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Flash Bird
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Flash Bird
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Flash Bird

Chicken · Santa Cruz

3.1 · 90 reviews Google
www.flashbirdchicken.com

About Flash Bird

At Flash Bird, we offer a unique dining experience in the heart of Santa Cruz. Our restaurant's stunning location is reflected in our welcoming outdoor seating area and attentive service. Our menu features an array of signature dishes, including crispy fried chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, onion r...

At Flash Bird, we offer a unique dining experience in the heart of Santa Cruz. Our restaurant's stunning location is reflected in our welcoming outdoor seating area and attentive service. Our menu features an array of signature dishes, including crispy fried chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, onion rings, and homemade sauces that have captured the hearts of our customers. We take pride in using only the freshest ingredients to craft meals that are not only delicious but also well-priced. With excellent service, generous portions, and a lively atmosphere, Flash Bird is the perfect spot for both casual dining and special occasions.

What Customers Say About Flash Bird

Flash Bird receives mixed reviews. Many praise the chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and sauces, especially the flash sauce. Devin and Danny are repeatedly mentioned for excellent service. However, some customers complain about high prices, small portions, inconsistent food quality, and raw chicken.

Popular Dishes

chicken sandwich (9) waffle fries (5) OG Fried Chicken sandwich Spicy chicken sandwich (3) onion rings fried pickles

Best For

Casual Quick Bite Locals Tourists

Tip: Try the flash sauce and be generous with it. Be aware that some customers find the prices high for the portion sizes.

Features

📶 WiFi 🌳 Outdoor 🚗 Delivery Accessible 🍽️ Lunch 🌙 Dinner 🥗 Vegetarian Coffee
🎯 Casual 👨‍👩‍👧 Family 👥 Groups

What to see nearby

Museum of Art and History
A 40m

Museum of Art and History

museo

View details
Edificio Octágono
Heritage
A 71m

Edificio Octágono

edificio

View details
Veterans Memorial Building
Heritage
A 195m

Veterans Memorial Building

edificio

View details
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
A 327m

Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium

construcción

View details
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park
A 359m

Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

parque

View details
Hotel Paradox
A 464m

Hotel Paradox

edificio

View details

Data from Wikidata

Explore the area around Flash Bird

Flash Bird is located in Santa Cruz, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.

Historical Heritage

  • Edificio Octágono (A 71m) — edificio histórico ubicado en Santa Cruz, California, EE-UU Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
  • Veterans Memorial Building (A 195m) — historic building in Santa Cruz, California, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
  • mission de santa cruz (A 504m) — mission in Santa Cruz, California Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos

Museums

  • Museum of Art and History (A 40m) — museum in Santa Cruz, California

Religious Buildings

  • Holy Cross Church (A 589m) — church building in Santa Cruz, California

Parks & Gardens

  • Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park (A 359m) — park in the United States of America
  • Laurel Park (A 650m) — park in Santa Cruz County, California, United States of America
  • Mike Fox Park (A 817m) — park in the United States of America

Other Points of Interest

  • Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium (A 327m) — concert hall in Santa Cruz, California
  • Hotel Paradox (A 464m) — hotel in Santa Cruz, California

Data from Wikidata

Frequently asked questions about Flash Bird

Flash Bird is located at 725 Front St Suite 102, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, Santa Cruz.
Near Flash Bird you can find points of interest such as Museum of Art and History, Edificio Octágono, Veterans Memorial Building, Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium.
Flash Bird offers chicken cuisine.
Flash Bird has regular opening hours. Check their profile for updated schedules.
Flash Bird offers the following services: dine-in, takeaway, delivery.
The most recommended dishes at Flash Bird based on customer reviews are: chicken sandwich, waffle fries, OG Fried Chicken sandwich, Spicy chicken sandwich, onion rings.
Flash Bird is ideal for casual dining, quick bites, locals, tourists.
Flash Bird receives mixed reviews. Many praise the chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and sauces, especially the flash sauce. Devin and Danny are repeatedly mentioned for excellent service. However, some customers complain about high prices, small portions, inconsistent food quality, and raw chicken.
Try the flash sauce and be generous with it. Be aware that some customers find the prices high for the portion sizes.
90
Reviews

Flash Bird Santa Cruz Reviews

3.1
90
5★
38%
4★
10%
3★
6%
2★
17%
1★
30%
Reviews (40)
R
Ross Lewis

Devin and Danny are awesome. The food is outstanding. In abbot square there is always something going on here! Please try this place. You can't miss with anything!

