When I go into Islands Pasadena, I love getting Jessica G .as our server. She is a great waitress : always anticipating needs before they can be asked for and sometimes even realized. She is very attentive and regularly checks the table for needs and wants. It always makes a visit very pleasant when she is our server. read more

We have been to this Islands location several times recently for their happy hour. The three star Yelp rating seems more reflective of the demands of the privileged clientele that comes here rather than the actual quality of the food and service at this location. This Islands is in a large strip mall with a shared lot. There are several other popular restaurants surrounding it. Consequently, parking can be challenging. Although there are few premium spaces in front of the restaurant, the back lot is quite large and you can usually park further away and walk if the front and sides are full. During peak hours on weekdays and on weekends there is a line and a 20-30 min or more wait time. Although Islands is an enjoyable sit down burger experience, it is not worth the wait during peak hours in our opinion. Consequently, we usually come during non-peak times or sit in the bar to order if during peak times to skip the wait. The happy hour deals for food and drinks are not bad and are currently served every day of the week. The bar has TVs so you can watch your team play while you sip a happy hour drink and make a meal of appetizers. Full sized burgers typically take 15-30 min for ANY sit down burger place to make to order depending on how busy they are and Islands is no exception. If you are in a hurry, don't blame them, either order ahead to go or go to a fast food place. Islands burgers, fries, and appetizers are typical quality for comparable sit down burger places--they are not exceptional and are outmatched by local burger joints, but are 5 stars for a chain restaurant. If you want a better value and quality go to your favorite mom and pop burger joint like Jim's or Paul's. If you want a nice sit down family style experience with adult beverages, then Islands is a great choice. In the past the service here has been ok to good. On recent visits our servers were good to very good. We have tried their deep blue sea, Mai Tai, Shipwreck, Pima Colada, and Island Sodas recently. The cocktails vary in quality depending who is tending bar and the Island Sodas are just ok-worth a try, but we would not get them again. We will definitely come back for the happy hour for the cocktails and have either our favorite appetizers or a burger with them. The fries, wings, and sliders are all not bad happy hour items. Definitely recommend giving these guys a try during non-peak hours for a sit down style burger experience with friends or family or to come see the game while getting happy hour drinks/appetizers in the bar area. read more

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Island burgers are so good. My favorite is the maverick burger with the crispy onions. They don't do unlimited fries anymore. I'm guess I'm a couple years late to the game. Service was great. The vibe is still surf. The burgers are still bomb. Parking is easy. Huge lot. Overall: Will return read more

Islands Restaurant - Maverick burger - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Islands is always fun and lively as far as I remember. Today was just as I remembered. They have a happy hour, I came for lunch . Ordered the Beach bowl and that was very tasty. Filled with broccoli, peppers, pineapple, edamame and chicken on a bed of white rice. Topped with a hoisin sauce mmm sooo good. The drinks were teas and I had the unsweetened passion fruit and it was better than expected. The service was exceptional. The servers were attentive, pleasant and accommodating!! The drinks were brought out right away, the food was served hot , nothing more to ask for Great time , Great Service and Great Food read more

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Haven't been back to Islands since high school, so this was a nostalgic visit! Came for the happy hour deal from 3-6:30 pm, and it was already so busy! Luckily did not have to wait for a table and got seated quickly (definitely recommend to come before 5 to skip the wait). The server was so nice and attentive, and took our orders quickly. Ordered some apps off the happy hour menu, and some burgers off the full menu and things came out hot and fresh! Portions were large for the apps, which is a great deal for happy hour. The burger patty in the burger/sliders were so juicy and cooked perfectly! Fries were a bit on the tougher side (not my fave), but the onion rings were super crispy and delicious with the ranch and BBQ sauce! The restaurant was packed and servers were everywhere busy, but were still very kind and checked in on us multiple times. Overall a great environment! read more

