Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Islands Restaurant

    3.6 (733 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Islands Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    Islands Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    ISLANDS RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

    You might also consider

    More like Islands Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Islands Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Lunch Double Stack Burger & Kids Meal
    Jenny D.

    Amazing service, vibes, people. The food is always out within 10-13 minutes which makes it perfect for lunch, kids, and more. The happy hour specials and lunch deals are insane. If you're not coming in during happy hour or a lunch special, you're missing out. Highly recommend. Located inside a Plaza with Kabuki, 300 Bowl, and more inside Hastings Ranch in Pasadena.

    Signage
    Ron R.

    We have been to this Islands location several times recently for their happy hour. The three star Yelp rating seems more reflective of the demands of the privileged clientele that comes here rather than the actual quality of the food and service at this location. This Islands is in a large strip mall with a shared lot. There are several other popular restaurants surrounding it. Consequently, parking can be challenging. Although there are few premium spaces in front of the restaurant, the back lot is quite large and you can usually park further away and walk if the front and sides are full. During peak hours on weekdays and on weekends there is a line and a 20-30 min or more wait time. Although Islands is an enjoyable sit down burger experience, it is not worth the wait during peak hours in our opinion. Consequently, we usually come during non-peak times or sit in the bar to order if during peak times to skip the wait. The happy hour deals for food and drinks are not bad and are currently served every day of the week. The bar has TVs so you can watch your team play while you sip a happy hour drink and make a meal of appetizers. Full sized burgers typically take 15-30 min for ANY sit down burger place to make to order depending on how busy they are and Islands is no exception. If you are in a hurry, don't blame them, either order ahead to go or go to a fast food place. Islands burgers, fries, and appetizers are typical quality for comparable sit down burger places--they are not exceptional and are outmatched by local burger joints, but are 5 stars for a chain restaurant. If you want a better value and quality go to your favorite mom and pop burger joint like Jim's or Paul's. If you want a nice sit down family style experience with adult beverages, then Islands is a great choice. In the past the service here has been ok to good. On recent visits our servers were good to very good. We have tried their deep blue sea, Mai Tai, Shipwreck, Pima Colada, and Island Sodas recently. The cocktails vary in quality depending who is tending bar and the Island Sodas are just ok-worth a try, but we would not get them again. We will definitely come back for the happy hour for the cocktails and have either our favorite appetizers or a burger with them. The fries, wings, and sliders are all not bad happy hour items. Definitely recommend giving these guys a try during non-peak hours for a sit down style burger experience with friends or family or to come see the game while getting happy hour drinks/appetizers in the bar area.

    Fries
    Lily V.

    I've been to Islands a few times before with my family at the Covina location and we were craving burgers so we decided to stop by the Pasadena one. Walking in, it wasn't busy since it was a weekday night but also late so we missed happy hour! Staff was wick and attentive, checked in on us regularly and made sure we had coasters for our drinks. We didn't order an appetizer so we ordered a burger (blue cheese) and sandwich (fried chicken). We got our fries first, I asked for a lot of ranch and they delivered! Fries were so crispy and love the ones crispy and soggy at the same time (iykyk). I think my favorite was the blue cheese burger, not overwhelming and tangy cheese made it so much elevated than a regular burger. It was a bit messy and overflowing with cheese but it was worth the mess. Good thing they gave us forks! Fried chicken was thick, juicy, and crispy and stacked with bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and sauce. I'm glad it wasn't messy and stayed together, otherwise I'm eating this with a fork too! Our server was really nice and checked on us often, we felt like our dinner was smooth and no bumps! Overall, nice dinner, would come back.

    Maverick burger
    Stephen C.

    Island burgers are so good. My favorite is the maverick burger with the crispy onions. They don't do unlimited fries anymore. I'm guess I'm a couple years late to the game. Service was great. The vibe is still surf. The burgers are still bomb. Parking is easy. Huge lot. Overall: Will return

    Menu cover
    Al L.

