Despite being a classic burrito place in SB for a long time, it has remained excellent. Large burritos and excellent nachos. Good outdoor seating to watch all the student liveliness on street. Fast service and tasty food.

A very nice Mexican place in the small town of Santa Barbara. It has very nice food. While their menu in general is delicious, I love the quesadilla that they serve. It's extremely delicious, flavorful and has sufficient quantity for 2 light eaters.

I absolutely love this place for the late night people watching. And of course the food. The guacamole is made every 2 hrs, just to stay fresh. They are on it, when it gets busy, I love the we won't put up with your drunkenness, you are either in line to eat, or move along. I imagine since they've been doing this since before there was a Chipotle, so everything is fresh, and quick and simple. Prices are pricey, but the quantity of food you get makes it worthy, and you go for more than just the food. Freebirds is an experience.

Giant tasty burritos. Sub line style order system. One of their biggest burritos will easily feed 2 reasonably hungry adults or 4 children.

Freebirds has some awesome burritos! If you've never been and you have a big appetite, the monster burritos won't let you down! I'm pretty sure they are bigger than your head. Everything is great though, and the ingredients are fresh. This is also really great drunk and/or hangover food.

Friends who went to UCSB tell me they miss this food the most and others have said they have the world's best burritos. I've just figured anything is the best after a night out partying in a college town, but was curious enough to try the food here and it really is good! They might have the best restaurant guacamole I've ever had and it's absolutely worth the upgrade fee. There is very little room inside but they do have their own parking lot for cars, bicycle parking, and outside seating. The staff were all very friendly, too, even if they were a bit rushed to keep the line moving.

10/10! Had it for lunch and wanted it for dinner. The salsas are fresh and the horchata is very rich. Can’t go wrong with the options.

My daughter and I or out insta karting and she had mentioned about this great place that made awesome burritos I have never been there before. Well let me tell you it was freaking wonderful burritos are huge and they are messy and they're wonderful go get yourself one. 💜☘️💜

One of the best mex food in SB. Love the vibes and campus!

Veggie burrito!!!! Amazing. Better then Chipotle, hands down. MUST GO when in Goleta. I can’t wait to go again:)

One of the best nachos I've had. I love how you can choose what toppings you want on your nachos. Get creative!

Yummy vegetarian burritos. Beer, Sparking Water, Horchata. Lots of outdoor seating. Friendly staff.

Super good food, great service. Recommend 100%

Amazing experience from start to finish. The food came out hot and fresh.

Fast service with great sized and tasty portions

I love Freebirds. I've been going there for over a decade, even before I moved up here. Great food, good prices, open all the time.

We drive 2 1/2 hours just to go here that's how amazing the food is. The portions are ridiculous and totally shareable so it's a good bang for your buck. They use some of the freshest ingredients I've ever tried the jalapenos crunch when you bite into them, I believe the tortilla chips are made in house and it's definitely a high quality chicken that won't leave you bloated.

Can you guys stay open a little later I really miss when you were open 24/7 getting a chipotle style burrito but way better at 4 am was awesome

You know why you come here. It's a little pricey, but it's really really solid, and you're either drunk, a college student, or nostalgic for the Freebs you ate as a drunk college student. Nothing beats the nachoquesarito or sharing nachos with fried onions and BBQ sauce

The ambiance is perfect for a casual night out. I loved the energy of the place.

Like a benevolent mother, Freebirds is there for you at your lowest lows. Armed with mouthwatering offerings and top-notch restroom facilities, crashing and burning there isn’t just supported, it’s encouraged.

The horchata is soo good. Authentic tasting. I had the steak tacos with the guac and red salsa. The red salsa was spicy but so good. Pricey but yeah it's in IV/SB area the price of living there is expensive period. Space is clean. I had a great experience.

Been coming here for years, a bit pricey but always a 10/10

I was satisfied with the burrito, it was very good. Wish they had a some type of creamy sauce. I would have like to have add something, anything make it saucy. Pretty dry.

