Islands is always one of my favorite places to eat food. I am always happy with the service they provide whether I am eating at the bar or in a booth. Speaking of locations inside the restaurant-- there's never a bad seat inside or outside. The place is a regular spot for myself and my friends. I wish they stayed open later. read more

I am so happy we stopped here today. I was not going to have anything but the best bartender SAM C. convinced me to try Mai Tai Tuesday. Best decision ever. Not to mention he was our server too. He is amazing. I will come back because of Sam. read more

Islands Restaurant - Tortilla Soup and Garden Salad plus Burger Bowl - Burgers Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We've given them a try several times, and we always leave with the same opinion: This is just an overpriced burger joint. You pay more for the atmosphere than you do for the food. On our last visit the fries were cold and bland, and the burgers were average. The salads are good, though, and the drinks are decent. The service was polite and attentive, no complaints there. Santa Barbara is full of places serving a gourmet burger, so I doubt we'll give Islands any more chances to impress us. read more

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Friendly staff, great happy hour specials. Food is great and the restaurant is immaculate read more

The food here was delicious! The French fries ARE gluten free, in their own fryer! So many options to chose from, and our waitress, Sophie, was very helpful on what was safe for me, gluten free, to eat! It wasn't loud, the music was great, and it was very clean! read more

I was visiting Santa Barbara on July 4th and wanted to watch Euro2024. When called James said they are showing games. Its a wonderful place . Big TVs and nice seating . Very happy to hear the audio of the games ( other places they mute the audio). Good selection of beer and spirit. Tasty starters and lunch menu items. Awesome service from James and Sam. read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Food is great, services is great and the Ambiance is family friendly vibes along with a bar but it's never rowdy. They have something for everyone even Vegans and vegetarians. read more

What can I say- I love me some Islands...! I could eat a Shorebird any day anytime. Sadly, my neighborhood Islands closed. Now I take advantage of my frequent trips to Santa Barbara by stopping in for some delectable grub. This Islands is in a huge shopping center with ample parking. We were seated upon arrival and asked to be seated outside- because everyday in SB is beautiful. Even if you're facing the parking lot, you still get a view of the amazing mountains. Our outgoing, upbeat server Owen was so chill and on top of his game. He was ready to refill our refreshing Passion Iced Teas and bring extra napkins and pickles with a smile. We even had some fun football convo. My Aunt and I both ordered Shorebirds. She gets all the fixings, I take mine without Lettuce or tomatoes. As usual, I cut my sandwich in half as if I'm going to bring the other half home. Yeah right! Who am I kidding? I can't resist eating this whole thing at one sitting. It's always delicious in my opinion all the way to the last bite. Would have loved to have had room for Kona Pie, but we were too full in a good way. Thank you Islands for always being so yummy. read more

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Worst dining at an Islands ever. Food had been sitting for a while and was unappetizing. The only thing the waitress was good at was eye rolling. The one star was for the manager who was trying his best. All said and done we will not go back. read more

1st time coming here and it was really good my kids enjoyed the food and the variety of items to chose from definitely will come again read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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We like this Santa Barbara Islands. I know it's a chain......but the staff always make it more personal. The manager James is exceptional. The burgers and fries are yummy, but messy. Upgrade to Onion Rings. They are amazing! read more

4 for lunch today, 3 burgers and a patty melt. Hawaiian Burger with teriyaki and grilled pineapple was great...large and messy, but very good flavor. Fries were a little oversalted. Decent beer selection. Two of us had Firestone DBA. Service was excellent and attentive. Parking is easy, atmosphere is clean and pleasant. read more

