Food and service was great. The cheese fries and ranch were very good, as well as the burger and chicken sandwich! read more

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The wife and I met family members for lunch. I always buy fish tacos!! But today I got the 3 pork tacos. They were the worst ever. They were full of filling and a very small amount of pork. I only ate 2 and that was enough due to poor quality. I would of talked to the manager but didn't want to cause a stink with family members there. Islands is good....but pork tacos suck. read more

My husband and I ordered a half order of cheddar fries with bacon got charged two dollars for a one slice of bacon and the fries were not good not done. We split a burger that was supposed to be medium. Ended up being well done. Worst ever experience will never be back. read more

Came during happy hour with family and was told they only do happy hour at the bar, not at the table/booths. What an absolutely ridiculous distinction. The server had to get a manager to see if they could make it work. They did, sort of: happy hour prices on Cheddar Fries, not on the Mai Tai. Our server seemed upset by us making a fuss to get the happy hour prices as she didn't visit our table for rest of night. We had to wave her down as she got close to our table. It was kinda funny as she'd glance at our table then quickly look away. I was self-conscious about the whole happy hour situation, but the prices are legitimately 1/2 off and make a difference. That all being said, Islands was expensive. Each burger was $18+ and substitutions, like onion rings and a salad, take the price to ~$23. We got 3 burgers with 3 side substitutions, a Mai Tai, a Diet Coke, and Cheddar Fries. It cost $89 before tip. Love the kitschy vibe and thought food was good, not great. Despite the awkward service, I'd go back if it wasn't for the prices. read more

Food and service was excellent. It was Father's Day and we assumed it would be extremely busy, we were pleasantly surprised to hear e no wait for either a table or food. read more

Sadly, this wasn't our first choice in places to eat out that night, but with my son's desire for chicken wings, no ones' desire to go to Wings n' Things, and a BOGO card staring at us through a sea of other coupons, or selection of restaurants was set. And I can't say that I went out of my way to have an Impossible Burger, but seeing it advertised on the sign outside of this Islands made me realize that if were going to try it anywhere, it should be someplace a step above Burger King. And was it any good? No, not really. The patty was dry and crumbly, as if someone forgot to mix an egg into a cake batter, and even when coated in mustard and ketchup couldn't even come close to tasting anything like a hamburger. Now, I don't have anything against vegetarian patties, some by Morning Star are really quite good, but when something is touted as "delicious as the real thing," reality can be exceedingly disappointing. There's a place in Carlsbad called Hennessey's that serves a portobello mushroom burger, where the patty is one full mushroom cap, sautéed soft, which is three kinds of brilliant. Island's Impossible Burger doesn't even come close. To their credit, the waiter saw my disappointment and they tried to make amends, offering to bring something else that might impress. But, it was my mistake to order what I did. I'm sure if I had gotten anything safer off the menu I could have taken them up on their offer, but not when making such a sketchy choice from the start. On the plus side, at least the fries were pretty good. Which is kind of how everyone's dinner went. My wife had the Hula Burger, their version of a mushroom swiss. She ate it with a shrug, also enjoying her fries more than the entree. There wasn't anything really wrong with it, it was just average; the kind of burger you'd expect from Denny's or Rimel's. Our son had the Buffalo Wings appetizer, who, let's face it, has never met a wing he didn't love. Ultimately, I'm not really disappointed. On the one hand, the service was pretty damned great. On the other ... I mean, it's Islands. Better burgers can be had for cheaper in many other places. You're here for a specific Hawaiian kitsch and maybe some ranch for the fries; normally, I would stay away just to avoid the aesthetic. Still, if you want a sit-down, franchise hamburger and are tired of Chili's or Outback, you could do worse. read more

Ordered from Door Dash a few days ago and the burger was very pink. I have very sick with a UTI that probably could be traced back to the undercooked ground beef. I really expect much better kitchen management from your chain. From other reviews, I see that undercooked is an issue with your locations sometimes. Not sure I will ever eat at an Islands again! read more

