Hey Kyle, thank you for saving my night and for being a pro! I walked in 10mins before closing time after a day at the beach. Every other spot in this upscale food court was closing shop and looked at me like I was the bubonic plague. I walked up and asked Kyle if he was willing to take a last minute order. He was super kind and accommodating. It was really what I needed after chasing my kids durning a long holiday weekend. I ordered the OG chicken sandwich and some strips for my kids. Kyle initially said they were out of strips then quickly said, "you know what man, I can cut up a chicken breast and fresh bread them for you." This guy was an absolute DUDE. The strips were so good. Literally crunchy on the outside and moist in the middle. Look, the sandwhich was fine. The fries were just ok. But, to be treated with such grace after a long day really felt like a warm hug. My kids liked the tenders and the sandwhich was made better by their yummy honey mustard sauce. Thanks dudes for feeding me and my family minutes before close. read more

Grabbed dinner at Flashbird this past weekend. I got the bbq-grilled chicken sandwich and onion tangles, with extra ranch and flash sauce on the side. The chicken was charred on the outside and super dry inside. The toppings were helpful to add a little flavor from the bbq sauce and pickles, but nothing special. And the onion tangles were like regular onion rings, made fresh but a small portion. There was no wait to order on a Sunday evening, and the wait for my food to be ready was about 15-20 minutes. Service was standard and sufficient. And there was plenty of seating available at Abbott Square Market. read more

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Whoever said onions make you cry probably ordered the "onion tangles", which are mismarketed as special jalapeno and lime dusted French fried onions. Nope. Not sure if the bored, unfriendly guy who hates his job forgot my order or not, but I waited over 15 minutes (maybe they fry them in France?) and got plain ol' onion rings. They were not tangles. They were tangless. read more

Flashbird Chicken - Yeah, right. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Boy. I really wanted to like this place. It's in a food court (albeit an upscale one), so I wasn't expecting haute cuisine. But the staff looked and acted REALLY uninterested in being there, and the food had a very charred taste to it (ordered the fries and tendies w drink, $17). The sauce helped, but the sauce portions were very meager. Honestly, you'd be better off getting McNuggets up on Mission St. (Or just walk a few steps to one of the other food court kiosks). P.S. The other reviews say that the fryer oil is the culprit. No idea if that's true, but I'm not really interested in going back. read more

I love the model of a customer facing point of sale system where the customer places their own order. This should result in less labor - which means lower prices and cooks who can focus on cooking! Unfortunately, I received what is quite possibly the worst fried chicken sandwich I've ever had. Burnt to a crisp. I took two bites and threw it away. What a waste of $15! Even more concerning, there is a precooked pile of chicken on the counter under aluminum foil (yuck). Overall, avoid this spot and try to catch Chubbs Chicken (pop-up) to satisfy those fried chicken cravings. Owners/management, try perfecting your product before opening up a million locations. I know you have deep pockets, and I know you lost Chef Jeff behind the scenes over at Alderwood, but it's just fried chicken guys! Your current product is literally trash. Do better. read more

Flashbird Chicken - Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We got the spicy chicken tenders and spicy chicken sandwich. The line was a bit long considering that it was around 1:30ish when we got there. It was the only food place with a steady stream of customer in the market. I didn't think the food were that spicy. It was just the perfect amount of kick for me and my bf. My friend couldn't finish her spicy chicken sandwich though because she thought it was too spicy. There weren't many chicken tenders in the bag, but each piece was thicc enough to satisfy the urges. Overall, would recommend if you're wondering what to get in the Abbot Square Market. read more

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Got to try this place the other day and it was awesome! The location in Abbot Square is super fun and they totally nail the fried chicken sandwich! My wife and I both got the spicy chicken sandwich and they were cooked to perfection. The chicken was juicy and crisp. The bread was fresh and soft. The simple garnish of shredded lettuce and pickles was spot on. The sauces were all yummy and unique, the flash and bourbon BBQ were my favorites! One other item worth mentioning and what got them the 5th star is the fried mushrooms. These were impossibly good! Super crunchy with just the right amount of salt. Only grip is the sauce containers were too small to dip these (or anything) in. I will definitely be back and you should try them too! read more

