5 meals were ordered to go. only 2 were correct. the others were wrong one way or another. All the meals were barely edible. Terrible food. We will not be returning. read more

Staff was great! Food not so much. The burger patties taste like they were frozen for a long period of time and quickly defrosted. It made my daughter burp like a pig read more

Big Wave burger. The real OG. Been getting these from this location for 20+ years. Always good. Friendly staff.

Dropped into the Islands for a crispy chicken sandwich that's reliably oversized, tender, and not greasy. Islands did not disappoint! While the gf buns seem to have gotten a bit smaller, it also emphasizes that the portion of chicken has remained the same. And hey, they still have gf buns, so that's a win! Sweet potato fries were super hot, right out of the fryer, and while the salsa for our chips was not spicy in the least, it was better when paired with their guac. (Now, if you prefer spicy, even medium spicy, you're gonna want to pass on their salsa.) Hunter was our server, and he was very friendly, attentive, polite, and checked in on us multiple times during our meal. Servers also dropped off refill drinks reliably without being asked, which was so nice (flagging people down when they're busy is a pain)! Overall great experience, and I would definitely visit this location again. Props to Islands for keeping their food and service reliably good no matter which location you visit! read more

This is a great place to eat. It had been a few years since our last visit, but their standards appear to be the same. The burgers were delicious and the fries were generous and served hot. Had a couple of Mai Tai's. They were tasty and quenched on a hot day. Did have to blend the alcohol with a straw since most of it seemed to sit on the top. The bill was not all that bad with the inflation that seems to be raging out of control nowadays. Muy Bueno! read more

Great place to eat with attentive servers and allergen info on all their menu items. Smiling staff from start to finish and great prices to boot! Highly recommend! read more

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Went with my family to try this place on vacation. It was all the potential to be good- vide variety of options on menu and lots of "flavorful" looking options. But it was all bad, lacking taste and needing salt on everything! Service was quick but food was terrible. Go to another place- skip this place! read more

Food is good but manager ruined my experience. Both my kids used to work at this location and I have always enjoyed visiting here. As a vegetarian I've never had an issue. I just swap out a veggie patty for whatever I want. I've literally had every burger on the menu. But apparently whoever the manager is at this time hates vegetarians. I came with some friends last week for the lunch specials before school starts up again since we are teachers and never get to enjoy a weekly lunch special during the 10 months of school. Everyone ordered and then the server came back to the table and told me that I would not be permitted to order off the lunch menu because there were no substitutions. I explained Islands has always offered veggie patty swaps for vegetarians and she explained that her manager said that would be a firm "NO". I was the only one who had to order off the regular menu. I was embarrassed that she was sent back to speak to me as though she was letting me know I wasn't going to be able to "get away with something". I was sad and embarrassed because all my friends gave me that pity look because now they felt sorry for me, and frankly I was angry that he had singled me out to shame and charge full price like I had done something wrong. It ruined my whole experience bc I couldn't shake that feeling and I still think it was a personal decision rather than Islands policy because in two decades that has never happened to me before. read more

Went there and ordered the teriyaki tacos. They were absolutely horrible, barely any chicken in them. Had more lettuce and garnish than anything. Also, the french fries were extremely horrible. They were like cardboard. What a total disappointment. I feel like this place is going downhill. read more

Kind of bummed that they don't have any non alcoholic beer and no mocktails. People's tastes are changing and they need to cater to the new generation of non-drinkers. Every thing else is great regarding service and food. read more

My friend and I went to Islands on Sunday and usually don't sit in the bar at restaurants but Jared the bartender gave us incredible service and is so friendly and the food was amazing, we will definitely be back. Highly recommend islands in Palm desert! Trevor Vogel read more

We've been eating at several Island locations for the last 20 yrs. I have to say yesterday at the Palm Desert location was the worst!! The only good thing i can say is thank God we decided to share a tuna melt instead of us each getting our own meal. The sandwhich had NO MELT whatsoever, i commented that at least the French fries never disappoint. Our server replied "ya i don't know what it is about those things." I said " you should know and i can help you out with that. I explained the secret and told him being a server was probably not the best choice for him OR Islands. He didn't offer to take our sandwich back for a refire but that he would tell his manager. We love to cook and THIS is why I'm not wasting $$ on spur of the moment food to hold us over. Oh, he did offer us a SHOT of something from the bar. read more

We frequent this location about once a week, and we are always impressed with the food and service! Specifically, the food is consistently fresh and delicious. Additionally, we always ask for our server, Angie. She is a true asset to Islands as she continually remembers us and our order. Thank you and see you soon! read more

Food just wasn't good. Burgers taste like frozen patties. Server was terrific, but overall, just not impressed with the food there.

