After a full day of shopping and trying on new Crocs, my girl and I decided we needed to refuel with some good food. We hadn't been to Islands Restaurant in Carlsbad in over a decade, so it seemed like the perfect time to reacquaint ourselves with this spot. As we walked in, we were instantly reminded of the laid-back, tropical vibe that Islands is known for. The bar area caught our eye since it's open seating, so we grabbed a cozy corner booth, ready to unwind. The first thing we did was order a flight of margaritas. It was a fun way to start the evening, and each drink in the flight brought its own unique tropical twist--perfect for setting the mood. Along with the drinks, we decided to go for some wings. I was in the mood for both BBQ and teriyaki, but was a little disappointed to learn that I had to choose just one flavor. I opted for teriyaki, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint. The wings were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and the teriyaki sauce was just the right balance of sweet and savory. I'm definitely coming back to try those BBQ wings because if they're anything like the teriyaki, I know they'll be a hit. As we were enjoying our drinks and wings, the atmosphere around us was just what we needed after a long day. The bar area had a great energy, with sports playing on the TVs and the buzz of conversation filling the room. The service was prompt and friendly, which made the experience even better. Then, the main event arrived--our burgers. I had forgotten just how big Islands' burgers are. When the plates were set in front of us, we couldn't help but laugh at the sheer size of them. These burgers were enormous, piled high with fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection. I had to physically press mine down just to fit it in my mouth, but it was worth every messy bite. The flavors were on point, from the perfectly cooked patty to the fresh toppings and soft bun. As we continued to enjoy our meal, I found myself appreciating the overall experience more and more. The food was not just filling but genuinely delicious, hitting all the right notes of comfort and quality. The margaritas, with their strong tropical flair, were the perfect complement to the hearty burgers and wings. The only thing that kept the experience from being absolutely perfect was the fact that I couldn't mix and match the wing flavors, but honestly, that's a small quibble. Everything else--from the drinks to the food to the ambiance--was spot on. Islands Restaurant has definitely earned its place back on my list of go-to spots for a satisfying meal, and I can't wait to return and finally try those BBQ wings. read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I haven't been to Islands in years, the Bleunami burger was delicious but the service was what earned the 5 stars. You can never go wrong with nachos smothered in melted cheese, and the Bleunami had the perfect amount of crumbled bleu cheese, so good! I went with a friend who took a bite of her burger and said it was off. She didn't finish the meal and set it aside. I think Kelly was her name, she was always coming by and checking on us and was very nice. When she came by and asked if we wanted boxes, we told her we were good and that the burger didn't taste right. When she came back with the bill, she removed the burger off the bill. Super nice of her and we didn't even ask. The manager came by later and said he took it off and made sure we were fine before leaving. Still has the same island vibes. I noticed they have a lunch special and happy hour. read more

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My favorite place to go for an awesome vegetarian burger. Good prices, love the fries, and the teriyaki vegetarian burger is delicious. Bar is fun to hangout with friends and restaurant is very open and airy. read more

How in the world does this place have a 3.5 star rating?! I went in to order Togo and they were super friendly esp the dude in the front, asked me if I wanted extra condiments, if I finished my drink he'll refill it before I left with my order, and then I get the food and I could smell the sweet potatoe fries and my TOUCAN sandwich. Holy damn it was good I had to take a bite before I left. Then I couldn't put it down. If the service and the food was that good then I dunno what the heck. That's a 5 star restaurant for me. I'm from Texas and would love to have a Hawaiian style restaurant back home! read more

Literal best service I've had in a while. Barely waited for anything, food tasted great, and the server was fantastic. Ask for Malana to be your server, she's fantastic! read more

Ariel tried her best serving our party of 10 which consisted of six under 6! All the kids meals came out perfectly. Our drinks, including my lava flow was perfect after spending the entire day out at the LEGOLAND Water park. Our food was fresh and tasted great! Parking was easy. The AC was on full blast and the dining area and restroom were clean. We will be back again for sure. My new go to place when in the area. Kid friendly and reasonably priced food and drink. Be sure to download their app. You'll thank me later. read more

Islands Restaurant - Yummy - Burgers Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Great staff! Good wholesome food. TV. Nice neighborhood crowd at the bar. Friendly local crowd.