    Islands is always fun and lively as far as I remember. Today was just as I remembered. They have a happy hour, I came for lunch . Ordered the Beach bowl and that was very tasty. Filled with broccoli, peppers, pineapple, edamame and chicken on a bed of white rice. Topped with a hoisin sauce mmm sooo good. The drinks were teas and I had the unsweetened passion fruit and it was better than expected. The service was exceptional. The servers were attentive, pleasant and accommodating!! The drinks were brought out right away, the food was served hot , nothing more to ask for Great time , Great Service and Great Food

    Chris C.

    Aww boo, I haven't been in a while they took away the fries refill!!! It's a slow Monday night, got seated right away. The server took the perfect amount of time to check in with us to take our our order. If you are not familiar with islands, it's a divy family restaurant dimly lit sports playing on all the TVs a great selection of beers and drinks We split 2 burgers, the Moa crisp and the bluenami. The onions were a perfect thinly sliced, the bite in wasn't overwhelming red onion but a compliment to the other ingredients. The Moa crisp was like the best chicken BLT you have ever had. Thanks to my server Hailey for elevating this experience.

    Interior
    Ray M.

    My wife and I were first-time visitors to this location, and we truly enjoyed our dining experience. The restaurant is a tad older than other Islands locations we have visited; however, this did not detract from how much we enjoyed our visit. The vibe here is fun, with surfboards on display throughout the restaurant, plants, and bird pictures on the walls. TVs throughout the restaurant were on, showing women's soccer, while we had lunch. The menus, located at the end of the table, offered a variety of unique and delicious-sounding items. Our waiter (Robert or Frank? Sorry) was absolutely AWESOME! He was super friendly, attentive, and hard-working. Our waiter checked on us a total of six times while we had lunch, making sure we were doing okay. GREAT service! My wife and I both had salads for lunch. She had the Mediterranean Bowl while I had the Pacific Rim Bowl. Bowl salads were delicious, well-prepared, and fresh. Each offering refreshing and unique flavors when combined in a bowl. I also had a side of island fries, while my wife and I both shared a side of tempura green beans, which were delicious. Parking is readily available in the parking lot shared by several other restaurants located in the same shopping center. My wife and I enjoyed our visit, and though this location is not convenient for us to visit as we live over twenty miles away, we would definitely visit here again when in the area.

    Beachside Sliders
    Stephanie H.

    Haven't been back to Islands since high school, so this was a nostalgic visit! Came for the happy hour deal from 3-6:30 pm, and it was already so busy! Luckily did not have to wait for a table and got seated quickly (definitely recommend to come before 5 to skip the wait). The server was so nice and attentive, and took our orders quickly. Ordered some apps off the happy hour menu, and some burgers off the full menu and things came out hot and fresh! Portions were large for the apps, which is a great deal for happy hour. The burger patty in the burger/sliders were so juicy and cooked perfectly! Fries were a bit on the tougher side (not my fave), but the onion rings were super crispy and delicious with the ranch and BBQ sauce! The restaurant was packed and servers were everywhere busy, but were still very kind and checked in on us multiple times. Overall a great environment!

    Emi G.

    Got the mushroom burger and it was pretty good just wish it had something acidic to cut the taste a bit....like pickles maybe. Ended up asking for mustard which did the trick. Islands always hits man. My date got a gluten free bun, cool that they have that option. Cool server too

    Heaven on a platter.
    Alex M. ..

    My sister was a server at the Chino location for 5+ years so I got to know Islands so well. The cheese fries are always INSANE. Shredded and melted perfectly topped with scallions and served with Ranch. Everything you want in a cheese fry. The Kilauea is my favorite. The jalapeño have a spicy touch thought it's not unbearable. Pepper jack and chipotle aioli are perfect together. The crispy onion strings are the icing on the cake.

    Strawberry Margarita
    Rox C.

    Ok.. so yes w come here often but so what lol its good. The place is clean, service is great and the food is scrumptious. Great location to eat & watch a UCLA game on a rainy day.

