Freebird Burritos

One star means that I threw away food. And if you know me, there are not many things that I dislike more than throwing away food.

We were at the Boneyard in Shoreditch, where some food trucks hang out. Because we were in a hurry, we stopped in for a quick bite since our next meal was a considerable time away.

What was I thinking?? Everybody knows that quality Mexican food is hard to find here, but I figured: who can muck up nachos?

Freebird. That's who.

The guy working the stand seemed distracted (yes, that's the word I'll use...) when we ordered the nachos, he seemed to carefully put as little cheese as possible on the chips. I noticed that the cheese looked like lightly shredded cotija, which with a melting cheese is fine, but... alone?

He put the nachos in the oven so long, Frodo and Sam would have made the perilous journey to Mordor AND back well before the guy remembered to take them out.

Burnt. He then tried to cover the worst burnt chips with salsa. Doooohh

Three chips (no kidding) had barely visible cheese, a sticky remnant like gum stuck to the bottom of somebody's shoe. The chips are the consistency of sand, shaped into a triangle. Or, sawdust. Or the dust and dirt that gets kicked up during rush hour in downtown London, getting stuck in your eyes and teeth. It literally did not taste like something you should put in your mouth. I ate three chips before I gave up and threw them away.

Their name isn't 'Freebird Nachos' so maybe their burritos are better. I know I won't take the gamble and find out.

Stopped here for a quick bite on a whim. Food was pretty good but I'm mostly impressed with the service! We had a long talk with the employee Katla who is so charming and endearing. You don't meet people as kind as her every day. Will definitely be back just for her!

*review for the stall at 186 Shoreditch High Street*

I have had limited exposure to Mexcian and pseudo-Mex food. My Californian friends keep telling me that I'll love the 'real' stuff, but it's hard to come by here. Anyway, FB falls under the pseudo-Mex bracket I guess. Nothing particularly striking on the menu (fajitas, burritos), but if done well, it should be pretty tasty, right? I was pretty disappointed with my smoky pulled pork fajita. I mean. It was fine, fairly filling. The flavours weren't anything particularly special. I thought the meat could have done with more seasoning and it really needed some lime to cut through, as it was it was a little bland. I had a bit of tummy trouble afterwards which I wouldn't be surprised if it were the fajita, but I can't say for certain (The Mission in Oxford caused at least one casualty a month amongst my friends in this department).

I mean. I'd give it three stars if it weren't for the staff. I rarely mark down for service, let alone at a food truck, but this was possibly the iciest service I've ever received at a food stall, I kid you not. I was a little taken aback by this. The guacamole on the tortillas was the fact that one of the servers put the pot of guacamole upside down into my friend's tortillas...just...I mean, you know, nothing quite says "I don't give a toss" like that.

So there we are. I don't care if it's real or not real Mexican or whatever. Just little to redeem the entire experience.

"Whatever this is, it's not Mexican." -- that's what I kept repeating to myself as I ate this.

When people at work asked me what I was eating, I had to say "food" and actually use air quotes when saying it because I couldn't give it the honor of actually calling it a burrito.

First of all, the chicken just tasted all wrong (and I got the regular "grilled chicken", and not one of those faux-southern things they were attempting here). I chose the chicken fajita burrito thinking it would be good, but it just didn't hit the spot for me. I had more "authentic" tasting Tex Mex fajita-food at El Padron. I just get the impression that this place was started by someone who had never had a burrito in North America, and they assume people over here aren't going to know what they're supposed to taste like.

It's not Mexican. It's not Tex Mex. It's just..... No bueno. Maybe I'd have better luck with one of the non fajita-style items on the menu (though I really doubt it).

By the way, the Liverpool street location is take away only, so don't come here thinking you can dine in. I'm not taking any stars off for that, but I feel like people need to know that in advance.

Typical burrito place..not bad. They all taste like chipotle to me. I had not been to a freebird since Austin in 2007. I had the chicken and it was fine. I think it was more bland than what I remember. Most mexican food in London is not as saucy as the ones in the US.

It's a perfectly good choice for lunch, just don't expect to be blown away.

Free burritos are a great way to get new fans! I have tried Freebird burritos at a market stall before and been a little underwhelmed. My expectations 2 days ago were therefore fairly low when standing in line for a free burrito to mark their new actual shop (as opposed to market stall).
The burrito was decent though, and the salsas were flavourful. What I don't understand though, is how staff always seem to be confused when you ask for a little more guac on a vegan burrito (no cheese and sour cream saves them money after all!)
Anyways, this is still no Chiptotle (me, obsessed much?!) but a fine substitute for when you're in a rush ;)

Another Monday, another new Mexican joint in London.
I really wanted to like this place (I feel guilty giving it only 2 stars) as it's pretty close to work and also they gave me a free burrito on opening day wooh, but alas I did not.
I just found ita a bit bland, and given the prices are competing with Chilangos and Chipotle, you'd hope the food would be as good :-(
What I do like are the different fillings you get here, brisket and barbacoa, though I feel everything else kinda lets it down. Nevermind.

A burrito was needed, and a burrito was obtained. I enjoyed the smoky medium-hot salsa, but wish there was more of it; also, the rice was a wee bit overcooked and some peppers not chopped fine enough for my liking. No extras, and tortilla chips aren't included in the £5.

Guys! Come back! I think this Freebird has turned a new feather. I rarely rate a place above the average, so I am instantly suspicious of myself, but I think this is worth a second look. Of course, we don't all have the same taste, but I would love to know what people think about it now.

Or maybe my above-average rating is from the fact that there really is nothing like a hot burrito after 10 hours on public and private transport in one terrible, terrible Tube strike day. I looked to Freebird as a source of much-needed nourishment and solace after seeing the dozen-person-long taxi rank line at Liverpool Street Station. Distracted by dejectedly reloading Hailo and AddLee for the umpteenth times to no avail (sorry no to £24 minimum and 3x surge pricing Uber), it was all I could do to say, "Please... chicken... burrito. Brown rice... pinto... yes... yes... no, thank you... yes, please."

And one contactless transaction later, I had myself a bit of edible comfort. My luck picked up a little over the course of being in the rather characterless little box that is Freebird, however--I wasn't sure why I got a 10% discount, but the burrito artista mumbled something about it and then it showed up on the card reader. Guesses include: Post-8pm discount? Tube strike discount? She thought it was my birthday?

Taste-wise, I was just so pleased that I got brown rice (and without the usual surcharge that comes with it) and a good handful of sweet, crunchy lettuce, which I always miss in authentic Mexican burritos. Contrary to what I'd expect from other reviews, the chicken was juicy, flavorsome, and plentiful. My only gripe is that, as with most Mexican food, it was a little salty for me after the first half.

Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and credit Freebird karma with the fact that I got a cab on the street a couple minutes after getting my burrito. And if that ain't worth four stars, I don't know what is.

I had the vegetarian burrito with all the trimmings (guacamole, cheese etc.) and unfortunately it was pretty bland and tasteless. I love burritos and have had them from various other places and none of them were this bland. Not even the cheese and guacamole could make up for the lack of flavour of the rest of it. I'm afraid to say I really couldn't recommend this.