After getting burgers here 8 or 9 times last summer I was counting the days until they opened this season. My wife and I went last week and the disappointment could not be overstated. I REALLY hope this was a one off but I am worried it was not. What changed? The ground beef. Not sure if they got a different supplier or they are trying to cut costs but neither scenario is good because the meat is horrible. I will try it one more time to be sure but IF this is the new norm- I will not be back, like ever. If it's a cost savings plan- this never works. You end up alienating your core customer base to save a few pennies. It's not like this place is cheap. I'm paying a decent price but I expect a decent burger. Please Island Delights- don't do us like that. read more

Closed for the season? That's what the sign says. Shop owners need to update their website and Yelp listings. Very disappointed! 10/10/24 read more

I love island delights! It's just a great '50s "throwback"restaurant with good (hamburgers, hotdogs, pitas etc) food at a reasonable price. Just what I would imagine people at the beach might enjoy for a casual lunch or dinner. The young waitresses are very professional and attentive so I would say well trained and well hired. I haven't had the ice cream yet, but noticed that people come in just for that so it must be good! Just typical diner decor with a tip of the hat to the past. I'm just sorry that it's not open during the winter. read more

such a cute ice cream joint after an amazing dinner by the beach! it was spacious yet full of great knickknacks along with amazing decor. the flavors they had were all very yummy sounding, i did end up getting coffee after trying a sample but the cappuccino sounded really good too (which my friend did get both and i had a taste of it). there was a cute sign of all the servers names along with the menu and they were all friendly and helpful! there was a good amount of indoor seating and some outdoor seating available too! overall, i really enjoyed the experience i had with my group of friends and it seemed to be a go-to place for a lot of others too! would love to come back next time in here and try the other flavors! read more

Island Delights Restaurant - coffee & cappuccino - Diners Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Fun family friendly place. Short walk from the beach has games for the kids and food is made to order. Lots of ice cream flavors. Staff is super friendly. Has a fun retro 50 style vibe. The burgers, onion rings and fried mushrooms are a must try. read more

Stopped in on our first evening in Surf City for dessert. The parking lot is a real hassle to get in and out of so back into a spot if you can! They sell Hershey's ice cream flavors so I opted for Heavenly Hazelnut and Banana Pudding. Price is reasonable for a tourist town and runs $3.50 before tax for a small. read more

Island Delights Restaurant - Small cone - Diners Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

For the first time in I don't know how many years that I have been frequenting Island Delights, this is the first time I can say I had the Perfect cheese burger. I asked for no seasoning on the burger meat, and it came out perfectly done. Ask for Cassidy when you go in, she was the perfect hostess. Although the theme is a little dated, and could use some refreshing of the 1950's decor and visuals, it still has that feel of a knowing comfort. read more

What a cool little gem. It had the feel of old school soda shop mixed with hometown brewpub. Nice draft selection & the hot dogs were killer! read more

Sooo excited for this place to open! It's the best burger on the island and the staff is amazing!!

The banana pudding ice cream flavor will have me coming back every day of our vacation! We stopped here our first night for an easy dinner. We immediately were enthralled by the antiques adorning the walls. Yes, things are a little dusty but an antique collector knows that you sparingly clean these treasures to avoid destroying the authenticity. We ordered standard diner fare - burgers, fries, steak & cheeses, milk shakes - topping everything off with ice cream! The teenaged staff were attentive and polite, even eager to share their favorite flavors to help us decide. Everyone enjoyed their meals but my oldest said his steak & cheese was the best he'd had though it was smaller portion than he would have liked. All in all, this is a great little spot when you're looking for a quick bite. read more

Bland food. The BBQ was a flavorless, wet blob. The fries were bland too. For gods sake put a little seasoning in your food. The young waitresses were attentive and pleasant. read more

This is always a real treat for the family as we've been coming here for a really long time. The ice cream and burgers are good albeit a little pricy. The sides are way over priced for what you get. A side of onion rings is 4$ and we only received 5 small to med size rings which is almost a dollar a slice of onion and batter. Fries were no better @3.50$ for a side. They would maybe be the equivalent of ordering a kids fry at McDonald's. So now you know. If you go, you'll go for the novelty of an old local burger spot that has been here forever with good burgers & ice cream. read more

Super cute decorations & food is reasonably priced! Service was quick and workers were friendly! read more

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Solid burger, hot dog and fry place! Burgers are hand made and taste like that. Quarter pounders are sure to please as well as the double quarter pounder. Truly an amazing little place in a sea of crappy food served by others around - they make the taste you would expect from a really good beach burger joint!!! Prices are fair - they don't rip you off plus all their ice cream are to die for. Order a burger and a shake and do the happy food dance as you enjoy both! read more

I took my daughter and her friends to this place once in the summertime. The ice cream is okay. But the woman that was serving us was not very pleasant. I ordered a scoop of something that had brownies or some kind of cookie in it. When she went to scoop my ice cream, she stopped when she reached a decent sized piece of cookie, and went AROUND it; giving me a scoop almost completely void of any of the add-ins. It was just such a bizarre thing to do. What a shame, it's such a cute place. Out here charging Coldstone prices but serving up grocery store drumsticks. read more

On a recent visit to the beach we wanted a nice, cool treat to get us through the hot day. Looking at reviews, four-stars is about as high as it gets for ice cream joints. Island Delights was closest and similarly rated to others but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a little busy in the small entrance but we were quickly ushered to the ice cream counter and orders were taken. The staff was amazingly nice and the ice cream was great. read more