    Fish tacos

    See all

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of E D.
    8
    119
    26

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Art O.
    9
    62
    11

    3 years ago

    Great service and quality food. Manager very attentive and in tune with what's going on around. Will always come back here - love Islands.

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    A step up from fast food and good selection of house beers. Great for kids and families.

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Katie B.

    Katie B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Don C.
    137
    156
    36

    3 years ago

    Hamburger patty was cooked perfect, onion rings delicious , service was better than average.

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Senor K.
    103
    49
    11

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ronald C.
    8
    354
    1001

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Miss B.
    10
    33
    25

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lynn S.
    16
    12
    2

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Katie B.

    Katie B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Debbie P.
    11
    67
    53

    5 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Oscar R.
    240
    138
    82

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Beth S.
    42
    27
    6

    3 years ago

    Hannah S. Was very kind and accommodating! Great food and will return! Thank you Hannah ! Love the sports they show on the TV as well

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kat M.
    88
    11
    3

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jon M.
    3
    59
    2

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Theresa M.

    Theresa M.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 15
    Thanks 0
    Love this 16
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    Page 5 of 19

    Ask the Community - Islands Restaurant

    Do you still offer bottomless fries with the burgers & chicken sandwiches? Last visit I had it was not offered. Yet people next to us got them?

    Bottomless fries are no longer offered.

    Is there outside dining?

    No there isn't.

    You might also consider

    foothill

    foothill

    4.2(1.4k reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Foothill restaurant is located in east Pasadena, very close to the 210 freeway and San Gabriel…read moreBlvd. We visited mid-afternoon and were able to park right in front on Foothill Blvd, but I believe they have a small parking lot behind the restaurant off Wenger Alley. Seating options include the main dining room, at the bar or in the bar-half of the interior, or at a table on their spacious outdoor patio, which has plenty of covering, umbrellas, and heat lamps for colder weather. You can make a reservation on OpenTable. We sat in the main dining room. The interior has a cozy feel and good vibe, with music playing in the background at a medium level. We happened to visit on Sunday which is Greek Night. In addition to the main food and drink menu, there is an additional food and cocktail menu with Greek inspired items. We decided to share the Kleo-tini (gin, basil, Kleos mastiha, olive bitters, $14) with a Greek spirit you will probably rarely see. It was a healthy pour in what seemed like a slightly oversized martini glass. It was very good, and definitely had a unique botanical/herbal flavor unlike any I've tasted before. We started out with the zucchini chips ($16) from the Greek menu. They were thin-cut, had a light breading brading on them, with a sprinkle of I believe oregano on top. It was a good portion, and we enjoyed the zatziki sauce for dipping. For my entrée, I had the lemon herb grilled chicken (marinated organic Mary's chicken, julienne vegetables, roasted potatoes, lemon beurre blanc, $30). It was a surprisingly large piece of chicken with a nice crisp on the skin, and was smothered in that great lemon butter sauce. The chicken was nice and moist. The veggies were good, and I only had a few of the potatoes because I was stuffed. She had the grilled Scottish salmon (wild caught salmon, dill mustard buerre blanc, sautéed spinach, whipped potatoes, $36). It came with a good sized piece of fish with lots of butter sauce on top. The spinach and potatoes were also good, and she enjoyed the entrée. Our server Carolyn was friendly and provided good service. We enjoyed everything here, and the menu has a wide variety of items. They have even more offerings on Greek Sunday. We would definitely return when in the area.