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I've been to Islands a few times before with my family at the Covina location and we were craving burgers so we decided to stop by the Pasadena one. Walking in, it wasn't busy since it was a weekday night but also late so we missed happy hour! Staff was wick and attentive, checked in on us regularly and made sure we had coasters for our drinks. We didn't order an appetizer so we ordered a burger (blue cheese) and sandwich (fried chicken). We got our fries first, I asked for a lot of ranch and they delivered! Fries were so crispy and love the ones crispy and soggy at the same time (iykyk). I think my favorite was the blue cheese burger, not overwhelming and tangy cheese made it so much elevated than a regular burger. It was a bit messy and overflowing with cheese but it was worth the mess. Good thing they gave us forks! Fried chicken was thick, juicy, and crispy and stacked with bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and sauce. I'm glad it wasn't messy and stayed together, otherwise I'm eating this with a fork too! Our server was really nice and checked on us often, we felt like our dinner was smooth and no bumps! Overall, nice dinner, would come back. read more

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Aww boo, I haven't been in a while they took away the fries refill!!! It's a slow Monday night, got seated right away. The server took the perfect amount of time to check in with us to take our our order. If you are not familiar with islands, it's a divy family restaurant dimly lit sports playing on all the TVs a great selection of beers and drinks We split 2 burgers, the Moa crisp and the bluenami. The onions were a perfect thinly sliced, the bite in wasn't overwhelming red onion but a compliment to the other ingredients. The Moa crisp was like the best chicken BLT you have ever had. Thanks to my server Hailey for elevating this experience. read more

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My wife and I were first-time visitors to this location, and we truly enjoyed our dining experience. The restaurant is a tad older than other Islands locations we have visited; however, this did not detract from how much we enjoyed our visit. The vibe here is fun, with surfboards on display throughout the restaurant, plants, and bird pictures on the walls. TVs throughout the restaurant were on, showing women's soccer, while we had lunch. The menus, located at the end of the table, offered a variety of unique and delicious-sounding items. Our waiter (Robert or Frank? Sorry) was absolutely AWESOME! He was super friendly, attentive, and hard-working. Our waiter checked on us a total of six times while we had lunch, making sure we were doing okay. GREAT service! My wife and I both had salads for lunch. She had the Mediterranean Bowl while I had the Pacific Rim Bowl. Bowl salads were delicious, well-prepared, and fresh. Each offering refreshing and unique flavors when combined in a bowl. I also had a side of island fries, while my wife and I both shared a side of tempura green beans, which were delicious. Parking is readily available in the parking lot shared by several other restaurants located in the same shopping center. My wife and I enjoyed our visit, and though this location is not convenient for us to visit as we live over twenty miles away, we would definitely visit here again when in the area. read more

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Got the mushroom burger and it was pretty good just wish it had something acidic to cut the taste a bit....like pickles maybe. Ended up asking for mustard which did the trick. Islands always hits man. My date got a gluten free bun, cool that they have that option. Cool server too read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Our waitress was nice. The food quality was pretty bad, which is sad because I usually enjoy Islands. The fries were hard and stale. The fries seemed to be the scraps from the bottom of the bag because majority of them were tiny pieces. I nearly cracked my tooth before I realized majority of them were inedible. I kindly informed the waitress and asked if I could get a new batch of fries. The waitress said she would go ask them, it took such a long time my burger got cold waiting. The photo attached is the 2nd batch of fries and they seemed almost worse than the 1st batch. Hard stale inedible fries that taste like styrofoam. Not sure if this was done intentionally or if they just changed suppliers/cooks. read more

Islands Restaurant - Super hard fries that can chip your teeth. - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

My sister was a server at the Chino location for 5+ years so I got to know Islands so well. The cheese fries are always INSANE. Shredded and melted perfectly topped with scallions and served with Ranch. Everything you want in a cheese fry. The Kilauea is my favorite. The jalapeño have a spicy touch thought it's not unbearable. Pepper jack and chipotle aioli are perfect together. The crispy onion strings are the icing on the cake. read more

Islands Restaurant - Heaven on a platter. - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

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All Islands locations I've been to since the 80's have delivered consistently good food, and the Pasadena location continues that trend. From the bottomless Arnold Palmer to the fish tacos, the good service and the running loop of beautiful surfing videos, my lunch at Islands today was very good. My son got a burger he enjoyed and my husband liked his Beach Bowl. I appreciated seeing the calories on the menu, and felt like that helped me to eat a healthier meal. read more

Ok.. so yes w come here often but so what lol its good. The place is clean, service is great and the food is scrumptious. Great location to eat & watch a UCLA game on a rainy day. read more

