Had a really great experience at Isla! The food was delicious and it's so nice to find a place that highlights Filipino flavors, especially Pampanga's delicacies. Everything we tried was flavorful and felt authentic. Service was great--friendly, attentive, and made us feel very welcome the whole time. The space is also a big plus. It's roomy and perfect for larger groups, which makes it an easy choice for gatherings and celebrations. Overall, a wonderful spot for good food, great service, and a comfortable place to dine with family and friends! read more

This is still the best Filipino restaurant to eat, however the buffet needs to improve, the are charging nearly $48.00 for all you can eat with tax included. I don't mind paying, however the food is COLD. The food is good, taste good however it's just to damn cold. They included crabs but removed crispy pata, bad move. If the owner can figure out a way to maintain the food temperature, hand down this will be the best buffet in the area. Also the street food is amazing! Great call on that! I read more

Solid spot. I got the Jeprox Silog and it was really good -- the fish was cooked well, flavorful, and the rice hit the spot. The misua egg drop soup on the side was simple but comforting, which balanced everything nicely. The place has a steady flow of people so it feels lively, but it's not crowded or suffocating. Somehow still feels cozy even when it's busy. I also liked the setup -- solid wooden tables, warm lighting, and a menu with photos that actually helps when you're deciding what to get. Would come back. read more

See all

This place looks authentic. Interior is on point with Filipino culture. Our service was alright. Not attentive but was fast delivery of food which was good. Food wise is good as well. Check out what I ordered for my party. read more

Why Filipino food gotta be so pricey?! Isla has the most menu items (and pages) than any other restaurant. Literally so many choices and variations. But the one dish that I crave from here is the Bistig Brisket Ning Baka (Bistek Brisket) - that's a lot of B's! It's so tender with an explosion of flavor. Isla on the weekends can get really overwhelming, so just be mentally prepared. The loud music, all the people talking and people walking around your table.. Everything everywhere all at once. Lol. Anyway, great for big parties and food/dishes to share. Lots of parking. read more

Isla Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

We came to Isla Restaurant in Newark on February 6 around 12:30 p.m. to celebrate my son's birthday with a group of 14 people. It also happened to be their first day doing the buffet lunch, which honestly explains a lot of the experience. Leading up to the event was a bit frustrating. I called almost every day that week to ask what would be included in the buffet, and I got a different answer each time. At one point they said they wouldn't know the buffet items until Thursday night. They also couldn't clearly tell me if we were allowed to order à la carte on top of the buffet, and unlike before, they wouldn't take a reservation. The phone calls felt rushed and not very helpful, like they were just trying to get off the phone. Once we arrived, there were a lot of things we weren't told ahead of time. Kids are charged by height, not age, so if your child is tall, they may be charged as an adult. I had to ask multiple times if kids 2 and under were free, and they still had to check with the manager, which felt odd. Soda is not included with the buffet and costs extra. We also brought a birthday cake and found out there's a cake fee. Since it was their first buffet day, everything felt unorganized. They used wristbands to keep track of guests, which was fine, but overall it felt like they were still figuring things out as they went. The food itself was okay. The kare-kare was the best dish, followed by the chicken and pancit. The selection wasn't bad, just nothing that really stood out. When it came time to pay, I had to double and triple check the bill to make sure the adult and kid counts were correct and that we weren't being charged for kids under 2, which shouldn't even be a question. Overall, the experience was just okay. I think Isla works better for smaller groups (six people or less). For larger groups or birthday parties, I personally would recommend Kalesa in Milpitas, which feels more organized and better set up for hosting events. Not a terrible experience, but definitely room for improvement. read more