Tanner made our experience very enjoyable. He was quick, attentive, helpful, and our food was delivered fast. The cheese fries are a must order, amazing. Even during a busy night (dodgers yankees world series), staff was great, relaxing and there are a lot of tvs so you can watch sports while dining. Chicken sandwich wasnt my favorite but the teriyaki pineapple burger was good. read more

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After several hours walking around the Carlsbad Flower fields, we were happy that Islands was just across the street. Unfortunately, this location is almost completely obscured by a gas station and Taco Bell, making it hard to spot from the street. Thankfully it seems we missed the lunch rush and didn't have to wait for a table. The greeter walked us to our table and proceeded to wipe it down before we were seated. I saw him repeat this sanitizing process again and again for other customers as they came in. I personally like this because it gives me a higher degree of confidence that the table was disinfected before we sat down. I also saw that the tables were were properly sprayed down again after being cleared when customers left. Kudos to management and the staff on their diligence! +1 Star Here's what we ordered: Huli Hulu crisp with onion rings: Hand breaded fried chicken breast, fresh pineapple, Swiss, lettuce, mayo, & Island huli huli sauce. I don't recall trying this before so I didn't know the huli huli sauce was a bit spicy so I couldn't give my girl a heads up on this one. Nothing fire, but it had a kick. The chicken breast was literally crispy. A bit too dry for her taste. The onion rings were decent. Maui Burger with fries: Guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, swiss & mayo. I had it done medium and it came out properly done, just like at most other Islands I have visited. It tasted even better since it's been years since my last Maui burger! Jr. Wave Burgers: Ordered a pair of these plain burgers with fries for my keiki (kids). No complaints from them, which means it was done to their liking. Kona Pie: The fam split this, but it was more to the adults liking. Mocha almond fudge ice cream & cookie crust topped w/chocolate fudge, whipped cream, roasted almonds & a cherry. I think the mocha turned my kids off. Overall, I enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised to see my receipt had a QR code for the option of contactless payment. Of course I took advantage of this option and got things done after some awkward taps to enter my card info and email for a copy of my receipt. Other restaurants let me use Apple Pay or other wallet options to make contactless payment quicker and smoother. Islands is a restaurant chain my kids used to request to visit by name prior to the pandemic. And now that we are slowly returning to dining in as a family, it's the consistency of this chain, from location to location, that still makes it a winner. This location in particular has sanitation procedures that make it a clear winner to me as well. Cheers! read more

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Since it's the 4th of July and we're out of town we decided to find a burger place. Our first choice was out of gluten free buns to we came here instead. I ordered a burger with mushrooms and Swiss. We started with nachos. The nachos were pretty good and my burger was good. The GF bun was good but crumbled so I ended up having to eat it with a fork. My son got a burrito and he liked it. My daughter ordered carnitas tacos and they were not very good. The truffle fries were excellent. The service we received was horrible. The waitress was rude to my 10 year old daughter and she was not attentive at all. read more

After Spending the day at Legoland Is my crew and I decided to hit up Islands Burgers. We were greeted and seated immediately. I started off with a Virgin Piña Colada . For starters we ordered the the nachos. It was pretty good so much that we devoured the entire thing and about 5 minutes. The waitress returned and I put in an order order for the Blue nami Burger and Truffle fries. My crew ordered sliders, plaine fries and Maui Burger. Everything was delicious! Burgers were cooked to perfection. There was so much fries . I know for next time one order can be shared by at least 3 people. If your in the area definitely stop by it's right off off of Paloma Airport Road in Carlsbad. read more

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I want to preface this by saying that I never review anything even if the place is horrible, but I feel like this is a public service announcement. The food is god awful. I've never been to a place where everything tastes bad. The service was great. The atmosphere was good and the drinks were OK. read more

Easy access from the freeway with plenty of parking. Place seems clean inside and staff is friendly and helpful. Inside the restaurant you are transformed into a island themed beach shack. Staff was professional and food came out quickly. Kids menu offers a few healthy side options, which is very nice. The burgers were decent, but the burger industry seems to be evolving and Islands is getting left behind. They need to evolve with a smash burger option, grilled onion and fresh ground beef. Also advertising their burgers comes with French fries would help educate the customer and be more acceptable of the pricy burger. Decent food, great service, convenient location. read more

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Amazing service and great drinks love the burgers , had the blue cheese burger. Will be back for a great meal.

