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    Isla Restaurant

    3.7 (1.1k reviews)
    ModerateFilipino
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Isla Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    ISLA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Isla Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Jeprox-crispy fish
    Rochelle 'Shella' T.

    Love the ambiance, flavor, and service. This place is our new favorite place for Filipino cuisine. I just wished they were in the East Bay so we didn't have to drive do far. We came in for a late dinner with oyr family friends. We came in with no expectations only with the assumption that it's a place worth visiting considering that they don't accept reservations on a weekend :) . They have a wide variety of dishes: soup, grilled food, fried food, appetizer, meat or veggies, etc. We decided to order their squid ink fried rice, Garlic rice, binagoongan pork (pork in fish paste sauce), adobong pundit ( squid stew), sisig (minced pork in a sizzling plate), Squash veggie in coconut milk (loved it!) All the dishes were very tasty. I especially liked the Binagoongan Pork with the crispy pork seasoned with shrimp paste and topped with Mango and Tomatoes. I was also very impressed with the Coconut Squash Shrimp Veggie.

    Amy T.

    Our group made reservation for Saturday night. They split us up into 3 tables. We had 3 birthdays. Once seated, our waiter was quick with taking our order. We ordered Lechon kawali, Longganisa , Isla BBQ pork, Grilled Liempo, Sisig, Kare kare brisket, Pakbet , Sinigang liempo, and Adobo rice. Everything was good, on the salty side. It was my first time trying kare kare. It was good. Plenty of food. Love the free steamed rice. Our water cups were refilled many times. Will be back!

    Lechon kawali
    Erin P.

    Food was great! We had some appetizers like fried tofu and calamari. Main dishes: sinigang, adobe rice, Lechon kawali, Laing. The halo-halo withube ice cream melted super fast at night! The tibuk tibuk was surprisingly warm as dessert and they gave us an extra one which was nice. Drink selection They didn't have any other drinks like calamansi juice unfortunately which I was disappointed they didn't have since other Isla locations usually have this besides water, soda as options. Service They kept trying to take away my plate when I wasn't done eating. Ambiance Popular place, plenty of seats/tables/space, finding parking is a bit tougher but not impossible for street and parking lots, look out for the signs and pay so you don't get ticketed.

    Bungus sisig and lumpia
    Heather T.

    This is my 2nd time trying Isla to give it another shot. The aroma of different foods was too much for me in the restaurant there was no ventilation I felt like I couldn't breathe and felt nauseous. Service was ok, could be better. When we were ready to order it looked like one person was only taking orders during dinner time. For family of 3 we ordered lumpia that was pricey $16 for appetizer, sizzling sisig bungus was $16. I wasn't impressed by the bungus it was not sizzling looks like they heated it up in a microwave and placed it on the plate. Bangus was greasy and not crispy. Another disappointment visiting this place I will definitely not be coming back.

    Sisig
    Falepau S.

    Love Isla! We absolutely love their pork sisig, which is packed with flavor, and the unlimited rice servings are such a great bonus. The service was quick, and the servers were very attentive, making the experience smooth and enjoyable. The portions are generous, the dishes are fresh, and the overall vibe of the restaurant is casual and welcoming -- perfect for a relaxed meal with friends or family. Definitely a spot we'll be coming back to and recommending to anyone craving Filipino food.

    Sisig and Kaldereta  Beef Brisket  Gata
    Ray N.

    I cannot understand why this place has only 3.5 stars. Maybe it's not authentic? It IS really good. The rice plates in particular are a great deal. I particularly like the sisig plate, which comes with a fried egg, garlic rice, soup, and a fountain drink. The sisig is very tasty: freshly fried and crispy, and bursting with flavor. Paired with some delicious garlic rice and egg? Out of this world. I've had most of the standard things here at Isla: lumpia Shanghai, Kare kare, kaldereta, and chicken adobo. Everything is a very good version. Also, there's free unlimited rice! In this era of having to pay for bread and butter, this is a welcome perk. The servers here are also super friendly and very attentive. I love this place.

    Seating
    Ria S.

    There was about 16 people in our party. We walked in and they had 2 tables for us immediately. AMAZING service by the staff. The food is incredible! I loved their lechon kawali kare-kare! Must try! Everything they served us was perfectly prepared. We also loved the Laing. At the end the gave us 6 complimentary deserts! So generous. We loved the halo-halo topped with Ube ice cream and their Leche Flan was also as amazing. There's parking on the side but be prepared to pay for street parking in case that is full. $3 for 2 hour parking.

    Sisig Bangus
    Arron P.

