches were only 'pretty good', and around here that's mid-pack at best. A reliance on Serrano peppers in the slaw leads to a hint of bitterness across the entire bite in the milder chicken flavors, although it does sit well at X-hot level and might be enjoyable to some. Spice-wise, the scale seems to sit a step or maybe even two steps lower than comparable restaurants in the area. The smaller sandwich size might be helpful to those with lesser appetites, and points are gained for them being a bit less oily too, but it did lead to the occasional drier bite when compared to its gigantic 'two-hand-hold and wonder how big the cluckin' bird must have been' local competition. In summary, I'd still recommend that any fried chicken fan should give Red Bird a try. It's certainly not bad by any stretch, I just expected a bit better than I got. I'll likely go back for their loaded fries - which I expect to be a highlight - and a FCK (their top) level sandwich soon. I'm also the kind of boring fried chicken nerd willing to ride 50 miles for the best sandwich rather than settling for what's closest, so bear that in mind here too.

    Medium & hot tender basket
    Calli Y.

    We saw the great reviews and decided to try this place. I'm soo sorry but it was not for us at all!! Friendly service. However the chicken did not meet expectations. I personally liked the flavor somewhat, and it was juicy, however it was not crunchy at all! My breading fell off on each bit. The flavor was a little sweet. My medium had not heat and the hot had a tiny bit. Since it's halal, does it mean it's not crispy? Not sure but we will stick to Dave's hot Chicken. Nephew thought his was crunchy but he didn't like the flavor. The fries were good though! Not for us unfortunately.

    Terrence Y.

    I've been seeing great reviews on Yelp and other platforms for this newly opened restaurant so I had to try it. It's a light, bright and super clean spot. I was greeted enthusiastically by Jay who was super friendly and helpful explaining the options. I went with the two sandwich and fries option since that seemed to be the go-to order. I got the original and medium spice. The size of the chicken was huge. I honestly could've just had one, in fact I couldn't finish the French fries after eating both sandwiches. They were delicious and had just enough spice. I will certainly be back.

    Chicken cheese fries
    Johnathan H.

    The portion sizes are large and the prices seem almost too good to be true in this economy. Being a brand new restaurant, the staff are upbeat and eager to please. The chicken cheese fries had great flavor, and the spice level is below average. I normally get hot, but I'd go for extra hot here. It's a shame that another reviewer docked stars for the spice levels. It's not the restaurant's fault that you can't handle MILD spice. Being right down the street from my house, I'll put this place in my regular rotation for eating out. Cheers!

    Menu
    Jessica M.

    This is a cool new spicy chicken sandwich spot! If you're looking for a break from the usual chicken sandwich picks, The Red Bird is coming straight from the east coast with halal chicken and it's crispy and delicious. Personally, I loved the chicken cheese fries, the portions are HUGE, enough for leftovers! And their tenders are equally as big and honestly worth a try! I got one of their medium spice chicken sandwiches and man, it was the perfect amount of heat. Very manageable and still flavorful which I really appreciated!

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    Great spot in south Orange County! I love that the chicken is halal and the spice levels are amazing! I also loved their outdoor seating!

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    Ask the Community - The Red Bird

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    Hole in the Wall Burger absolutely lives up to its name. Run by a mom, dad, and son, this place is…read morepumping out pure local perfection. We got the Hole in the Wall Burger, Spicy chicken sandwich, and brick fries. They do their own custom blend in the burger so it's perfectly and deliciously fatty. The chicken sandwich was juicy and the cut was thick. The fries are cross cut tempura battered, and the brick style includes the mom's special sauce, grilled onions, and cheese. If you look at the menu from years past, you'll see that the price has only changed by $1 in the past 5 or 6 years. It's very impressive that they can keep the prices low so the average joe isn't priced out of a humble burger joint. Much respect to the family that owns this place. Y'all just earned a customer for life.

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    Mint

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    Easily one of the best Indian restaurants I've had in SoCal. The ambiance feels upscale without…read morebeing pretentious. The interiors and decor are *chef's kiss. One detail I loved was the screen playing old-school Indian movies in the background. It adds a layer of nostalgia to the experience that's hard to describe, almost like the feeling you get watching classic black-and-white films. The food does take a little while to come out, but it's absolutely worth the wait. Service is friendly. Samosa Chaat (9/10) - An explosion of flavours. I loved that they leave larger chunks of samosa throughout the dish instead of turning it into one giant mashed potato bowl. Great texture and balance. Dahi Puri (8/10) - Refreshing, slightly spicy, sweet, and savuory all at once. Plus, it's a fun dish to eat. Lamb Curry (7.5/10) - The meat was tender and the curry itself was rich and flavuorful. Butter Chicken (8.5/10) - Packed with flavor and hands down the best butter chicken I've had in Orange County. My only complaint is that the portion wasn't bigger. I ran out of butter chicken before I finished my naan

    The food was lowkey not good at all... the mango lassi was warm and hard to drink. One of the…read moredishes that I can't remember the name of (is in one of the pictures) was so oily there was a puddle of oil in it. Everything was oily- like actually felt gross by the end of the night. The place itself was cute but there was no windows open and so many tables as well as a movie streaming - I could barely hear myself think. The waiter was really nice I don't have any complaints about the service. The food was also very overpriced. Will not go back.

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    The Red Bird - chickenshop - Updated August 2026

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