Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Red Bird

    4.6 (155 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order The Red Bird Takeout or Delivery

    The Red Bird Photos

    THE RED BIRD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like The Red Bird

    Recommended Reviews - The Red Bird

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Nikki N.

    We ordered an Original Chicken Sandwich with fries and a Mild Chicken Sandwich. The restaurant was clean, and although we visited during lunchtime on a Saturday, it was surprisingly quiet. The fries were excellent and ended up being one of the highlights of the meal. I also liked the slaw, though it was a bit too peppery and spicy for my partner's taste. The Original came with cheese, while the Mild sandwich was noticeably larger but did not include cheese. I'm not sure whether the size difference was intentional or related to the different menu items. Unfortunately, the chicken itself was disappointing in both sandwiches. The meat was dry, and the coating was not to our liking. It almost felt like a thin sheet wrapped around the chicken rather than a crisp, flavorful crust. The chicken breast was also underseasoned and lacked much flavor on its own. The bread was only lightly warmed and could have benefited from a proper toasting. Nothing was particularly bad, but nothing stood out either. Aside from the fries, the meal felt fairly forgettable, and it's probably not a place I'll revisit.

    Chicken Slider medium spice
    Jake M.

    First off, the customer service here is amazing, which is something a lot of places now a days miss. This place blew us away. So glad that it's so close to where we live too. Onto the food, it's perfectly done. Best chicken I've had in a while and everything is seasoned to perfection. Really excited to go back but our first time there was a 10000/10 experience.

    Combo
    Scott M.

    Was craving some fried chicken and had not been to a Red Bird before so why not give it a try? Located in the same location as the legendary Dude Where's My Curry (RIP) it is very clean inside and you will be greeted with some great customer service. Any questions will be answered right away. Pretty good Halal chicken sandwich if you ask me. Several spice levels so if you love heat they can accommodate but if you aren't a fan of spicy then they have that as an option too.

    Their rice bowl. lettuce was old and turning pink. rice was bland.
    Elaine P.

    The service was nice and the inside was clean but I wouldn't come back for food. Got the medium spice bowl and the rice was disappointing. So bland and flavorless. The lettuce was old and wilted and turning pink. Just ate the chicken and left cause why eat boring tasting carbs.

    Two chicken sandwiches w fries and chicken cheese fries
    jovine l.

    Red Bird Hot Chicken & Fries follow @jo.bellyy for more recs! I found a DAVES DUPE and dare I say the deals are even BETTER (plus they're halal!). Literally where else can you find a spot that gives you TWO HUGE chicken sliders AND fries for $14??? Not to mention they have a great variety of spice levels and other dishes to suit your own preferences. What I Got: Two Sandwiches w/ Fries Chicken Cheese Fries Red Bird Hot Chicken & Fries 27412 Portola Pkwy, Lake Forest, CA 92610

    Chicken cheese fries, hala chicken rice bowl, 2 chicken sandwiches with fries combo
    Deanne S.

    I was craving hot chicken sandwich, so we decided to try this place. It was very clean and spacious. The cashier was very helpful and recommended 3 items on the menu that is a must try. So we ordered the #2 which is 2 hot chicken sandwiches with fries, the chicken cheese fries, and the halal chicken rice bowl. They offer a 6 levels of spice. We tried the mild and medium levels. When out order came out, I was so shocked to see the size of the chicken sandwich. The chicken was HUGE!!! And I've been to a lot of hot chicken sandwich spots and this place has to be the best prices that I've ever seen. My favorite was the rice chicken plate. The white sauce is sooo tasty! Overall, I would give this place a 9/10.

    X-hot Chicken Sandwich
    Joe S.

