I never grew up going to Islands, but every SoCal kid I know swears that it was the setting to some of their happiest childhood moments. So in an attempt to fit into my adopted home, I tried it out the other day and realized it's one of those places where sentimental value far outweighs the tastiness factor.
That being said, I didn't so much mind my bar experience while we were waiting for our table on a Friday night. The mai tai was decent, the bartender was friendly, and I liked nibbling on the poke. I even enjoyed the cheesy Hawaiian themed decor - it made me feel like I was on vacay!
Once I got to my meal, though, I was disappointed. The burgers were dry, salad wilted, and just overall not impressive at all. Pretty much what you would expect from a huge themed chain. Our service at the table was also annoying in that we were obviously being rushed out of there, our food taken without asking if we were done. Very annoying!
I mean, what more is there to say about an Islands? I've actually been to a couple of other locations since my maiden voyage and I've had the same experience pretty much all around, so I'd say feel free to stop in as long as you know what to expect!
Stopped by Islands for lunch while in SoCal, as there is only one around me in NorCal. It was a generally nice experience with large burgers and plenty of fries. I ordered the burger w/ guacamole, which was decent - juicy, drippy, and a good amount of patty. However, nothing really stood out, and to me, the burgers were comparable to Red Robin, but with a bit less taste, though larger in size.
Service was nice, and I was happy that my friends and I were allowed to hang out for a bit after paying our bill. Perhaps I'll have to get a crazier burger next time I come, or try one of their drinks.
Also, not used to paying for parking at meters, but it seemed that Islands didn't have a parking lot - that's SoCal for you though I suppose :P
3.5 stars from me
Islands is very well located if you want a decent meal and then go to the movies down the block at the Landmark. The food can vary by who cooks it and how fast the server can get it to you while it is hot. That being said tonight the burgers and other items were all good. The waitress was polite and was accomodating although at times because she was too busy it took a long time to get refills. Maybe a few more buss people to help them would be a good idea.
Review Source:My family has this little inside joke with my Dad: "Hulanomayo!" See, whenever the family goes to Islands, he always ends up getting a Hula burger, with no mayo. I tease him for it, but I can hardly blame him- the Hula is delicious. So is my preferred Islands burger, the Bleunami. Hell, so is every single burger on this fantastic menu! And the fries too!!!
Islands just oozes quality and care from the minute you walk in. The Pacific Island theming, with the "bamboo" railings, thatched roofs, bird statues, and TVs with surfing footage, is impressively thorough. The staff is consistently pleasant and nice. The menu is widely varied in its selection - lots of burgers, lots of chicken, lots of salad, lots of side dishes - and it's all delicious.
This has always been, and still is, one of my all-time favorite burger restaurants. Check it out check it out check it out!
I come here every now and then when I want a good, juicy, delicious burger. On my visit last week, I was really surprised by the size of the burger. The bun is the same size, but the patty was much smaller, not nearly as thick and not even close to filling the bun. What I got was delicious, as always, but I was left wanting more. In the past, I always left satisfied, often having more burger than I can finish. Has Islands downsized its patty?
On a side note, why are the fries that come with the burgers always cold and limp, but the ones that come when you ask for more fresh and crisp? Â I feel badly when I ask for more when I haven't finished my original fries, but the second helping is always so much better.
I really hope that my experience was an aberration and Islands isn't permanently cutting down on the burger size. It's always been my go-to place for a great burger, but what I got last week wasn't worth the price tag or the special trip.
My original review is below - however - it needs amending. Â Within 24 hours of posting my original review, I was contacted by the regional Islands office. Â Within 3 days I talked to the regional manager and then the general manager of the Pico Islands. Â All parties were overwhelmingly apologetic and very concerned that something like this could happen at their establishment. Â
I am beyond impressed, the courtesy and concern with which they treated this incident was amazing. Â Everyone makes mistakes, and while this was not handled properly the first time around, it sure was the second time. Â
I wasn't planning on going back, but I am now.