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We arrived when they opened. Ordered mushroom burger, spicy chicken sandwich, waffle fries and onion tangles. We decided to eat their and was given a device that will alarm us when food is ready. We received our food in a timely manner. Food was delicious however the waffle fries were hard and just cold. You can tell they pre fry them. I seen the bad reviews after ordering. We ordered when they opened and was good just not the waffle fries. Recommend going when they open and pass on waffle fries. read more

Flashbird Chicken - Mushroom burger - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Flashbird is located in Abbott Square in downtown Santa Cruz. Abbott Square is essentially an adult food court--you can check out the different food and beverage offerings, get what you like, then rejoin your peeps at an outdoor table. There is metered parking and there are pay lots throughout downtown. Downtown Santa Cruz can be a hassle, but that may be a good thing because I can't over-indulge in Flashbird! LOL. My husband and I decided to have lunch in Santa Cruz following an appointment. I had heard good things about Flashbird, so decided to try it. It was a Monday, so Abbott Square wasn't too busy. At the Flashbird counter, you enter your order and pay at a touchscreen; the system then sends you a text when your order is ready. The ordering system worked well, though the chip reader did not like my credit card, so I had to enter the information manually. I ordered an original chicken sandwich and my husband ordered the spicy version. The sandwiches come on a bun with lettuce and house-made pickles. You choose the house-made sauce you want and it comes on the side. I ordered the Flashsauce and my husband added more spice to his spicy sandwich by ordering the Texas Jeff sauce. The chicken in the sandwiches was white, plump, juicy inside, and crispy outside. The bun was soft and the pickles crispy. The sauces were flavorful. My husband said the spicy chicken sandwich was a 5 or 6 spice level on a scale of 1-10; it was flavorful without being overwhelming. I found the sandwiches to be spot on in terms of quality, texture, and flavor. We also shared an order of waffle fries. The fries were light in color, but were crispy. You can tell they are cutting up potatoes in-house to make the fries. Some Yelpers seem to have had issues with the fries, but our order was good. They weren't super hot, but they weren't cold. They were crispy and had a good potato flavor. We had house-made ranch on the side with the fries. You could see the fresh chopped herbs in the ranch dressing. I wanted to try the onion tangles that are on the posted menu, but they didn't come up as an option on the touchscreen. I don't know if they were out of them or if that is a glitch in the ordering system. There are two beverage options: sparkling lime soda or root beer. I had the sparkling lime soda. It wasn't bad, but it was so limey that something about it triggered "cleaning product" in my brain. I would try the root beer next time, or get a drink from another Abbott Square venue. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our sandwiches, sauces, and fries. Yelpers are right that the price is high, but you can see what you are paying for in the house-made quality. It felt worth it and I would definitely go back. read more

Flashbird Chicken - Original chicken sandwich and waffle fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Thoroughly enjoy me a OG Fried Chicken Sandwich, make it spicy with peppejack and you're almost at ChicFilA --- BUT BETTER! FRIED Pickles are a great side as well as the French fries. Don't forget all the sauce! I haven't ventured off of those three items yet.. but I imagine the quality is similar. My chicken sandwich was perfectly cooked, breaded & crispier than most I have had before elsewhere. The Tangy Sprinkles addition are nice too. Try em out. I've only doordashed, so no comment on area of restaurants but I do know it's in Abbot Sqr and parking is a nightmare, so park at Trader Joe's and walk, just a thought. Also sometimes the seating area is BUSY. So Not recommended if youre hungry AF and wanna sit and eat quickly, that's not always the case there - not because of service but because of space. read more

Very mid chicken sandwich and not worth the price they are asking for. You would be better off eating chick fil a. But if you want something local chubbs is better and the spicy chicken sandwich in Watsonville is better. read more