B
Brittney S

Spicy chicken sandwich, waffle fries, onion rings, and a plethora of amazing sauces...YES Please & THANK you!! Everything was hot, fresh, flavorful & served by the friendliest staff. Love it!

C
Claire Castagna

WoW!!! That was the BEST grilled chicken sandwich I’ve ever had!!! The buns, pickles, and sauces all made in house...we’ll be back...tomorrow!👍

Ross Lewis
Ross Lewis

Devin and Danny are awesome. The food is outstanding. In abbot square there is always something going on here! Please try this place. You can't miss with anything!

Brittney S
Brittney S

Spicy chicken sandwich, waffle fries, onion rings, and a plethora of amazing sauces...YES Please & THANK you!! Everything was hot, fresh, flavorful & served by the friendliest staff. Love it!

Claire Castagna
Claire Castagna

WoW!!! That was the BEST grilled chicken sandwich I’ve ever had!!! The buns, pickles, and sauces all made in house...we’ll be back...tomorrow!👍

V
Victoria Yuen-Ruan

Yum yum yum. Great chicken sandwich, the add ons were unnecessary. The chicken was cooked thoroughly and has a good crisp. The waffle fries were great but pretty salty on some bites. Loved trying all the different sauces and our cashier David was dope 10/10.

C
Cesar Topete

I had a OG Fried Chicken sandwich with their fries , they are very generous with their fry servings. It was my first time trying the flash sauce and I couldn’t get enough I had to get my hands on more . The kiddo working there had broke down the options thoroughly and had my food out at a very reasonable time . Great food and Service .

a
aaron peterson

It's pricey, but you're paying for the location. Whatever was going on with the staff in the older reviews seems to have been fixed, as they were attentive and nice to me. I also watched them patiently help a dude who couldn't figure out the kiosk. The fried hen of the woods was fantastic, the chicken tendies were tender, and the spicy chicken sandwich was spicy. The flash sauce is good. I will definitely go back.

B
Benjamin Wieser

Devin and Danny provided excellent and prompt service. Food was tasty and well priced and we will be back to try the fried pickles.

Benjamin Wieser
Benjamin Wieser

Devin and Danny provided excellent and prompt service. Food was tasty and well priced and we will be back to try the fried pickles.

Cesar Topete
Cesar Topete

I had a OG Fried Chicken sandwich with their fries , they are very generous with their fry servings. It was my first time trying the flash sauce and I couldn’t get enough I had to get my hands on more . The kiddo working there had broke down the options thoroughly and had my food out at a very reasonable time . Great food and Service .

aaron peterson
aaron peterson

It's pricey, but you're paying for the location. Whatever was going on with the staff in the older reviews seems to have been fixed, as they were attentive and nice to me. I also watched them patiently help a dude who couldn't figure out the kiosk. The fried hen of the woods was fantastic, the chicken tendies were tender, and the spicy chicken sandwich was spicy. The flash sauce is good. I will definitely go back.

Victoria Yuen-Ruan
Victoria Yuen-Ruan

Yum yum yum. Great chicken sandwich, the add ons were unnecessary. The chicken was cooked thoroughly and has a good crisp. The waffle fries were great but pretty salty on some bites. Loved trying all the different sauces and our cashier David was dope 10/10.

C
Carl O'Neil

Good classic chicken sandwich, great waffle fries. Wish I tried the spicy chicken.

Carl O'Neil
Carl O'Neil

Good classic chicken sandwich, great waffle fries. Wish I tried the spicy chicken.

N
Nicole Salaz

When I saw the sandwiches, I thought they were going to be dry. I was pleasantly surprised at how juicy they were. I really liked the Crisy Fried Mushrooms, which were good, with the buttermilk ranch sauce. The Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich was a little spicer than I expected, but it was still very good. I will say that I did think the food was overpriced.

Nicole Salaz
Nicole Salaz

When I saw the sandwiches, I thought they were going to be dry. I was pleasantly surprised at how juicy they were. I really liked the Crisy Fried Mushrooms, which were good, with the buttermilk ranch sauce. The Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich was a little spicer than I expected, but it was still very good. I will say that I did think the food was overpriced.

S
Sean Winn

Review is for the new Scotts Valley location. Overpriced and not delivering the value for the price point. Food was okay but not great. Spicy chicken sandwich wasn't spicy at all. Onion rings we're underdone and soggy. Waffle fries were what you might expect for fried previously frozen potatoes.$25-30 per person for a fried fast food "combo meal" is way out of touch with current economic conditions. No tables, cold white space.