My family loved this place. Everything they gave us was tasty and almost looked like the pictures! My burger was overcooked, but that happens sometimes and I'm not a Karen. The staff was young, but very inviting as soon as you walked into the place! The atmosphere is very family oriented and the food taste good as well. read more

Went to Islands with a couple friends and we decided to eat in the bar. Our server Jared was awesome. He knew the menu and answered all of our questions and had great recommendations for food, he went above and beyond customizing one friend's burger and recommended a different side of onion rings since we ordered fries for the table. He even brought my Diet Coke in a frosty mug,nice touch!! I will be back and I would definitely ask to sit in the bar again if Jared is working. Overall great food and even better service. read more

I had a great meal and great service from Hunter Lee. He was very engaged and attentive and I appreciated the excellent service.

The food we had for lunch was fantastic! There servers were attentive. The restaurant itself was filthy. The ladies restroom was bad. It hadn't been mopped for sometime. The floor was black. The wall that our booth was adjacent to was dirty. Like I said, the food is great, but the it will a long time before we go back. read more

Well if you are smart enough to go for the Bleunami Burger and bottomless fries you will be a happy camper. Lots of ice water and you will float out the door very satisfied! read more

After the request by Islands Restaurant to contact their customer service, I responded. Twice. No answer from Islands Restaurant whatsoever. Thus I'm updating my previous review to the lowest rating I can give. Thanks for the offer to fix the issue. It turns out the food is not the only thing that is "underwhelming." read more

One of my favorite spots, unfortunately this time was a miss. Stale fries, and not even a full order to what they regularly serve. Straight cardboard fries. Burger makes up for it at least. read more

Islands Restaurant - Fries - Burgers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Best food in the palm desert I came here after a camping trip and felt as if I was in a desert oasis. The food was delicious, I licked my plate clean (I got the cheese fries with chili) and the service was excellent! I will definitely come back to this islands whenever I'm in the area again. read more

I went recently had the greatest experience with my family are server angie made our experience that much better there it was the most greatest I've had there just the vibes she gave off and her attitude Also, she was very attentive to our needs. and that made our experience that much better. I'll be back for sure and I will be sitting with her every time I go back. Thank you Angie and thank you Island for having such a great worker there!! read more

Great food , Cheeseburger is my favorite and you gotta try the warm chocolate chip cookies.

My 5 star review is for the No Blame Veggie Tacos, and the service. I have been getting these tacos for years and then they disappear from the menu. I decided to ask and the waitress said I was in luck because they recently brought them back to the 'lunch special menu'. I was so happy. They are under $10 on the lunch special. Lots of fresh grilled veggies made into the most delicious tacos. Soo good! Service is always great, the continual check on your table and there is someone always walking by if you need anything. read more

Islands isn't the same restaurant it was 20+ years ago, but it works in a pinch. Staff was friendly and attentive. Restaurant was clean. But, the Shorebird had a thin piece of chicken (maybe 1/2 the size of days gone by) and the price was now over $16 for the Shorebird sandwich. Fries were lacking flavor. read more

Service is everything! I have been going to Islands in Palm Desert for over 20 years. I have appreciated many of the managers and their teams over the years. Going there weekly and many times daily, I always experienced the best of the best. The atmosphere has been like a 'Cheers'. Some of my favorite servers have moved on in their lives. I am lucky to still be in touch. A stand out associate is Nicole. She had been there since the beginning. Her dedication surpasses all. I believe she stays because of the relationships she grew over the years. There was a time I was their customer almost daily. Then for personal reasons I wasn't there for many months. I walked in like it was yesterday and was made to feel I was the VIP Guest. I must give kudos to Angie and Steve. They are long time employees who are entrenched in knowing and acknowledging the value of repeated guests. Every experience, I walk out happy and satisfied. read more

My husband and I went in to celebrate my birthday. Server was Jared and he was great. Food was amazing and the place has become a date night favorite. Asked for a manager just to check on the alcohol serving size and prices. I'm a server too so Sorry if I scared you Jared. You were amazing. read more

My wife and I have been coming to islands palm desert for years and have always been treated nicely, Today the service was outstanding we noticed a gentleman going around to all the tables to check on other patrons and when he got to us he introduced himself as the manager his name was Ruben he told us he appreciated us being there and if we ever needed anything he would be our guy! The service was great and the the food as always was too thanks islands and Ruben!!!! read more

Our server, Renee was very attentive and friendly. The food was delicious and came out super quickly. We order the Hawaiian and Longboarder - both were great. Definitely will be coming back next time we are in the area! read more

Food is always a crowd pleaser. The service is always hit or miss but if you get Maria, you know you're going to be taking care of. She's a wonderful waitress. read more