Original review
We go here pretty often - up until now that is. Â The food is okay, not spectacular but it's a reasonable quality and price for a family atmosphere. Â
I went with my husband and 5yr old son, after our meal, I ordered him a child's ice cream sundae, and as an after thought, another one for myself. Â
I bit into the ice cream and encountered a foreign object - upon inspection, it was a piece of glass, the exact size of a nut chip. Â When I brought it to the attention of our waitress, she took it immediately to the kitchen. Â A manager came to our table a moment later and questioned me. Â He was vaguely concerned that I just bit into glass, but more concerned as to whether I was sure it was glass or just my imagination. Â
We had already paid the bill, but never once did he offer to comp us for my desert or my son's (which had been ripped away from him once the glass had been discovered). Â I wasn't looking for a free meal, but it would have been a nice gesture to offer to comp inedible and potentially dangerous food. Â
He took my information and swore someone would call the next day 'to see if I was okay'. Â No one called. Â They're lucky I didn't bite down and was uninjured. Â
This stinks particularly as they're our neighborhood answer to Chilis and one of the few restaurants that my son really likes to go to. Â However, this experience has made me willing to drive all the way to Chilis if I want chain restaurant burger food.
I've always liked Islands. I seem to remember them popping up everywhere around the late 80s or early 90s, right about when I discovered alcohol. The Torrance location was the first one I ever visited and they had the coldest beer I've ever had. I was a bit disappointed during my visit to this location last weekend - the beer didn't come in one of those outrageously cold mugs that forms sheets of ice out of the condensation. Just a regular mug. Other than that, everything was good. The burger selection is always interesting and the fries are great (and endless). I just wish the beef had more flavor. It's a bit bland and always has been. The nachos and cheese fries we started with were on point.
We even had some girl drinks to start off - we had just come from an all day softball tourney in the Valley and were looking to cool down. The Lava Flow (rum, pineapple juice, strawberry, coconut cream) was like drinking a tropical, boozy milkshake. I highly recommend it.
Friendly service, no hipsters in sight (must not be ironic enough yet). Park in the Westside Pavilion garage free for 3 hours if you can't find street parking or don't want to use the valet.
Great attentive service from every person in the place. Uber kid friendly, even more than Norms across the street. They have Koala car seat holders with straps to secure your child, not just the usual awkward wooden child seat that you must struggle with to balance your kid atop of. The fries are awesome, and the burgers are okay. Loved the flavor but I think over priced for what you get. Oh, no parking. Meeter or valet only so if you have kids or a date, add another 5-6 bucks for valet and tip.
Review Source:eh. I do come to this islands quite often- only because it is the closest to my house.  I constantly have to look for my waiter/waitress to ask for a refill or to even take my order!! They need to get better service here. Other then that the food is pretty good and atmosphere is cool. Parking does suck- I usually park at the  mall ( 3 hour free parking). I knocked off 2 stars for the lack of service.  So if you do come to this location do NOT expect great service because you probably wont receive good service.
Review Source:It happen to be happy hour when I went so I sat at the bar. I thought I would keep it simple and got a burger and fries. The burger was good but the fries are where it's at! Melanie was helping me that day and she suggested I get a side of ranch for the fries. I don't even like fries but it was sooo good! She was very attentive and helpful. She was fairly busy but still managed to chat a little in between. She also convinced me to get a drink. I think it was called a lava flow. It's a pina colada with strawberry. Basically what I'm getting at is happy hour = great service, great food, great price. I can't wait to go back and try the cheddar fries with some ranch.
Review Source:Cons:
Parking is a hassle!-only valet and street parking is permit only
Greasy-burgers and fries
Musty/Damp atmosphere
Pros:
Great Service- prompt waiters
Low Cal Options- turkey Burger was so yummy! And they offer steamed veggies
Clean Resturant
Overall: I would probably skip this and go to In-n-out if I was really craving a Burger!
Just wanna bump it up a notch, because something awesome happened....
A gentlemen from Islands, by the name of Dominic, contacted me personally to apologize. He didn't offer anything for free, he didn't furiously refute my review, he just simply stated that anything less than a satisfied customer is unacceptable and asked if I could help by giving him any info regarding the time/date of my visit, our server's name, etc.
Caring about your restaurant to the point where you monitor Yelp reviews and kindly respond to reviews, good and bad... Well, that just kicks a whole 'lotta ass. So, to Dominic, you are a fantastic reflection of the Islands name and I commend you for your personal effort to constantly strive to improve your establishment. Bravo!