Isla Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

One of my Filipino friends brought me here since I've never had Filipino food before and had a great experience! The food is pretty pricey, but if you dine in, at least they provide unlimited steamed rice free of charge which I never see anymore. I came back with my husband and saw that there's a lunch option (all day on weekdays and until 2pm on weekends) that's much more affordable, has more variety and is the perfect option when it's only 2 people dining in. I ordered the fried fish and it leaned a bit dry but was still good. My husband ordered the Filipino sausage and I thought that was delicious as well! You pick your meat and the dish comes with soup, garlic rice, an egg and soda for $16.95 which I think is a steal considering their standard menu prices on these items. It gets busy so we didn't really see our server, but it was still a great meal and suggest coming for their lunch options! read more

See all

Came here a few Saturdays ago with a large party. This Newark location compared to Isla Grand in Pleasant Hill depicts a stark difference in terms of quality. I went to the latter a week before this visit with a different party and ordered many of the same dishes. This makes for an easy comparison between my two dining experiences. However, the food here didn't quite live up to my expectations. It didn't look or taste as appetizing as the dishes at Isla Grand. To make matters worse, I found a dead fly in the adobo rice (pictured). I thought it was a peppercorn at first glance, but quickly realized it wasn't round and there weren't any other black specks throughout the rice. Yeah, yeah "it's extra protein" yada yada.. When it was brought to the server's attention, she apologized and asked if we wanted them to remake the adobo rice. Would have preferred that they removed it from the bill, but the rest of the party just said yes. Didn't matter to me though since I lost my appetite for the remainder of the meal :/ read more

Isla Restaurant - Dead fly found in the adobo rice... almost thought it was a peppercorn - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

Delicious Filipino delicacies and dishes in a family- friendly atmosphere. We had the Sulit Bilao #3 that had everything you see in the photo, plus we had halo halo for desert. The crispy pata, bangus, longanisa, Shanghai lumpia, and chicharon were outstanding. We had plenty of food to take home. read more

See all

I love this this place. The food are delicious!! When we have people over or meeting friends, I always recommend Isla as a meet up place. This place is huge so perfect for family gathering. We ordered more food than the pictures I took and feed 8 of us. Very little left over. That's a great sign that the food is delicious read more

Isla Restaurant - Fish kalderita ans pork kawali - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

This review is only based on their lumpia's. They were hot and made fresh to order however, the taste was a bit off. Not sure why but they tasted real porky. Their sweet and sour sauce is very garlic forward. The staff were nice and the restaurant is pretty spacious. I'd gave the lumpia's a 4/10. read more

Isla Restaurant - Real porky taste. - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

Isla is a Famous Restaurant but this place is too Expensive I order via Take Out and it cost $72.00 for only two items. Not just that very small amount too. For $72.00 I could have some serious big feast in other places The place is big and bunch of young workers walking around cause not much to do. There are tables and customers outside and no customers inside. Pricing is completely ridiculous in this place. read more

Isla Restaurant - Kaldereta and Pinakbet - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

The food here is pricey but at least the flavors are intense. They serve traditional Filipino food; however, it is not for the faint of heart, as most dishes may be too complex and pungent for the unadventurous. Chicharon: one simple appetizer that is mildly flavored dish, but it is freshly fried pork rinds with a sprinkle of salt. I've dipped this in vinegar with garlic or sweet and sour sauce (that was included with the lumpia) for elevated taste, 4/5 stars. Lumpia Shanghai: these are generally the best "eggrolls", as they have seasoned ground pork mixed with minced carrots and onions for more depth than typical eggrolls that only have vegetables, 5/5 stars. Pork sisig: this was traditionally prepared with pork belly, cheek, and ear that were all tender; but enhanced with the combination of flavors of savory, salty, sour, and a hint of spice, 4/5 stars. This would have been a 5/5 stars rating if it were just all pork belly, because bacon is the best! Pork bbq on the stick: the pork was tender, juicy and had a nice grilled char. The sauce flavors were garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, calamansi juice, and sweetness from the banana ketchup and the pork may have been marinated in pineapple juice, 5/5 stars! Chicken inasal: the chicken was also tender, juicy and had a nice grilled char. The sauce flavors were calamansi juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, annatto oil, and a hint of vinegar, 5/5 stars! Kare-Kare: creamy peanut butter sauce that mimicks curry and is complemented with the tender beef and veggies, 4/5 stars. Crispy Pata (deep-fried pork knuckles): truly a guilty pleasure dish, as this is deep fried pork but it creates delicious crispy skin. The pork meat was tender and savory with some fat pieces that added richness, 5/5 stars! The service was efficient despite that the restaurant was almost at full capacity. Regardless of the high food price, I'd return here when in the bay area, as the food was delightful. read more