June 2023 (Update) Everything in my previous review still applies here but I would like to update the two items below: Food - 5/5 We ordered the Hawaiian and the Longboarder burgers. They were excellent this time. No complaints on anything. The patties were juicy. To my surprise, the fries (oh that rhymes!) came in crispy. Oh boy, were they good. Next time I will have to order them that way off the bat. Service - 5/5 The restaurant was buzzing but not too full. The service and our waitress was on point this afternoon. We were only half way on our diet coke and iced passion tea, and the new glass refills already arrived without us asking for them. Nice! Overall, this and my previous review points out the ups and downs of a business - as much as the management wants everything perfect, there are humans in there. I'm glad I went back. This was a good outing. read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Overall 3.5 stars. There was a mishap with our well done hula burger, it came out medium rare. By the time it got corrected and remade, we were pretty much done with our meal. Other items we enjoyed, fish tacos (a little bland, needed more seasoning and salsas) and Chinese Chicken salad (very well made). We were starved so we got our fries early, but refills on fries are $1.49. The fruit punch was way too sweet, had to dilute with some water. Service by Tai was 5 stars. He had a great attitude and got us everything we needed. read more

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This is usually one of my favorite places. I do have my favorite location where I know a few "Islanders" by name. After a long, fulfilled day a LEGOland we were happy to find a familiar place for dinner nearby. We were seated right away with a smile. Some of us had to wash LEGOland off of our hands and the rest sat down. By the time we returned our table still had not been greeted. We waited what seemed almost 10 minutes.. may not have been that long. Point is way longer than usual. Finally caught the attention of someone walking by and asked who our server was, just then our server walked up. I know this industry can be tough, I really do. Sadly we were greeted with a bit of frustration and maybe some irritation. From there service was ok. Sorry... hope for better days for that server next time. Food was great. As always. Place looks awesome and playing some fun music for watching extreme sports on the TVs. read more

Islands Restaurant - Found one of my favs in this part of town... - Burgers Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Did take out and we were told 6:20 pick up at 6:45 when we arrived it wasn't ready and we waited. Perhaps they wanted it fresh and hot for us to take? It was not super busy. Ordered the teriyaki burger and was asked how do I like my burger- medium rare, recd burger well done. The fries were dry and not fresh and the green been prob sat for awhile. Cking w others in our party the burgers were all well done and only one dressing for two salads. read more

We were starving after visiting the Flower Fields and this Islands was so close by, we headed on over. A little bit of a wait, I guess many people had the same idea after visiting the Flower Fields. Scan with your mobile phone to view the menu while you wait for a seat indoors. Sit in your car while waiting or sit outside Islands while waiting for your table, but safer to sit in your car because to many people waiting outside and some people don't know how to social distance. Parking is free. Once inside, I noticed the partitions between booths. In the bar area, the seating was spaced out. Luckily, we got a table close to the open door so there was a slight breeze. Our server was very nice and knowledgeable. We ordered the all you can eat tortilla soup for $10.25 (obviously very filling), Big Wave Burger for $10.99 which no longer has all you can eat fries (WTH!!). I ordered well done, and it wasn't. I didn't bother saying anything and I wish I did, but I was starving. We also ordered the quesadilla entree for $8.79, mangorita for $9.99 ( a little strong, but still yummy), and lastly got my free birthday dessert. Paid $46.34 not including tip. Their restroom isn't very large so few women were waiting in line to use the restroom. Sign up for their rewards program to earn a free chips and salsa and start earning points towards a free entree also get a free dessert coupon for your birthday! read more

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Great burgers. The service at this restaurant is always great. Personable prompt and attentive. Kelly is our usual server and always makes sure my special order is perfect. read more

Great atmosphere. Excellent service. Food was served in a timely manner and was very tasty !!