    RESERVATION IS A MUST for the Boozy Brunch! Well, if you don't want to wait 30+ minutes, that is…read more Hahaha! We ended up sitting at the bar. The service was pretty good from the bar staff. They checked on us several times during our meal to make sure everything was okay. We ordered the Crab Cake Benedict and the Short Rib Hash along with their coffee. The food came out very quick... It seems the food was prepared in advance and just plated when ordered. The Crab Cake Benedict looked very good. The presentation was flawless. We dug into the poached egg on top of the crab cake. The yolk didn't run as much as we thought and hoped. However, it was good. The Crab Cake was barely warm and didn't have a crispy outside. It really didn't have much flavor at all either. It was quite disappointing. The sauce they used was quite bland and the English muffin that held the crab cakes and the poached egg on top was very chewy and didn't feel freshly toasted. I had expected so much more from this place. We asked for potatoes to be well done and crispy. They did cook it very well but it wasn't crispy at all and it was very salty. I guess the crop cake Benedict and the potatoes kind of balanced each other out, but that shouldn't be the way a dish is prepared. Both items should be tasty in itself. The short rib hash was presented quite well. The poached egg was a bit overdone as well. The short rib meats actually felt like they were actually lean meats on briskets. Flavor was good and the meat was tender. But I expected short ribs and got briskets. The sauce was good with the briskets. The potatoes... I actually expected hash browns but it was breakfast potatoes which was mixed into the sauce and was soggy. Potatoes were very salty and made the sauce salty as well. Overall, this dish was too salty for my taste. It looks like salt is the chef's favorite seasoning and they are very generous with it. We didn't make any comments about the food being too salty as we didn't want the food to go to waste. The bar staff did a good job refilling our coffee and checking to make sure our food was good. I probably won't come back because the food appears to be too salty overall for my taste. The atmosphere seems nice and they had many reserved large parties that were getting together for the Sunday brunch. Once again, make sure you make reservations!

    Photos
    foothill
    foothill
    foothill

    See all

    Lucky Baldwins Pub - Full English Breakfast

    Lucky Baldwins Pub

    3.8(1.3k reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    Sports on TV

    This was one of our favorite places in pre-pandemic Pasadena. We had some "could have been better"…read moreexperiences during the awkward period of reopening several years ago, but since then it seems to have mostly hit its stride. Overall, our recent experiences have been solid. It's always great when an "old favorite" still feels like a good value. I miss some of the menu items like the lentil shepherd's pie, but we have very much enjoyed the hearty English breakfast. They also have a good selection of European beers on tap. Service has been friendly, but it is lightly staffed and pretty slow, so it's not a good place if you are in a hurry. They don't keep an eye on the patio, so if you sit out there, it's best to go inside and let them know. They also seem to have more rules than before - but I have to imagine these have come from experience. I don't think this is an ideal place to go with a large group. If it's a quiet night you might be able to pull tables together long-ways, but most tables seem ideal for 2-4. We come with our dog and sit on the patio when it isn't busy. The dog meals are massive (more food than ours eats in a whole day and she weighs 60 lbs). It's a good value, but beware if your dog is on a diet! Overall, my favorite thing is that genuinely feels like a pub, in that you can just come as you are and take your time without being rushed. A good fit for both locals and visitors in Pasadena.

    today I stopped at my favorite pub of 20 years to have lunch. Never really had a bad experience…read morebefore. whoever they had working at the bar is 30 something male with salt and pepper go tea you came in when I was having lunch between mine and 12. There was a friendly play working the bar she was half affable and charming. Partway into the shift a 30s something male came to join as the bartender. He was far more interested in the arsenal game than he was of taking care of clients. It was clearly lots to do and yet he just sat and watched the game, simple things like giving me my check as soon as I was done with my food were ignored so that he could watch arsenal. Never before in my 20 years of coming to this bar, have I ever noticed server or employee of lucky Baldwin's paying more attention to the TVs then to the guests this was very offputting and this guy should not be there if this is how he usually operates very bad experience. I hate so much to give this review because the fish and chips were absolutely ridiculously outstanding as normal I will be happy to remove this review if management will give me a call and explain to me why this happened and what I should expect going forward

    Photos
    Lucky Baldwins Pub - Bangers&mash

    Bangers&mash

    Lucky Baldwins Pub - 12oz ribeye w/fries and green beans for $17.95

    12oz ribeye w/fries and green beans for $17.95

    Lucky Baldwins Pub

    See all

    Islands Restaurant - burgers - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...