See all

Isla is pretty good for when I'm missing Filipino dishes and too lazy to learn myself. Plenty of parking. They recently renovated and made their restaurant more open. They got rid of that huge wall that you see right when you walk in, thank goodness because it looks way better and more open. They also changed one area where they used to seat me and our large family, and it's now become a stage area because they have live music in the evenings. I wouldn't be surprised if they host karaoke nights. They have a monitor now that shows their upcoming events and promotes the bands coming up. Great for larger groups, but they do have some tables for when you've got a smaller group. Service is always so great when we go. They have a bell you can ring if you've had great service. Food is good. They're served as family style. I've done pick-up orders just for their jeprox when I'm craving it. I prefer their dishes over Jerry's Grill. read more

Isla Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

We ordered the grilled squid, lechon, kare kare, and prawn crackers. The grilled squid was perfectly cooked, tender, and had a nice smoky flavor that paired really well with the dipping sauce. The lechon was crispy on the outside and juicy inside which definitely was one of the highlights. The kare kare was made with a rich peanut sauce with tender meat and vegetables, and it tasted super yummy. The prawn crackers were light and crunchy, perfect for snacking while waiting for the main dishes. The presentation was great too and mostly everything was served beautifully on banana leaves. The staff was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere had a cozy, family-style feel. read more

Isla Restaurant - Grilled squid, prawn crackers, kari-karing - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

Isla is the perfect place to bring a big group of friends or your family to eat! Would always recommend the Isla Ultimate Boodle Fight because it feeds 10 people or even more! I love how it also comes with unlimited refills on the sodas and 3 Halo-Halo's. Remember to wash your hands and dig in! read more

Isla Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

If you're looking to eat Filipino family-style, this is the place to go. They offer huge platters loaded with a variety of classic dishes--perfect for sharing. We came here to celebrate my mom and aunt's birthdays, and it honestly felt like a buffet spread laid out right at our table. We ordered a feast: crispy pata, sisig, pork belly, fried fish, squid, lumpia, fried chicken, pancit palabok, kare kare, chicken and pork adobo, and more. There was more than enough food to feed our whole family (and then some). Everything came out fairly quickly, and the servers were warm, friendly, and attentive--especially when it came to keeping the rice refills coming (my family can definitely put away some rice!). My personal favorites were the grilled pork belly and the longanisa. I really appreciated that their longanisa wasn't overpowering with garlic--it had just the right balance of flavor. Overall, we had such a fun time celebrating together. Don't get me wrong, the food was great, but I always compare Filipino food to how my dad makes it--hard to beat that homemade touch. This isn't exactly a "mom-and-pop" vibe, but if I had a big group craving Filipino food, I'd definitely come back here. The dishes are flavorful, generous, and will absolutely hit the spot. read more

See all

Great place for filipino food and good vibes! My friends and I love coming here for celebrations; it's a huge restaurant and the ambience brings us closer together! Service is always extremely kind and helpful. read more

Isla Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

I visited Isla for dinner on a weekend with 4 other friends. The place was quiet busy but we had a reservation so we got seated once our whole party was there. We opted for a family style feast and everything we tried was delicious including the sauces that they provided. The one thing that was really annoying and ruined the whole experience was the loud live music. The music was so loud that we couldn't hear each other. Thankfully it happend towards the end of our meal because I was ready to leave. That loud music was unbearable. The service was fine and our food came out really fast. read more