    These days, the LA / OC chicken sandwich contest is pretty much at MMA main event level. A field of heavyweights scrapping for honor, where any new upstart has to be perfect or they're only seconds away from a firm size nine and the hazy sound of a bell accompanied by some tasty canvas. I'd been looking forward to bringing Red Bird into the fray for a while after hearing good things locally, and I had high hopes when my partner and I visited for a midweek dinner. The location has plenty of parking, and was empty when we arrived. The music was pretty loud but just below obtrusive, with speed garage playing from the main speakers. Somewhat annoyingly though, it clearly wasn't to the chef's taste, and the R&B blasting from the kitchen somewhat clashed tempo-wise. The counter staff were great, taking time to go through the entire menu in a way that would've been super helpful to the less initiated (chicken nerd ego claim lol). The prices were very reasonable too, and the portion sizes huge - especially with the 'divide and conquer' #2 meal that contains not one but two chicken sandwiches and a heap of very enjoyable crinkle-cut fries (with a lovely honey mustard dipping sauce that was probably the highlight of the lot). Sadly though, the sandwiches were only 'pretty good', and around here that's mid-pack at best. A reliance on Serrano peppers in the slaw leads to a hint of bitterness across the entire bite in the milder chicken flavors, although it does sit well at X-hot level and might be enjoyable to some. Spice-wise, the scale seems to sit a step or maybe even two steps lower than comparable restaurants in the area. The smaller sandwich size might be helpful to those with lesser appetites, and points are gained for them being a bit less oily too, but it did lead to the occasional drier bite when compared to its gigantic 'two-hand-hold and wonder how big the cluckin' bird must have been' local competition. In summary, I'd still recommend that any fried chicken fan should give Red Bird a try. It's certainly not bad by any stretch, I just expected a bit better than I got. I'll likely go back for their loaded fries - which I expect to be a highlight - and a FCK (their top) level sandwich soon. I'm also the kind of boring fried chicken nerd willing to ride 50 miles for the best sandwich rather than settling for what's closest, so bear that in mind here too.

    Medium & hot tender basket
    Calli Y.

    We saw the great reviews and decided to try this place. I'm soo sorry but it was not for us at all!! Friendly service. However the chicken did not meet expectations. I personally liked the flavor somewhat, and it was juicy, however it was not crunchy at all! My breading fell off on each bit. The flavor was a little sweet. My medium had not heat and the hot had a tiny bit. Since it's halal, does it mean it's not crispy? Not sure but we will stick to Dave's hot Chicken. Nephew thought his was crunchy but he didn't like the flavor. The fries were good though! Not for us unfortunately.

    Menu
    Jessica M.

    This is a cool new spicy chicken sandwich spot! If you're looking for a break from the usual chicken sandwich picks, The Red Bird is coming straight from the east coast with halal chicken and it's crispy and delicious. Personally, I loved the chicken cheese fries, the portions are HUGE, enough for leftovers! And their tenders are equally as big and honestly worth a try! I got one of their medium spice chicken sandwiches and man, it was the perfect amount of heat. Very manageable and still flavorful which I really appreciated!

    Terrence Y.

    I've been seeing great reviews on Yelp and other platforms for this newly opened restaurant so I had to try it. It's a light, bright and super clean spot. I was greeted enthusiastically by Jay who was super friendly and helpful explaining the options. I went with the two sandwich and fries option since that seemed to be the go-to order. I got the original and medium spice. The size of the chicken was huge. I honestly could've just had one, in fact I couldn't finish the French fries after eating both sandwiches. They were delicious and had just enough spice. I will certainly be back.

    Chicken cheese fries
    Johnathan H.

    The portion sizes are large and the prices seem almost too good to be true in this economy. Being a brand new restaurant, the staff are upbeat and eager to please. The chicken cheese fries had great flavor, and the spice level is below average. I normally get hot, but I'd go for extra hot here. It's a shame that another reviewer docked stars for the spice levels. It's not the restaurant's fault that you can't handle MILD spice. Being right down the street from my house, I'll put this place in my regular rotation for eating out. Cheers!

    Timmy S.

    For someone like me who has low spice tolerance, a hot chicken place is not on the top of my list, although such places have a "mild" option which I can enjoy. But this place's "mild" was too hot for me to handle. I came for lunch during their soft opening. Their customer service was superb, very friendly. I went to the counter and ordered their #1: two chicken strips (I chose mild) with fries, which also came with toast and a tiny side of slaw. They have a fridge with canned and bottled sodas so I also got a can of ginger ale and took a seat at one of their tables. The wait was really long but I'm not dinging them on that since they were slammed and, as mentioned, they were in their soft opening and still finding their rhythm. My food was delivered to my table. The fries were excellent as was the dipping sauce. The toast was soggy but good. The chicken was juicy and good quality. The coating was another story. One bite and my eyes watered while my tongue was on fire. Maybe they put the wrong spice level on it? Or if this is their mild, this is not the place for me. Luckily the coating flaked off easily; each poke with a fork caused it to crumble. For most customers this might be a bad thing but for me it was wonderful! A few more pokes with the fork and all the coating was completely off and I could easily eat the uncoated chicken. The combination of a guy who can't handle heat and the fact that I ate there during their soft opening clearly puts The Red Bird at a disadvantage for being reviewed by me. I'll freely admit that and point you to other reviews for (most likely) better experiences.

