Loved the Cobb salad! The fresh ingredients tasted so amazing that I added blue cheese dressing and it was sooooo good!! The best crunch is with each bite!! I also had the chicken tortilla soup with chips! The service was perfect and very pleasant!! read more

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I honestly really like Islands. Some of the menu prices feel a bit steep, and the fries are pretty mediocre, but the burgers are consistently delicious. We stopped by during happy hour, and the experience was just okay. When we walked in, the restaurant was only about 20% full, very quite atmosphere. There was one couple ahead of us waiting to be seated, but there was no host in sight. After a minute or two, the host came out, seated the couple, looked back at us, said, "I'll be right back," and disappeared for another 5-10 minutes. Considering how empty the restaurant was, the wait and lack of urgency felt a little odd. When she finally returned, there was no apology, just a quick "follow me." Overall, she came across as pretty unfriendly. Our server was attentive and checked on us several times, but he also seemed rushed and wasn't very personable. The happy hour menu was also a bit disappointing. Even with the discounts, the prices still felt fairly high. One thing we did appreciate was that the beer we originally ordered wasn't available, and they offered us a comparable replacement at the same price without any hassle. As for the food, the burgers were excellent, just like we expected. Unfortunately, the fries came out cold, which was disappointing. Overall, this location was surprisingly quiet, so the mediocre service didn't really make sense. For the prices they charge, I expected a more welcoming experience. I'd still come back for the burgers, but I hope the service becomes a little more consistent. read more

Daughter and I stopped in for lunch. I had a salad and fried fish tacos with cabbage, cilantro, chipotle-white sauce, pico de gallo, served on corn tortillas. Not bad but I did not care for the breading. Salad was good but I needed more blue cheese. Had to ask for salsa twice. it should come with the tacos. Not sure what's up with the floors but they were sticky. Probably won't come back. Jan 2025 read more

Went in this location because I have their app. It gives 2 rewards the free chips and salsa for joining and also a free birthday desert. The manager of this location is lazy and dosent know his product you can use the bday reward anytime in your birthday month and you can do chips as a reward he was super lazy and rude. Won't ever come back to this location. One in the mall that is no longer there was great this location sucks!!! read more

Just realized today that my family and I have been going to Islands restaurant in Vista for 22 years. It is a family tradition because we can never go wrong with the food or the drinks. All of us have our favorites and the customer service there is always incredibly warm and professional and the atmosphere makes us feel like we're on the beach. I have been taking my children there since they were little now they are grown and have their own children and carrying on the tradition of our family meeting there to eat. I wanted to tell the people at Islands thank you for 22 years of good food, good service and amazing atmosphere. If I don't feel like watching the TV, they always have great music playing. Want to start your own family tradition, take your family to Islands where everybody can find their favorite on the menu. read more

Islands Restaurant - By the way, best passionfruit iced tea! - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

Arrived at 4:30. Walked in and was seated immediately Our server greeted us promptly, brought her water quickly, and then took a few minutes before she returned to take our order Replaced order double checked Our appetizer came out at about 10 minutes later, followed by food, which was hot and delicious Service was good. Food was excellent. read more

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talk about a hidden gem! (to me at least lol) Prices are not bad here and happy hour is pretty good! Our server and bartender, Riley, was wonderful! It's pretty chill, and it looks clean. The food and drinks were also great! i will definitely be returning!! read more

Dined on a late Sunday evening, near closing time. I haven't been to Islands in over 20 years. It was my husband's first time. I didn't want a burger so I tried the Baja Bowl (with Spicy Chicken). My husband had the Hula Burger (aka Mushroom Swiss) with Fries. I wish my bowl had a little more chicken. The bowl comes with salsa verde on the side which I used since it was there though I think the bowl could stand on its own without it. Plenty of flavor from the spicy chicken. The mushroom burger was piping hot. The bun was hot to the touch so the fries went first. They were crispy and well seasoned. The burger had a good sized patty. My husband was full with three bites left but still finished it. Overall, we were happy with our meals. Service was quick though I think it's because the dining room wasn't busy. Our server checked on us repeatedly, informed us the kitchen closes at 8:45p in case there's anything else we wanted to order. Just as I remember, the decor is Hawaiian themed, laid back surf vibes. Restaurant was very clean. We'll be back to explore more of the menu! read more

