Islands always hits! Don't believe the neigh sayers. I've always gotten a burger with guacamole or the Tucan but tonight I gave the fish tacos a try and yummy!! Definitely give them a try the corn tortillas are really nice quality, each one has a big piece of crispy fish and there was a perfect ratio of cabbage and pico de galo. My family are every bit of there burgers and said they were both delicious and good quality. Our server was friendly and helpful. read more

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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

Tonight my wife and I ate here and two tables over a woman had a small toy size dog at the table with her. It was obvious this was not a service animal and emotional support animals are not service animals. As such the dog had no place being inside this restaurant. The waiter did nothing about it and when I asked the hostess about it she simply agreed with me that the dog did not belong inside. But did nothing about it. I am a dog lover and have had many dogs. Dogs do not belong in restaurants or grocery stores. That is the law. Shame on you Islands. read more

Yadira was amazing !! Greeted us , was polite , friendly , & SOO nice . Great smile and the food/drinks were amazing . She is serving/bartending & everything came out soo quick ! She is on point ! Will definitely come back because she makes us feel welcome and has a great vibe ! read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

I always have an amazing experience in the bar thanks to Will. He is always friendly, attentive, and clearly passionate about the customer's experience. His great service keeps me coming back. Keep up the good job my friend. read more

Was in Islands twice recently to watch games on their TV since AT&T hadn't fixed an outage. Their Happy Hour is great and was pleasantly surprised it was all day on Sunday! I had decent pours on my visits and enjoyed the Happy Hour appetizers. The bartenders on both days were very nice and attentive. Shout out to Lauren and Yadira who made my time their enjoyable. read more

My family and I love islands. We came with a big group tonight for my brother's birthday and David L was our server. He was so attentive and honestly just an amazing server. He always had a big smile on his face and was so helpful and incredible. He truly made our experience!!!!!! read more

After purchasing a new driver at the nearby Golf Galaxy, I suggested to my wife that we have dinner at Islands. She recalled fondly having dined there years earlier with her recently deceased sisters and their children. It was a good choice to have dinner. It wasn't crowded when we entered and it seemed cold inside so she mentioned it to the host who acknowledged her observation and proceeded to take us to the back of the restaurant where it was warmer. That made my wife happy. Karen, our waitress, came promptly and inquired about drinks and I chose the Chili Mangorita and my wife ordered a root beer float. We ordered a small order of the buffalo wings with the sauce on the side, she ordered the Hula burger and I chose the Maui burger. Our drinks were delivered and the young man who brought them was cordial and attentive to my wife's needs. Our food came shortly thereafter and with the sweet potato fries we requested. Everything was delicious and tasty and piping hot!!! My wife was impressed with my Chili Mangorita and how beautiful it looked in the glass. Karen was very attentive and checked on us several times. We lingered longer because we were satisfied with our meals and drinks and were able to talk and laugh about our day and our plans for the coming days. Karen and the staff that we interacted with made it comfortable for us to do that. Oh, and when we left, the place was crowded as I observed many people enjoying their meals as we departed. When we are in the area, we will return to the "Island "!!! read more

Islands Restaurant - A colorful and tasty Mangorita!!! - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Love this islands, I've been dining here for over 30+ years and the shorebird tastes the same as it was in the 90's - just a lot more expensive. Once I went as a kid and now I go with my kids! I'll be a regular for years to come - never change never sell read more

The team are friendly, the burgers are great, quality and quantity are super good. Will come back soon!

Islands is a classic (we've visited numerous of locations in LA area and OC) however, what makes one stand out over another is the customer service! I wish I would've asked her name, but the hostess was super sweet during the interaction with my (little man) 8 yr old- who complimented her pen [lol]; she was also accommodating when we asked for a booth. Our waitress was Hailey and she was nice too. Our food all came out how we asked and everything tasted great! The ambiance here is chill/casual and loud, as it is at other locations but what makes this location great is that everyone we encountered was courteous as well, which isn't always the case with Island locations. read more

July 5th 2024 Came here for lunch, arrived at 12pm. We were immediately sat at a booth. Server was a white male, I didn't catch his name. Got us started on our appetizer order and drinks. Came back and took our meal orders. Everything arrived fast and it was all delicious. Ordered the Hawaiian Burger on white bun, the bun was great. Service was great. It seemed busy but we were well taken care of on our visit. First visit to an Islands Burger, might have to come visit again as I enjoyed the food and service. read more