I had the best experience at the Islands in Vista! Alli is such a gem! She made me the best drinks and we had a great conversation. She knew the menu really well and answered all my questions. The burgers were great too! 10/10 experience. Thank you! read more

Islands Restaurant - Bar area - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

Ordered and paid for food online... picked it up and went home... burgers and wraps were delicious but we were missing both orders of fries. We paid extra for the fries so I'm sad they weren't in there. read more

Islands Restaurant - Receipt, no fries in our bag - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

I love their soup ! Every time I go here I have to get their soup. Tried the fish tacos they were dry but not bad once you add the secret sauce they packed to go with it. They have curbside pickup and was ready when we requested it to be picked up. Easy and convenient. read more

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I came here a few months ago and the food was all really good. Waitress was excellent and food was really fresh and portions were huge. I genuinely had no complaints and clearly wanted to come back. In the time since, things seem to have taken a dive. Came here tonight for dinner and at the start things seemed fine. Waitress was attentive and we got our appetizer of chips, salsa and guacamole in a reasonable time. I did take a bit to decide what I wanted to order but again the waitress remained super kind and patient. I ordered a burger well done and sauces on the side. When the entrees came out is when things really took a turn. My burger came out looking fine but when I cut into it, it was raw. I cut a small section maybe 1/4 off to start eating and it was entirely pink and falling apart from being so raw. I wish so much I would've thought to get a picture, I was just very hungry trying to get a new burger asap. I asked both my friends who I came with who confirmed, it was totally raw. I also got a side of onion rings that came out so oily I had to wash my hands twice to get the oil off my fingers. Beyond that, my friend had asked for some sides with his meal that he did not get. I had to wait another extended period of time for my new burger to come out, this time it was fine just again exceptionally greasy to the point I hardly had any. I was also disappointed that I was showing her how it had been the edge of the burger that was still entirely raw, had my entire table backing me and she still told me it was medium. My friend had to request a manager to get his sides as well because time and time again our waitress and no one else brought them. By the time he did get what he requested, the rest of his food was cold as he planned to eat it together. I understand they did have a decent amount of people there, but there was never a wait and there were some empty tables at certain points so I'm not sure what all was going on. Lastly, I heard the waitress talk to the table behind us and on the side of us, both who had to take their food back twice and some people didn't want to chance it a third time (understandably) and asked their meal to be credited. By the time we were heading home, 2/3 of the party started to feel sick where 1/3 actually did get physically ill. I really don't know that I'd come back here again after this, there's just so many places to go and going out isn't cheap so you want what you pay for. We threw away our leftovers which was more than half of our food, unfortunate but it does happen. Come at your own risk! read more

So sad the one Carlsbad closed , but I came all this way for a burger and fries . They have the best friesb

Islands in Vista is a little easier to get to during the crazy holiday traffic. The other Islands at the Carlsbad Shoppes Mall has too much traffic this time of year (Dec). They are known for their burgers but we tried their taco trios. I ordered the pork & my wife ordered the chicken. The three tacos were huge and delicious, filling the platter. My wife could only finish two of the three. Both the chicken and pork were great (we shared) but I enjoyed the spicier more savory pork taco just a bit more. But it is Spicy. Next time I'm going to try the teriyaki chicken tacos. read more

Islands is one of my favorite places to eat at, especially their appetizers, burgers, and fries! I usually come here for lunch but came for dinner. The server we had was really nice and energetic that he brought our drinks we ordered pretty quick. Our go-to appetizer is always the Artichoke & Spinich Dip! There are other places who has this available but can never make it better than here! The burger I always get is Hula burger. I would usually eat the whole burger myself; but, because we got the Artichoke & Spinich Dip, I decided to split the burger in half and share. It wasn't bad at all since the fries were endless fries! The only one downside was that the things we asked for were given a bit late and our server started to become a bit awkward once we were starting to eat, so it felt a weird vibe. But otherwise, I'd definitely recommend this place! read more

Islands Restaurant - Spinach ad Artichoke Dip with Avocado and Salsa - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

This place is our "go to". Great service, we always eat in the bar area. We walk in and they make you feel at home. Great food and drinks. And, believe it or not, the salads are incredible. We go there so often now, I think we are considered one of the regulars. read more

Allison is an awesome waitress and bartender!! She is very friendly and customer service amazing!! Thank you!!!

