11/9/2007

in

Freebirds - the only burrito you will ever truly eat.

Susie Kopecky

Ah, Freebirds (World Burrito), how I love thee. Whether at 10 a.m., 2:30 a.m. or 8 p.m., you are the only burrito superstore for me. Freebirds World Burrito, or simply "Freebirds" to those who know and love it best, is a phenomenal Mexican food restaurant that serves up the grandest and most delicious burrito you will ever eat.  
  
Some say that Freebirds is technically a chain, but that isn't truly the whole story. The flagship location, the Santa Barbara location, of which this article is a loving ode to, opened its doors in 1987, while the first Texas Freebirds opened in 1990, according to Freebirds' corporate website FAQ. Freebirds is a popular chain in Texas, where college students no doubt take advantage of its tasty menu, if the SB location is any indication of the Texas companion restaurant's quality.  
  
Situated in the heart of UCSB's surrounding college town of Isla Vista, Freebirds is open 24 hours a day, and most of the time, for good reason. Especially on the weekends (pretty much every weekend at that), and unbelievably so on Halloween weekend, Freebirds is busting at the seams as hungry kids crowd in line in an effort to secure Freebirds goodness.  
  
The first couple of years in Isla Vista, I only ate the nachos and an occasional burrito there, which both were heaven in a Styrofoam box. The restaurant is styled as a pick-what-you-want-as-you-go bar, as patrons point at which ingredients they want inside their burrito, quesadilla, monster burrito, nachos and tacos. I have yet to try the tacos, though I have seen happy customers consuming them. The nachos have been a late-night snack staple for my friends and I ever since we discovered the glory of Freebirds. And let's just say that the quesadilla is, as my friends Talia and Tall Dave might say, "heaven in a box!" Somehow, the cheese is just perfectly gooey yet fresh, the pico de gallo and onions (both friend and raw) pack the perfect punch, and the guacamole is tantalizingly super. People from all over California flock to the Santa Barbara eatery, because it is that good. Honestly, there is no equivalent to it. This reporter must be signing off now, but Freebirds dreams await. Maybe I'll see you in line next time. I recommend the nachos.