Freebirds World Burrito

Dear Freebirds,
I am writing this letter to help your upper management provide a better experience and product for your potential customers. I noticed your recent expansion throughout south Bay Area and peninsula didn’t succeed, as you have closed down numerous locations. Let me list the reasons why this particular location in San Jose did not work.
1) Location: As we all know, business is all about location. You picked a great one at the corner of the Alameda since it’s walking distance to various home and apartment communities, SAP Center, and downtown. But you were also walking distance from five different places that served up burritos, namely — cafeteria burrito industry titan — Chipotle.
Look, when I am in a bar I quickly scan the room. I pinpoint the most attractive guys and make sure I don’t stand anywhere near them. Thus, I don’t have to compete with them.
Next time, don’t pick a location down the street from four other authentic Mexican joints and Chipotle. That’s like me entering a bar and standing next five other guys who are 6’2′ or taller, great hair, and rock hard abs. I wouldn’t stand a chance. And obviously, neither did you.
2) Business Model: Essentially, you’re like Chipotle with higher prices and lower quality ingredients, rice, salsa, meat, and food presentation. Why would I pay more money for a less quality burrito?
That’s right, I wouldn’t. And neither did the members of the surrounding communities.
3) Staff: Wow. Who was the hiring manager for this location? Was it a prerequisite to have neck and/​or facial tattoos, facial piercings, and/​or multi colored hair in order to work here?
Every single one of your line cooks, burrito engineers, and cashiers had some sort of variation of this «trashy chic» look. These employees, who were usually hungover or really high (off of marijuana), are the face of your franchise. This is the first impression you wanted to make with potential customers?
Alright, maybe the neck tattoo was for religious reasons and the multi colored was for cultural reasons and the marijuana was for medical reasons. Whatever the reason, you had too many of this people in one place at one time. If I wanted to be surrounded by this «trashy chic» look I’d hang out at Caravan, Cinebar, or Elmwood Correctional Facility.
I hope this simple advice helps when it comes to your next wave of franchise expansion.
Best,
Archie G.

Weird knockoff chipotle. Loser working there thought it would be funny to say no every time we asked for something. What professional in their right mind does that? It was so weird! Good service? No. Original ideas? No. Fairly priced? No. Good food? No. Friendly environment? No. Do I recommend eating here? No. Will I be back soon? NO.

MEH. I had been waiting for so long to go to Freebirds. People are always raving about how good it is, and after finding out they have a habanero salsa, I was sold.
THE GOOD:
Lots of options to put in your burrito like fresh jalapenos, salsas, corn, garlic, and lime juice, different types of tortillas, and a choice between white/​dark chicken. Their dulce de leche brownie — OMFG to die for.
THE BAD:
Flavor Flavor Flavor. Or should I say lack thereof? I expected the burrito to be blasting with flavor since I put in all this stuff, and poured habanero salsa on it. The entire burrito lacked salt, the meat was whatever, the queso I couldn’t even taste, and the salsa was just spicy without any other textures. Ill have to say that even Chipotle beats this, because their salsas at least are tasty and so is the meat.
Overall, if you want a good burrito in the north san jose area, get a chipotle chicken burrito from Señor Jalapeño or just go to an authentic taqueria instead. This place is bland and disappointing.

Been craving for a burrito when I search a place near me and Freeb! rds just appear within a walking distance. A throw stone away from starbucks and peets coffee in The Alameda. Yeah of course i got the monster steak burrito in cayenne tortilla for extra kick, a fountain drink and a chips with salsa for $ 15+ including tax. My first Fireb! rds experience was really on fire in a positive side! They also have cookies for dessert which I’ve heard is a 420cook! e disclaimer* but I didn’t have one. But if it’s true lots of cops and crews are eating there at that time.
By the way the burrito was above average but the service is excellent! I went home stuffed with a monster burrito. Who can top that?

I’m pretty pissed! Check the website and Unilocal to ensure I make it before they close at 9:30pm. I arrive at 9:10pm and the door is locked… wth?! Looked at the hours of operation on the glass near entrance and the 3 in 9:30pm is scratched out… ridiculous!

Do you want professionally wrapped burritos? This is the place to go to. Before the wrap the entire thing, they do a very quick spreading of the filling so that everything is evenly placed throughout the burrito. Then they wrap the burrito tightly in two layers of foil. It makes eating burritos a lot cleaner when everything isn’t actually falling out after every bite.
The concept of this place is exactly like chipotle, only the flavors are better. They have 3 different sizes: hybrid (small), freebird (regular), and monster (large). There are also 3 choices of tortillas to choose from: Cayenne (spicy), spinach, and flour. The 2 rice choices are citrus rice and Spanish rice. Meat choices are chicken, spicy chicken, and steak. It would be awesome if they had barbacoa as a choice like chipotle, but it isn’t a big deal because they have spicy chicken which is pretty good. As far as the other choice, it is pretty similar to chipotle except you can add jalapeño (actually really spicy!!), tortilla chips, queso sauce (similar to nacho cheese but 5x better) and extra spicy sauces and a lime sauce.
I really enjoy the different choices here and the meats are extra tender and flavorful. Don’t forget to ask for a loyalty card that will give you a free entrée for every 10 entrees you buy.