Sean Winn
Sean Winn

Review is for the new Scotts Valley location. Overpriced and not delivering the value for the price point. Food was okay but not great. Spicy chicken sandwich wasn't spicy at all. Onion rings we're underdone and soggy. Waffle fries were what you might expect for fried previously frozen potatoes.$25-30 per person for a fried fast food "combo meal" is way out of touch with current economic conditions. No tables, cold white space.

J
Jeff Downing

This place looks promising within the food hall. I wanted to like it. Ordered the OG, waffle fries, chicken Caesar wrap. They were out of tortillas so the wrap became a bowl (not worthy of a photo) They somehow managed to overcook the chicken while undercooking the fries. It was still edible. My guess is that if cooked properly, it would be good. The bun was very good and the sauces tasty. Not sure I would go back

K
Karey Markham

Why is the veggie option so much more expensive? And why is the three dollar side of coleslaw only three spoonfuls? It’s not that good. Wish I could leave more stars because the chicken sandwich is yummy. Just too expensive

A
Anthony Neeser

Well, I wrote an honest review, however, it exceeded the character limit. If you want to read it, check out the pictures I'm attaching. In a nutshell: The employees are nice, and are trying their best under the circumstances. The food was.... not great. It has the potential to be good, but there are owner and management decisions (and lack of culinary imagination) preventing that from happening. This situation reminds me of places I've worked at where the owner's only goal was to make the most money possible while doing the absolute least. I would say "the bare minimum," but that would involve ensuring the fryer oil can be changed out before it tastes like a truck tire in a cow pasture at the pinnacle of a heatwave. I feel for the employees and I feel for other potential customers who think, "Huh, I'll give this place a shot." To be clear, my issue is not with the general employees, but rather with management and the owners. Stop being greedy, pay your web developer, and put some effort into your business. If you can't be bothered to provide your employees and customers with a positive, quality experience, then you deserve to fail.

Jeff Downing
Jeff Downing

This place looks promising within the food hall. I wanted to like it. Ordered the OG, waffle fries, chicken Caesar wrap. They were out of tortillas so the wrap became a bowl (not worthy of a photo) They somehow managed to overcook the chicken while undercooking the fries. It was still edible. My guess is that if cooked properly, it would be good. The bun was very good and the sauces tasty. Not sure I would go back

Karey Markham
Karey Markham

Why is the veggie option so much more expensive? And why is the three dollar side of coleslaw only three spoonfuls? It’s not that good. Wish I could leave more stars because the chicken sandwich is yummy. Just too expensive

Anthony Neeser
Anthony Neeser

Well, I wrote an honest review, however, it exceeded the character limit. If you want to read it, check out the pictures I'm attaching. In a nutshell: The employees are nice, and are trying their best under the circumstances. The food was.... not great. It has the potential to be good, but there are owner and management decisions (and lack of culinary imagination) preventing that from happening. This situation reminds me of places I've worked at where the owner's only goal was to make the most money possible while doing the absolute least. I would say "the bare minimum," but that would involve ensuring the fryer oil can be changed out before it tastes like a truck tire in a cow pasture at the pinnacle of a heatwave. I feel for the employees and I feel for other potential customers who think, "Huh, I'll give this place a shot." To be clear, my issue is not with the general employees, but rather with management and the owners. Stop being greedy, pay your web developer, and put some effort into your business. If you can't be bothered to provide your employees and customers with a positive, quality experience, then you deserve to fail.

B
Brandon Wolfinger

Was not impressed at all. I used to really like this place. Went there recently and I would not go back. Chicken tasted decent, but wasn’t warm. Sandwich was tiny and sloppily put together, fries were basically just crumbs. Way to expensive for what you get. $25 with tip (no way Holmes!)

A
Atiana Romain

I used be a big fan of flash bird. I think the product selection is great but the service and consistency of the quality of the food has gone down. I used to love the onion tangles when they were small and crispy and now they’re thick and sometimes tend to be soggy. The mac and cheese used to be so bomb and they took it off the menu as well. I also feel like the service has always been kinda off. The workers never seem to care that you’re there even before when you had to order on the ipad. It felt like they used to put love in their sandwhiches and now they don’t. The food is still decently good but the service just ruins my time every time I go. I just wish the workers were more attentive to their job rather than just chilling on the job.

Brandon Wolfinger
Brandon Wolfinger

Was not impressed at all. I used to really like this place. Went there recently and I would not go back. Chicken tasted decent, but wasn’t warm. Sandwich was tiny and sloppily put together, fries were basically just crumbs. Way to expensive for what you get. $25 with tip (no way Holmes!)