Our go-to place for a casual dinner and drinks. Clean, reliable service, and consistent quality. Wife's fave is the Moa Kai sandwich, mine is a Northshore tacos read more

Good set-up during covid with plenty of tables which are disinfected once they are ready to sit you. Now to the food! Had myself Kilauea burger and it was great! The burger was large, juicy and flavorful! Wanted to try there cheddar fries but didn't want to waste the side of fries that come with the burger so after consulting with our waiter he informed me i could upgrade my fries to jr cheddar fries for just a bit more. I think it was $1.50 more, maybe. The wings were surprisingly good as well, the skin was perfectly crispy and they weren't over sauced. read more

Islands Restaurant - Background: Buffalo Wings Front center: Jr Cheddar Fries - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

We eat at this Islands regularly on Sundays after church. We sit in the same spot so Allison is our server! She knows us by now and we just confirm our order with her, and food and drink shows up!! Two big thumbs up for Allison and Islands! read more

Came her for a drink and a snack after a hike at Calaveras lake. Their strawberry lemonade was delicious. Their island nachos was definitely tasty as well. They had a fair amount of outside seating. Nothing really "wowed " me about this place though. read more

Islands Restaurant - Outside dining area - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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Not sure what was going on when we went on Tuesday. We sat at the bar, took forever to get our nachos, we could see lots of burgers stacking up finished in the kitchen. Lots of people waiting unhappily for food, all while it looked like they had enough staff. I won't be excited to go back. The nachos we ordered we're getting pretty cold and no one checked on us after we got our food. Mediocre food for high prices and slow service. The tvs with the baseball game were nice, and it appeared to be clean. That's all the good things I have to say. read more

Ahoy matey!! This isn't a pirate themed restaurant by any means, but I sure feel risky! I had the most pleasant experience with my Malibu Burger in this establishment. From the warm bun to the crisp fires, islands won't let you down. My bartender/server was Madison and she was prolific. She waited several tables, including mine with a glowing smile. Besides the GPS sending me to Catalina, this place is a 7/10. I stubbed my toe walking to the urinal and Blackbeard asked me for a few bucks. My silverware looked corroded and I hadn't been there 2 minutes before a dog stole my jacket and brought it into the kitchen. Madison was great and I would come back again. read more

Pretty bad. The staff was awesome. They were so nice. And the restaurant industry is hard. They don't control portion size, or when things change in the menu. I've never sent anything back in my 40 years of life. The fish tacos were not the ones I've always ordered. They tasted off. There was no flavor but some cheap white sauce.My husband's burger tasted off. There was something wrong with the oil they were using. I tried eating the leftovers of the veggie burger and fries (that replaced the fish tacos) and my mouth was covered with this bad tasting oil. I had to toss it. We have been going to islands for over 20 years- and that was our last time. The bill came to $75 This is way too expensive for the food we were served. read more

My last visit was my second time to the restaurant in a month. The first time I went I had nachos. They were so covered in greasy cheese that they were unedible. Couple that with a server who was had so many tables that she was completely overwhelmed and I was unable to get her attention while the manager offered her no help and paced the store looking bored. Today I had the lunch special patty melt. There was nothing "special" about it. Two tiny burger on regular white bread( patty melts come on rye bread just fyi) and the worst was the buttered flavored oil they use to grill the bread. Oh, and the fries were covered in so much salt they burned my mouth from it. Enough complaining. Off to find a restaurant that actually serves good food. read more

Our bartender Allison was terrific.! Very friendly and the drinks were exactly what we wanted.

