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    The Islander

    3.9 (220 reviews)

    The Islander Photos

    THE ISLANDER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Islander

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    Stephanie W.

    How this place has 4 stars is beyond me. I came here with my parents and aunt and everyone was shocked at how awful this place was. Like my mom said, you wouldn't expect this from how it looked on the outside. Not only was the food super expensive. (Burger was $23) But all the food came out cold!! My dad eats anything and he didn't eat his food! They even saw his burger get placed on someone else's table and the guy said it wasn't his, and then the waiter just took it back and brought it to him so late and cold. The bathrooms, both men and women were extremely disgusting. It shows how much they take care of their place. My family had an awful time. I'm so sad they picked this place and weren't able to enjoy a good restaurant in San Diego. Do not come here. Anywhere else would have been better.

    Fish & chips
    Cindy C.

    The Islander was a fun restaurant. Service was excellent and fast. Food was amazing! The Wagyu smash burger was juicy and delicious. The fries were very fresh. Fish and chips were also yummy. Portion size was huge! The drinks were also fun, but didn't care for the coconut mai tai. We also had the spiked mango lemonade and hibiscus margarita which were very good. Enjoy! Highly recommend!!

    Menu
    Julio S.

    Chill sports bar in Coronado. Super friendly staff. Several TVs. Reggae music in background. Incredible weather while hanging out with friends. Several fish and Mexican menu options. I had the chilaquiles and the poke tacos. Friends also ordered a California burger, fried chicken sandwich, and Kailua pork plate. All were good. Beer list filled with local beers. Street parking only. I'd recommend this place when in town.

    Big Trouble in Little Watermelon
    Andrea R.

    The vibes, the food, the music... eating here feels like vacation. It truly transports you to a laidback tropical destination (I've never been to Hawaii so I can't compare it to there). It even slightly bothered me because our dining experience there made me wish I was on vacation, but it was only an average weekend Saturday . We had a warm and sunny Saturday for one of the first times in a while in San Diego, so my boyfriend and I decided to split a meal here and started off with the Big Trouble in Little Watermelon drink. Such a fun presentation and very refreshing. I'm obsessed with anything watermelon, however the tequila was a bit strong for my liking, but my boyfriend really loved it and said he could've ordered another all to himself. The Kalua Pork Sliders were tender and the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. My wish is that there were more... since there were only 3 we were fighting over the last one. The Ahi Poké was fresh and FILLING! I'll be the first to say that poke never really satisfies my hunger, but this portion size was actually perfect for 2. Every single ingredient in it just made it better, just total flavor burst in every bite. Last but definitely the star of the show... Hula Bula Pie. I have been dreaming about this since the first bite. Apparently it's made by their nextdoor neighbor (which the waitress actually let us know that The Islander owns them) MooTime! So you already know the ice cream is to die for. The salty of the macadamia nut ice cream in contrast with the Oreo crust and decadent fudge surrounding it set fireworks on my tastebuds. An absolute must! Especially now that the warmth is returning to SD. Will be back and cannot wait!

    Wings & Mai tai!
    Claire J.

    Okay - a definite go-to for us in Coronado!! The classic Mai-Tai is greatttttt, as well as the other drinks. The bartenders are great to chat with and fun to sit at the bar. Now WHY did they take the wings off their menu !! They were fab... especially the chili oil ones. Hoping they bring them back. Overall a nice place, and they are pretty quick to get you your orders even when it's pretty busy.

    Nyssa B.

    Not gonna lie this place wasn't my first choice, the restaurant I wanted to go to had over an hour wait and your girl was hungry. We weren't going to be waiting that long. And it's not very often you stumble across a new restaurant in this area. So you know I had to give it a try! It's got a cute little tiki bar vibe which I'm a sucker for. I didn't have a cocktail this time but when the waitress passed by them they looked super cute and yummy (will definitely get one next time) hehe. Staff was super friendly and attentive. Food was freaking great! This place definitely has potential to be around for a while. I'll be a returning customer for sure. Keep up the great work! :)

    Crab Rangoon Dip
    John T.