Great lil place for lunch and a sweet! Rootbeer float and chicken tender sandi on pita...mmmm

Best burger joint on the island. Great food, wonderful service and cool stuff to look at in there. Super reasonable pricing too

The first thing I noticed was how clean this place was. The staff was super friendly and helpful. Hotdogs, chicken fingers basket, ice tea and ice cream, all delicious. A great place for lunch while visiting Surf City NC. read more

Excellent server, great dairy bar type feel and food. Burgers and fries were excellent. Staff was over the top friendly and accommodating to our toddler. Would recommend and will visit again prior to leaving the island. read more

We also try to eat local where we go & when you're at the beach you have to have ice cream. This is a 50's style diner and ice cream shop, but we just had ice cream The blue panda is fun & funky, but my favorite was the coconut Fun read more

Island Delights Restaurant - Coconut Almond Ice Cream, yum - Diners Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Basic burger joint. Tried the bacon cheeseburger, fries and chocolate shake. Nothing special. Pretty great service, though and decent pricing. read more

Island Delights Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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Most reasonably priced restaurant on the island. And, it has the best food. Steak & cheese, burgers and hot dogs are all delicious! We plan our trips to Surf City based on when the restaurant is open. Highly recommend. read more

Cute little diner with good food and service. My kids loved their burgers and chicken tenders. They asked to make sure we come back again!! read more

Great all around family friendly eating place. The chicken salad pita was a delicious variety of tender chicken, crunchy celery, creamy dressing. Service was great and prompt read more

I've been going there since I moved here over 20 years ago. The food is great and the atmosphere is fun - all 50's! When do they open for the season? read more

Been grabbing hersheys hand scooped ice cream with the family here since about 2008 on our vacations. Always consistent. Decent prices. Easy service. read more

It was okay. The service was okay. The burger was juicy needed some salt but it was okay. The ice cream sundae portions were really small.

Best cheeseburger & fries on the beach. Fresh, hand pattied, prepared to order burgers and large serving of fresh, hot fries. Add a cold soft drink or milkshake for trifecta. Downside is a little pricey and service can be slower than ideal. Otherwise, hard to criticize. read more

This is my favorite place to eat on the whole island. It's your traditional 50s diner atmosphere with the best cheeseburgers and hotdogs on the planet. Real meat no fillers. Excellent french fries, delicious ice cream, and old-fashioned jukeboxes, to dance to beach music, to your hearts delight. They also have a watering station outside for your pets and an outdoor bench to enjoy food if you're still in your swimsuits. I love this little restaurant and I wholeheartedly give it five stars and would give it more if I could. God bless all at Island Delights with good business, joy, and laughter. read more

This review is only for ice cream. It's good, old-fashioned, scooped-outta-the-case-and-into-a-big-waffle-cone ice cream. Really everything you want after a hot day at the beach. The little restaurant/scoop shop has a 50s diner vibe. Cute and kitschy and intentional, but there's nothing wrong with that. We stopped here twice during our vacation and would have stopped every day if we had discovered it sooner. read more

We ordered philly cheese steaks, cheeseburgers & fries. Ranch dressing is awful - including Philly cheesesteaks. Fries were awesome.... burgers were eh. Not really sure what this place is known for, whatever it is, we didn't have it. Won't be coming back here read more

Went in for a convenient lunch date after a trip to the beach. Friendly waitresses greet you as soon as you walk in. Unless you're getting a to-go order, ice cream, or a drink, you can go sit in a booth and wait for service. Our waitress was super friendly and was generous with refills (thankfully, since I drink a ton). The fantastic taste of the burgers belie their unimpressive appearance. My chili cheese fries were fine for the price, but don't expect premium chili: it has a canned taste. The ice cream is the biggest reason to visit: plenty of options and tastes wonderful. The atmosphere is great, and the selection isn't lacking. read more

Island Delights Restaurant - Single cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions with chili cheese fries. - Diners Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Such a cute tourist spot! This is perfect for a quick bite to eat with family! I had a cheeseburger with fries! They have a cool fortune teller machine for .25 cents! If it's a nice day/night out....Island Delights have 3 outdoor seating areas! I probably won't be back but if your on the island try it out! read more

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Love eating here when they are open during the season. They have an oldies vibe and the burgers are very tasty. Good value for what they charge. read more

Great beach burger & fries. Friendly - fast service. Will be back to try the ice cream.

This place brings back so many memories. Juke box. Merlin the Fortune Teller. Great posters and signs. Wonderful atmosphere. Staff very friendly and efficient. Very family friendly. Food just okay (skip the burgers) but still worth visit while in Surf City. read more

Island Delights Restaurant - Diners Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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This is a tradition for us! We have been coming to Topsail since, well, L. Johnson was president and now have a home here!! We started vacationing here with our son in 1989. When he comes to visit, this is a MUST! My husband and I also eat here frequently. Food is great, ice cream is great, service is great...all the requirements! Remember, be nice to the servers read more

After a terrible experience at another ice cream store we drove out to Island Delights. When walking in the door we were greeted by all of the employees and they let us know we could take our time and they would help us whenever we were ready. They serve Hershey's ice cream but have more flavors than any other ice cream store I have seen in the area. They are also very generous in their scoop sizes. An added bonus was that they have toppings and even have a neat sprinkle machine that guarantees adequate coverage. In addition to regular ice cream you can get floats and splits and during certain hours you can also get food as well. I highly recommend this spot for anyone with a sweet tooth. The service and the food are wonderful. read more

Neat place to eat really good place to go If you have kids.Food was made fresh to order old style burgers and fries will definitely be back!