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Great food and great service and they have a great happy hour! Parking is easy and the place is clean. read more

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Haven't been here in years and I remember why... Food is dismal at best. Ordered three burgers, two came out incorrect. Service was also mid. Not bad but definitely not good. Vibe was typical Islands. To sum it up... three people, three burgers and tip cost $100. That is way too much for what we got. Will not be back. read more

My wife and I always have a great experience at Island's. The food is awesome! And the team is exceptional. Tonight we were greeted by Chris, the host and Haley was our server. They are exceptional at what they do. We had the manager, Peppard, come over and told him what a great job Haley did along with Chris and told him that his team is great and that they are fortunate to have him as their manager. All in all, Islands is a great place to have a delicious meal. read more

This restaurant has been around for years and I have been here many times since high school years. What I really enjoy most is the ambiance, it's chilled and nostalgic. Even though I have been here many times, this is the first time I am writing a review. The food here is amazing. Their burgers are topnotch for me and their island fries are 100% my kind of fries. The service is amazing, servers are always friendly and informative. Islands is the first place I think of whenever my friend and I wanted a place to just chill, chat and have some good appetizer with a hearty burger with some wine. Thanks Islands for being there since I was a kid. read more

Islands Restaurant - Wings - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Meh! Fine burgers and drinks are nowhere to be found. Sadly, within bites of my meal, I recalled why it had been over a decade since my last Islands visit. Came in for nostalgia, left quite disappointed. Food: - Tempura green beans (these were decent minus the super runny "ranch" dressing) -China Coast salad (dry chicken, almost stale crisps, dressing was not chinese or asian at all) - Not so frosty mug of beer Pros: Restaurant was clean. Service was sufficient. It's really the lack luster food that will keep me away. read more

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On a Saturday afternoon in July, I wanted to try their big wave cheese burger and fries special $10.00. We arrived at 11am and got seated right away. The waitress was nice and placed my order. The ambiance was nice of watching tennis. I didn't wait long and the burger arrived. It was juicy with thin layer of cheese and lettuce and tomato. The fries were nicely fried and crispy. She checked on me and refilled my water. Overall very good budget lunch. read more

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Vegan options!!!! Our waiter was excellent. I asked him about the vegan options and he was able to make it happen. It's extremely loud in here, but it's not unbearable. You're able to have your own conversation at your table. They have big screen TVs in every corner with different movies on. I ordered the fish tacos with the plant base patty and avocado no chipotle cream sauce. It came with three tacos. They were very filling. Also ordered onion rings and a cup of hot water, I have my own teabag. They do have coffee decaf, but only dairy base creamer. I remembered my Yelp after I ate the onion rings sorry but they were amazing read more

Islands Restaurant - Fish tacos vegan style - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

It's been minute since I been to this spot. It was lunch and I was looking for a no frills burger. Decided to go here on a whim after remembering that it wasn't so bad the last time I was at Islands. Well, I'm glad I did as they have a really good lunch special. It's a double patty burger with a basket of fries. Only 11.99. Not a bad price at all for what you're getting. Can't speak for the rest of the menu, but this special is a value buy for sure. Patties were well seasoned, and the buns were toasty and crisped on the patty side. Definitely a solid, no frills burger. Not too big. Not too small. Exactly what I was hoping for. read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great food. Great vibe. Great service! Haven't been here for a while and the place was crowded. Food was very good - as we remembered from before. If you're craving a burger, this place will not disappoint. read more

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A tasty and pleasant treat! This popular chain establishment is nestled between South Pasadena and Arcadia, and features popular local favorites such as hamburgers, tacos, and unbelievably refreshing drinks (not only rum-based, but would highly recommend)! The variety on their menu is truly awesome, and this place never goes wrong for a quick bite around the 626 area! read more