[IN A NUTSHELL] pricey chicken sandwiches, not that great waffle fries [VERDICT] - NOT APPROVED [RUN-DOWN] I would not recommend this place to eat... I spent over $15 for this meal and I do not think this is worth it. I would not recommend coming here because there is no taste in the flavor and it was really nothing special. The chicken was also just seasoned with dry seasoning on top which I think I could've made this at home for a fraction of the price. [SCORE & ORDER] OVERALL: 2.83/5 * Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich $9 (3/5) -WOW. I will say some good thing about this sandwich that it was crunchy and it did taste like chicken but the seasoning just did not sit well with me. Also the chicken part of the sandwich was ok. I would also suggest if you come here, this is a littler spicier than usual. * Original Fried Chicken Sandwich $9 (3/5) -The original was just like the spicy one but without the flavoring on top which I think may be even better. * Waffle Fries $ (2.5/5) -The waffles fries have some weird texture to it. There was not seasoning or taste to it and I had to dip it in their weird ranch sauce... The waffles fries were also not as crunchy and for the amount you pay, I don't think it's worth it. I also think they tasted weird and I can't describe it but it did not taste at all like waffle fries. * Sauces: I tried the flash sauce, texas jeff's and ranch. The flash sauce sort of tasted like the chick-fil-a sauce but watered down and not good. The ranch was also not as buttery and not that great. The texas one was just a hot sauce that wasn't that great as well. It was just a liquid hot sauce. [SERVICE & ATMOSPHERE] (not reflected upon review score): This restaurant is sort of hard to find because it's in sort of a restaurant inside mall full of restaurants. The cashier was super nice and parking is sort of hard since it's sort of downtown and it is always hard to find parking there. read more

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If I could leave zero stars I would. They never get the order correct. They mess up the order so bad that we have to go down there to get the food we overpaid for. Menu is not updated so if they are out of something they make up for it in fries? What?! There is no way of getting in touch with them, you have to physically go and complain to whoever is on shift that night. Only delivery is through DoorDash and food arrives ice cold. No matter if you order Express. Super disappointed. read more

2nd visit and send sandwiches raw again Tried to pay with a 20 dollar bill and the employee said he didn't have change For a 20 ???? At 6 pm on the weekend ? Get it together management ! read more

5/10 Dittos Pretty okay chicken sandwich place! It's nothing special and I am unsure if i would come back at the price point, but i think it's alright to try if you're curious! The place is located inside abbott square market and you might need to park a little far + walk. You order at the ipads at the front and your order comes out pretty quickly! The chicken flavor is good, but i think the bread is a little lacking. Even with sauces it felt like something was missing. My friend got the chicken bites and it was alright, wouldnt recommend purchasing them though considering it costs just as much as the sandwich. Service was really good though! read more

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I'm rating the avocado chicken sandwich only as that's all I had. I think of myself as a fried chicken officianado and this ain't it. First you order on a screen, so it's impersonal out of the gate. Someone in the back cooks your stuff, throws it in a bag and you get a text, email or he just calls out your order to come get it. The bun was too soft and got soggy, the chicken was "whatever" - not bad, but nothing to write home about. The ambiance is cool bc this one of located in a food court plenty of outside seating and other fun things to get into if you're feeling adventurous. That being said, I may come back to try the fries and sauces, but if I'm craving fast fried chicken, KFC is way more flavorful, and even Safeway fried chicken had better seasoning. ‍ Why's it so hard to get good fried chicken anywhere ??? read more

sucks and is terrible always has been every single time. All of the locations are terrible. Never had a good experience. Food is super bland. Don't waste your money on this. read more

My son loves fried chicken and wanted to compare this chicken to his favorite places. He gave it a finger licking great review! read more

Flashbird Chicken - Original Fried Chicken Sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Meh. Nothing much to say other than this was ridiculously underwhelming. Bland and flavorless. The bbq sauce was only limited to the center of the burger and they ignored our spice addition in the add one. Felt like it was assembled by someone who doesn't care to cook but is just following instructions. Dry bread, 2 pickles, 10 ice berg lettuce slivers and 1 squeeze of bbq sauce. The mushroom itself was juicy. Will likely never stop here again. read more

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I am a HUGE fan of fried chicken sandwiches. I remember craving a good fried chicken sandwich one day and found this place downtown in Abbott Square. So I thought I'd give it a shot, despite its average ratings. And I'm super glad I did, because I would come back almost every week since then. I always get the Original Fried Chicken Sandwich with the BBQ and Ranch sauces. Each bite is so gosh darn yummy with either of these two sauces. The crispy, perfectly seasoned fried chicken combined with the tang of the crunchy pickles, all atop a bed of lettuce... WOW!! YUM! It is always so tragic when I look down and realize I've devoured the entire sandwich (I wish it was just a little bigger!) Also I've gotten the waffle fries before and they were...definitely fries. Not really spectacular. It's their FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICHES that make this place worth coming back to. I've also taken my sister here once before and even she loved it! 10/10 highly recommend and I CANNOT WAIT for the next time I'm in Santa Cruz so I could pay this place another visit. read more

Flashbird Chicken - Original Fried Chicken Sandwich with BBQ sauce and Ranch sauce - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Really well prepared chicken. Fries work out to be about 35cents each. Order the onions.

