Where are the birds? Where are the Palm Trees? Where is the Island vibe/aesthetic? I missed them so much. Please, if you can...bring them back. I don't remember when was the last time I was there. A lot has changed in like 7 years. We used to come here quite often. Walked in yesterday with my son to get a bite to eat at exactly 4:20pm. That bite became to be a feast from their extensive menu options which includes: tacos, burgers, desserts, appetizers, beverages, bowls, salads, side dishes, fries, onion rings, vegetarian items and a whole lot more. Got seated right away by their host named Skyler. She took us to our booth and we had to wait for like 5 minutes for our server by the name of Faith to come and take our order. She was nice, somewhat pleasant, but didn't check on us not even once. We had to ask for napkins, and other things from other servers. Another server by the name of Coco brought out our food. I understand that they were busy on a Thursday night and those multiple TVs w/o the volume being turned off or low, was a bit distracting. If I want to watch news/tv, I can do that at home. Our order included few of their delicious, fresh, hot menu options such as their Maui Burger, 3 tacos- which included the following ingredients: Cod fish, cilantro, white cabbage, Chipotle-white sauce & pico degallo in a corn tortilla, which I am not a fan of. The tortilla was hard to chew and was a bit thick for our liking. Prices were affordable for their portions. Full bar and they also had outdoor seating. Their Passion Fruit Iced Tea is to die for. I have tried that in other restaurants, but Islands is the winner. It's so good and refreshing. We also got their delicious crispy Tempura fried green beans with 2 creamy, yummy Ranch dressing. Son ordered a Hula burger-- with lettuce, tomato, sautéed mushrooms, mayo with steamed veggies (carrots & broccoli) with Swiss cheese wrapped with lettuce. Place was spotless clean, but unfortunately I can't say the same about their restrooms. One for each gender. Trash was very full and needed to be emptied. Even an employee came inside to wash her hands and pretended not to notice. My Maui burger was also with veggies, and included guac, raw onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo with Swiss cheese. Minus the mayo, medium well, on a Wheat bun. Plenty of parking spaces right behind the restaurant. Free of charge. If you bring the beautiful aesthetics back, I will add another star to my review. Faith was only visible when it was time for our check! That's all I have to say about yesterdays visit! read more

Islands Restaurant - Islands is spiraling Just kidding:-)) - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I usually am a ride or die for islands but they dropped the ball today. I called Monday morning to see if I could reserve the outdoor patio area for a group of 15 people. They said we could have the whole area, the fire table and two high tops. The person was super helpful on the phone and said "let us know if there's anything else we can do to make your evening special". Fast forward to the night we reserved the patio and the patio is not available. Huh? We came right on time, and there were three parties on the patio, with only two people at the fire table (which is large). I was super upset because this was for my husband's birthday. The person who I assume was the manager led us to a long table in the center of the restaurant. I asked what was up with the patio and he said that his "notes" weren't clear and that it said the patio was noted as our preference. Well if it was my preference, why wasn't it reserved for us? I was really confused by that. The manager didn't really do anything else besides push a couple tables together. I wish they would have taken a bit more responsibility for messing up. The person i spoke with on the phone to reserve the patio made it seem like it was a done deal and no problem at all. We had balloons and I brought decorations to put on the patio so the change of location was not ideal. It was just not what I was expecting at all for our evening, having our large group cramped in the center of the restaurant unable to walk around and mingle with one another. Service was a bit of a mess as well. Food came out at all different times, and my son (eating off the kids menu) was one of the last to get his food. I don't think they had enough servers to manage our party. When we came to pay, we asked if we could break the bill up into 3 and the server gave us such a big attitude about it. I was so excited to bring my husband here to celebrate with his friends for his birthday (islands is a classic favorite of his!) because the patio seems great for groups. Just seems they don't honor "reservations" like they said they would. Disappointing experience. I do appreciate them storing the cake we brought. Just remember to bring your own server cause they don't provide one. read more

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Im addicted to their nachos, I will probably have a heart attack, they are so good. But everything is great. I come here like 3 times a week. The staff is very nice. Happy hour after three. And faith is so nice. And awesome read more

After not visiting any Islands locations in quite some time, this is my 2nd one in a month. My parents request so I go with the flow. This one is in the heart of Sherman Oaks, on Ventura Blvd which is a great location. There is a parking lot in the back with free parking. This experience was ok. We all found the food to be on par and enjoyable with the other locations we have visited, but the service was a bit slow and lack of being checked in on was not what we expected. Overall ya can't go wrong with Islands as it's been a staple for a long time. read more

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A very good meal. The soup was delicious, and my cheeseburger was done to perfection. Excellent service, everything clean. read more