Last night I came in for dinner with my family. We were sat immediately and our server greeted us quickly. We ordered drinks and shortly after placed our food orders. It did take about 10-15 min for our beer to come out. The food on the other hand took a long time , eventually my daughters food came out which was macaroni and cheese and they brought out one order of French fries . We were told our burgers would be out shortly. It took at least an additional 20 minutes for my husband and I to get our burgers. When I first picked up my burger the top bun was very hard and dry and the bottom bun was ice cold. I took a bite and the burger that I ordered to be cooked medium was a dry well done hockey puck ! Yikes. My husband had the same issue with his buns except his burger wasn't as dry as mine. It was disappointing and not edible. I'm not sure if our food was just sitting back under the heat lamp all that time since they brought out our daughters food. The server was nice , he was a little busy so it wasn't his fault but I'm not sure what was going on in the kitchen. The manager came over and spoke to us , in my opinion she didn't really seem like she knew how to resolve the issue after we wasted over an hour of our time there and didn't get to even eat dinner. It was pretty much a waste of time, I won't return to this location again. Management needs some more training and I'm not sure what was going on in the kitchen. read more

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Came her for dinner with a group. Service was prompt but for slower as more people came in. The burgers are solid, the nachos and artichoke dip were a hit. I took off one star because I told the server to do separate checks when we ordered but they did not, splitting was a headache. read more

Burgers are ok but nothing really special. Service was excellent. The floors and restrooms needed attention. I hate walking on a sticky floor. Nothing bad about this place but not special either read more

I was given a gift card from a lady who worked for islands, for her time, and decided to take my wife out and use it tonight. We ordered a Kilauea burger and a Malibu burger. The food came out hot and fresh and the food runner was polite. The server Robert was alright until the end of the evening when we tried to use a promotional code that was on the islands app. Showed him the promo and then clicked on "restaurant use" and it gives a count down. He asked for my number to look up my rewards. And then dropped off the check. The discount was not applied, and then I had asked him, what happened he basically said it doesn't show any rewards when he tried to pull it up so he couldn't apply it. I explained it wasn't a point rewards from the app but a promotion that Islands sent me. It took me 3 attempts for him to finally go to a manager to take it off. Just think it could have been handled better. And If you don't know your current promotions, before you just discredit it, a simple not sure about this let me ask my manager. Simple, and easy. Just rubbed my wife and I the wrong way. We didn't even know it was available until we used the app. We have come to different islands in the past weeks and months. Just didn't have a good ending tonight. read more

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I always have a great time here..always sit at the bar. Will, Jessica, Jamie and Lauren are just as fantastic and awesome! I love this place because the bar staff is so kind and considerate. read more

Came here today for lunch with my mom. Amazing as always. Lauren was our server and she was amazing. The food came out nice and hot. The chicken sandwiches were delicious! The French fries were delicious and super hot! Mom had a Diet Coke and I had the passion fruit iced tea. We love this place and enjoy the cleanliness and fun buddies playing and relaxing music. Can't wait to return. read more

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I've been here several times and wait times for a single person or two will always be more swift. If you have a large family your wait times could be from 20-45mins depending on the days. The setting or ambiance is very simple with a lot of wooden accents around the walls and tables with island themes and subtle colors. My favorite beer here is their in house islands sunny blonde and their island mango ipa. My favorite sandwich here is the Toucan. Savoury chicken breast with teriyaki sauce with an added pineapple slice on white bread absolutely delicious. Special thanks to our server Haley she is very courteous on point and makes the customer have a great overall experience. I shall be back here soon to order my fav sandwich at this location. read more

Islands Restaurant - The toucan with fries no salt with ranch on the side plus my islands sunny blonde - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

The burger was ok nothing amazing. It does not have a lot of flavor like I remember when I ordered it a few years back. I remember the Turkey burger being unique in flavor and being very moist. The restaurant was clean and inviting. The service was good. read more

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We went there to use the rewards my son got. This restaurant kindly collaborate with Field elementary school to give free meal for those kids who got an award. Staff are super nice and friendly. Service was pretty fast. My son got a kid meal and i got a burger (forgot the name but kinda expensive one). It was so tasty and special. read more

Islands Restaurant - Kid's meal - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

A leisure evening at this family restaurant. The hamburgers are delicious as well as the salads and side dishes. Service is good and quick. Plenty of parking on the strip parking lot. You can grab a quick meal and be on your way or linger and enjoy surfing on the screen. read more