See all

When I have that craving for Filipino food, I'm off to Isla. It's been around for years. Always delivering tasty Filipino dishes. Bring your fam, your titos and titas, your lolas and lolos, and all your kaibigan because this place is huge and they have the large round tables to accommodate all. My current favorites here are the tofu sisig with its delicious mayo-lemon sauce with a tiny tickle of spicy, the Isla Pinakbet with a smidgeon of lechon kawali, and the veggie Kari Kari. For breakfast, their silogs hit the spot. The garlic rice, sunny side up eggs and your choice of meat...how could it not be good? Our faves are the longsilog and tocilog. We can't get enough of the tofu sisig...so that is always in the order as well. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. Isla does not disappoint. read more

See all

This has been on my list to try for years. Came in on a Friday night. Nice decor. Greeted and seated immediately. Menu was extensive with pictures. We ordered the Sulit Bilao # 1. The platter was huge and had a little bit of everything. We also ordered pork sisig topped with egg and chicharron, litsun kawali, and pancit palabuk. Everything was delicious and portions were generous. My son enjoyed ringing the bell at the end of the meal to show he was satisfied. read more

See all

Authentic Filipino dishes. Extensive menu. There are some really awesome Filipino food available in the Newark/Fremont area. It is one of the most unhealthy cuisines on the planet...but oh so good! When it comes to desserts, some of Asia's best desserts come from the Philippines. This restaurant's Original Sisig Kapampangan is very good. Moist, tender, and flavorful. Their crispy pata comes with 2 types of sauces. Very crispy. Yum! Their chicharon is freshly made. It still sizzles right out of the fryer when you dip it in vinegar. Can't wait to come back and try other dishes. If you're looking for value and you have several people in your party, don't overlook their package deals from their Sulit Ala Carte menu options. Very affordable for larger parties. Wait staff are friendly. Lots of parking. Spacious interior. read more

See all

Sisig!!!! Food is super tasty. My whole family enjoyed!!! Live music. It is a bit loud lol but other than that, great experience and will be back! read more

I love this restaurant bc it brings me back home with their decor. The staff are always friendly. The food is very delicious, and worth the price. I wish they'd give more with the inasal for the price :( overall i love this place read more

Came here for Mother's Day because my mom had been wanting to try this place for a while. From the outside, it doesn't look too big, but once inside, the space opens up quite a bit. I really appreciated the live band, it added a festive touch, though it was a bit too loud. I literally had to type out our order to show the waiter because we couldn't hear each other. One thing I did like was the menu layout, every dish had a photo, which made ordering easier. They also offer a package deal, which is nice in theory, but it would be great if you could mix and match dishes instead of sticking to a preset selection. We ordered a few different dishes, and while they looked appealing, the flavor didn't quite match up. Honestly, most of it tasted like something I could've made at home, and with more seasoning. For the price we paid (around $200 for 5-6 dishes), I expected better. Service was another downside. We constantly had to flag our waiter down for refills and service , not ideal when you're trying to enjoy a special occasion. Overall, it was a decent first-time experience, and I'm glad we tried it for Mom's sake, but I wouldn't come back. The place has potential, but it fell short in a few key areas. read more

See all

I let my best friend do all of the ordering since she was craving home cooked food without doing all the work and wow I loved everything! Talk about umami bomb with each dish, we got sisig, pancit canton, and bistek milkfish which all had generous portions. Their bbq pork skewers were sweet and yummy too! Cool spot for authentic Filipino eats! read more

See all

Huge restaurant. We came for a coworker's retirement. Ordered so much food. Service was great!! I really enjoy the tamarind soup with shrimp. There is plenty of rice. My fav was the fried fish. Lechon kawaii kare kare was ok. Wish they would serve more vinegar for dipping everything instead of charging for each small container of vinegar. Look at the pic. The food tray is huge and can feed 4-6 people. So they should have serving of vinegar for each person. Other than that, great experience. read more

Isla Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

We ordered pork sisig, pork barbecue, grilled chicken, ginataang squash. Service was good. The ambience was good, read more