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Okay so cheese fries are still the standout here. But the ranch now tastes watered down which is a bummer because it used to be good ranch. We also shared the chicken tenders (pass on these - super breaded and definitely pre-frozen, pre-made but not great) and a Malibu burger. We ordered it medium - it came well done. The burger besides being cooked to where it's offensive to anyone who likes burgers was good - so I guess that just means the toppings and bun were fresh. Onion rings were also way too breaded and over fried. We also had a hard time getting service - they were super busy, but we still needed silverware for a good five minutes after our food came and water refills were hard to come by. Our ketchup was empty on the table - stuff like that that should be taken care of but when it's not, it should be much easier to find and ask your waitress or waiter. Would I return? Maybe once a year for cheese fries. They do make good cheese fries! read more

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I know this is one of those classic spots I probably should have reviewed a long time ago, like back in the day, but I came here about a month ago and figured I'd finally leave one. This was the Ventura location, and I actually don't think I've been to this specific one before. I wasn't sure about parking at first, but they do have a parking lot, which was nice. I sat at the bar with a friend, and the service was great. The food is what you'd expect, not anything super high end, but still really good and satisfying. They were attentive, everything came out smoothly, and overall it was just a really easy, enjoyable experience. Definitely a solid go to spot, and I'm glad I stopped by this location. read more

Islands Restaurant - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Read the other reviews for food. Mine will solely be for info I wish businesses were upfront about. This is my fight against hidden restaurant fee-flation and for price transparency. price as of 7/22/26 Extra service charges or fees (other than tax and tip): N/A Tip lowest default: terminal, 15% Allows bill split/itemize: yes Fee transparency/fairness score: 5/5 read more

Islands Restaurant - price as of 7/22/26 - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Islands remains a clean, nicely designed, lively and comfortable fast-casual spot with a full bar, TV's showing a variety of games, and a staff that's friendly, attentive and energetic. But what once was a place to get a really decent burger or salad has faltered seriously when it comes to the quality of the food. My wife opted for an off-menu special burger advertised on a table tent. It was topped with cheddar, BBQ sauce, Islands Reds (fried slivered onions) and the ubiquitous trinity of lettuce, tomato & pickles. The burger came cooked medium-rare as requested and the toppings worked together nicely. It was a decent tasting burger combo, but it was hard to avoid the pre-packaged nature of the meat itself -- between the texture and flavor, it just seemed like something you'd get at a roadside diner. Fries were nicely crisped and properly salted, but much the same as the frozen fries you'd get at any restaurant at this level. I decided to go the salad route, ordering the Kaanapali Kobb. Iceberg lettuce was topped with blue cheese, one slice of avocado, tomatoes and crumbled bacon. Missing from the plate were the hard boiled egg and chopped scallions listed on the menu, so that was a disappointment. But the most disappointing thing was the chicken -- billed as "grilled & chilled," it was the worst, pulled out of a bag chicken I've ever had. Clearly prepped by a mechanical slicer in a plant far, far away, this dry, rubbery, unpleasant-tasting chicken was inedible, and I left it aside. Though billed as a "creamy vinaigrette," the dressing that came with the salad was a fairly heavy, mayo-forward riff on thousand island without the relish. Not terrible, but not even a distant cousin of a vinaigrette. So, after many years, Islands is still offering a nice place to hang out, but in a town with excellent burgers to be found everywhere, Islands is no longer a serious contender. read more

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Not a lot on the menu but good basic food! Had sliders which were very good and ordered fries as well. Parking was.....ok. There's a parking garage just north of Ventura blvd but there aren't a lot of spaces there. You can also park on Ventura, it's metered parking and can be tough to find. It's not a bad neighborhood so walking a few blocks is a good option too. The service was excellent and fast and waiter was brief but friendly, he seemed like he was in constant motion. The atmosphere is casual and I believe there's a patio area you can sit in! Nice spot to drop in and have a casual lunch or dinner, my verdict: 1/2 read more

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Went to Islands for the first time and while the service was phenomenal and the space was nice and clean, the food was just very disappointing. The biggest issue was their food was so SALTY! I am not someone who hates salt by any means, in fact I love salt, but their fries had so much salt they were hard to eat. I did love how cripsy they were though. Their burgers also had so much salt on the patties. The food in general tastes so generic, like we ordered the chips and salsa to start and their salsa tasted exactly like the jarred Tostito's salsa you get from the grocery store. Same with the lemon freeze drink I ordered, the lemonade tasted like store brand lemonade from concentrate. They just don't have food I would want to spend my money on, so for that reason I will not be returning. read more

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I wanna start off by saying the service was excellent. Hostess and our server were great and zero complaints on the restaurant itself. My only issue was the chicken. I ordered a chicken sandwich for $18 and had to completely remove the chicken. It was so rubbery I couldn't even get a bite out of it. Terrible quality, it didn't even taste real. I tried chewing one small bite and was so grossed out I took the whole thing out and just ate vegetarian style I guess. I still paid for it and of course left a tip for the fantastic service but I wouldn't go back to Islands at all until they change their mystery meat. read more