    Came here for dinner. Enjoyed the friendly service and unlimited rice. Food was served fresh. The ambiance is loud inside and bright interior. Would recommend.

    Enough food for 3 people? order one more dish for 3 "hungry" folks
    Doug T.

    Came to Isla to try their Filipino food. Heard good things about this place. Large open restaurant with large family style tables. Some with bench seating. Cheerful service staff and very helpful. I gave them 4 stars for one main reason, portion size for the money. While the food was very good, (4-1/2 starts?!) I do like when restaurants give you good value for my money. Their servings were on the smaller side especially for family style. Kare-Kare Brisket, luscious sauce and very tender brisket, wish there was more meat though ( for $31!!) , comes with string beans on top Sisig, Actually was a surprise as it was very tasty and well seasoned Bistik Bangus, a braised fish dish with creamy sauce and potatoes. Again bit fish would have been nice ( $21) Garlic rice, nice portion with fried or roasted garlic. not bad

    Garlic rice  Lechon Kawali  Lumpia Shanghai  Bbq pork on a stick  Short rib adobo
    Jonathan F.

    Love going to this place.. this time I just got it door dashed to watch the Niners game It's expensive but it fed myself, mom, and dad and had two meals of leftovers. Total price is around $160 after getting it door dashed. I'd say food overall is a solid 8/10. I've been inside before it's a huge dining area with great service, and a fun loud environment. I really liked the short rib adobo never had that before. I always get the Lechon.. so good with the brown sauce and crispy. Mom loves the Shanghai lumpia. And you always gotta get garlic rice

    Garlic Rice
    Allister D.

    I came here for dinner yesterday late afternoon. Me and my family had an amazing time enjoying over their tasty dishes. We ordered fried lumpia, pork sisig, pork sinigang, a bowl of garlic rice and a plate of longanisa and rice for my toddler son. I thoroughly enjoyed their pork sisig. This was sizzling perfectly. I can taste the fat and sizzled diced pork. Their sisig is by far the best I've had from any Filipino restaurant I've been to. They do it right here. The pork sinigang has the right amount of seasoning and salt balance. It was perfect with the equal portion of meat and veggies. Personally, sinigang is matched perfect with plain white rice because the garlic rice can clash with the flavors. We also enjoyed my son's longanisa. The fried crunch outer layer is really good and makes it unique. The longanisa is curled as well so this is unique compared to others. I think the prices are definitely affordable and reasonable for the portions. Their service is excellent and quick at what they do. They're friendly as well so this makes the experience better. This location is spacious with plenty of seating with a breathable environment. The bathrooms are clean too! This is a major plus if I should add that in.

    Alexis V.

    I think about this restaurant whenever I start missing Filipino food. It is top-tier Filipino food, which says a lot as the competition is high in the Bay Area. even my homies who were born in the Philippines say that this restaurant is up to standard. I feel like a lot of Filipino restaurants in America are overtly salty, but the flavoring was all there and in all the right places. I am so glad that they have chicharron bulaklak here because that is my guilty pleasureeeee Attentive staff who was on top of it when it came to refills and re-ups with sauces, sides, and water. So respectful with their mannerisms and always with a smile on their face when they would do their table rounding. did not feel bad to make requests because it seemed like they took pleasure and pride in their jobs. I get shy to ask for more water, but I felt like I could easily do that here without hesitation. They also would take it upon themselves to capture photos for the people and their parties, which is soooo considerate of them. Got to love the big dining tables because yes...there would be some parties with that many table. goes to show how good the restaurant is. I like that it is set up in a big circle so that you could easily share the food and make conversation with the whole table. i like that they were playing Filipino music and playing Filipino television in the background...but imagine if they had like a karaoke happy hour omg...that would have made this the best restaurant in the bay area

    Sinigang Bangus
    Rose C.

    A spacious, open restaurant that can accommodate large parties. The service was good. Extensive menu of varied proteins cooked in so many different ways. The food was very good, very tasty, and delicious! The portions were a bit smaller so one then ends up ordering more dishes. The Palabok was one of my fave dish there. A bit disappointed with the BBQ pork skewers as it was a bit dry and tough. The halo halo was one of the best ones I've had. Overall the food was good. And when you're satisfied with your meal, ring the bell on your way out!

    Kare Kare Ribs

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    Ask the Community - Isla Restaurant

    Do I get a free meal on my birthday?

    Our Birthday Deal: 1. The day you avail your birthday treat must be within 15 days before or after… Read more

    Is it hard to find parking here around 1pm?

    On weekends yes but not on weekdays.