Isla Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

Really good and flavorful food. All the food came out really fast. For the cost, feels a bit pricey since the portions can seem small, but the quality of the food was really good and marinated really well. I think I would pass on the beef adobo because it was mostly fat, but I would gladly get the lechon, sisig, sinigang, and garlic rice again. read more

See all

My boyfriend and I went to Isla located in Newark California. Overall, the food wasn't bad but It could've been better. I ordered the chicken adobo and it was quite salty too much soy sauce was used on the chicken. Next time I will have them put the soy sauce on the side because the soy sauce contributed to the reason for too much salt, which really took away from the flavor of the chicken. They didn't have any honey, ginger or raw sugar for the green tea I ordered. One thing I noticed is that they put non-Filipino patrons on one side of the restaurant and other side was all Filipino. I'm Mexican American and I have a Filipino boyfriend and they sat us with the Caucasians and other Mexicans. this should've been diverse / mixed seating, to enjoy the real feel of the restaurant. The staff wasn't bad. I think it could've been a more personable experience had the server been attentive to our needs or to just check in on us at least. read more

Isla Restaurant - Chicken Adobo Chicken Adobo Silog - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

I wanted to love this place so badly, but unfortunately the experience I had last Saturday were just underwhelmingly disappointing. My friends and I ordered the Pork Sisig, Bangus Sisig, Lechon, and Tocino. The Pork Sisig was the best of the four, having stronger notes of pepper, soy sauce, and acidity. Some pieces however, were just pure fat, and the overall dish felt very heavy and fatty. The Bangus Sisig tasted like canned tuna tossed with some onions, soy, and vinegar. The fish was dry and for the price and portion, underwhelming. The Lechon looked amazing when brought out; however, the meat was beyond dry. At least it was crispy and the lechon sauce was good. The Tocino was juicy and tender, but it was just drowned in an overly sweet sauce. 6.2/10 Service was fast, and we did get the food somehow within only 5 minutes of ordering, so that was appreciated. That night there was live music playing and it felt too loud. I had to scream just for my friends to hear what I was saying. With such a large menu, there are other dishes that are "must gets" that I didn't try. But from this experience, it's hard to see myself coming back just to try the rest of the menu. read more

Isla Restaurant - Sizzling Bangus Sisig, Lechon, Tocino - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

Finally! I've had this resto bookmarked and on a spur of a moment "let's go out to dinner" on a Wednesday night I made it out here. It was worth the drive from San Jose. A quiet night - it's a Wednesday - and service was on point. Easily ordered some of our favorite Pilipino dishes and they all came out in good time for us to enjoy. I have to say the Sinigang Brisket Ning Baka was on point with the just enough sour taste like it should be. And I love me some Sisig and this one was yummy too! I can't wait to come back to this family style, home feeling resto and try out their other dishes. Great staff, so friendly and attentive, and an open spaced restaurant. Look for another review from me at this establishment soon! read more

See all

Decided to try out some new, and saw this place was close by and had good reviews. I've had Filipino a few times before years ago (e.g. Gerry's Grill in Union Landing). We arrived and were immediately seated in what looks like newly remodeled expanded seating area to side of the door (not the main dining area). It got a bit warm due to heat so waiter came to turn on ceiling fan. The dining area had many Filipino families dining out so that's a good sign. Four of us shared A La Carte #2 set menu to try different things. Waiter said usually good for 3-5 people. Dishes arrived quickly. Started off with Misua soup - looks like Chinese egg drop soup, but not too salty for me. Unlimited white rice. Fried chicken wings and drummettes. String beans and shrimp in Coconut curry. Fish in sauce. Pork belly with potato and bell pepper. Noodle dish with sliced boiled egg. I don't remember the names but overall tasty, though quite salty. Fits those with heavier palates, but I'll need lighter options next time. read more

Isla Restaurant - Misau soup (salty) - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