Islands Restaurant - Chicken was rubber - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We were seated instantly and greeted by the super sweet hostess! Store looked super clean and was a fun vibe! The atmosphere was perfect for the mood we were in! Leslie was the best server! She was super quick with refills (we didn't even have to ask) the food was so goooood!!! Thank u for a great meal! read more

Islands Restaurant - Iced tea party - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Decent menu. Friendly service.Took a long time for the food to get to us, but we didn't mind because we were talking. However, I don't think I'll go back. It wasn't really anything that was wrong, it wasn't very different from other restaurants with more ambiance. Nice patio sitting if you have a dog. read more

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Islands is a go to when we visit LA. It's a casual sports bar ambiance, clean, and in a nice area. After days of eating Christmas holiday meals, we needed a bar food fix. The nachos were excellent. We got that even distribution of nicely melted cheese, avocado, refried beans, sour cream, & side salsa. Tasty & plentiful. We had as main meal a plain burger, chicken taco bowl, & large buffalo wings. Everything was very good. The wings are consistently good: crunchy, right amount of sauce, & chunky blue cheese dip. Never has disappointed for years. We had lemonade & apple juice. Service was excellent. No rush. Timely. Pleasant workers. With 20% tip: $106. Good value for what you get. Islands remains a go to for fast & casual sports bar watching. read more

We had a wonderful experience at Islands today. The food was great, everything came out quickly, and the service truly stood out. Our server, Haley, was friendly, attentive, and made us feel welcome from start to finish. She checked on us at just the right times, had a great attitude, and made sure everything was perfect. Excellent customer service can make all the difference, and Haley definitely made our visit more enjoyable. We look forward to coming back! read more

Islands Restaurant - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Why does the kitchen always serve me the small pieces of fries. I've mentioned this to manager but still get crumbs. read more

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We love coming here and ordering there burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches. Sweet potato fries and the onion rings are on point , good old classic style. The waitresses always have a smile all the time and love the beachy vibes and photos all around. The service is always fast and fresh and hot food Islands is a family favorite! read more

I went with a buddy to watch the Ram's football game. We got two seats at the bar and had a great time. The staff were friendly and the vibe was low key and relaxed. Syd took care of us and she was attentive and friendly. Food was just what we expected it to be. I had the fish tacos and French fries. The French fries were amazing. It turned out to be a great place to catch the game. Ask for Syd if you go. read more

-Great customer service. -Clean. -fast. The food is always good. Here and every single islands location I've been to. 0 complaints. I'm not sure about other locations but this one is dog friendly! read more

Avoid this location if you're a person of color! What was supposed to be a fun afternoon catching up with friends quickly turned into an uncomfortable experience where me and my friends were clearly being racially profiled. We were seated on the patio, completely alone outside, and the manager (Ryan or Anthony, not sure of his name) walked out multiple times during our visit just to stare at us without saying a word. When we calmly brought it up and expressed how uncomfortable it made us feel, he immediately got defensive and claimed he "greets every table." But when we pointed out that he never greeted us, he switched up and said he "doesn't have to speak to every guest." His tone and energy was aggressive and demanding from beginning to end, which only made things worse. How contradicting... The whole situation felt off and honestly very disappointing. It's insane how a manager is unable to take accountability when something like this is brought up. read more

There are vegetarian options on the menu but no vegan options but the server, Jared, asked his manager, Katy and she had a lettuce salad custom made for me with edamame beans, water chestnuts and avocado. read more

Islands Restaurant - Customized garden salad - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

5 Stars! Just ate here with my family and we had an amazing experience. Our waiter, Matthew, was the absolute best! He was so friendly, attentive, and took great care of us. Highly recommend asking for him! Thanks, Matthew! read more

Tow of us sat at the bar for food and drinks and to watch a game on TV. Server who was a "trainer" ghosted us when her friends stopped in. No checking in after empty glasses sat in front of us. Then they want to change the channel on the game we are watching....great. Still waiting for server.... Food is consistent . Service is hit or miss. read more

I've been to Islands and usually enjoy the food and casual vibe, but the experience at the Sherman Oaks location this time was extremely disappointing due to how we were treated. I stood waiting to be helped for several minutes. The host made eye contact with me, then looked straight past me and asked the man behind me how many were in his party, completely skipping over me. I had to speak up and say, "Excuse me, I've been standing here and haven't been helped yet." Even after that, when it was time to seat the next party, the same host tried to call the family who arrived after us. I had to stop him again and ask why they were being seated first. Another employee then asked if we were first, and I said yes -- and the original host said nothing in response. No apology, no acknowledgment. Being ignored and then repeatedly skipped is not a great way to start any dining experience, and it honestly made us feel uncomfortable and disrespected. Front-of-house is the first impression of a restaurant, and this felt like a serious lapse in basic customer service and awareness. I hope management reviews how guests are being treated. read more