This restaurant is small chain in Southern California. We needed a quick dinner option while in town. We started with a drink at the bar. The bartender was attentive. We were seated at our table a few minutes prior to our guests arriving. We ordered an appetizer of chips a and guacamole. It came quickly. The waitress was very accommodating even though our guests were several minutes behind us. I had the tortilla soup for dinner. It's an endless bowl!! Yes, I had two bowls! My husband had a bowl- the Beach Bowl. He really enjoyed how fresh it was and that it was flavorful! Our guests shared Islands Nachos. Beverages- I enjoyed a spicy chili mango tajin margarita, oh, my!! So very good! My husband had a glass of Copper Ridge Merlot. read more

Absolutely love the new Burger Bowl. Please keep it on the menu. I honestly prefer it with their green salsa instead of the ranch, but that's just me. read more

Food not that good, go to BJs. Dessert, meh could be better. Service good, good. Needed a few more thoughts so I'd like to say it needed more island vibes I want to feel like I'm on an island chomping down some good eats. read more

The server was a bit rude. I just felt rushed we weren't even finished with our food, and she said " do you want your food go?" And I wish I took a picture of my 3th wing had a hair tangle at the end of the wing. And to top it off our meat was super rare. So yeah that was our experience. read more

We came to Islands after a pretty long day at Legoland. Triton was out waiter and he was phenomenal. He made sure we had everything at all times that we needed. He was personable and engaging. The food however, was not great. We had been to islands before so we know that the establishment can produce good food. Maybe cooks were having an off day? I ordered grilled fish tacos. The fish was grilled to death. Super rubbery and chewy. Not appetizing at all. My husband ordered the Kilauea burger with a veggie patty. There were 0 jalapeños on the burger and the patty was like de thawed but not grilled at all. My oldest sons burger was fine. My little kids got kids meals and they were totally fine. The best think about the meal was the fries. Again, the front of the house was great. Just wish the food was up to the standard that the front of the house was. read more

I got a longboarder, no issues it was delicious the ceasar salad was good but the onion ring batter was crispy but the onion inside was crunchy still and too thick did not eat/finish felt like a waste of money but overall good Experience the workers were exceptional and nice read more

Islands Restaurant - Undercooked Onion rings - Burgers Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I broke my tooth crown here eating salad Lettuce was brown The worst place ever Wouldn't go ever read more

We are from Az but we make it a point to always stop by here while we vacation in Carlsbad. Wow!!! It has never been better than when we came by Saturday night for dinner. The food and atmosphere was great as usual, can't get a better burger ANYWHERE else. But our server, Branden, was exceptional! He was friendly and attentive but not hovering. If Branden could be our server every time, we would be ecstatic. Give him a raise! read more

Waitress: AMBER Very professional, kind I would ask for her every time no doubt Very nice sweet too read more

Writing this review just to acknowledge Ariel and her wonderful customer service. She was very genuine with such a great vibe and energy. read more

Islands Restaurant - Islands House Beer Flight - Burgers Near Me - Carlsbad, California

There used to be this restaurant in Hawaii, but it was closed due to the Corona pandemic.　I was very lucky to have a delicious hamburger from this restaurant during my trip to San Diego. It reminded me of the burgers with blue cheese that I used to eat when I was in Hawaii, so I didn't hesitate to order one.　The burgers tasted the same as before and were very good.　It was very nostalgic and brought back some good memories. This time, I ordered a local beer, because I used to order Hawaiian beers a lot, but I wanted to try California's local beer as well.　The local beer was an IPA and it was excellent. It went well with the hamburger. I hope this restaurant will reopen again in Hawaii!　Because I want more people to know about the restaurant's high quality burgers and delicious local beer. read more

Have been going to this location since 2006. Was there last Thursday, usually sit in the bar, but no tall tables available. Served sat us in a booth near a window. The server must have been new, not very confident. Cocktails took quite some time to come out (glass of wine and a mule.) The bartender finally arrived to serve us our drinks. When our server returned, we asked for 2 waters. He dropped them off, while spilling some soda from another glass he carried. Didn't wipe the spilled soda off our table, or gave us napkins to clean ourselves. Didn't give us straws. Had to ask, and didn't have them. Went back to bar to get straws. My friend's burger bowl was delivered, and my bowl of fries. Manager said my burger was on its way. Waited waited. Didn't eat any of the fries, because I wanted to wait for my burger. Finally burger came. I handed back the bowl of fries and asked for a new hot bowl. 10-15 minutes later, here come the fries. Really disappointing experience. Will make a point to sit in bar if available. Will avoid sitting in booth area. read more