Atiana Romain
Atiana Romain

I used be a big fan of flash bird. I think the product selection is great but the service and consistency of the quality of the food has gone down. I used to love the onion tangles when they were small and crispy and now they’re thick and sometimes tend to be soggy. The mac and cheese used to be so bomb and they took it off the menu as well. I also feel like the service has always been kinda off. The workers never seem to care that you’re there even before when you had to order on the ipad. It felt like they used to put love in their sandwhiches and now they don’t. The food is still decently good but the service just ruins my time every time I go. I just wish the workers were more attentive to their job rather than just chilling on the job.

V
Veronica Urabe

The food was absolutely disgusting. As the food came out, I asked the employee if they changed the recipe for the onion tangles. They looked burnt, dark and different than I remember. They replied that they were supposed to change the oil today, but there was no new oil. Everything from the sandwich, fries and onion tangles tasted bad. Super disappointed!

C
Claudia Flores

This is the saddest looking burger ever. Look at the squished bread and 4 shreds of lettuce. The three stars are for the square.

Veronica Urabe
Veronica Urabe

The food was absolutely disgusting. As the food came out, I asked the employee if they changed the recipe for the onion tangles. They looked burnt, dark and different than I remember. They replied that they were supposed to change the oil today, but there was no new oil. Everything from the sandwich, fries and onion tangles tasted bad. Super disappointed!

Claudia Flores
Claudia Flores

This is the saddest looking burger ever. Look at the squished bread and 4 shreds of lettuce. The three stars are for the square.

J
Jackie

I wish I listened to the reviews! Just so bad. The tenders were bland and a rip off. $10 for four tenders, which were very small. The $6 cup of coleslaw I got was only halfway full. Just a couple of spoonfuls worth.

R
Riley Parks

Extremely overpriced, portions are tiny and prefrozen and just heated up in the air fryer. You could just get dino nuggies from costco and eat the same quality for far cheaper. Chicken was dry and low quality

P
Paul Hardwick

2nd and most likely last visit to this location 13 dollar raw chicken sandwich again. Employee couldn’t accept a $20 bill he has no change was his reason. So done with poor places and still want a tip. Cmon manager get someone who knows what their doing Weekend and abbot square was popping

Riley Parks
Riley Parks

Extremely overpriced, portions are tiny and prefrozen and just heated up in the air fryer. You could just get dino nuggies from costco and eat the same quality for far cheaper. Chicken was dry and low quality

Paul Hardwick
Paul Hardwick

2nd and most likely last visit to this location 13 dollar raw chicken sandwich again. Employee couldn’t accept a $20 bill he has no change was his reason. So done with poor places and still want a tip. Cmon manager get someone who knows what their doing Weekend and abbot square was popping

Jackie
Jackie

I wish I listened to the reviews! Just so bad. The tenders were bland and a rip off. $10 for four tenders, which were very small. The $6 cup of coleslaw I got was only halfway full. Just a couple of spoonfuls worth.

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About Flash Bird

How to get there

725 Front St Suite 102, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

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Highlights

💬
Well Reviewed
90 reviews
💰
Budget Friendly
Price level
👨‍🍳
chicken
Cuisine type

Services

🍽️ Lunch
🍾 Dinner
Coffee
🍰 Desserts
🥗 Vegetarian Options
🥡 Takeout
🚚 Delivery
🍴 Dine-in

Dining Options

🍽️ Dine In
🥡 Takeout
🚚 Delivery

Restaurant Info

🕐 Hours Today
11AM-9PM
Rating
3.1/5
💬 Reviews
90
💰 Price Level
$
📞 Phone
+1 831-588-4222
🌐 Website
www.flashbirdchicken.com
📋 Menu
View Menu

Amenities

📶 Free WiFi
🌿 Outdoor Seating
Wheelchair Accessible
🚻 Restroom
💳 Credit Cards
📱 Mobile Payments
🏘️

The Neighborhood

Museum of Art and History

museum in Santa Cruz, California

A 40m
Edificio Octágono Heritage

edificio histórico ubicado en Santa Cruz, California, EE-UU

A 71m
Veterans Memorial Building Heritage

historic building in Santa Cruz, California, United States

A 195m
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium

concert hall in Santa Cruz, California

A 327m
Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park

park in the United States of America

A 359m
Hotel Paradox

hotel in Santa Cruz, California

A 464m
mission de santa cruz Heritage

mission in Santa Cruz, California

A 504m
Holy Cross Church

church building in Santa Cruz, California

A 589m
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