Im always amused at the service. I sat at the bar today and enjoyed my lunch! Thank you, Islands! read more

Islands Restaurant - Not a bun person but this Kilauea turkey burger is LIFE! Never fails; always been my fave here! - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is a perfect place to come on Sunday to watch football good food and good service! read more

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Good food, friendly service, great fries! This is a fun place to watch a game. The staff seems like they really enjoy working here, it shows. read more

The endless basket of fries alone make this place a worthy dining inclusion. The burgers are fantastic! The service is great. Love their sports bar and the tropical interior! read more

Trivia Night hosted by Destiny is SO much fun!!!! The food is always good but if you get a chance to go Tuesdays or Wednesdays...GO!! Such a fun way to spend an hour!!! read more

Best kept secret in the valley for great food, service and location! Servers were so on top of everything, and letting us know the amazing dishes! Tempura string beans to add to the tacos and hamburgers, whoa! Kona pie!!! Ambiance is so chill and I'm glad we are back since Covid! Can't wait to go back! read more

Been coming to this place for over 20 years. This place always provides good service, but today, the server named Matthew went above and beyond! He was on everything - politeness, promptness, friendliness, etc! He was smiles all the time and just absolutely amazing! Thank you for serving us today and for brightening up my and my colleague's day! We were all amazed and all praises to Matthew! We will be back soon! read more

Matthew, our server, went above and beyond. Probably the best service I've ever had at islands. He brought all of our requests including my 3 year olds! He had a smile on his face the whole time and was amazing! read more

What can you say about the Islands??? Great service and good food!!! Enough food to be full and satisfied. This location is easy to get in and out of. Been here several times now. read more

I went with three other people on Friday at noon and got seated right away. Our server came and introduced herself and was very friendly. The nachos, I would not order again due to the cheese that they use. It gets hard quick and does not have any flavor. The Tortilla soup was good. I am happy that I got a bowl. What disappointed me was the mai tai in the flight because you can tell how they used cheap alcohol right away. The other drinks from the flight were good. I personally would recommend the shipwrecker. Our server came by twice to check up on us, which I didn't mind because I hate when servers come to check up on you every 5 minutes or so. She was friendly with my son and with his birthday coming up, she made sure to get him an ice cream brownie, which made him very happy. read more

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We've come here many times and it's always a great experience. The restaurant is always neat, clean, and very well kept. It's a fun atmosphere with bright colors and music always going. Nice to still have some of these basic places around with no aoli to be found. You know what I mean. I'm a big Yaki Tacos guy and tend to get them most times. Always really good. My gorgeous companion likes the Northshore Tacos.. also great. Sometimes the fries are too salty so we stopped getting them and unfortunately, they did away with their endless basket. The past few times we've had a server named Matthew. His parents must have taught him well because he's very polite, attentive, and very eager to please. I tried the Lemon Freeze which is supposed to be a frozen lemonade with some vanilla ice cream. I didn't taste any vanilla and the lemonade was more frozen than slushy and was impossible to drink through that narrow paper straw they give you...really disappointing because I'm a big, big frozen drink guy! Easy parking in the garage. read more

My time this evening at islands was one I'll never forget. It was my first time coming in 5 years and it did not disappoint. From the tiki tenders to the artichoke dip, everything was spectacular. The secret seasoning on the table was a hit. Very yummy. I will say I wish this islands looked a little more vintage. While I missed the fake parots, the action sports on tv and overall aloha flowing in the dining room made up for it. Our server Toby was a real treat. He was very informative and coursed out our food perfectly. They had no shakes which was a bummer but overall he was excellent. He even gave us a movie recommendation. HOLES. Sherman oaks? More like pipeline. 5/5. read more

Islands Restaurant - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The only reason it only has 3 stars is because our server was not attentive. I waited extra long for my drink and our food didn't all come at the same time. Felix is the only reason I give even give it stars at all. Felix was so attentive from the moment we stepped in the restaurant and actually checked up on us. Thank you Felix for making the time with my family enjoyable. read more

Best bartender I have ever had highly recommended it. Or ur money back and . In this from a customer that goes to a lot of restaurants.. 5 star service with my friend JAMES don' read more

Islands Restaurant - They've man games is the man trust me - Sports Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My family had a birthday dinner here tonight and the food was very good and was served quickly. Our server Julius was amazing and he kept coming back to our table to see if we needed anything. This was his very first shift! He made the extra effort to make this a memorable evening. The manager Mike was also very attentive. This service and dependable good food keeps us coming back. read more