We were in Carlsbad for 4 days and this was by far the best restaurant experience that we had while we were here, the food was really good, the truffle fries were amazing! The burgers were great and so was the bowl that my husband had. Tanner was our server and he was the best server we had in a while. Tanner was really nice and attentive. read more

Islands is a classic spot to go to when you can't decide what and where to eat. They have a decent selection of drinks and of course their classic blended margarita drink. Can't go wrong. The food is tasty but prices are much higher than what I remember. The large basket of wings, $19! They did revamp their menu and have a lot of "green" options but I haven't been here since 2019 so maybe it's been like this for a while. I definitely suggest coming for happy hour which ends at 6 and find a seat in the bar area. The staff is great. A bit slow. I waited for a while before I tried catching someone's attention to receive my check. read more

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I used to eat here more frequently 20 years ago when I lived in SoCal. Sadly there aren't any locations in Northern CA. But glad to be back here this last visit. The Toucan was always my favorite chicken sandwich and it still tastes just as good. The highlight of this visit was our server Marcus finding my old favorite drink, The Tradewind. Its no longer on the menu and when I asked Marcus about it, he had no clue what I was talking about lol. I guess its been years since it was taken off the menu. But he did his due diligence and someone in the kitchen knew what the Tradwind was and made it for me! So nostalgic! Great experience. Just wish we had Islands up in the Bay area! read more

My husband insists we've eaten at an Islands Restaurant in the past. The fact that I don't recall ever stepping foot into one of these franchises means a lot, after having recently stepped foot into one of these franchises. The hostess led us back to a booth in the back and tried to make us sit at a dirty table, and tried to have me push into the bench that had crumbs and pieces of what I think were a burger patty on the seat. I asked if we could get something to clean the table and the chair, and she looked at me like I'd asked her to explain the Pythagorean theorem to her. In the end, I asked her to give me one of the two napkins she was holding and used that to clear the seat myself. She took the used napkin from me and - I swear I'm not making this up - placed it on the table like it was a fresh and new napkin, before walking off. It went downhill from there. Our waitress was borderline rude, but in that horrible way that is slightly masked by a friendly and chipper demeanor. She fairly demanded our order, so I asked for the Malibu Burger...at which point she snapped that she wasn't ready to take our order and told me to "hold my horses". My husband ended up ordering the Maui burger and substituted his fries for the onion rings. If you're wondering why we didn't just up and leave at that point, it's because our first choice in dining (the little Japanese restaurant in the outlet mall) was inaccessible due to the sheer amount of traffic getting into and out of the outlet mall. It was late, we had a long drive ahead of us, and my husband was creeping dangerously close to "hangry". The guy who brought my basket of fries made a big deal out of how they serve these when they're hot and fresh, so as not to dimish their crisp, golden delightfulness, but I was underwhelmed by then. And not because I was thoroughly annoyed by our waitress and the fact that I had to request a new napkin from 3 different people. The fries just weren't that good! The burger, at least, was decent, and very filling. I couldn't finish all of it, even after I pulled most of the lettuce and the tomatoes off of it. My husband enjoyed his own burger very much and thought the onion rings were worth the upgrade. They were almost obscenely crispy and perfectly cooked; they were the highlight of our stop. I'm thinking the reason I don't remember a previous visit is because I've blocked it from my mind. I doubt we'll venture into an Islands Restaurant again. read more

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Takeout order. We SPECIFICALLY asked for utensils on the phone. We did not receive any utensils. The food looks good but we've got no way to eat it. read more

We decided on something close to the hotel so we could get dinner and have some drinks. For starters I ordered the Big Island Ice Tea. For food I'm deciding between the Bleunami and the Malibu. I ended up going with the Malibu. It was delicious and I was full from the appetizers and drinks. My only knock was that the burger didn't come with fries on the side. Overall a nice restaurant and the people were really cool! read more

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The service was great and the food came out fast. However the food wasn't anything to write home about but we were starving and scarfed it down. read more