Happy Hour!! Alex really wanted me to go with her to Happy Hour and I can see why. With 4 sliders at $5, mai tais, mojitos, and margaritas at $5, chips and salsa for $2...you just can't beat the deal! I ordered a mai tai and Alex ordered a craft beer. Both were extremely good. Then we decided to order the sliders; Alex ordered the Beachside Sliders and I ordered the Hawaiian Sliders. When Alex said just the sliders would fill me, I was hesitant to believe little sliders could do the job. We ended up opting for the $2 chips and salsa as well. The chips was a massive platter with two cups of salsa. After having that and getting my platter of sliders was overfilling! My Hawaiian Sliders were 4 patties and Swiss cheese on 4 rolls (not sweet). They put the lettuce, pineapple pieces, and teriyaki sauce on the side. The sauce and pineapple made the sliders! I would absolutely order these again. The mai tai was strong and for $5 was such a deal! Happy Hour is the place to be here. I'll definitely come back with Alex the next time I visit!! read more

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Finally decided to come here since moving to Vista and I gotta say, it wasn't bad. By no means am I a cheap person, but I do prefer to justify the value with the quality. & Personally I think it's way overpriced on the normal menu but the happy hour is much better and more where it's price points should normally be in my opinion. Food was good. I'd say right up there with Applebees and Chili's so that's why I say the price points are a little excessive but that's just me. I'd have given 5 stars if the food justified the prices but in general it was great other than that. Sara was our bartender. she was attentive and on point. Nothing except positive on the customer service stand point read more

Islands Restaurant - Happy Hour Menu - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

We went on a Sunday for the first time and got a bartender server. We normally don't sit at the bar area anywhere, but we did this time. It was not busy, and our server took two people's orders who came after us before they came back to us. It took a while for me to take a drink out of my lemonade because he didn't come to our table for a while for me to ask for a straw. Our appetizers came out with our main food. We ate them because we wanted to try the pretzels and buffalo tenders, but our server never checked up on us until we were almost done, so we couldn't get napkins till then. The chili burger (I forgot the name) was good, too. Next time, we will not sit at the bar area, if we come back. The environment around the restaurant seemed nice though. read more

I believe this is my first and only positive review, our server was Daniel S and he did a spectacular job he came around at the perfect time every time made us feel welcome and really ensured our whole experience was great honestly the best server I've ever had. The burger and sand which we had were well above the restaurants 3.5 star review the cheddar fries not only were amazing but came in a huge portion and the ranch is certainly up there with the best I've ever had. Now if you're coming here for drinks definitely try the lava flow, sunset colada, the Chile mango Rita they very much quench your thirst but have you wanting to order one after the other flavor able yet strong enough to get the job done without the alcohol being overpowering. I'm absolutely happy that this is the first place I have written a great review about read more

I love cheeseburgers! So whenever I'm in the mood for a delicious (non fast food) burger, Islands is my go to spot. There aren't too many around my area so this location is where you'll usually find me. Restaurant is well kept and I'm always greeted by a friendly host/hostess when entering. If I'm looking for something spicy, I'll get the Kilauea burger. Otherwise, I usually get the Bleunami and substitute the bleu cheese dressing with their chipotle aioli. They normally cook their patties pink throughout and the waiter/waitress always makes sure to tell you this upon ordering. They'll also give you a choice of bun; white or wheat. The burger itself is sooooo good! Nice juicy patty with fresh ingredients. Meal comes with french fries as well which are good and never greasy. I usually get a side of ranch to dip them in. Pricing is fair. Cost for burger and fries is about $13 which I would say is average for your usual restaurant burger. Size of the burger is fairly large and filling so you're definitely getting your money's worth. read more

Islands Restaurant - Bleunami Burger w/ fries - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

I love islands. I've been to several locations in socal and the food is always good and the quality is consistent. It's a fun vibe too.