The island isn't big enough for the both of us. Island's seems to be suited for families and that's something this town needs. Probably good on the weekend after your kids game. For me, glad I tried but not my vibe. Post lunch rush in a 1/2 empty restaurant with from what I could tell everyone had their orders. The people around me were chatting away and seemed to enjoy themselves. Looked like adequate staff and very friendly. Inside, patio, bar all available. Warm day so I took advantage of the AC. Server was prompt and took my drink order saying he'd be right back for the food. No problem. And he was right back. The menu is not large but I wanted to pick the right burger. Fun selection of classics and more. There are also salads and sandwiches but not an overwhelming amount of choices. Hula $15.79 (Sautéed mushrooms, Swiss, lettuce, tomato & mayo). They all come with fries or you can sub rings and a number of other options. Cooking temp starts at medium. The fries were great with just a little seasoning. I wanted to devour them while they were piping hot but I did not want a cold burger to I tacked that first. I should have gone with my gut. The burger was dry. The mushrooms were dry. The wheat bun was good though. I can't really blame Islands. Come to think of it, maybe this is what a medium burger is supposed to be. I'm a medium-rare beef person so I'll let you be the judge. Service continued to be great for me. My server checked on me a few times, refilled my tea and when he brought me the check he let me know it was not rush. Thanks! I was out the door for around $25 with tip so not as cheap as the other burger place in the parking lot but you get to kick back with table service and a bar. Bright, airy, and looks big with plenty of parking. This could be your next little league hang out and I bet it's packed on the weekend. That's just not my kind of place but I'm glad I tried. read more

Went to islands today and the server in the pink shirt with the scarf tied around her ponytail was so RUDE. she acted like she didn't want to be there and did not even try to be friendly when seating us, taking our order, and would barely come by to refill water. When we got our food she basically was just like "here" and walked away. And there was a shift change part way through our meal. She said to us "If want anything don't ask me, ask the other server" and she proceeded to help other tables except out for like 10-15 minutes after she said that. She was rude, cold, and seemed uninterested in being there. Newsflash: working is a choice. Don't be rude to customers. Definitely made me not want to go back to islands; which is really sad because I used to enjoy it. read more

Awesome food, great atmosphere, and even better service. I truly can't say one negative thing about Islands Santa Barbara. Food is always fantastic. Perfect every single time. Best fries in town. The atmosphere is fun and certainly has the surfer vibe. The service is beyond, BEYOND amazing. If you're looking for a fun chill spot to grab some food and hang out for a bit, go to Islands! read more

I've been to Islands a couple of times in the past few months, and I'm growing quite fond of it.  It's a nice place to head for when you want to watch a game while grabbing a bite and a brew.  To date, my friends and I have never had trouble finding seating when we come here :-) The interior makes you feel like you're on an tropical island. The venue is filled with surfboards, hibiscus decor, and plants. Prepare to embrace a tropical vibe! Last time we came, our friendly waitress brought me three draft tastes so I could pick the right brew to match my mood.  With that done, I was craving a burger so I consulted our very helpful waitress again, and I decided to take her suggestion and go with the Maui Burger.  That comes with onion, lettuce, tomato, Swiss, mayo, and guacamole; I got it on a wheat bun and it came with a side of fries. Before I was ready for my second beer, the burger arrived and I dug in - it was very good!  The Swiss was nicely melted, the guacamole was fresh, and the beef patty was cooked medium rare, exactly as I had asked.  It was flavorful, juicy, and nicely seasoned.  With a second brew to keep it company, I was one very happy camper! Islands is a place that I've been enjoying and have no problem recommending, especially if you want to eat out somewhere while watching a game. I'll be back! read more

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I came in the other day and sat inside with my boyfriend. I got the chicken tortilla soup which was delicious! I love the strawberry lemonade also. My server Gloria gave excellent service and I really enjoyed talking with her! Overall great experience! read more

Great staff. So cheery and helpful in choosing meals. I had the Northshore tacos and a watermelon margarita. Both were so good. My son had chicken tenders which were good as well. Great location, plenty of parking. read more

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We first heard of this restaurant when they had a booth at the UCSB Alumni event earlier this year. Their food was far and away the best of all the vendors. My son and his roommate loved the sliders. Today I came down to take him shopping and we happened to be in the La Cumbre Mall and remember this restaurant was here. We came in for lunch and were not disappointed! The ambiance is fun and comfortable, the service was outstanding and the food was even better then we remembered. It may just look like a "burger" joint but the food was fresh and you could taste the quality of the ingredients. My son wants to bring his roommates back and next time I come down, I am definitely trying one of the fun cocktails on the menu! read more