Everyone loves Freebirds. It’s busy or it’s not. There’s parking sometimes open. Or street nearby if ur lucky. The food is classic menu iykyk. Enjoy iv. It’s the vibe.

$25 for a monster burrito and soda seemed a little high. Still one of my all time favorite places. Wish they sold merch

I have been eating at Freebirds for more than 30 years. I have tried everything on the menu and have no complaints. The entire menu it is all very good. Freebirds uses high quality ingredients to prepare their food. A good friend of mine works for a restaurant food distributor and he delivers some of Freebirds orders he told me that their kitchen and back area is immaculate he said "Freebirds has the cleanest kitchen out of all the restaurants I deliver to". If I had to complain about anything I would say it is in my opinion hard to order multiple orders by yourself, depending on how many people your getting food for you can have one order at the end of the assembly line and the other one at the beginning, you'll be stuck trying to tell three or four different people what you want on each order all at once? I would like to add the assembly line is quick and efficient if everybody shows up to order their own meal. They can also be a little stingy with the salsa.

Amazingly good burrito. The menu is really short and basic, but honestly thats probably why its so good. I opted for a shredded beef monster burrito with black beans, no rice, cheese, sauteed veggies, and red and green salsa, onions and cillantro. I have to say i was very pleasently surprised....Sooo good. Dont miss this if you are in the area

Amazing Mexican food and good service.

As tasty as ever. Every time we visit Santa Barbara, at least one of our meals of the day is at Freebies, it’s that good! Their Nachos plate is to die for. You can get all or some of the toppings. Even make it a vegetarian version. The burrito was fantastic too. We have been going there for last 6 years and never been disappointed.

Great food and always open late. The only place I've known that makes quesarito.

Fantastic restaurant with fresh, delicious Mexican food. Every person we interacted with was professional and friendly and accommodating. We were vacationing in Santa Barbara and went back for dinner the next night, too. So good.

Delicious Nachos, plenty of toppings.

We love their nachos! Good quality meat and veggies, and they never skimp on toppings!

One of my favorite places to go to when I'm in town in IV. Although they are not open 24/7 anymore, they're still open pretty late. The quality has not changed since I was in college. The line moves fast and they give you a lot. My favorites are the nachos or the quesarito. Great spot to grab a bite and people watch.

Great portions, prices keep rising but I definitely can't ever finish the nachos or quesadilla myself, so it can be justified as two meals haha the steak is amazing!

Was on a trip along 101 and decided to stop for a trip down memory lane. I went to college in San Diego and my good friends were at ucsb and we used to love this place. One of the few places that hasn't changed or lowered quality in 20+ years.

Without exaggeration, I’ve tried more than 100 different Mexican restaurants all over the California, and this place by far is the most delicious, healthy and affordable place. Used to come here regularly during my college time.

Good burrito, short wait time. One star less for service as a new customer don't know what options you have to choose from (souces, vegetables, etc ).

It's a great place to eat mexican good. One of the best in Santa Barbara.

Very Fresh and Delicious! The best burrito place!

The chicken quesadilla and chicken quesaurrito were huge and delicious. Long line but absolutely worth the wait. I can see what the hype is about.

Freebirds is delicious and addictive. It is part of my UCSB experience and I am thankful for that. The employees are always working hard and fast. Your order is always on point! And the good tastes like your abuela and all your tias are in the back making you a delicious meal. This place is love.

This is the best mission style burrito in the world, and it is not even close. Everything is made fresh from scratch. The flavors are great. Freebirds is definitely worth the trip to Isla Vista. Just be aware that it's popular and parking in the area can be a challenge at peak hours.

Best nachos in the world! Everyone who works there is so nice!

My review is from the period 1999-2002. Simply the BEST place to get burritos or nachos in all of USA. This is where I tried my first ever burrito, first quesadilla and first nachos. I had just joined UCSB as a new graduate student and lived at Goleta/Isla Vista (Abrego Rd?). Prices today (in 2025) seem a tad high though. Maybe it's the impact of fair labor wages in California. Hope it's worth every $ Amazing fresh food and very enthusiastic crew. I think google didn't exist then or Google maps but had to add this while feeling nostalgic today!