Islands always has the BEST FOOD! We came in for our 25th anniversary dinner. I cannot remember what I ate(it was a few cocktails ago) but it was delicious and the cocktails were perfect. Our server Renee needs a huge shout out; she was sweet, accommodating, and did a great job!! Well done Islands, well done read more

Islands Restaurant - Laurie&Richard 25th Anniversary - Burgers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

I stop by for lunch and just wanted a quick burger. Ended up getting the lunch special which was $9.99 for a burger and fries and a burger of the month was a French onion burger. I thought that sounded quite interesting and decided to try that. They were able to wrap the burger and lettuce which actually worked out really well considering some places don't do it well at all. The basket of fries was enormous and came to the table hot and fresh. Staff was great and the food was excellent. Definitely worth checking out and taking advantage of their daily lunch specials. read more

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I agree with the other reviews about Angie. She's great. Enthusiastic, thorough, and very efficient. The tropical flight was great!

Islands has been my favorite CLASSY chain restaurant since around 1984 when I first started taking my teachers to the first restaurant in West L A. Continued taking my staff to Island's in Buena Park/ Fullerton. Now live five minutes away from Island's Palm Desert. Miss Patron Wilson! He will forever be the King of Islands Palm Desert. However, Nicole, whom I seldom see anymore since get her after she leaves, Steve and Hunter are the best. Love the different ages and how the great staff connects to each and every customer. Island's is a place to go where you do not feel you have to talk softly. Great sports and surfing videos! Miss managers Johnny and Marvin, but, as always, another awesome manager! I am a forty year highly honored teacher, counselors and school administrator from Los Angeles County who has been loyal to Islands for forty years! Love the tortilla soup with avocados and onions. read more

Take out was great! Everything was warm, fresh and tasty! Take out person was friendly and polite! read more

I've been eating at Islands in Palm Desert since 2018 and the food has always been very good. We like eating in the bar area where there's generally no wait. You can take a seat at the bar or there are about 5 high-top tables that can seat 4 comfortably or 5 in a pinch. For Appetizers, the Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Island Nachos, Quesadilla, Tiki Tenders or Beachside Sliders are all good choices and if you're not real hungry, any of these can satisfy your appetite. And let's not forget those yummy fries! The burgers are very good; especially the Bluenami and traditional Big Wave with Cheese. The China Coast Salad is my personal fave; love the dressing too! If you love a good BLT, the Wedge is delicious and they don't skimp on the bacon. All of the fish tacos are good. The best part is the bar staff. I'd like to especially give a shout out to Nicole who not only gives you great service, but is one of the nicest and friendliest waiters we've ever dealt with and the biggest reason we try to pop in often for lunch! read more

3 stars because there was nothing remarkable about my experience at this restaurant. (Please jump to end) Maybe not fair as all I saw was hamburgers , tacos and appetizers. My fault for not knowing. The staff was friendly . Service was good. I had a Malibu burger. Nothing to write home about. Restaurant was clean and there was no wait. I originally posted this with 3 stars , but then I met the manager Marvin who was extremely nice And changed my star. He was was extremely concerned with our happiness. I will be back because of my interaction with Marvin read more

We had two birthdays to celebrate and this was a perfect casual atmosphere for six people. It's Tuesday night and not too busy. Service was good and drinks were refilled quickly. Food is really good. Lots of burger options. Fries were very hot and fresh! Gluten-free bun was surprisingly good on my burger. Like my husband's review nothing really out of this world spectacular or unique and that's why I gave four stars. read more

Came with high hopes for a good burger with some island flare. Found out that this place is just another chain. The ambiance is "surf decor". They even have a TV tuned in to surf competition full time. Each table is a laminate board resembling a surf board. My partner order one of their specialty burgers. I ordered a turkey burger, which on the menu was described as having celery, herbs, and green onions mixed in. Mine came with a side of broccoli and I asked for side salad. First, I asked the waitress if it came with mixed greens and she insisted yes. But when it arrived, it was iceberg with a few veggies thrown on top. I also asked for French dressing and got ranch. She whisked it away. When it returned I got romaine chopped up. I'm here to tell you, that's about the most leathery lettuce I have ever tried to chew. They didn't have French so I got balsamic. It was sickeningly sweet. The burgers came out and looked appealing. We ordered whole wheat buns and they were fresh. But the beef hamburger itself tasted like soy meat. The only special thing on the beef burger was an aioli that had no distinct flavor but mayo.My turkey burger was flat and flavorless. The french fries were decent enough. And the iced tea was infused with lemon. It almost tasted like instant tea instead of fresh brew. Well, we were full enough, just not satisfied enough. Guess we will have to hit the actual island to get the real deal. read more