Islands Restaurant - Amazing Cobb Salad - Burgers Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Kate Myers is the most amazing server. She helps us every week at our Santa Barbara Islands and is THE MOST WONDERFUL SERVER! She is competent, skillled, kind, attentive, and she remembers everything we order. islands is lucky to have her as an employee, and we are lucky to have her in our lives! Kate is a superstar! read more

Updated: went here on a Sunday at lunch time with a party of eight. We got seated right away and had an amazing server (John) who was very attentive. We had our drinks and fries constantly refilled. The bus boys and server did a great job clearing the table as needed. The manager came by to check on us two or three times. The food was also good! I loved my Impossible Burger. Delicious! The fish tacos were good as well. My grandmother put some hot sauce on but that's just her preference for all food. I appreciated the kids menu as well since it offered a good amount of options. Overall a great time! We will be back. Great happy hour! Monday through Friday until 6:30pm. Good selection kids meal. Burgers are huge! Love the onion read more

James and Bailey and the entire staff are so friendly and welcoming. I love my new hangout. My favorites are the tortilla soup and China Coast salad. Lots of other tasty stuff too. read more

We came here while on vacation looking for some good Hawaiian style food. We ordered the Hawaiian burger and the Malibu burger, with sweet potato and truffle fries on the side. We also got the spinach artichoke chips and dip appetizer, and a scoop of ice cream for dessert. All of the food was good, but it wasn't special. The burgers were on par with many other upper end burger joints. The appetizer was good, but also kind of average good. The truffle fries were great if you like fresh cut fries. The sweet potato fries were okay. Ice cream was yummy as it always is. The service was good and in all we enjoyed our meal, but for $75 after tip, it felt a little pricey. read more

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Kids friendly, great food and nice service. Love the burgers and drinks options for adults read more

We had a Mother's Day family dinner. Spinach artichoke dip . All the mothers enjoyed their meals. Service was outstanding, the team works well together. read more

Great sliders! Astute servers. There were 17 of us girlfriends. We got amazing top-notch attention. Outside table ambiance. Will happily go back! read more

WHERES THE BEEF! Went to lunch with three kids today, nothing like placing the kids orders immediately so that they aren't screaming about how hungry they are and then placing my order 10 In later only to have my sliders arrive to the table 10min before the kids meals ‍at least the kids meals were decent in proportion but what's up with these sliders!! I don't know why I keep going back to islands? I want it to be good so badly! Also I love their frozee! read more

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Great restaurant! We come to Santa Barbara often, but never make it this far up state street. We sat on their patio with our dog, they have heaters so we were very comfortable. We came during happy hour, so I had the happy hour mai tai. Not the best, but good for the price. We had some happy hour apps: buffalo chicken mini quesadillas - good but very spicy, and the Kalua sliders - very good! They also brought us a plate of fries because we were first timers. At first I though ok fries, cool, but there's fries are SO GOOD! Highly recommend! Then we were still a bit hungry so we shared the break point burger. AMAZING. Then to finish we shared the kalua our, very good! On top of the great food and atmosphere the best part was the service! From the host to the waiter, to the multiple managers who checked in with us, everyone was incredibly friendly and accommodating! I highly recommend. read more

Islands Restaurant - Complimentary Fries - very high quality! - Burgers Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I'm happy that this place is still seating guests. I came here predominately because I wanted to watch the Memphis vs Portland 8 seed battle and the staff was so nice and helpful. The manager came out to put the game on for me and my friend and I just relaxed here as we were leaving Santa Barbara back to Los Angeles. We ordered a couple burgers and a side of green bean fries. Everything was great and I left satisfied. I've never been here being from the mid south. I gave this place 5 stars because the service was great. They are working hard through COVID 19. And the food was exactly what I paid for and it was flavorful and fresh. I'll be back. One day. read more