I have been eating freebirds for more than 20 years. It’s simply the best if you make good choices. Get rice on your nachos. Don’t sleep on the bbq sauce, skip the grilled veggies they don’t improve the burrito overall.

I would just like to mention how SPOTLESSLY CLEAN this place is. And thank you so much! I see the employees get there hours before opening, cleaning. I can already that the owner has high standards for his establishment. The employees work hard so thank you all (I just remember getting a sandwich at a near-by deli, and this man didn’t wash his hands before going to make sandwich, yuck. So I appreciate when businesses care about cleanliness). Not to mention you get a massive amount of food; the nachos can feed 3-4 people.

Best burrito in town. Shredded beef monster burrito is my go to. Steak Nachos also a popular option. Quality ingredients and clean kitchen. Consistent flavor. Should change out ceiling tiles though.

Still a favorite, it's far away from where I live. But if I'm ever coming near here I'll stop for some midnight nachos!

Ricardo Juarez

You can't go wrong with steak nachos. I highly recommend with guacamole 🥑 delicious 😋

Francesca Jones

Super tasty burrito, simple service and decor :). All the toppings/fillings were fresh, including the savory shredded beef, tomatoes, and guacamole. A nice place for a full meal in Santa Barbara.

Jonathan Santhouse

Top tier burrito. Service was super fast, staff was friendly and all the ingredients were super fresh. The flavors were really vibrant, and well balanced. Their bathrooms are accessed via the parking lot side of the building- with a code from the staff.

Corey Blackman

Best nachos that I have ever had, huge serving size, definitely something you need to split with someone, but one person should be able to eat all of them (they are in fact, THAT good.)

B.A' Arnett

You can tell it's a place for younger generation, UCSB students packed, but let me tell you! People were all, so nice. Quesoritto was quickly made. Quesoritto [burrito initially cooked as quesa dia] was excellent! Service was friendly! Ingredients were plentiful! 👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👍👍 No disappointments!!!

Georgina “Gigi” Penalosa

I LOVE this place!!!!🔥🔥🔥The food is seriously the best Mexican fast food out in Santa Barbara. The flavor of the carne asada is divine and it is soo worth every penny!!

Ellie Mitchell

No visit to Goleta is complete without stopping at the OG Freebirds. Best burrito around. Best guacamole. Fresh ingredients. A little pricey these days but so filling! Also, the Horchata is second to none. So flavorful and refreshing!

+1

Amanda Maguire

This place was highly recommended to me by a friend and it was really good! When I walked up the line was out the door so I knew it wouldn’t disappoint. I got the steak nachos everything on it including guacamole. It’s a huge portion, probably enough to feed three people! No seating inside but plenty outside.

Connor Colton

Great service. Great food and pretty decent prices. $15 for a huge serving of nachos that can easily feed 2 people? Sign me up. Highly recommend adding fried onions. Late hours too so easy place to grab some post party munchies

Always good food!! The chicken is always seasoned well and never dried out, the portions sizes are large! The location in IV is the only thing that keeps us away as they have a small parking lot and a cozy little dining area that doesn't always fit our family. (they do have one high chair)

It's freebirds! The trick is to know you're bringing half home. Also get the quesadilla. Same innards but your cheese is melted.

Your go to place at any time of the day. Quality meat and guac, delicious burritos and quesadillas made perfectly. The staff often does not speak to you and sticks to speaking spanish with their peers without even looking at you. Too bad that there isn't that "friendly" vibe you often find in other restaurants. When you ask for "a little more" they tend to frown. Overall worth the price.

Best horchata I've ever had, and overall a good value for the price. This place was very clean, and the staff was very friendly, however, I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 because the flavor of the meat was a little weak, and I think they could do better. Since it is a college town, I suspect that the customers often put the emphasis on "fast" over "taste," but I do like that they have extras like pickled jalapenos and cabbage, not available at all burrito chains. Online ordering was easy and convenient, and I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in the IV. Horchata muy, muy excellente! Muchas gracias!