I would normally give this location 2 stars (I have been here many times as a "local") but I recently attended a dinner here with a huge group and we received great service minus a few minor blunders (which are to be expected with 18 people, NBD). That being said, I only came here for the free food and will probably continue never going to Islands again. Their food is better than typical sportsbar food so I guess that's a plus.
Parking is tough. Most of the surrounding residential areas are restricted unless you know which specific streets are free parking. They advertise a valet service but I've never bothered. Parking on Pico is not allowed between 4 and 7 for most of this stretch, make sure to park elsewhere during these hours lest your car get towed!
The worst Islands . . .at least that I've been to, and that's a lot.
Bad hostess service, food was so unlike the other islands - not sure if I hit it on a bad day, but this was the second bad day I have been there.
I had to walk around to find my waiter, and the noise level was insane. Â My fries were cold, the hamburger undercooked and tasteless and the bun was soaked in a butter-like substance that did not taste good like butter. Â
The parking was impossible too. Â Overall, just skip this place. Â It is about two steps below a Dennys or IHOP.
This place is terrible! Yes, they're known for their burgers but who wants one after reading each has at least 1300 calories?? Plus who has a burger without fries, another 400 calories. No wonder no one in my group opted for a burger.
My North Shore chicken tacos were not spicy as advertised and bland. Ditto the beans and salsa. The chicken was also super dry. The nachos appetizer were ok but greasy. Â
Now here's the kicker. We ordered the Kona pie slice for dessert. I have a very sweet tooth and love almond fudge ice cream BUT we got served a huge pile of blandness. Â I didn't even finish my portion of the dessert. That has never happened, ever!
The service was also slow although we got our drinks fast and I didn't have to ask for a soda refill. That is the only reason why Islands gets two stars instead of one.
My meal here was the dining equivalent of that Olympic male diver who backflopped into the water. Memorable for how bad it was.
I went to this location when it first opened back in the 80's. I have also frequented the Venice, Palms Springs, Manhattan Beach & the defunct Beverly Hills was like my personal cafeteria for years.
Over the years, I have noticed the chain becoming increasingly inconsistent.
It's usually pretty good, but sometimes the tacos are spicy... sometimes they are not.
Sometimes the fries are crispy, and sometimes on the undercooked side.
And so on. I've seen this happen to other places, until they finally go under. I hope that isn't the case here.
Also, I think they should think about a remodel and a new look.
These places are starting to look a little rundown and dirty to me.
I usually LOVE Islands. I'm a big fan of their fun decor and their addicting bottomless fries. The only reason I'm bothering with reviewing this particular Islands is their terrible service. I've been to this location too many times to count because of its proximity to UCLA. However, I would say 75% of the time, I've had AWFUL service here. My apologies to the few servers I've had who have been sweet and attentive, but for the most part, these servers have the most horrible attitudes! The only reason I'm giving them 2 stars rather than 1 is because, while their service sucks, the food still lives up to your typical Island's standards.
I once came in with a party of 7 or 8 for some drinks and some snacks (fries, nachos, and dessert). The waitress was so horrible, I think even she picked up on it because when she dropped off the bill at our table, she actually apologized for having a bad day. I almost felt bad for her until she ROLLED HER EYES RIGHT AFTER SHE SAID THAT! It just felt like she suddenly realized that we might say something to her manager or not tip her.
Great food, Terrible parking, Bad Service. If you're dying for an Islands Burger, find a different location. This one will just leave a bad taste in your mouth.
My husband is from Hawaii and he may be the only guy from Hawaii that actually LOVES this place!!! Â Yea, it's a little artificial to have straw Hawaiian decor and pineapples in your burgers, but they DO have some really good stuff on the menu.
Let me help...
Artichoke dip....so good!!!! Â Their burgers are solid and made with a lot of meat.
Drew is all about the Bleunami burger! My preference is the Maui or Rincon burger...and he loves the Island Ale and the Island IPA
Drew gets fries with his burger and I get onion rings and we share! Â I can only finish 1/2 of my burger, but I save the leftovers for lunch!
Islands is a childhood favorite of mine. I remember coming here after winning baseball games as a 12 year old. When it comes to gourmet hamburgers, Islands delivers a nice selection of burger variants.