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My husband and I stopped by this restaurant on a whim while we were out running errands. Bailey, the bartender, was so kind to allow us to order off the lunch menu even though it was a little past 2 pm. The food was delicious and the portions were generous. It was a great start to our Santa Barbara trip. read more

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This place is absolutely amazing! The service is unparalleled and the food is amazing. Just a great atmosphere in general! Every employee was very kind but Nevaeh in specific was the best waitress. Will be coming back! read more

We are regulars here as we are locals to Santa Barbara. If we are out and about and want a quick wholesome meal, we often come here. We are on their locals rewards program. It's a simple menu with wholesome food served by friendly efficient people consistently. We have enjoyed Islands food throughout the years. read more

Islands is a great addition to La Cumbre Plaza. I'm so glad we have another option to dine at in this area. Hopefully this chain restaurant will be a survivor and keep serving good food. The staff here was very welcoming and our waiter Matthew did a great job tending to us throughout our visit. The restaurant itself has been transformed into a beachy tropical vibe and the patio area looks great! For my order I couldn't decide between the Malibu burger which has applewood smoked bacon or the Hula burger with mushrooms. Thanks to my friend we decided to split the burgers and share that way we had the best of both worlds! The Hula burger was my fave! They didn't skimp on the shrooms and it was full of flavor, juicy and delicious. Get the wheat bun! The Malibu was served picture perfect but It was loaded with too much raw onion for me which i had to take out, but if i order this again I'd ask for grilled onions. I didn't realize it only had mustard and no mayo. I'm not a huge mustard fan but overall the burger was still good and I'm glad i could try it. The fries were just ok but they are bottomless so that's a plus! For drinks we had the Mai Tai and I have to say this was the best Mai Tai I've had thus far. It wasn't too strong as they tend to be and it wasn't overly sweet. It was made perfectly! I especially loved the crushed ice. They have Mai Tai Tuesday specials for $5 bucks! Regular price is close to $10 so take advantage of that special. Happy Hour on the weekday is 3pm-6:30pm an extra half hour longer than Lure and starts again at 9pm to close. The outside patio area also includes happy hour prices. Overall I had a great experience here and only time will tell if the service will remain 5 Stars and the food served as fresh and delicious as it was on my first visit. Looking forward to my next visit to try more items on the menu. read more

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I was a little nervous of trying this Islands location because of the mixed reviews. I'm so glad we went. The food was great. We had the Toucan and our granddaughter had the Maui. These sandwiches were massive and glad we shared. The sweet potato fries were perfect. I wish I had taken pics of our food but it was so good, I devoured the whole thing before realizing. Our waitress was young and shy but attentive. Did I mention the food was amazing!!! Thanks Islands Santa Barbara. I'll be back for that lava cake. read more

Really great burgers, drinks and environment! Takes dogs ( outside seating). I loved my MaiTai!

Service here was horrid. After getting a "well-done" burger (which was clearly raw and severely undercooked), no apologies were given from any worker at the restaurant, including the manger. Absolutely unacceptable. They offered a replacement burger but I was already sick to my stomach. read more

Islands Restaurant - "Well-done burger" doesn't look very well done to me. - Burgers Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Nice service, decent salad and great sweet potato fries onion rings were crispy and good .. very pleasant staff and cold beer

Honestly, it is very relieving to just have a place like this. Reminds me of going to like the best version of your parents' favorite restaurant on a Friday night as a kid. Service is great. Our server was very on top of everything without hovering. The good is way better than it needs to be and there are also large portions. Beer is good too. Definitely a solid choice when you want to chill and have a burger with your family. read more

First time was alright Second time food was salty and bad service Drink was not good either don't go here read more

Went by Islands to get my free bday dessert. It happened to be happy hour so we stayed and had some snacks for dinner. My husband got the pulled pork sliders and I had the sriracha wings. We also shared some cheesy fries. What a feast!! I LOVED the sriracha wings and my husband really enjoyed the sliders. The cheesy fries were very good. My favorite, of course, was my free bday KONA pie!! It was HUGE and a delicious treat to celebrate my birthday. read more

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