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Always wanted to go to islands and we got the opportunity when we came to visit friends in San Diego. The ambiance is island themed with tiki masks, rattan walls and surfing photos. The hostess got us seated right away and we looked at the large menu and decided to get a tropical drink flight, Yaki tacos, big wave burger and the kids all got burgers too. Everything was really good. The drink flight was absolutely delicious but our favorite was the deep blue sea. read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

Great restaurant. Great food and always consistent. If you go there and Tyler is working, ask for him! He is amazing and one of the best, greatest servers. I am in the service industry and this young adult is probably one of the hardest working people on staff there. He deserves a raise or at least the most shifts and should be a trainer! read more

The food was absolutely delicious. I got the Sandpiper grilled chicken sandwich. It came with sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Instead of fries, I tried their chicken tortillas soup, and it was BURSTING with flavor. Everyone I was with seemed to enjoy their meal. I was with some friends and after a long day at a theme park with our kids we each wanted a drink to wind down. My friend tried their "nice" holiday drink, her husband got a red sangria, and I tried the tropical flight. "Ship Wrecked" was my favorite of the four. I would definitely love to go back and give one of their burgers a try! Our server was sweet and helpful. The restaurant was busy, but we were seated right away and were in and out within an hour as a party of 7! It wasn't too loud and had a fun surfy, Hawaiian vibe. read more

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Islands here seems to be the last of great restaurants. Burgers, margaritas and pina coladas are the best.. They are kids serving us, but they are excellent. We would feel bereft it this lovely spot should close. read more

Everything. Bringing food and alcohol to wrong tables. Can't accommodate big groups. Order taking is horrific. Very long process. Not worth the wait. Very unorganized. read more

Great food, great Happy Hour prices! Got there right before 5pm. Easy parking, got a table right away. Great service read more

Islands Restaurant - Happy Hour Drinks menu 4-22-26 - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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We were excited to try this restaurant. The burger, fried and chicken was great but the fish tacos left much to be desired. The tortillas were thick and fish over breaded. They tasted like bread. The flavor was severely lacking. The service was exceptional and atmosphere was family friendly. read more

I arrived to meet a party of 10 at Islands today at 1 o'clock. As soon as I walked in the door, they directed me to my table and soon took our order. Ashley did a great job as everyone had separate tickets. Several of us had the bottomless tortilla soup, which is the best deal going. At the end of our meal, we sat chatting a bit and since two had a recent birthday she brought a generous piece of ice cream cake. in Hawaii. It's Hula pie and it was delicious. It was a perfect place to visit and well located and easy to get to with generous parking. The ambience hasn't changed and there's still videos of surfers. We felt comfortable staying there and not rushed and everybody loved their meals. Thank you again Ashley for your wonderful service. read more

Always a reliable Happy Hour with good service. Nice because it has a later HH than most places. I had a glass of wine and they gave a nice pour. read more

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It's been a long time since I ate at Islands. The restaurant ambiance still has that beachy casual feel and the service was excellent, but the food has gone down hill. We went for the lunch specials. My husband had their hamburger and fries which he enjoyed. I had their chicken tacos which were awful. A few measly pieces of chicken in this mushy sauce with hardly any lettuce. I thought it was inedible. So if you come here, stick to their burgers and fries or their chicken tortilla soup. read more

Nice and clean inside. Great server, nice & friendly. My mom-in-law liked her strawberry margarita and my wife liked her Shipwreck (coconut Rum, melon liqueur, pineapple & orange juice). The server asked if she liked sweet drinks, which my wife doesn't but then asked if she likes coconut, yes she does. Said if she does, even sweet, it's more coconut and she was right and my wife liked it. We all shared the Cheddar Fries as my wife use to get them when she lived near an Islands and loved them. Not as good as she's had before. But we all thought they were just ok. The ranch dressing is really good. I got the tortilla soup and it was very tasty and good sized. We all got the Chicken Toucan (grilled chicken breast, teriyaki sauce, fresh pineapple, swiss, lettuce, tomato & mayo) because my wife and I both use to get this one more than other entrees as it's so full of flavor. Did not disappoint, so good! My wife's mom really liked it too. Opt for extra napkins, so messy but so worth it! Wife and mom shared the onion rings and I stole one. They're really good! I got the side salad and it was fresh with great blue cheese dressing. Great menu & service - we'll be back. read more

From the crowded parking lot to the average dining experience this Islands is particularly bad. Everything is clearly overpriced with low quality ingredients. Burger fell apart as I was eating it, stale bun that clearly wasn't big enough to begin with. They have a plant based patty but it's unclear what it is and costs over $3 extra so automatic point deduction there. Fries felt like I was doing something bad to my body (spoiler alert: I was). Server basically served us and then disappeared. Food ended up being basic, bland, stale and forgettable. All at a ridiculous price. Burgers cost at least triple what they should. Cannot recommend Islands to anyone. read more