Open long hours and always busy, but they make really good burritos! This is a build your own place with a decent selection of options for burritos, bowls, fajitas, and nachos. What really stands this place out is the flavor. Their rice is good, the beans (pintos or refried) are great, and the roasted fajita veggies have a wonderful char flavor that I always look for. They have some inside tables and outside tables. A must experience location.

Freebirds is a UCSB classic. Good burritos but don’t get the bowls they aren’t worth it. Very pricy!

Food is very consistent, and good. If you’re looking for great walk to zocalos it’s 500 feet away

Food is pretty good and on healthy side. Its a bit pricey though, and i wish they give more protein for the price. UCSB students crowd. Good indoor and outdoor seatings.

Great burritos. You tell them what toppingsb you'd like and what kind of beans that you want and they make it in front of you. They are expensive burritos, so bring a lot of money and a mask if you are going inside during the pandemic. There's a bathroom located to the east of the building in the customer parking lot. Get the code from the cashier from when you order your food. Leave it in the foil while you eat it so it doesn't get too messy. Enjoy!

Hella pricey food!! 2 ppl 50 bucks crazy!! Was good though...

Gavin F

I've come here for years and their horchata used to be the best in the world - I recommended many friends to visit Freebirds if only to try the horchata! Unfortunately they recently changed the recipe substantially and it's just not even close to the same thing. I think the milk is now almond milk or something, not really sure what they did exactly. Honestly I hope they change it back lol. But I still love the monster burrito and the nachos, and the staff are always very nice and fast.

Bhushan Mehta

Quasadilla Nachos and burito.. that too veg.. what else you need.. this place is perfect for veg options and in the middle of the student area.. easily accessible and you can eat your fav dish sitting outside the restaurant.. I liked the overall ambience..

+9

Rita Figueroa

I got the Monster Chicken with everything and added guacamole, 2 drinks and chips $23. I split this monster with my husband because as you can see it's large. It was good.

Robert Prescott

A friend of mine recommended this place today on our visit. Good authentic Mexican food. My son and I both had the chicken burritos and were not disappointed. I especially like the grilled veggies that you can add to your food.

The burrito was wildly unimpressive, chipotle has more flavor. Also it was somehow more expensive than chipotle? Nothing bad but easily something I could’ve made at home.

Renee Schott

It is extremely expensive for what it is, we were a bit shocked. 2 tacos, 2 burritos were over $50. But the main complaint, is that without telling us they put a very spicy hot sauce on all of our food and ruined it. They did not say that the salsa was spicy We tried to call, but only got an answering machine. Update-we made a trip back to FB with our receipt and they apologized and made new burritos for us. Hassle, but mistakes happened. They gave me a free horchata for my trouble

Went in a couple weeks ago, placed an order online and when I went to go pick up they told me that their was no order under my name when I showed them I was charged the cashier gave me a nasty look and looked at me as if I couldn’t afford to pay for my food. So I show the manager the transaction and they make my order but in a way as if they didn’t want too. The manager calls me about a week a later verifying the card I used to and about the transaction. Few weeks pass by and I go again the lady the same cashier looks at a 20 dollar bill to see if it’s real. Im not mad and I understand that the money needs to be checked but over a 20 dollar bill come on lady your being a bit too much at this point. The other workers are nice and service is cool but this lady needs a change of attitude. And it hurts even more knowing we’re both Mexican it’s ashamed to see how we the same race overlook each other.

Our friends rave about freebirds and so we went after playing some pickleball, and honestly we didn’t love it. The staff were friendly but so skimpy on any toppings, I don’t get beans or rice in my burrito so I asked for lots of veggies and I literally got 2 green peppers and 2 onion slices. They don’t really drain the liquid out of the beef or the pico or anything else so the burrito is just dripping and leaky and soggy, all of the insides were kind of flavourless just salty. Honestly just a let down for us. I typically love non-chain options but I’ll stick with chipotle.