Previously ate at the restaurant twice. First time was Summer 2024 with family visiting from New Zealand who craved silog, halo-halo and leche flan. Then 3 months later with my public health education FilAm crew. A Filipino dish labeled "vegetables" almost always include some animal protein (eg, shrimp paste, egg, diced pork), so I was pleasantly surprised that they offered plant-based options such as fried tofu, sisig tofu & meatless kare-kare. Most recent dining experience was first time ordering TO-GO for an elder uncle's 88th birthday who wanted a casual meal at home with family. Ordered on site a buffet that included garlic butter shrimp, sinigang bangus, grilled chicken, adobo squid, long life bihon pancit guisado, garlic rice, and chop suey. We got a complimentary appetizer (we chose fried tofu) cause spent a certain $$$ amount. It took 20 min to prepare & packed very well to make trek back over Dumbarton Bridge. The food was still hot and the tofu still had some crispiness. They don't have technology for Visa tap pay, so they had to manually enter the info due to my Visa card's over-used strip & chip didn't register with their Point of Sale system. They are doing some renovation taking down walls to bring in more natural light and more seating space. read more

See all

FOOD: I went to this restaurant 2X - the first time to try it, the second time I went along with the group. I have a preference for traditional flavors especially when it comes to Filipino food. I noticed that their sinigang has a sweetness to it which is more prominent than the usual sourness. Not only their sinigang but their other dishes i tried leaned towards the sweet side - it could be the spices they used or perhaps they want to put unique twist on their classic dishes. SERVICE: Both times I visited with a small group, we were seated right away and the servers were efficient. But also worth noting that both visits were during slower hours. AMBIANCE: Clean with Filipino decor. read more

Isla Restaurant - Crispy pata - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

The flavors are all there, but it just could not cut through how salty the dishes were.. We were chugging extra water but it was just not enough. I even felt sick after. I'd still come back, but refrain from heavy salty orders and I'll have to knock a star down for that. The decor is great and love the empowerment of kapangpangan culture. I appreciate how quick the service was, and the dining room has lots of seating for big parties. read more

Isla Restaurant - Bangus bistek - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California

See all

Isla Restaurant on weekend evenings offers a festive and bustling vibe with good food and plenty of company. We had a decent sized party but were detailed in a timely fashion. Only drawback was we kept getting bumped from all angles. Aside from feeling a bit cozy, it was still enjoyable. We kinda beat the crowd also because the stage was beginning to start their entertainment for the night. Food came out timely and even though we kept on adding more to the table, it didn't take away from the experience. Definitely good for large parties. read more

This place is packed on a Friday night. Taste We had lechon kawali and topsilog. Both were good. They didn't come back though to give tea/water we asked for. Service We oddly had to wait a while when there were lots of tables open which was odd. read more

See all

This was my first time at the particular restaurant and it was for my son's friends birthday! He loves his cultural food, and it was new for us to eat this style, since we have only had filipino food at our family's house. I was very surprised how they set up their plates and how huge the dishes were!! True to the culture, the close mouth doesn't get fed! Lol so if you want somebody to serve you, you kind of have to flag the person down! Lol we made the young college graduate flag down the server, she majored in business so she knew what to do! Lol everything was delicious, fresh and tasty!! My sons best friend had an amazing birthday dinner with the whole family and there were 15 of us sitting at two tables between the adults and the college students! Lol two separate circular tables, but close enough where we could share food back-and-forth between the tables! I would definitely go back again!! read more

See all

The closest you can get to an authentic Filipino home-cooked meal. No frills. The service is quick, we ordered and got our food in less than 10 mins. The food came out hot. The food was overall very good. The staff were quick, attentive and made sure they checked in on us often. The portion size is large, true to the family style dining. We went home with plenty of leftovers to last us another meal, easy. If we are in the mood for Filipino food, we will be coming back! We enjoyed the unlimited refill drink fountain. Nice compliment to the meal. read more

Isla Restaurant - Tocilog, Original Sisig Kapampangan, Longanisa, Bangsilog - Filipino Near Me - Newark, California