Terrible. Islands has really failed over the years--I'd give them zero stars if I could, as they don't even deserve half a star! This is the second time I have been to this specific location in Vista, Ca after very many years--always inconsistent! Today I ordered a Bleunami Burger at Islands, and it was negligently and unprofessionally prepared--I specifically said no Mayo, and that is the only condiment they liberally poured all over my undercooked beef patty which was raw and undercooked. Don't go there. IF you like corporate franchises you can always try Dennys as there is still a great Dennys in Vista, Ca about 5 minutes due north from said location. There were literally barefoot dirty half naked panhandlers and bums sitting around outside, casually walking around the Food 4 Less parkinglot. While inside the restaurant itself it verily smelled like rat droppings and sewage. If you live in Vista, Ca eat local--Biergarten in downtown Vista, Ca, perhaps. Godspeed, read more

my favorite restaurant style burger joint! Hawaiian -teriyaki and pineapple slice has a great combination sweet tangy /savory. The Kilauea has crispy fried onions and jalapeño that gives it a great kick of heat. Island vibe atmosphere and friendly servers. Big screens tvs strategically placed at all angles with current sports games on. A little pricey but it's a decent size burger and comes with fries. great beer tap selection - try the Kona Blonde Ale:) read more

Islands Restaurant - mmm.. Hawaiian! - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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Awesome and consistent! Service was great and the food was delicious as usual. Maui burger was delicious, and I highly recommend getting a side of cheese fries with a side of ranch and wing sauce. All of the burgers are can't miss. read more

Awful place, bad food, bad service, outdated decor. Kids as servers that seem to not have any training at all. Food is mediocre, drinks are sugary and watered down. There are better burger places out there, not this one, please let it go. read more

Stopped by and had happy hour in the bar. Tortilla soup- miss the old recipe Cheddar cheese fries. We had to pay extra to add bacon. :( Pineapple cake- moist. The pineapple tasted like it just came out of a can. Would have been better caramelized like an upside down cake. Happy hour Mai Tai $6.25 My friends Long Island was $12.75...we thought it was on special. ;( Our bartender/ server was super nice as well as the food runner. read more

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Came here on a Thursday evening, right around 5:00. Not crowded at all. Sat in the bar. Was greeted pretty quickly. We ordered a burger, fries and grilled fish tacos. The burger was cooked medium and tasted pretty good according to my husband. The fries were good and crispy. Nothing worse than a limp fry. I went with the grilled fish tacos. And this is where I hard a problem. First, I bit into an onion that got mixed in with the cabbage. I HATE onions. Second, the size of the fish. I could have gone to rubios and gotten the same size for cheaper. And it would have been more flavorful. For $17.95 I expected a little more fish than cabbage. My only picture shows the size of the fish. Last time we went, the fish tacos were really flavorless. This time, not too bad. Just the size and price got me. I hate to say it but I think I'll stick to Rubio's when it comes to my grilled grilled fish tacos. read more

Islands Restaurant - Grilled fish taco - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

After some fun time at the courthouse my friend and I decided to go to ...Michael a handsome 22 year old architect student was our server. He was such an engaging young man, what a delight. I actually got one of their new $10 protein salad bowls....yum and yummer (as my mom would say). I usually don't eat my entire meal, but I did. They chicken was perfectly cooked with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese on a salad bed. My friend had a burger and perfectly cooked fries that were still crunchy at the end of the meal. 5 stars Islands! read more

Islands Restaurant - Sandpiper Bowl $10 - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

Been coming here for years. I always get the Hawaiian burger lol it's sooo goood yummm and cheese fries w ranch yes please! It's always clean and the staff is always great.Go w w the fam and they handle us so well: we are loud and have tons of orders and picky fam lol but they always are nice and even bring plates when we bring cake sorry we forgot our paper ones. Nice peeps. Aloha vibes. read more

Islands Restaurant - Large group & I called 30min before cuz Oggis cancelled us. Ty Islands - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

Great Service, food came out quick and hot. Double Burger with Cheese & Fries on the Lunch Menu is hard to beat. Good vibes - Cool atmosphere. read more