I need to do a big shout out to Islands. Once reading my review a manager reached out to learn more about my experience, and invited me to come back and try Islands again. I need to say another FABULOUS customer service experience. Yaderia was our server. She was friendly, efficient, helpful, attentive--- just excellent service throughout the dining experience. I have to say --- truly come of the best service I have had in a long time. Burger was excellent (as it was before) and fries a bit crispier and came out hot. The drink which I had (which was a special of sorts- the Frise) was fruity and refreshing - perfect for a day that was 105 degrees. This time I tried a desert- the Kona cake. Really tasty. A nice ice-cream cake that tasted of chocolate with coffee. Top that with whipped cream- and a great desert to share with a friend. Overall, it's a great place to go for casual dining. Really solid food and outstanding service. read more

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I was craving a burger & fries. I ordered my burger medium, it came with lettuce, onion, tomato and pickles. There was no sauce to put on the burger so I requested some thousand island dressing. This was the driest and frankly tasteless burger ever. The fries appeared to be the last fries in the cook- each fry was approximately 1/4 in length, and very soggy. Staff was working hard but I don't think they had enough people. When I wanted mayo for my fries I couldn't find her and thus went without. In reality there are many more dining options in this vicinity go elsewhere! read more

Great service and such a kid friendly environment...meaning loud so people dont hear us lol. I haven't been to an Islands in a long time, but I love the variety of food here and the kids menu. Wait time wasnt so bad either about 15 minutes on a Friday night. read more

The only reason we come here is the truffle fries. My son loves them. They no longer serve them, so now there's no reason to come here anymore. Also, I ordered the Malibu burger in honor of the people who lost their homes to the recent fires. The waiter asked me, "How would you like that cooked?" read more

I called Islands East Pasadena at 9:15pm for a takeout order, fully expecting to be turned away since they were about to close. Instead, I was met with warmth, kindness, and exceptional hospitality from Lauren over the phone. (I later found out she's the bartender--talk about going above and beyond!) When I arrived, Rachel greeted me with enthusiasm and guided me to where I'd pick up my order. Marcus then approached, confirmed my name and order, and after signing my check, I barely waited two minutes before my food was ready--absolutely seamless. The experience was so fantastic that I had to ask for the manager, Evonny. She approached me sweetly, ready to help, and I couldn't help but sing the praises of her incredible team. She was genuinely grateful for the feedback, which speaks volumes about the culture she's cultivating. I've been coming to this location for years, both for dine-in and takeout, but never have I had such a positively perfect experience. Cheers to you, Evonny--you're clearly doing many things right. And to Lauren, Rachel, and Marcus--your teamwork truly makes the dream work. 10 stars to all of you! Much love! read more

I went here to meet a friend for dinner. Islands is one of those restaurants that I like to go to when the mood hits. Service was great as our server came and got our drink orders within a few minutes after we sat down. She also gave us a few minutes to decide on our food. My friend decided on the fries and Toucan and I got the fried fish tacos. We both liked our food. The dining area and the restrooms were clean so we didn't have any issues. I will definitely come back here if I'm in the area again. read more

I'll preface this by saying I love Islands food and theme. But the service and food at this Pasadena location were not great. I've been to this location multiple times and it's always sub par. I was with my kids in the area and figured we'll give it a try again. For $17 hamburger and fries I would expect the meat to be tastier than having to have it with the sauce for it to be edible. Of course I will go to Islands again but I'd rather go to the Glendale location next time. read more

I really didn't want to write this review, but the time I've spent in the bathroom this morning changed my mind. I used to love Islands. Their burgers were great and the service top notch. Not so much anymore. The past three visits my orders have been messed up. Yesterday they caught the mistake after the plate was delivered, but what they replaced it with was inedible...or should have been inedible. I'm paying the price this morning for eating it. I guess they put so much salt on the burger to try and kill whatever it was that took up residency in my gut. It wasn't enough, apparently, and in any case didn't make for a good taste. Half of it remained on the plate. The accompanying nachos looked as if they'd been soaking in oil all morning and definitely were not edible. The fries were okay. I guess that's the one thing they still do right. I'm really bummed (as is my bum), as like I said they used to be so good. Sorry, Islands. I just can't give you any more chances. :( read more

I've come here before but just gone back recently. Sadly discovered that unlimited fries was gone! But honestly the fries you get is plenty, anything extra is just extra. We came here after my niece's basketball game nearby. Called ahead and they said they could accommodate us - 14 people if we came now. So we all headed there. We got seated within 5 minutes and our waitress was super nice. Ordered drinks and food - came out fairly quickly. I got the cool breeze shake and the hula burger, which was swiss cheese and mushrooms. Family mostly got burgers, sis got tacos , niece got chicken wings. Overall a nice dinner experience! read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