They also have very good grilled chicken sandwiches and the FRIES...oh, the fries! I absolutely LOVE the fries. Nice and chunky, a little crisp on the outside, and nice and fluffy on the inside.
If you are the supreme fry-lover, I highly suggest sharing a plate of their cheddar cheese fries (it's huge, don't order alone). They are one of my favorite things on the menu.
Their brew of beer is actually pretty good, too!
A bit pricey for a burger, but it ain't no Carl's Jr. either.
***BEWARE: Street parking is a big hassel in this neighborhood. Permit parking everywhere; you've been forewarned! You're better off paying for valet and not risking an expensive parking ticket (trust me, it's happened to me and others).
I'm a big fan of Islands. Their fries are twice cooked, super yummy and now all you can eat with a sandwich. I always order a Pipelin because they have good chili for burgers.
When we reorder fries the waiter was super on it drinks too. The manager came by and made sure everything was cool too, upside. Parking is bad, none in neighborhood and Pico is busy. Been to this store several times and have had mixed experieces last time was top notch.
I've driven by this Islands a few times, but finally decided to go when the husband wanted a burger and I wanted anything BUT a burger... Islands somehow came up as an option since they sell burgers and other things, though neither of us had been to Islands in a LONG TIME, and had never visited this particular location.
Parking sucks, but the Westside Pavillion lot is only a block away (it's technically less than one block, but it's a kinda longer block... not shady though, lots of restaurants and foot traffic between the two) so we opted to park there. 3 hours free parking, yay! IF you want, they do $3.50 valet parking... but I couldn't justify paying $3.50 to park and then spend $7 on soup. Right?
Service was okay. Our server seemed somewhat aloof... a classic "eh" on the Yelp scale. She didn't necessarily mess anything up, but didn't do anything to make me think, "let's make sure to tip her well" or "i love great service" (which i do think sometimes!)
What we ordered:
-Maui burger: smaller than it appears in the menu (shoulda known) and the guac was so tiny! My husband requested more and the server (Tabitha?) brought it out no problem... solved? Ultimately he said it was whatever, not memorable.
-Endless fries: love endless fries! I don't know if I honestly LOVE their fries, but they were dang good. Enough that I ate way too many... and one of our baskets of fries was straight up PERFECTLY crisp... too bad we ate too many :(
-Strawberry lemonade: not the fresh yummy kind like Red Robin- just ... eh.
-Endless chicken tortilla soup: yum! tiny pieces of avocado (boo) but the tortilla strips and soup and cheese combo was delish. The first bowl is bigger than the subsequent bowls they bring out. We only ate the first bowl and some of the 2nd, but honestly, endless soup + endless fries = too full =(
Not a BAD option for a meal, but would we come back? Probably not... unless we have a hankering for some endless tortilla soup.
What was ordered:
-Hula Burger with salad
-Rincon Burger with endless fries
Pros:
-Excellent service! We came pretty late at night after a movie and our server was never rude to us and made us feel rushed to eat. When the kitchen was closing, he kindly put in a request for another batch of fries in case we wanted some!
-Typical burger place, nothing bad with the food.
Cons:
-Bad parking - of course typical of West LA and being on Pico, it was expected. We parked on the street, but this was at night (close to 930pm). Watch out for the meters during the day.
I like how the menu has the calorie count of the burgers, so intimidating (1400!!) geeeeeeee.... however, I overlooked it as I was here, and was not expecting some sort of healthy food.
This location only gets three stars because the service is usually slow and you gotta hunt for parking in the neighborhood. Â Beware, make sure you read the no parking/street cleaning signs because they vary from block to block.
And yes, if you read my reviews I do have a thing about parking :p
I think I would've liked Islands better if I had come here back in high school.
For the price you pay, you definitely get plenty of food. It's got a really nice environment, friendly service, and it's great for larger parties. And to be fair, their food is not bad.
I've been to too many different burger joints to appreciate Islands as much as I could; Islands just doesn't do anything spectacular. Even their Hawaiian burger was, to me, just a bigger, slightly better version of Carl's Jr.'s Teriyaki burger.
Note for birthdays: They give a free birthday dessert, but they don't sing! Sad face. :(
While I usually like Islands, this place wasn't so good.
Although we got there 30 minutes before closing and they seated us, they weren't that nice.