    We stopped by here for a little "something-something" during our day in Coronado. Like my wife said, "best crab dip she had ever had" here at the Islander. The Crab Rangoon dip was outstanding and second to none. Also had the Stone Buenavista Salt and Lime Lager. It was ice cold and refreshing. Ambiance is obviously "island like" but would also say it's warm and welcoming. Great service from the bar was provided by Taylor. Recommend you sit at the bar if she is tending it. PS - We had the Hawaiian Poke too, just as good at the Crab Rangoon.

    Poke bowl
    Kelly L.

    Came for a quick dinner before heading out to see the Coronado Christmas lights. The portion sizes are pretty generous. The Hulu Hulu chicken tasted more like bbq chicken, not the traditional Hawaiian bbq flavor. The poke bowl had good flavors. The garlic shrimp tacos were just ok, not too much garlic flavor, mostly just the cream sauce flavor.

    Huli huli chicken
    Kevin T.

    TL;DR: Relaxed vibe and decent food. Good service and pet-friendly. Came for a bite while walking the doggo and was pleasantly surprised with the food Ordered: - Hanalei Hippie - added tuna and it was definitely the move despite the upcharge. Fresh seafood on top of a bed of crisp greens. Not much more to ask for - Huli Huli Chicken - the chicken entree took a little longer (server let us know beforehand which we appreciated) but totally worth it. The skin was flavorful and crispy. Balanced out the juiciness of the chicken. The Mac salad was alright - wish it was a little more balanced (too sweet for me). All in all, a good meal and a huge plus that they're pet-friendly! Will definitely be back - cheers, Islander!

    Did not take a photo of the food
    Cydney M.

    THE SERVICE WAS GOOD ==================== I have decided I really need to stop listening to my husband when he has a food craving. He wanted some kind of fried chicken within walking distance and this place popped up. My husband ordered some kind of fried chicken tacos. I ended up with fish tacos. We weren't thrilled with either. Maybe trying to find a good restaurant on Coronado wasn't my best idea. We should have gone to Little Italy instead. The Islander was cute with lots of surfboards on the ceiling. It definitely has potential, but the food wasn't good.

    Bacon smash burger and fries
    Kimberly E.

    Ok first time here and it has a tiki vibe with a bar and tables and lots of TVs to watch sports. Now it was hot and they should have had the air on better than what it was . Flies were a problem once our food arrived but it was hot so what can you do. Food was good my only complaint would be if you give ketchup let the consumer know it's spicy and not just regular ketchup. They give you a glass pitcher of water for your table which was nice. Price seemed a little high but the area of town and near the bay it's understandable. I had fish n chips which was good and my son had a bacon smash burger . He usually eats all of his hamburgers but he said the bun was soggy so he only had less than half. Their lemonade is 8.00 and no free refills. But server was nice and place is clean. Parking is bad because there are so many shops. Not much else to say.

    The care and quality into doing prep work, repurposing the pineapple, even saving the prawns to put in drinks just so much quality care
    Loretta Lola S.

    Server Karen is exceptional. I hope she gets recognized for all her hard work. She is very kind and attentive.

    Lea D.

    This place was so good, my coworkers and I wound up coming back multiple times! The vibe was very cool, very island-y. I loved the decor and the overall style. The service was great. The servers were all really friendly and offered suggestions on what to get. The food came in big portions and the presentation was perfect. Everyone really enjoyed their options. The drinks were strong, tasty and large. We, of course, had to do the big volcano bowl drink one night (dangerous!). 10/10 would come back if I was in town!

    Vodka Pineapple

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    4 years ago

    The atmosphere is ADORBS!!! I DIG THE TIKIS. The food was fabolicious! I also liked the latte made for me by the busser!

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    We had excellent service. We ordered garlic shrimp tacos. No flavor. The black beans were bland. Boring meal.

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    4 years ago

    Came for the first time & i loved it!!!! the vibe here is incredible, also server Kevin was SO nice & attentive!

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    Food was good. We had the tostada which was refreshing. We also at the kalua sliders which were great.

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    4 years ago

    Best fish and chips. Fresh. Delicious/Tasty. Portion size was huge. Crispy. Flaky tender fish.

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    4 years ago

    the tall young busser was so cute!! food was good i guess, service excellent! definetely coming back for him.

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    Page 6 of 6

    Ask the Community - The Islander

    Are dogs allowed?

    I think they would allow them in the outdoor seating area.

    Are you open this weekend and can zi make a reservation for 2 people?