Friendly employees, average food.
I appreciate the attempt at keeping it free, but I’ve bit into a nice piece of gristle in my steak burrito one too many times. The chicken is decent, but I’ve also had the experience of getting a few crunchers (very dry pieces of chicken) in my tacos. Also, why hide the habanero sauce? You have to specifically ask for it since they stash it under the prep table.
Overall, very average.

I had one of the worst nacho experiences here yesterday. The chips literally just fell apart every single time I tried to get my topping or at least just the queso. So many chip breaks that I was almost going to get a fork… which no nacho dish should ever get.
I feel bad to say I’d pay 2 bucks for a Taco Bell nacho dish than here where it was soooo much more money. All my friends said they wished it was as great like the Santa Barbara location. They were all disappointed as well with their burritos etc. The people working were friendly for the most part at least.

Ive been here 2 – 3 times. I went here with my co-​workers when the first opened and it was pretty good. I liked that i can pay a little less and get a smaller burrito. The ingredients were good /​look appetizing. The second time i came back i was over charged– got the small burrito but charged the medium sized one. The staff at the register was not very efficient or focused. I get you have to be friendly but you still have to do you job right. The third time was a few months ago and thats when i said thats enough. The person prepping my food was totally not present/​stoned? The ingredients looked old and messy. I was thinking to myself what am i doing here? I ate enough not to be hungry and threw the rest of my burrito away… Hoping im not going to get sick.
I wish the togos was back!

A quick meal for those short on time. Had to hit the Sharks game after the train got into Diridon late. Steak quesadilla with bacon and an iced tea. This came out to a decent chunk of change and it wasnt much food really. Tortilla was well cooked but cheese wasnt quite melted. They waited too long to put said queso on. Steak was decent flavor. Took 20 min and we were off to the game

Nostalgia sure can be disappointing…
Freebirds was the greatest place in the world when I was 18. I was at UC Santa Barbara, and there was this shining beacon of amazingness in the middle of Isla Vista. It was open 24 hours a day, and served up burritos the size of your arm. It was awesome.
Fast forward a few… ahem… years and I saw that Freebirds was opening up a location just down the way from me. YES! I will get to relive by 18 year old self’s food nirvana in SJ!!! Well, I tried it right when they opened and it was a bit of a let down. Yes, the burritos are still big, but it was pretty meh. Tried it a few more times, and each time was a letdown. My wife also went to UCSB, and thought the same thing. It just wasn’t the same. I guess it doesn’t take much to impress when you’re 18 and out in the world for the first time. Since then, I’ve grown and my palate has matured & expanded, so Freebirds’ bland «Mexican Food» just doesn’t cut it any more. They do nothing to stand out from the crowd, and when you live in a place that has so much good Mexican food, it’s even more apparent.
That’s even before you get to the pricing. Chipotle uses better ingredients and cooks them better, yet manages to be cheaper. The burritos are pricey to begin with, and they nickle & dime you for everything. The part the rubbed me wrong enough to write this review? Sour cream is $ 1.10 extra. SOUR CREAM. Guacamole /​avocado I can understand. Avocados are pricey, and you need quite a few of them to make guac. But sour cream? It’s cheap for you and I to buy in tiny sizes at the grocery store. Imagine how cheap it is for a restaurant to buy in the quantity they get it in (I’ve worked in large scale food service, and they sizes of the containers are staggeringly big and staggeringly cheap for the size).
Let’s do some math.
Sam’s Club sells a 5lb tub of sour cream for $ 7.26, and contains about 10 cups.
The little spoon they use to add SC to your burrito is at most ¼ cup, so they would get 40 helpings out of a 5lb tub. The cost of each serving? 18 cents. Now this is at street price! They are getting it MUCH cheaper than that, so it’s a 10-​fold+ markup on sour cream alone.
FUCK that. Never again. I should have left you as a pleasant memory in my past…

This franchise or branch is seriously an embarrassment to the freebirds brand. Came in early evening. The whole feel of it was off. In comparison to Freebirds Palo Alto. It was dead silent for instance. Freebirds is usually alot more alive. I noticed the set up was different in terms of the food. Freebirds in Palo Alto has specified spoodles for each size of burriot. Being the fanatic I am, I know what spoodle is used for what size of meal. I ordered a freebird and people behind me ordered different sizes of burritos. We each got served the same amount of everything, with the same sized spoodle… ripoff much? Hypothetically speaking if I paid less I would have received the same amount of paying more. Moving forth service was off, no hype. A smile here and there but where is the customer service? The freebirds brand is not like this.
Food safety… FOOD WAS COLD. Palo Alto serves HOT food. I am utterly disappointed in this location. Palo Alto is so far away… but I will definitely pay the gas to go all the way there next time.
Freebirds San Jose… total fail.