Zero service, long wait for horrible chicken. Definitely a hard pass! Will try the press sandwich place next time.

I was really looking forward to this place. Sadly, I am EXTREMELY disappointed. It is pricey but for a fresh made delicious fried chicken sandwich it's worth it for me. How ever that is not what I got. I got a burnt chicken sandwich. Take a look for your self. Pretty gross and tasteless. Burger King, Carl's Junior and Chick-Fil-A all much much much better and half the price. What a waste of 20 dollars never coming back. I also asked for 3 sauces but was only allowed two. no option to pay extra. 10 dollars for a sandwich and I can't get an extra sauce amd the sandwich sucked. read more

Flashbird Chicken - Burnt chicken sandwich not edible - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Located in Abbott Square--a food court with a splash of flair--you'll find crispy fried chicken sandwiches with the perfect spice kick. Don't miss their top-notch homemade pickles and fancy root beer! The vibe here is always chill, with occasional live tunes ranging from reggae to jazz, and even some cover bands, setting a great mood. They used to slather the chicken in sauce and toss in extra just for fun. Now, it's an à la carte affair, so be sure to ask for extra sauce to keep things saucy! read more

A bewilderingly awful experience. First, my husband tried to order the BLT with egg, and they did not have egg. He ordered fries and they didn't have the sauce they advertise. Then I ordered the fried cauliflower (with tahini, pickled red onion, and pumpkin seeds) and a chicken Caesar salad wrap. I received bare fried cauliflower and a dry chicken Caesar salad wrap. When I asked why I was told they're out of tahini, pickled red onion, and Caesar salad dressing. The kid working the counter seemed baffled by his job and I asked for my money back. He claims he processed a refund, but at this point there's no refund pending and I'm doubtful it will ever appear. Do not ever spend your money at this joke of a restaurant. read more

We had their onion tangles. They are the best. If you eat here, this is a must. Even if you are not a regular onion ring eater. These are soooo good. Enjoy. read more

Awesome Fried Chicken Sandwich. I had the spicy one and made it a club with cheese and bacon. It was great and the bun was perfect! The coleslaw was very tasty and crunchy with poppy seeds. The nitro root beer was an added bonus. Definitely worth checking out when In Santa Cruz or Abbott Square Market. This is the brainchild of Chef Jeff Wall from the excellent restaurant Alderwood. Check it out. read more

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I tried this using instacart. somehow my order was only the sides and I couldn't get a phone number for pleasure point so I called front street. No help and they hung up. I won't try this again. read more

The food was ok. I thought the bread was too dry and the portions are very small. The fries were my favorite part. Super crispy fries and I like that they offered a sauce with my order. As for drinks there wasn't much of an option as they only had rootbeer. The location is very nice. There are other small businesses inside the vicinity and I liked the vibe in the place. There was also live music outside in the patio area which was nice. I went on a Sunday. There was plenty of seating both indoor and outdoor. I rated Flashbird a 3 stars because the mac and cheese had a thick consistency that made the noodles dry and the cheese too sticky (not saucey). The bun was too dry for my liking and the portions were very small for the price. I would like to give them a second chance and rate them higher. read more

The fries are delicious. You can get different seasonings and it is very flavorful. The sand which is good but doesn't exceed expectations sadly. It's a little expensive, but it is Santa Cruz after all. Will be returning, I like how lively the eatery center is! read more

Terrible chicken sandwiches. The chicken is so dry and lacks seasoning. I ordered a spicy fried chicken sandwich and it tasted like a normal chicken sandwich, so I couldn't begin to think the lack of seasoning for the original one. This places saving grace are the buttermilk ranch and the waffle fries. But for a place that specializes in fried chicken sandwiches, they need to reevaluate their recipe. read more

