After a very long day driving back and forth between Pasadena and Irvine, I decided to stop for a late lunch before the final trip back to Orange County. I hadn't been to an Islands in quite a while, so I was looking forward to a good burger! The Maui Burger on a wheat bun was excellent, and the Cherry Coke hit the spot after a long day on the road. Unfortunately, the side salad wasn't very fresh, which was disappointing. I'd happily order the burger again, but I'd skip the salad next time. I know...never order a salad at a burger-and-fries joint! But I really didn't want fries. Oh well... Burger: #EXCELLENT Salad: Not so much. read more

Islands Restaurant - Maui Burger and Cherry Coke - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

My husband and I like the Islands Restaurants, even though we don't go there on a regular basis. He had fasted for a blood test at Kaiser and when he was done, decided Islands was the place to go. His meal (with a signature Mai Tai) was fine. I had to pick something on the lower range of the calorie spectrum, saw the Pacific Rim Bowl, and decided all those fresh healthy ingredients sounded good. I managed to eat most of it but didn't realize until after we left that the pineapple that was advertised in the listing as one of the ingredients was completely missing. Islands is known for its fresh pineapple and it was the missing ingredient that would have taken this dish from blah to exciting. read more

Visitation: Been to this location decent amount of times. The last time was last Friday for HH. Promotion: Happy hour is every day from 3pm to 630pm. They have food items that start from $3 to $9 and drink items that start at $3 to $9. What great about this promo is that you don't have to be sitting in the bar area. Location/Parking: Located in the Hastings Ranch Plaza next to Panera Bread. Parking Can be found in the shared lot. Ambiance/Decor: Neat ambiance with modern furnishings. They have flat screen tv's through out the shop to watch some sporting events. Service: Service is quite solid. The staffers that I've had the privilege to have were friendly, attentive, and offered great suggestions. Food Of Choice: Everything that I've had in the past and present were quite solid. I usually order the sliders and occasionally the island nachitos during happy hour. I've also had the Big Wave and Hawaiian burger, which is good also. Islands Restaurant For Thought: Don't mind coming back to try other food. read more

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Amazing service, vibes, people. The food is always out within 10-13 minutes which makes it perfect for lunch, kids, and more. The happy hour specials and lunch deals are insane. If you're not coming in during happy hour or a lunch special, you're missing out. Highly recommend. Located inside a Plaza with Kabuki, 300 Bowl, and more inside Hastings Ranch in Pasadena. read more

Islands Restaurant - Lunch Double Stack Burger & Kids Meal - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

I have not come here for a while. The restaurant was quite busy during the lunchtime. We ordered Maui Burger with sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were good. Spinach Artichoke dip was delicious. Don't really like the China Coast Salad. I think the salad is too wet (water wet) and I can't taste the dressing. Kid meal... Jr Tiki Tenders was good as my grandkid ate it by himself. Portion of food is large. Overall restaurant seating is good. The booth is large enough for two people sitting in the same side and not feel tight. 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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Was ordering food for delivery and when I could not find a particular item on Island's menu I phoned them directly to make sure it was an item they still carried. I spoke to a young man in take-out, he con- firmed the item was still available and should have been on the online menu. Tried again, in vain, to find what I wanted. Called the restaurant back to let them know and their take out employee suggested I look in a different area of their menu. That didn't work either. The young man in take-out was so helpful in "tweaking" my online order I figured that for now I would just have to do without. When my food arrived, the item I "couldn't find online" (quesadilla) was tucked into my delivery bag. Needless to say I was surprised and elated. The only thing I regret is that I did not get the young man's name, and I didn't get the onion rings that were part of the meal option. What a great worker Island's has in this young man, who went above/beyond what was required of him. I appreciate his effort he put forth to resolve my dilemma. For this reason I look forward to ordering from this restaurant again soon. Keep up the good work! read more

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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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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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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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 stopped coming here for a few years and I decided come back. Only to find out that a burger is $17.49, add cheese for $2 ( not mentioned in the menu). NO More endlessly fries! And what you get is a small portion . The patty was sooo thin. Very very disappointed. read more

Food is always amazing! The service is amazing, our server was Karen all the time.. the ambiance it's a little loud but still love it.. everyone enjoys the game! read more

Yesterday my friend and I stopped by for some appetizers, and Ivan helped us out. He was so friendly, and welcoming. Everything came to the table at the right time, and everything looked perfect. 5 stars for Ivan read more

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

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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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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This review is for our server Jesus L. We have been to Islands many times but today we had exceptional service by Jesus. He answered our endless questions with a smile and never made us feel like we were rushed. He was very friendly and made our experience great. Thank you Jesus! read more

Food was incredible and very filling. The fish tacos were great and the service was quick. Our waiter was very kind and helpful and when I'm in town again I'll definitely be coming back. Fish tacos were $16. read more

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

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

Been back here a couple times lately, each time with good service & food. On my most recent visit I was greeted by Agatha, who it turns out is the manager. She was not only seating people, but working the bar and bringing food. It is truly a rare occasion you see a manager multitask like this! Islands better make sure they keep her, cuz these kind of employees are extremely rare these days! 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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The food was very good and take out service is park out back in the takeout spots for pickups! I've eaten inside lots of seating and the service is great too! read more

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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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

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

Great food and our servers Des and Jamie were fantastic, We were able to watch both the Dodgers and Soccer games

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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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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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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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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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

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

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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