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

The service was great and the Kilauea burger is my nuclified favorite!!! Yeah I said "nuke-lif-ied" lol! The fries and the Malibu burger make it a home run!! Our server was so friendly and very helpful with craft beer suggestions and soft drinks. Next time I'm doing the dessert menu! Get the app for added points and each meal brings great flavor and a greater deal! read more

Islands Restaurant - Going going Good and Gone! - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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

Good food and service at this location... the beach bowel is a favorite, and my son favors the Pipeline Burger. The menus have a good variety to select from. This venue has a tropical theme which is a great change of paste if you are looking to get away from the traditional lore... 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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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

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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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

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

Came in at 3:25pm. No one to greet me. Waited about 2 minutes and left to use restroom since no employees at front of house nor delivering food/taking orders of any customers. Noticed all employees had backs or sides facing the front door. Upon return still no employee and my party had come in and they too said they had been awaiting for undue period of time. Again, no employees faced the front door area yet chatting amongst themselves. Women who came was very polite but she took forever to. One take our drive order so we just placed full orders not confident when she might return. Place was not busy when this pronounced waiting all occurred. First time ever this happened. Also a tall man wearing glasses was in an iPhone and came to sit down with another man back by green palm tree painting. We get they might be shorted staffed but nothing excuses lengthy waits and not even keeping eye on front hostess area. One one, a first impression is most important to begin a good experience and customers sees group of employees but no one caring to see who pays their salaries is not a spoils business plan nor good for your local community. Perhaps there was an emergency. read more

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.

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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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

The manager here is great, and the waitstaff is attentive. Good attitudes, yummy food.

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!!!

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

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

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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This is our Cheers go to restaurant. Great Happy Hour food & drink prices. Excellent Service.

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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Best serving at this location, Maribel is sweet, and has a servants heart we come every time here

Not close to the usual Islands experience! Waited forever for our cheddar fries and then found a hair embedded in the cheese. They were replaced and not charged to our bill. Both bowls of tortilla soup were luke warm, but at this point we were not sending anything back. I suspect our waitress was inexperienced as she should have been checking on our food, as we had to ask to check on the cheese fries. I suspect our food was done and waiting for someone to bring it to our table. Hopefully our next visit will be better! read more

Never really have anything bad to say about this place. Foods always good, service is decent, happy hour is great. If I lived closer I would be here more often so maybe that's a good thing. Lol. The burgers are awesome, the beach bowls are great, and the menu selection is awesome. read more

Yesterday was a bad day ... I needed to get out of the house! Our pup passed away earlier in the week. I couldn't stop crying so I went to grab some lunch. As if the restaurants aren't having a rough enough time staying a float... the manager came by and asked how my day was going (poor guy) I told him not so well our pup passed away he was so genuinely sweet and caring listening to me. When the waitress came by and dropped of my check with a zero balance . She said the manager hopes you have a better day.. In a crazy world we live in he took the time to care for a complete stranger ! Thank you read more

Came to islands tonight with my friends. The food was sooo good but the service was even better, Emily was our server and she made our night! She was very attentive and personable. Even laughing at my friend's jokes that weren't even funny. 10/10 would come back again thanks to Emily! read more

Good happy hour. I thought it started at 4pm, but it starts earlier. We were a group of 8 and 3-4 items on the happy hour meal seem to be good enough. Service was quick and the drinks came out delicious. A nice spot to gather a good sized group. read more

This is a great place to eat on a Saturday night, there is a lot of seating and plenty of servers and staff so we always get served right away. We arrived there at 6:30 pm. Walked through the doors and we were seated right away( 3 of us) we were asked for our drink order. We had our drinks in 5 minutes and gave them or food order right after that. Not long after the waiter came with drink refills. Our dinner was served 10 minutes later, no mistakes. Just as we ordered it. You cant go wrong with this Islands restaurant! I recommend it. read more

Islands Restaurant - Entrance - Burgers Near Me - Vista, California

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I really like this place. The waitress that I always get shes awesome. I forget her name of course lol. She remembers my drink. And she makes it really good. Food is pretty good here. Like their specials. Especially if your just coming here for a sunday get together with a friend or two. Or game time. Place is clean. I love how other waiters/ waitresses will also check in on you and let you know when someone else will be taking over for them. And even when you ask someone on the floor who isn't your server they are very nice and will either help you or get your server for you. It's great. read more

Islands made right by us. We tried them again and had a fantastic meal. Food was good, service was responsive. We'll definitely be going there again. read more