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I'd recommend islands if you like a family friendly restaurant that has good burgers. They have a couple different burgers available and of course they also let you build your own. Also, they have a good selection of beer and can get a sampler flight of them. Their employees seem to like to work there and provide great customer service. We visit quite often and the last time santa clause (one of their employees) was there and came to visit our booth and brought my son coloring pencils and activities sheet. The place has a Hawaiian vibe and decor that's very different from any other restaurant and it's always clean and their staff is very friendly. read more

First of all, let's start with the water. It taste like rusty pipes. The ranch dressing was very watery instead of being thick and creamy. The Cadillac margarita was weak. The Virgin Pina Colada was beautiful but very bland. The fries seemed twice cooked or reheated. What happened to islands? It used to be one of my faves. read more

Islands in Hastings Ranch, Pasadena, serves up a huge burger, but it lacks seasoning and doesn't quite hit the mark in terms of flavor. The onion rings and fries are solid, though. Service was good, and the ambiance was nice, with sports like the NBA on the tube. For the price, I'd rather grab a couple of double-doubles from In-N-Out (minus the fries, of course). It's a decent meal, but not the best value. read more

Islands Restaurant - Burger and onion rings - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came here for dinner! Got the Kilauea Burger which was lacking salt but it had so much pepper that I started crying by the end of it cause it was too spicy. Not sure if the cook messed up and put double pepper instead of pepper and salt... We also ordered the kids meal for my nephew and the jr burger meat was so dry.... We had to douse it in ketchup... Service, they were quick! read more

Islands Restaurant - Kilauea burger - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Fantastic experience. Had weekday lunch special $11.99 Double Beef Patty Melt & Fries. Excellent quality, asked for Blue Cheese Dressing for my fries, so good. Also added raw onion & tomato to sandwich, so good. Got Mango Passionfruit Agua Fresca Delicious!!! Server let me try Pineapple Dragonfruit one, pretty pink color, tasted all pineapple, also good. But Mango Passion all the way, free refills!!! read more

Islands Restaurant - Mango Passionfruit Agua Fresca, very delicious - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Islands used to be the go-to hangout spot for me and my friends back in the early '90s, so it's wild to see it still going strong 30+ years later. We recently drove by and noticed a sign for $10 protein bowls, which intrigued our interest and prompted a long-overdue visit. I ordered the Hawaiian Bowl, which ended up being a bit too salty, while my husband went with the Kilauea Bowl that leaned more on the bland side. Essentially, it's a deconstructed burger--no bun, extra lettuce, served in a bowl. Since it had been so long, we also ordered the spinach artichoke dip and some Yaki chicken tacos. Unfortunately, the dip lacked seasoning, and the tacos used the same sauce as the Hawaiian Bowl, so they were also a bit on the salty side. The common theme seemed to be either too much salt or not enough flavor. That said, service was attentive and our waitress was friendly. read more

Our previous experience, plus the pandemic, kept us away from this place for 10 years. We were happy to see that there were people waiting to be seated because it meant that the food was still worth waiting for. We went straight to the bar because we chose not to wait to be seated in the main dining area. We found a table for two which was right by the window. I was able to watch the television, and my husband chose to watch the people and food pass by. We had a wonderful female server who was also the bartender, but unfortunately, I forgot her name. Our receipt said Lauren was our server. I believe Oscar was one of the managers, and he was awesome! I ordered the Classsic Fish Tacos with flour tortillas and white sauce without cilantro. I received them with corn tortillas. I thought it was a nice touch that a manager (Oscar) brought my dinner back to me after they replaced the corn tortillas with the flour tortillas. My husband loved his Northshore tacos, but he wasn't too happy with his double-fried french fries. I happened to love double-fried fries, but he remembered how their fries were hot and fried only once when they offered bottomless fries. We forgot to ask if they still offered bottomless fries. It had been 10 years since I had a Cool Breeze, and of course, I ordered one. My husband ordered a Kona Pie, and I couldn't resist stealing numerous bites. Next time, I'll also be ordering a Kona Pie. In fact, there were two ladies that arrived, and they went to Islands just for the Kona Pie. Thank you for hiring Oscar and Lauren. They were both very attentive and were constantly asking us if there was anything that we needed. As usual, my husband asked if they could help him lose 30 pounds and make him 30 years younger. We are looking forward to coming back here to check out their happy hour because this was one of our favorite places for happy hour years ago. read more

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