We had an amazing experience. Marcus was our waiter and he was great! He was attentive, friendly and just a great waiter! The food was amazing. We had a great experience. read more

Lauren (Table 14) was extremely helpful and provided outstanding customer service. She consistently made sure our drinks were full and went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience. Her friendly attitude, attention to detail, and genuine care for our table made a big impression. She made us feel welcome and well taken care of throughout our visit. It's servers like her that make customers want to come back. read more

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

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Haven't been here in forever! We arrived at a great time for happy hour (it was extended due to a NFL game going on). Usually their happy hour is on Mon-Fri at 3-6:30 pm. Food: I ordered from the regular menu and got the toucan sandwich (grilled chicken with teriyaki sauce, pineapple, Mayo, cheese) and it comes with island fries (regular fries). This is my fav entree here and I always order it. However, I've noticed the burger portion got smaller than before. My friend ordered the beachside sliders (3 mini burgers) from the happy hour menu. Regular price comes with 4 mini burgers. Drinks: We both ordered from the happy hour menu. I got the mai tai (pretty strong and totally worth the price of $5.75!!). My friend got the tiki tai (it's a $1 more at $6.75, not as strong but still good). Service: Staff were attentive and was refilling my friend's water. Quick order and food came out at the right time. Note: I came here after work so I was famished and was ready to get my grub on. Totally coming back here and recommending to anyone living near Pasadena or surrounding areas. Plenty of parking; they're located in the same plaza as Maria's Italian Kitchen, Kabuki and other places. read more

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been going here for 7 years. always great customer and food is amazing! I highly recommend their wings!

I was in the area and decided to grab a burger the food is always good at Islands. My waitress Karen H. was very friendly and kept my refills of cherry coke coming during my meal, thank you for the great service!!! read more

Wanted to take a moment to comment about the amazing customer service of Marcus in the Pasadena Islands. He is very attentive, meticulous, energetic, and very polite. The food was amazing too. read more

Like most chain restaurants nowadays, this place is really gone downhill. We ended up here because it was a fundraiser for our preschool Our server was very friendly and got us in and out relatively fast considering we had two kids with us. Overall, the only thing I ever used to like really were the onion rings and they were pretty expensive. Over $10 for this plate. They were still tasty, but not worth the money. The waitress recommended a salad to me when I couldn't decide between that and a protein bowl. The salad was blah at best. The kids got a mac & cheese, and a grilled cheese again very pricey for what you're getting. If our school does a fundraiser here again, I'll probably just calculate how much I would've spent and donate that money and not eat at this joint. Not worth the calories. read more

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Will is an excellent server. He is kind, attentive and a joy to chat with. I was able to enjoy a meal and he gave great selections. Everything was so quick. Definitely ask for Will. Also had the opportunity to meet Vick to share the greatness of the establishment. I will be back again. read more

Welcoming!, clean, noisy, cold,(Bring a sweater or a jacket). No need to order a Surfer Starter, they will bring it the same time they bring your meal Another Burger, joint ... read more

I love Islands.... Always have. Today, 6:00 pm we sat for 15 minutes without service in the bar. Not even a hello. Then.... Leaving... The observant hostesses say.... "Have a great night!" .., as we leave! Did not eat. Did not drink! read more

I went on a Friday evening and there was only about a 20 minute wait. I was craving nachos and thankfully Islands nachos were flavorful and hit the spot. Adding chicken was an extra cost but definitely worth it. The ambiance was lively and the waitress was attentive. read more

Islands Restaurant - Chicken Nachos - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

I usually love this location but my experience Sunday evening was disappointing. For starters, waited about 35-40 minutes for what we were told would be only a 15-20 minute wait. Totally understand that it wasn't the front hostess fault, however, she never apologized for the wait. Our server attended to us shortly after we were seated. We ordered a spinach and artichoke dip and our food right away. After waiting for our appetizer, I noticed the table seated across from us that arrived and ordered after us received an order of spinach artichoke dip, and they were talking about how they didn't even order it, but were digging in and enjoying what was supposed to be our appetizer. Our burgers came out and I brought to our waiter's attention that our appetizer was dropped off at the wrong table and we were extremely disappointed. I told him at this point we don't even want it anymore, because what the point in paying for an appetizer that's supposed to come before our meal? He just apologized and didn't offer to fix the situation for the disappointment, which is unfair since the table across got a free appetizer out of the staff's mistake. Our burgers were great! The fries were not. Our fries were way overcooked, and seemed "bottom of the bag" type where most were bite sized, hard pieces that tasted double fried. Super disappointing that they would serve those to customers. Overall, I'd probably spend an extra 20 minutes driving to West Covina or Glendale since they seem to be going downhill. read more