    bam
    Shwe N.

    my bf dropped the chicken sandwich for me and i thoroughly enjoyed it. very creamy thick sauce and tender chicken meat. fries too

    Chicken Nuggets

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    12 hours ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 days ago

    Great spot in south Orange County! I love that the chicken is halal and the spice levels are amazing! I also loved their outdoor seating!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 5
    Love this 13
    Oh no 4
    Photo of Shwe N.
    290
    1469
    5518

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Archie S.
    2654
    1354
    2248

    7 months ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 2
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of C Y.
    1
    17
    7

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Livier F.
    18
    41
    24

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike H.
    6
    26
    17

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Great staff, great food, highly recommended! Chicken and rice bowl was awesome, nice spice on the chicken.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Izzy N.
    0
    47
    35

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ramsey H.
    48
    60
    44

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Great service, great food and excellent value. The chicken is always fresh and tender. I enjoy the extra hot flavor

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Red Bird

    You might also consider

    WaBa Grill

    WaBa Grill

    3.3
    (116 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $

    I came in on this day to redeem my Birthday Coupon for a FREE Waba Bowl (valued up to $10.99)…read more The two women at the front (I don't remember their names) one was very nice as she helped me with some sauces, the other one was not as nice haha. But anywho, I told them that I was there to redeem my coupon. I thought that it would be valid for a dual-protein bowl because I wanted steak & chicken, but it could only cover one protein packed bowl, so I chose chicken. The indoor seating was really clean and there wasn't many people here when I arrived, so I didn't have to wait too long for my bowl. Maybe 5-6 minutes at most. The chicken bowl itself mixed with the Waba Sauce was excellent! Waba Grill usually does a really good job with these bowls. I really like the chicken mixed with the rice and it made for a wonderful Birthday Gift. Sign up for Waba Grill Rewards using my Referral Code : FRANTE5461, and you also could enjoy a FREE BOWL for your birthday!

    Food is fine but the front lady at the register is awful! She is the rudest and now I understand…read morewhy it's always empty. She scares everyone away. I love waba grill but won't be coming to this location that's for sure. On top of which when we got our food, they totally skimped us on chicken. Plus we requested extra veggies that we paid for and didn't get that either. I've to several waba grills enough times to know how much chicken should be in the bowl.

    Photos
    WaBa Grill
    WaBa Grill
    WaBa Grill

    See all

    El Pollo Loco

    El Pollo Loco

    2.8
    (203 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $

    Fast service and amazing food! The salsa was absolutely delicious and everything came out fresh and…read moreflavorful. Definitely coming back.

    When I first arrived, a kind gentleman held the door for me to let me in and he allowed me to place…read moremy order before his. THEN, gracefully I was greeted by Emma (I'm not sure if she's the manager or front-line employee but either way I know that she is such a light, a kind soul, a wonderful spirit and a fantastic person!! Much more than an El Pollo Loco employee, she's an Angel in my humble opinion. She not only helped me to place my order for the NEW Queso Crunch Burrito Bowl, she gave me a discount coupon which granted me $3.49 off of my order! She said that's "her favorite magic trick": Being kind and offering her kindness to those who she serves and in her life. The warmth in her conversation and spark in her spirit truly brightened up my day and lifted my heart!! I'll spare her personal business, but I'm thankful that Jesus brought us together this day! She even blessed me with more coupons to take with me and to use in the future. I hope nothing but kind and wonderful blessings for you, too, Emma! What a great gift! Now as far as the bowl goes, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5. It's a nice chicken bowl with an added crunch from the tortilla strips and the seasoned rice adds a great flavor to it as well! I do know that it's a limited time item but I would order it again. The bowl may have earned 3.5 stars, but partnered with the Exceptional Customer Service I received from Emma on this day, it bumps my overall rating to a 6/5 stars!! Thank you El Pollo Loco and Emma for this wonderful and blessed experience. I'm looking forward to stopping by again soon!!

    Photos
    El Pollo Loco
    El Pollo Loco
    El Pollo Loco

    See all

    The Red Bird - chickenshop - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...