Over priced and meat had no flavor you pay 22 for a regular burrito that should be priced no more 10. Would not recommend.

Md Awsafur Rahman

I heard this is one of the oldest restaurants in IV, but it didn’t live up to the hype. The food wasn’t great—lacking flavor and variety. I even asked the person at the counter for some suggestions, but they weren’t able to help. Hummus Republic Wrap is a much better alternative for burritos in IV, with lots of options.

The Lawless

The best burritos in SB, but they can't wrap them to save their life. Its simple really. They just seem to think its okay for the burrito to be squeezing out the sides when they wrap it instead of folding them in like the rest of humanity. Because who doesn't enjoy having their entire meal falling apart in front of their eyes before they've even had a chance to enjoy it?

Worst hygiene ever! They do not wear gloves and touch your food in the most disgusting way. I had a stomach ache after getting my lunch. I would not recommend it if you have a sensitive stomach or prefer clean food. The price is normal and the taste is reasonable but not great though. Overall, it was not a great experience.

It’s good food. But the service was bad. I had a nacho veggie bowl and since I asked for an extra scoop of beans, the guy decided to tell the cashier to charged me an extra dollar. I told them it was not right to charge extra just for a scoop of beans plus they never mentioned it when I asked for extra even though they were not busy at the time. I’ve always come to this place and placed the same exact order, this is the first time this happened. Veggie bowl is just rice and beans, the management should be a little bit considerate on that. The way he decided to handle this was not the best. $1 might not be much, but this definitely changed my opinion about this place.

Definitely overrated! The service was awful and the food was overpriced. Save your money and go to Chipotle!! Employees are serving food without gloves and not following health code guidelines. Furthermore, the employees were very rude. They seemed rush to make each order asking what else you would like in the bowl before you could even see the options to put into the bowl. They also were laughing at individuals who have an accent even though they are not native speakers themselves. I will never go there again!

Really low quality for the price you pay. Cheese on nachos wasn't even melted. If you want good Mexican food that's not Chipotle-lite, skip this and go to Super Cucas down the street. They even have daily specials and everything is much more reasonably priced.

Not worth it anymore for $18. The portions are ridicules it’s not worth going anymore. Prices go up and portions go less and less every time. Most likely not going back. You will see it with your own eyes. Employees would get mad if you ask them for more. Very disappointed.

They use good-quality ingredients. but definitely overpriced. Over $20 for a very small bowl. There are many better food choices in IV

Gabriella Uribe

The woman that took my order had the nastiest attitude. For no reason. I am always very conscious of how to treat someone who is providing me a service. The food looked really good and fresh but she made the experience so uncomfortable. When I asked for a side of chicken that I would Obviously pay for, I just wanted a small side. She rolled her eyes and said they only do a large size. When I said no, she spoke to another employee asking about a smaller size even though she INSISTED they only have the large. I declined and thanked them anyway. They didn’t want to give me a bag even when the bowl was dripping with sour cream… I understand they deal with drunk college kids but this was not the case for us. I really didn’t even want my food after being treated that way. Most definitely will not return until they can fix The way they treat paying customers.

Deborah Lynn

We were excited to try, because the reviews are through the roof! Unfortunately one employee was making food without gloves, so we left! He was touching his face without a care in the world. No thank you!!!!!!! Gross!!!!!!

Michael lala

I remember back in the day this place was one of the best . I went today and it was the worst. I got the chicken burrito and kid you not the lady put a little bit of chicken. I had to ask for more. 0/10

Marco Milla

I went to Freebirds with my partner to eat and, when placing the order, I told the cashier that my partner wanted a monster steak burrito, with extra rice and guacamole, and please charge me. However, the cashier attended us with a rather unpleasant attitude, as if she didn't want to help us or it was hard for her to do her job. The experience was so uncomfortable that I left the place not at all satisfied and with zero desire to return.