Always enjoy coming here. But it is way too cold in here.... Servers are awesome, food is good. I'd like my cocktails a little stronger, hahaha The Bulleit to the beach is a great drink My daughter ordered the sundae, it's sad.... Didn't realize it was made for a 4 year old I do wish they had more vegetarian options. It's great that they have the impossible burger but how about some veggie tacos? Something to think about read more

The burger was delicious. The spinach artichoke dip that was so good. The burger was also good, but I already said it twice so I don't care, the burger was so awesome. I don't care if I said just three times and the fries were so awesome the secret seasoning was also good and I'm not lying that everything taste as good that it is. -Nicholas read more

Will is an extremely good bartender here. He is always nice enough to get me my drinks in a timely manner and the food here is extremely nice along with the beverages. read more

BEACH VIBES + SURFING MOOD with GREAT FOOD? Try Bleunami burger and Moa Kai (Tuna) sandwich for your main dishes and you'll know I didn't lie. The meat are very juicy and yummy. Buns are really great too; you can choose between white or wheat (mines are both wheat). These two come with fries as a side each. Upgrade for truffles, cheddar, etc, for a few bucks but I'd recommend leaving the original fries too because they're simply GREAT!! Crispy inside out, not too thick, lightly salted - MY (personally dreamed) PERFECT FRIES!! Feel free to ask for up to 5 complimentary sauces; honey mustard, blue cheese, ranch, bbq and 1000 island. For a healthy high fiber choice, I totally recommend Beach Bowl which is a veggie + protein mix served on top of brown rice. I went for both sauce options they have and asked for separate portions - both of them are really good OMG. For drinks (or dessert maybe?), try Lemon Freeze if you like zestiness + some ice cream feeling (it's lemonade blended with vanilla ice cream). I'm so amazed and impressed by the cherry on top - a cute & lovely surprise!! Finish your awesome meal with Fudge Brownie which is sweet hot fudge topped with vanilla ice cream. It's extremely nice and smooth-y. The fudge texture is SO GOOD!! read more

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This Islands is great. It is a chain and most are very good. We like this one very much and will be back. Parking is easy and the service is great. Everyone is very nice and they know their menu. You can get all manner of great food. They have burgers, which we love, as well as fish tacos, nachos and really good guacamole. Everything is made there and it is always hot. They have wonderful desserts. I have not had anything there that we do not like. The place is always spotless and you can get a rare burger there if you want, which is not so easy to get these days. They also have a very nice kid's menu. The prices are reasonable. Have fun. read more

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

I remember going to Islands in high school and how much I enjoyed their burgers and unlimited fries. It's been a while since I've visited Islands as I usually see a line out the door on the weekends. I came here for lunch during a weekday and there was no wait. The restaurant was very busy with the lunch rush crowd. I ordered the Maui burger with a side of fries. The burger was well cooked but it lacked flavor, I had to add more condiments to finish the burger. The fries were fresh, crispy and just how I like them. Service was excellent and the waiters came by multiple times to check on our party. There are better burger places in the area, I would come back if other places were not options read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Not my first choice for burgers n fries. Love the chill Hawaiian theme interior and friendly service. Not loving the food. I recall the burgers here use to be better. Burgers cooked medium-rare as requested, no problem there. Unfortunately, it was very bland and the burger buns were DRY and crumbly. You really needed a folk and knife to tackle this burger. One bite and everything crumbles. Thank goodness for the seasoning salt at the table; burger was that bland, perhaps better then overly salty. No longer on the menu is the "Island Slaw", oh well. Perhaps the best thing here are the fries (fried in Canola Oil). The tortilla soup am told was good by my companion. I still think the passion fruit ice tea here rocks. Like I mentioned service was nice, but apparently they want you to "eat and run". Our food and the check was brought out at the same time - tacky. This place is NOT fast food restaurant. After that our server disapeared. We felt rushed. In the end, I just wanted to leave so I guess it was fine. Probably won't return to Islands on my own, unless friends or family insist... I will just stick to drinks here. read more

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