Geez, this whole time I was settling for Chipolte, Freebirds’ older sibling, without even knowing the younger, hotter sister existed! Better late than never, right?
This particular Freebird’s location is nestled in amongst a handful of other franchise food and drink stops, all within walking distance.
The salad, ingredients and even guacamole taste way better than Chipolte! (No offense Chipolte, but it’s true.)
They’ve even got a cooler décor than Chipolte.
Freebirds= in!
Chipolte= out! (Unless of course I can’t find a Freebirds).
The kids behind the counter are sweeties with skills. This spot has me head over heels in love with their salad bowl + burrito ingredients! A few great smiling personalities, a clean yet funky atmosphere, and savory ingredients– will have me back in no time!

I love this place and come here often. I like that there is so much variety in what you can get and that you can get something totally different each time you go. They have three different sizes of burritos (hybrid, freebirds and monster– which is huge). I usually get the hybrid, sometimes the freebird if I am more hungry, and I get a bowl sometimes too, which is pretty big also.
They have tons of different and creative items to put in your burrito/​bowl/​quesadilla/​nachos/​whatever you choose like toasted garlic, roasted corn, lime juice, tortilla chip strips, etc… It is way better than chipotle In my opinion.
They also have a happy hour where they serve cheap bottled beers and a nice outdoor seating area with shade and plenty of tables. The staff is also super friendly and always gives great service.

I had a very good experience at Freebirds, our friend had talked it up all day and we just had to go. Apparently they have a rewards program that he built up a lot of points on so lunch was on him (thank you Corby!)
I got the Freebird sized burrito on a Cyan pepper tortilla and had it loaded with delicious ingredients. Don’t forget to add queso to your burrito– it’s really good! It does cost extra for sour cream and guacamole so be aware as you’re loading up your burrito with goodies! It is a big burrito though and is packed with flavor!
The service was great and the women who were helping us out were patient since I had never been there before. They also suggested the carnitas which was a great choice.
I love that they have bbq sauce, which is a weird but good twist for a burrito place. I loved the regular bbq sauce, the mild and hot did not really impress me.
I left the restaurant very satisfied, happy and so full I couldn’t imagine coming back anytime soon– but I would definitely go back!

Clean, hipster looking place with guitars with wings hanging from the ceiling.
Many, many choices beginning with the size and flavor of the tortilla. I decided to do a Chipotle like burrito for comparison purposes. I couldn’t pass on the cayenne tortilla. When asked if I wanted white or dark chicken, I went with white! I love that I have the choice! Everything looked good & tasted good.
Long story short, Chipotle is Chipotle & Freebirds is Freebirds!
With the abundances of choices of fillings, everyone can make a burrito that they like.

You know, contrary to many of the Freebirds haters out there, I actually really like this fast food restaurant a lot!
I usually get the burritos here! They come in all different sizes — it’s perfect! I usually get the smallest one because it’s perfect for my stomach! I love that they have flavored tortilla wraps here, and I usually get the spinach one!!! I’ve only gotten meat once, and the other times I got vegetarian! I like vegetarian because they give you avocado with your burrito. AND you can choose either guac or real hand-​cut avocados to put in your burrito! How nice! Chipotle only comes with the guac, which I don’t like because it has onions, and I’m not a strong fan of onions.
This place has a really good vibe, and I’m always feeling really happy in there. The workers are totally cool, and I feel like they actually care about me when I order food!

BYEEE CHIPOTLE! I FOUND MY NEW LOVE!
Yeah this place is definitely better than Chipotle & the workers are very nice and friendly! They give pretty good portions & are quite generous. I had a freebird with cayenne tortilla. They also had a mini salsa bar, god. i loveeeeee! It’s not like chipotle where they have tobasco bottles and lemon. this is even better! I also love their signature death sauce, which you can find on the tables as you eat! super yummy, i can’t wait to have some more!

Growing up in Little Mexic. errrr… San Jose you come to expect certain things from a burrito, and unfortunately this place falls a little short; however it’s certainly not from lack of effort. I came in hearing some good things from fellow Unilocalers and some relatives (that didn’t grow up in SJ which should’ve been my first clue). I like the personalized touch of being able to select everything that goes into your burrito and your Burrista (Ha! I just made that up! Copyright, Trademark and such!) guiding you through the entire line. Everything looks really good and tastes fresh but overall it just doesn’t have that– as my buddy Gil says– «Taste». The service is super-​friendly and helpful. The prices and food portions are great, but I just can’t really recommend this place. here’s a quick breakdown:
1) Service 5-​star
2) Price 4-​star
3) Portion 4-​star
4) Flavor 2-​star
In summation this is what my friends and I call a «Gringo Burrito». If Chipotle and Taco Bell are your thing then you’ll love Freebirds. If you’re a fan of Gudalajara, El Tule and Iguanas then I suggest you go someplace else; you will be disappointed.

This place is like the hip and fun cousin of Baja Fresh, but with more choices, less calories and a youthful feel when you walk inside. They even give you a choice of dark or light meat chicken! I thought that alone was pretty cool. They have a great vegetarian option with roasted veggies and guacamole included in the price of the burrito-​$ 5 for Veggie option.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday they have $ 2 beer and wine! I thought that was a steal compared to a lot of other offerings around this area.
All the ingredients tasted like they just picked them out of the ground. I would definitely go back for some more yummins soon.
Oh and if you have little ones they eat free if you buy a meal.