Very disapointed. Employees clearly not sober or capable for there jobs. Paid EIGHT dollars for fried pickles and received 12 quarter sized burnt slices. Not to mention the ridiculous service when approached about this order. Also we received a sandwich, which from a common customer and frequent buyer of this sandwich, was unbearably painful. the spicy seasoning was only on one part of it, and i was left in tears after eating the most spicy thing i have ever tried. As a lover of spicy food, i was very upset. all of our orders were wrong and it took much effort to get them right. We originally got six small slices of burnt pickle, and when we tried to return them, We were greeted with awe were greeted with an unnecessarily rude tone. even after that, we still got some very burnt pickles. our friend ordered the cauliflower sandwich and received a whole head of unseasoned fried cauliflower, with bio batter which was not the right size for the bread. The employees are clearly high or something, because the way that they greet their customers is very unprofessional and out of it. they forgot our drink, forgot all of our sauces and proceeded to make us re-order one of the sandwiches because they got it wrong. I approached the employees in a kind way, telling them to please not make their sandwich so spicy for other customers because it was a serious issue out of concern for the well-being of other customers, and I was greeted with a very short and rude sorry and then nothing else. I think we definitely deserve some sort of refund or compensation for all The issues. Very disappointed with all of our food and service. i do not recommend. read more

Amazing food, Amazing service! The sauces are so yummy. The chicken is juice and crispy.

My only complaint is I got a side of ranch and it wasn't even half full. The container is already small. Other than that it's good. read more

Flashbird Chicken - Avocado Fried Chicken Sandwich, I really enjoyed it but any fried chicken sandwich makes me satisfied. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I had heard about the Abbott Square eateries but this was my first visit. We ordered the spicy chicken sandwich, waffle fries, root beer and lime soda. The chicken sandwich was floppy and didn't hold together for eating. Lettuce was falling out and the bun fell apart. The chicken itself was so spicy, hot that my mouth and lips were uncomfortably burning. I couldn't taste anything but HOT. The fries were crisp but overly salted so they also were impostor eat. The root beer was good. The lime soda tasted like something my dentist used while filling a cavity. Overall, the food was much to expensive for what we got and just off the make for being edible. A lighter touch of salt and spice and a better bun would have been a big improvement. Ditch the lime stuff though. read more

As someone who lives in Santa Cruz (not passing by), only people on a low-sodium diet would consider this good food. If you are looking forward to FRIED chicken, you should tell this business to try harder. read more

The chicken was somehow completely unseasoned. Not even a hint of salt could be tasted in the breading or meat. I ordered a Chicken Ceser Wrap and there was no dressing in the wrap at all. I also ordered fried pickles for 8 dollars. They were mostly batter and incredibly greasy that you almost only taste straight up oil when you eat it. This place's only redeeming quality is their sauces that taste pretty good, but without the sauces to be it slightly edible, you would not be able to consume this food. Also at this price point, I was expecting fried chicken that was elevated but instead got something much much worse than any fast food place I've ever tasted. read more

Eh 11 dollar chicken sandwich that's not up to par with Chic Fil A save your cash and get chubbs chicken across the road read more

Flashbird Chicken - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I ordered an original Chicken Sandwich and Fried Pickles. When I got my order I only got my sandwich and when I asked them where my pickles were, they told me they had never fried pickles, and insisted I ordered them on the sandwich, I showed them my receipt and brought up the menu item on the kiosk. They just shrugged their shoulders and smirked like fools. Didn't offer me fries in place, didn't make an effort to refund me. Just ripped me off for $8. On top of that, the sandwich itself was burnt, dry (read; overcooked), and underseasoned. I don't know if the employees that night were just incompetent or these are the standard, but I don't care. Will not be patronizing again, and will not recommend. read more

I got two chicken sandwiches to go. When I opened the bag the sauce that I ordered was all over the bottom of the bag. That isn't even the worse part!!! I bite into my chicken sandwich and it was RAW!!!! Oozing blood. I couldn't believe my eyes and my stomach couldn't believe it either. The service was subpar. It seemed like they didn't even care about the discomfort they caused me. DO NOT RECOMMEND!!! read more

Flashbird Chicken - Avocado Fried Chicken Sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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