    Is this a chain restaurant with other bay area locations?

    The other location is in Newark.

    How many people does 1 order of the pork sisig feed roughly?

    Good for 2-3 people, depending if you have other orders aside from this dish.

    How big are the party trays? Also, where can we find the menu for each items for the party trays? I only see the party tray deals but not what is offered on the menu and the prices for the items..?

    How much are lumpia trays now?

    59.98 /120 pcs

    Are there any vegetarian options?

    Not many, if any. Desserts almost all of them. Most dishes are made with fermented fish paste and squid sauce is a primary flavoring for most dishes if not pork or beef stocks or pieces of meat. Even the pinakbet, which should be a vegetable stew… Read more

    Are they open for dine in right now? If so what is the setup (outdoor, etc)

    Yes, they are set up for outdoor dining. The tables are spaced out for social distancing and are set up for groups of 2 or 4.

    Is it only street parking? Do you have a private parking?

    Street parking and they have a private parking lot. Also lots of parking spots behind and nearby as well

    View All 13 Questions

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    Chibog - Tocino

    Chibog

    4.1(1.2k reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    This place is our ride-or-die Filipino restaurant, and for good reason. Every visit, we roll with…read morethe same legendary order: Lumpia Shanghai à la carte, combo sisig, and a bowl of garlic rice and every single time, it hits like a warm hug from someone's lola. The food is Asian comfort at its absolute peak. The lumpia? Crispy, savory perfection. The sisig? Sizzling, bold, and dangerously addictive. And that garlic rice was simple, fragrant, and the kind of side dish that quietly steals the whole show. The service and ambiance are exactly what you'd expect from a tasty Asian restaurant. you will leave stuffed, satisfied, and already planning your next visit before you've even left the parking lot. If you know Filipino food, you already know. And if you don't...this is your sign to find out.

    Really enjoyed this Filipino spot -- the portions are generous, the food is flavorful, and…read moreeverything came out fresh and satisfying. We ordered a couple of silog dishes along with the sizzling chicken sisig. One silog plate came with beef tapa (with the option of grilled or pan-fried) and chicken tocino, while the other included longanisa and pork tocino. Everything paired perfectly with their garlic fried rice, which was honestly one of the highlights of the meal. The sizzling chicken sisig was packed with flavor, and the portions were definitely enough to share or take leftovers home. Service was friendly and welcoming, and the staff made us feel right at home. I also noticed two different families order the lechon kawali and kare-kare, and both said those are their favorite dishes here -- definitely taking that as a recommendation for next time. Looking forward to coming back and trying more from the menu!

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    Chibog - Indoors

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    Chibog - The reason for stopping by. combo sisig "chick-boy" (chicken and pork/baboy)

    The reason for stopping by. combo sisig "chick-boy" (chicken and pork/baboy)

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    Fil-Am Cuisine - Best combo! 1 pork and 1 chicken! You'll be dancing when eating!

    Fil-Am Cuisine

    4.2(1.5k reviews)
    5.7 mi
    $

    Fil-Am Cuisine offers traditional Filipino entrees, including lumpia and pancit, I only come here…read morefor the Pork and Chicken BBQ which is hands down the BEST Filipino BBQ you can find in the Bay Area! The portions are huge (2 servings worth) compare to those you see in other places that also sell Filipino BBQ. The place is very small, not intended for dine-in, ordering only for to-go, cafeteria style. Parking can be challenging, you're lucky if you find street parking close by. I always get dropped off while my family waits in the car. Prices are very reasonable, they only accept cash. If you have a large same day BBQ order, it's best that you call for availability so they can put it aside. Highly recommend if ever in Daly City! Make sure you get the BBQ!

    For a casual bite of great Filipino BBQ, you can't go wrong with this place. The restaurant…read moreembraces a hole-in-the-wall vibe while serving tasty, affordable food. I ordered the BBQ chicken, BBQ pork, and pork adobo, and all were really enjoyable. The BBQ chicken skewer (9/10) was probably the standout. It had a nice sweet and tangy flavor, and the char added great depth. The BBQ pork (6.5/10) had a similar profile, but the meat was mostly fat, which made it less enjoyable. The pork adobo (8/10) was tender and came with a rich, savory sauce that paired perfectly with the rice. I also had the lumpia (7.5/10). They were super crispy but lacked much flavor in the filling. Still solid, but I've definitely had better. This is a great spot for Filipino BBQ and classic staples. I'd definitely order the BBQ chicken again while also trying some other items. There's a reason this place is so well known in the community for serving great, affordable food.