We haven't been to Islands in so long! My husband and I ventured out to run some errands and decided to return here for lunch. It's really refreshing to go back to a restaurant that you haven't been to in so long. We started out with an order of fries. They were not as good as I remembered - they seemed overcooked on this day (and a good reason for a 4 star vs 5 star rating). The side of ranch for dipping was good (not everyone has a tasty ranch)! I ordered the BLT with Avocado and it was well prepared with great taste. I realized that I missed the tropical ice tea they make, it is one of the best tasting iced teas out there. I almost forgot the Kona Pie (Islands version of the coffee mud pie), it is quite good too. Most impressive was the staff and service. Our server was Katia who did a great job (reminds me of Marley from Glee). The place was super clean from the tables to the bathroom. Islands really has it right for a smaller chain with just the right size menu and variety...there is something here for everyone! read more

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A good lunch sport when visiting the Vista Courthouse. Trials can last several days which means you're on the hook for lunch. Islands is more than adequate for a quick, filling, and tropical themed escapism. Most people are well acquainted with the items here, but I tried something new. I ordered the Turkey Burger on a white bun. This "burger" was basically seasoned ground turkey smashed into an hash oval. Whatever, it worked and tasted pretty good. The white bun that came with my burger was different than everyone else's bun. - Quick - Safe - As always, simply amazing passion iced tea. read more

Islands Restaurant - Turkey burger on a white bun. You have to ask for the white bun. - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

The bartender Madison was very welcoming and made our drinks extra delicious and super fast! best worker @ islands ever read more

Islands Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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This is a cute burger chain in the Oceanside area. Based on their prices their burgers must be good. I ordered the Hula burger which has mushrooms and awiss cheese on it. You get a choice of white or a wheat bun. No gluten free buns. Boo! Service was spot on and attentive. These folks train well. The burger was absolutely delicious! I will certainly visit again on another trip. read more

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Good food, unlimited fries, lots of big tasty burger options. Burgers are a little pricey though. They also have salads and chicken sandwiches and other options. Some decent desserts like the kona pie too. Friendly staff and service. Brandy is very nice. Chain with a few locations nearby too. read more

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Great lunch went for the Maui burger and cheddar fries. It was great to find out they now serve single portions of their cheddar fries instead of a sauce pot lid full a fries and cheddar. Great job! read more

I come to Islands about 3 to 4 times a year. The food is good and the service is almost always good. The cheddar cheese fries are yummy especially if you get them with bacon. The cheddar cheese fries portion size on the happy hour menu is about 1/4 of the regular order size. Regular price is $11.89 and $3.59 to add bacon. Happy hour price is $5.55 plus $1.75 for bacon and they don't put much cheese or bacon on the fries. If you have more than 2 people in your party I recommend getting the regular order. The Beachside sliders are edible (I can't decide what they are missing). You get 3 sliders. On the sliders is french fried onions, a pickle, and some ketchup. I recommend asking for extra pickles (if you like pickles) and some ranch dressing. Happy hour Mai Tai's are yummy at $7.00 during happy hour. My favorite burger is the Veggie Hawaiian. The Teriyaki sauce with the pineapple and swiss cheese are so yummy together. read more

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Service was great and waitress was the best. Prices are always the best and the tortilla soup is to die for!!!

Forgetting about the fight tonight, we were unable to get a table at our local bar for dinner. Having a taste for hamburgers, we decided on Islands as our second choice. We walked in at 7:20pm... We were seated right away...the restaurant was half empty. Our server was very matter-of-fact...no pleasantries at all. Our drinks were delivered right away buy a very energetic young man...and kept coming as soon as we finished the last (thank you)...the food, unfortunately, took about 25 minutes. The burgers were as expected and prepared as ordered, the fries were sad...they were the little, over-cooked leftover pieces from a batch of probably yummy fries...fries we could only imagine. It'll probably be a while before we return... read more