I don't know if you have ever heard of Freebirds World Burritos, but they just opened their first location in Kansas City this past weekend. We waited 25 minutes in line to see what this California-based, Chipotle competitor was all about!
It is very similar to Chipotle, but with a lot more choices (meat, tortillas, beans, rice, sizes etc.), they're all about freedom of choice.
The interior is bright and colorful, with this Statue of Liberty on a motorcycle, supposedly named "Libby", hanging above the ordering line.
You walk through the line, as the employees takes your meal down the assembly line of ingredients, choosing your entree first (burrito, salad, burrito bowl, or nachos). You then have many options as far as burrito size, tortilla (flour, wheat, cayenne, or spinach), meat (chicken- white or dark, steak, or carnitas), rice (cilantro lime or spanish), beans (pinto, black or refried), and toppings (veggies, salsas, queso, cheese, sour cream, guac, etc.)
You can make a meal out of your entree by adding chips and guac or queso, and a drink. They even have a margarita bar, where they make fresh squeezed margaritas, and offer other adult beverages.
Now for our orders: A burrito bowl with steak, spanish rice, black beans, shredded jack cheese, corn salsa, pico de gallo, grilled veggies, lettuce and queso.
Consensus: AMAZING! The spanish rice is key, I don't like Chipotle's cilantro rice, so this gives Freebirds a huge leg up for me. The grilled veggies (peppers and onions) were too big of pieces, so I think I would skip them next time. I wasn't sure of what sauce/dressing to choose, but I had to go with the queso and it was a great decision!
We also got the freebird white chicken burrito meal in cayenne tortilla with spanish rice, black beans, corn salsa, mixed cheese, queso, tomatillo sauce and their infamous Death Sauce. Consensus: Again, the Spanish rice was a great change from Chipotle's rice; the Death sauce added just the right amount of kick, not overbearing whatsoever; the cayenne tortilla really added a nice subtle flavor to the burrito; and finally, the queso is always a good addition. The guac gets an A, and chips, standard goodness.
We wanted to try their famous "pot brownie", but unfortunately they were all out. Definitely will have to try one next time.
Overall, I would highly recommend that you give Freebirds a try, I don't think you will be disappointed. I can't wait to see more of these open up throughout Kansas City, hopefully in my neighborhood. Their next location in Westport, is scheduled to open in the Fall.
-Whitney