Met a friend for lunch..we have been to islands many times and I have to say it's hit or miss on the food..my Patty melt was definitely undercooked and the fries were very crunchy and oily like they had been there for awhile..my friend ordered the chicken strips..but no fries were included..for 14 99..overpriced, in my opinion. We did have a great server.. Jimmy..very friendly and efficient..I don't think I'll be back for lunch anytime soon read more

Islands Restaurant - Patty melt and fries - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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Daniel is the kind of server every restaurant dreams of having. He's incredibly friendly, concise, and always remembers us whenever we visit. His stellar work ethic and genuine gentlemanly demeanor make dining here such a pleasure. We always ask to be seated in his section because his service is truly top-notch. Five stars all the way! read more

We ordered takeout. It is my son's birthday celebration this weekend. We drove 3 hours and decided to get Islands's before checking into the hotel. I used to work at islands and haven't had an opportunity to go there in a while since there are none near me. My son was very excited to go in and told the server that it is his birthday and she said in a mono tone "happy birthday." He asked if he gets anything for his birthday here and followed with a please. She responded with an "I don't know" and walked away. Didn't seem like she had the time of day for my 6 YEAR OLD! Very disappointed with how she handled it. A business that used to love celebrations and strives to be a family environment. Seems like it has fallen down hill. I have opened 1 Islands and worked at 2 other locations. Never have I seen or experienced that. Started to eat the food and not very stoked on that either. Fries are dry and cold. The sliders only have a tiny amount of ketchup. The burgers have a soggy bottom bun and cold. We went there on 11/9/2024 at 5:50pm. I didn't get her name which should have been the first thing she said when introducing herself. I am adding the order with the name that is Aspen. Just in case it wasn't her I put the date and time. read more

Islands Restaurant - My receipt - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

Me up with an old friend of 40 years there and was very comfortable chatting and talking for almost 2 hours. The burgers were great and the staff was very friendly. The fries were perfectly cooked. Coming from a fry snob that says something! If I lived local I'd totally stop in to explore more of the menu. read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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Service was great! Nice place for families. Got wings and burgers , iThe food was pretty good but teriyaki sauce is just ok.

We had an eight peeps get together for lunch. Wasn't too crowded for a Sunday afternoon. Lots of parking with a big center parking lot. Nice place seemed clean and waitstaff attentive and polite. We had the truffle fries appetizer, pretty good. My order was the Moa Chicken sandwich with side of sweet potato fries. Basically the chicken was over fried and the sandwich had zero flavor. The sweet potato fries were good. Would not recommend the Moa Chicken sandwich. Also had a side of the tempura green beans, they were OK. Went to wash up in the bathroom, whew...long overdue for cleaning. The smell almost gagged me from the urinal. Kind of disappointed and don't think I could reccomend this restaurant. read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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Food and service was great. The cheese fries and ranch were very good, as well as the burger and chicken sandwich! read more

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Islands is a good predictable small chain. Their burgers are reliably good, chips are satisfying, drinks are good. I like the atmosphere with the surf videos. Came here with my son. Our server Brendon was friendly and helpful, food arrived quickly and was as expected. Will be back!! read more

The wife and I met family members for lunch. I always buy fish tacos!! But today I got the 3 pork tacos. They were the worst ever. They were full of filling and a very small amount of pork. I only ate 2 and that was enough due to poor quality. I would of talked to the manager but didn't want to cause a stink with family members there. Islands is good....but pork tacos suck. read more

My husband and I ordered a half order of cheddar fries with bacon got charged two dollars for a one slice of bacon and the fries were not good not done. We split a burger that was supposed to be medium. Ended up being well done. Worst ever experience will never be back. read more

Came during happy hour with family and was told they only do happy hour at the bar, not at the table/booths. What an absolutely ridiculous distinction. The server had to get a manager to see if they could make it work. They did, sort of: happy hour prices on Cheddar Fries, not on the Mai Tai. Our server seemed upset by us making a fuss to get the happy hour prices as she didn't visit our table for rest of night. We had to wave her down as she got close to our table. It was kinda funny as she'd glance at our table then quickly look away. I was self-conscious about the whole happy hour situation, but the prices are legitimately 1/2 off and make a difference. That all being said, Islands was expensive. Each burger was $18+ and substitutions, like onion rings and a salad, take the price to ~$23. We got 3 burgers with 3 side substitutions, a Mai Tai, a Diet Coke, and Cheddar Fries. It cost $89 before tip. Love the kitschy vibe and thought food was good, not great. Despite the awkward service, I'd go back if it wasn't for the prices. read more