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    Fil-Am Cuisine - Hot food

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    Fil-Am Cuisine - BBQ skewers $3.75 each

    BBQ skewers $3.75 each

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    Karilagan - binagoongan

    Karilagan

    3.5(690 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Really shocked at some of the reviews left for this business. Parking was scarce but it was…read moredefinitely worth it. Came in and although the restaurant was almost full, we were seated right away. For those who said they weren't informed about the service charge, it literally says it on the menu. So just because the customer didn't see it, doesn't mean it wasnt posted. So shame on the reviewers who want to say poor things about illegally charging for a service fee that ACTUALLY was posted in their menu. Back to my review. We ordered a few items. The serving size was big for each item so the price point was really good. Great value for the food. The dishes itself were amazing in flavor. Everything was fresh. Not oily or greasy like most filipino places. The pancit was full of flavor. The sinigan was so fresh. The beef was tender. The broth was tasty. The bisteak had good flavor, wasn't too oily. Onions were sautéed just right. Garlic rice was amazing! And I also really enjoyed their sago which had both tapioca pearls and jelly. YUMMY! The workers were amazing, working hard at trying to serve quickly and politely. They were turning around the tables very quickly without rushing the customers who were eating. I enjoyed their hospitality. Overall I enjoyed this restaurant. You could taste the home cooking in their food. I will definitely come back again. I definitely plan to

    The ambience was perpetually lackluster because of location and design. It could be better, to…read morecatch more attention. The service was decent on a busy day. The price was reasonable and for the food on the other end was bland, with a bitter aftertaste. The veggies were excessive and did not fit together with the meat cohesively, in terms of overall flavor. When you finish however, make sure you check your invoice before leaving a tip because they charge an automatic service charge on top of the total original price. It's deceptive and false pretense.

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    Karilagan - Interior

    Interior

    Karilagan - Crispy Pata

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    Patio Filipino - Chicken Tinola

    Patio Filipino

    3.6(1.3k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    My brother-in-law recommended we try Patio, which is one of his favorite Filipino spots in the Bay…read moreArea. He even went as far as saying that they had the best crispy sisig. I actually don't eat pork, but even I knew those were bold words. We had dinner reservations for a table of 10 at Patio at 7pm on a Friday. The place was busy, and most guests came with big parties of 8+ people. Half of our group arrived on time, and the restaurant went ahead and got them seated at our reserved table. We ordered several things off the menu including the appetizer sampler (fried calamari, fried shrimp, wings, and lumpia Shanghai), garlic rice, pandit bihon, bangus sisig, chicken adobo, pork sisig, bangus sisig, and crispy pata. I ate the fried calamari and shrimp, bangus sisisg, garlic rice, and a piece of chicken adobo. I also ordered a side of fried egg to make my dish a silog. Loved the fried rice and bangus sisig. I apreciated that the fried egg was perfectly overeasy with a runny yolk. More often than not I get the yolk cooked nearly all the way through. The other dishes were satisfying as well. I can't vouch for the pork sisig, but it was unanimously agreed by the other guests in our party that Patio's is the best. We shared desserts among each other including the fried flan and frozen mango. The fried flan was fun to try once. The frozen mango dish was so unique. It had a chopped mango topping and mango ice cream over a meringue base, which we realized had the texture of the cake part of brasso de mercedes. Lastly, I thought the service was fine. Some dishes came out quicker than others, but the staff members apologized for being backed up in their queue.

    My wife and I don't usually go to Filipino restaurants. Why, when your parents can cook still and…read moreyou can get your favorite Filipino comfort foods at home for free. I know. Sounds cheap and yet I suspect many of you Filipinos feel the same way about your parents home cooking. However when we visited my wife's Aunt in San Francisco we were torn. Her Aunt makes the most amazing kare kare. But she's a little more fragile now so with much fighting and a little deception we convinced her to let us take her out. We had a whole bunch of places from Yelp to choose from also but when her son said he wanted to bring us to his favorite place we said sure. But wait it's Filipino? You can imagine the side eye Aunty gave us all. Going to pay for what she could have cooked at home lol. Well, blame it on her son. For the table (five of us) he ordered: -Appetizer combo: lumpianitas, wings, calamari, and shrimp. This was okay. Standard fried appetizer platter. -Crispy Pork Tata: These were absolutely amazing. Crispy skin. Juicy pork meat. He ordered TWO. We finished only one because there was so much and I could hear my doctor in my head just screaming "stop!" But omg this was a meal by itself. My cousin happily took home the other piece. -Sizzling sisig bangus: This is a personal fave of mine. Shredded milkfish in a creamy lemon sauce. I probably ate half of this plate. -Sizzling beef salpicao: cubed tenderloin in a Worcestershire sauce. I didn't like this as much as I had hoped. Felt it was too salty. Unfortunate since my cousin highly recommended it. -Green beans with longanisa: you had me at longanisa. It was the only vegetable dish we got so I made sure to "eat my greens". You know, be healthy. -You bet we ordered garlic fried rice and you bet I ate my share. -My daughter had ordered a Calamansi based drink which we had to remind them about bc all the food came out before that did. The restaurant has a good amount of seating which is great for the family feel. Not to offend our Aunt but yes I'd come here again when I'm in the city. She got her revenge anyways. Somehow she paid for the bill even though we said we were taking care of it.