    They are open on the weekends and I think it's first come first serve, but try calling to make reservations.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Blanco Cocina + Cantina

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    I've been meaning to check this eatery out and finally did so a couple of years ago. The space is…read moreinviting and staff are friendly. We were given complimentary chips and salsa and then ordered some drinks that came with watermelon garnish. We shared the spicy mango ceviche and a cheese crisp for our appetizers. Both were delicious! The cheese crisp was very interesting! We opted for the spicy tiger shrimp fajitas for our entree. It's served with blistered peppers, charred onions, jack cheese, guacamole, salsa fresca, sour cream, choice of beans and tortillas. It was very tasty! We ended up trying frozen margarita and an agua fresca as well. The frozen margarita is so refreshing, especially on a hot summer day. For dessert, we got the tres leches cake and it was the perfect ending to our dinner.

    While visiting Coronado, I stopped for dinner and happened to arrive during the restaurant's happy…read morehour: Monday to Friday from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. The vibe of the restaurant was pretty dope. They have an outdoor seating area blended with indoor seating. The decor was stunning. I loved the wallpaper and light fixtures. The tunes were bumpin'. The restaurant wasn't surprisingly too busy and was pretty family-friendly. I was so excited to take a bite into my first CA tacos! As I settled in and opened the menu, full transparency: I was shocked to see the "happy hour specials: $7 tacos"... regularly $14!? Thinking these HAD to be next-level incredible, I stopped judging and ordered two "Birria" tacos, two "traditional Carnitas" tacos, and a "crispy shell Ground Beef" taco. We paired our tacos with their "Classic" house Margarita. Chips and salsa were brought to the table with our drinks, and we enjoyed those for a bit before the food came out. I wish I were writing this to report that I had the best tacos of my life, but sadly, that's not the case. The Birria taco had an excessive amount of untrimmed fat in the meat, which made each bite unpleasant and forced me to spit out pieces I couldn't chew. This made the overall texture unappealing and the experience disappointing. Not my preferred way to enjoy my tacos. I don't believe this was an issue of happy hour pricing, but rather poor food preparation. I was only able to finish one taco and took the other to-go. As for the traditional carnitas taco, it was okay but lacked anything that set it apart. I say this with kindness, but if you've had a TB crunchy taco supreme, you've tried this restaurant's crispy shell ground beef taco. The classic margaritas were strong and well made. We thoroughly enjoyed them! If you asked me, would I go back for seconds? I'd likely not reorder the tacos. For the price, I expected higher-quality preparation and presentation; instead, it fell short. Personally, I'm glad I visited during Happy Hour. I'd file this one under cool place for drinks and a light bite, if you must.

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    Food is good Service is worthy…read moreAmbiance is prevalent Fish Guts is the business! Siempre,

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    The Waves Taco Club

    The Waves Taco Club

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    I stopped by on a Wednesday after a fútbol game and found it to be a great late-night option…read more Ordering is simple. You walk in, place your order at the counter, and find a seat. There were a couple of groups dining in and someone picking up a to-go order, but there was still plenty of seating available. The employee working the counter was friendly. They also serve alcohol, and during my visit drinks were 20% off. Options included Pacifico, Modelo, Blue Moon, hard seltzers, and a selection of canned craft beers. I ordered: * Mahi Mahi Taco: the fish tasted fresh, and I liked the crispy onions on top. There was quite a bit of sauce, which made it pretty messy to eat. While the fish was good, it felt like a very heavy taco overall. * Surf & Turf Taco: this was loaded with steak and topped with two flavorful shrimp. The shrimp had an amazing flavor, and this taco was much more enjoyable and balanced. Overall, the service was great, the prices were very reasonable, and the protein quality was excellent. My only critique is that the tacos felt a little overdone with toppings and sauces when the quality of the protein could easily stand on its own. Still, it's a solid spot for an affordable late-night bite. One thing to note: there are no restrooms available inside the restaurant.

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    The Henry

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    First off let me say if you can have Freddy as your server, he is absolutely top tier, first class…read moreservice. He is everything you could dream of and more. Please give Freddy a big fat raise!!! He is friendly but not overly casual, has the best recommendations, we felt like royalty and family all at once. Freddy made Henry's our new home.

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    The Islander - tikibars - Updated June 2026

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