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    Avenida Restaurant - CHICKEN AND PORK ADOBO

    Avenida Restaurant

    3.9(1k reviews)
    6.2 mi
    $$

    Came here for happy hour and had a wonderful time! The food is probably some of the best Filipino…read morefood I've had lately in the bay. You can tell the quality of the food with each bite. The pinakbet was not skimping on the bagoong and was delicious. The kare kare was tender and the bangus sisig had a perfectly crispy bottom. The high quality of the protein here really makes each dish taste worth the price. The cocktails were also really good, I enjoy the purple jeepney which was an ube based cocktail. They do have smaller sizes for entrees that you can order so you can sample more of the menu. Will be back to try to crispy pata! The service was also very warm and friendly, they first asked if we've had Filipino food before (which we have many times) to see if they could help make any suggestions from the menu.

    Bustling on a Friday night - great food and great vibes! We had a reservation for the evening and…read moreluckily so, as the restaurant was packed. Located in downtown San Mateo, it can definitely be difficult to find parking, even in the garages. We had to circle around a couple of times until finding a street parking spot. Keep that time in consideration and come early if you have a reservation. The inside has relatively dim lighting and is quite spacy, and there's plenty of seating both upstairs and downstairs. Service was pretty quick despite how busy it was, and the servers were great! We ordered: - hot calamansi tea - thai chili & garlic wings - inihaw na pusit - pork sisig - sinigang - garlic rice The food came out pretty quickly and mostly all at once. Standouts of the night were the inihaw na pusit (super tender and chewy, and grilled with a great char) and pork sisig (super umami and tender). With that being said, was very satisfied with all the dishes, and there wasn't one that left a negative impression. I will say that this restaurant does lean on the pricier end, but there's a great ambiance for good food and conversations with friends. Would come back!

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    Avenida Restaurant - View from below

    View from below

    Avenida Restaurant - BUKO PANDAN MILKY ICE

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    Halo Halo

    Max's Restaurant - South San Francisco - Self-explanatory. Clean it. All of them.

    Max's Restaurant - South San Francisco

    3.1(565 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    My first time to try their food here. Haven't had Mac's chicken for ages but my brother took us…read morehere for dinner on a Thursday night. Service was fast. We ordered a whole fried chicken, sinigang na baboy, and pancit Palabok. I liked their fried chicken for not being dry at all or greasy. It is the best sinigang na baboy I've ever had. It was very tasty and had good pork portions.The Pancit Palabok was just fine. Overall, the portions were large at a very reasonable price.

    The food here is always great! I have been to Max's restaurants eversince my childhood and the…read moretaste has never disappointed me. Even now, they still represent what's good in Filipino cooking...it has not changed at all from what I remember from long ago. We came here for my daughter's birthday celebration with a few family friends. We were greeted and seated as soon as we came in. And orders for appetizers and drinks were taken as soon as we were seated. The inside was beautifully decorated. Very light and inviting...just something you'd want when you're dining with family and friends. And the decor made it feel just like their restaurants back in the Philippines. The menu was expansive. Of course, for my birthday girl, we had to have pansit canton...for long life! And the various standard fares like kare-kare, lechon paksiw, the favorite Max's chicken and even drinks like Sago't Gulaman or Calamansi Juice. All great tasting...and a wonderful reminder of home! This is a place to try and not to be missed if you're in the area!

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    Max's Restaurant - South San Francisco - Poster Wall

    Poster Wall

    Max's Restaurant - South San Francisco - Max's Fried Chicken

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    Max's Restaurant - South San Francisco - Kare Kare - beef shank and oxtail with vegetables, simmered in peanut sauce

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    Kare Kare - beef shank and oxtail with vegetables, simmered in peanut sauce

    Isla Restaurant - filipino - Updated May 2026

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