The sandwiches were a little cold, the endless fries ended. It took forever to get re-fills, and the entire staff except our waitress (who was really nice) seemed like they had all received some really bad news...?
Perhaps I'll try it again and change my review...?
This is almost like Red Robin's!
I'm not sure if I should be disappointed that I was rushed in making a decision on what to order since the waitress kept coming back (though she was polite enough to ask if we needed more time each time) or that the service was great since she kept on checking up on us ..
But the food was overall good. I ordered sliders, 4 mini-burgers. Comes with a pink patty, caramelized onions, and ketchup. A slice of lettuce, pickles, and thinly sliced fried onions are on the outside. The sliders were good and filling, decent.
My friend ordered the tiki-tenders and fries. The chicken strips looked nothing special, but he said they were good. The fries come out in an enormous platter, enough to share for two or more people.
Overall, I'd have to come back again and try their other specialty burgers or dishes because on the way to the restroom, the kitchen is on the way and you can see all the dishes people order! Delicious looking! + if you don't know what to order, I think walking by it will help!
I'll definitely be back for their lunch special -- what a steal! For just under $10, you choose a burger/sandwich, free refills on fountain drinks, and bottomless fries! I ordered the Big Wave burger and only ate half; I decided to fill up on fries since they're bottomless. My friend and I asked for a refill on fries and then packed them up with the other half of our burgers =)
Don't expect a gourmet burger; the price is still decent for what you get, a pretty large burger. I like trying out their burgers -- I recommend the Pipeline (chili cheese burger) too. Their fries are good too.
I really like the interior decor -- everything is surfer themed as are the waiters' uniforms! They're pretty quick and friendly here too.
What burger should I try next?
Oh. My. God. TOOOOOOO MUCH GREASE.
I'm currently suffering from a food coma. Just got back from Islands. This place has no parking lot! I'm not sure why I gave it three stars because the service was very slow and I'm pretty sure the server didn't know we were there for quite some time.
The menu offers a variety of burgers, tacos, sandwiches, etc. I noticed their reduced calorie menu was 680 calories or less. I can't imagine how many calories the the regular menu has.
I decided to go with a burger. There were many different kinds. Starts at about $8-ish and ranges about $9-10. I ordered a burger with jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, onion strings, etc - medium on whole wheat bun ($10). Burgers come with a side of fries (which are bottomless) or you can subsitute it for onion rings, cesear or house salad, steamed veggies, etc. I decided to go with the onion rings. Little did I know, when my dish came out there were only FOUR onion rings.
I was really disappointed. My burger was too greasy but the hamburger patty was cooked to perfection although it was extremely pepper-y. Also, the fries aren't that great.
I'm not too sure about how I feel about this place. It's really, really greasy. Ughhhhhh....
Went to Islands today, not of my own volition. my friend was out here visiting and had her teenagers with her. They wanted to go to Islands, and I acquiesced. When I got there, they had been waiting at the table for 45 minutes, and had only gotten drinks and chips and salsa. As I walked in, I should have known it was bad because my friend was speaking to the hostess, asking her if she could get some damned service.(I was late because my son was napping.)
I followed her to the booth and we waited. Finally, I just flagged down another server, who agreed to take my order. At this point, I was the only one who was going to be eating because they had filled up on chips and salsa and waited so long. So, that was pretty annoying. However, once I got her attention the waitress was fast and attentive. My friend said to me, 'Where the hell was she all along?"
The food is meh. I had the Northshore and it wasn't bad. Would I crave it and go back for it... no. But I will say this, I still love their fries.Also, ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH VALET PARKING FOR $4.00?!?!? You are held hostage too because there is really no parking around!!! Bastards...
There wasn't a Red Robin's nearby so we went here instead. I enjoyed my "Rincon burger" loaded with avocado, onions, lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese, and bacon on a medium-well perfect patty. Unlimited fries and bottomless mugs!
The only thing that ticked me off was that our bartender/server was a dead, expression-less boring downer. He was inattentive and barely came to check on us. I think he got the hint when he was behind me and I asked my friend, "Where he at though??"
Haven't been here in a while and forgot how filling their burgers can be. Â
Came here to watch the Laker Game and witnessed Derek Fisher nail THE 3 point shot. Â You could literally hear the entire street on Pico Blvd. watching the game the whole place at islands was just going nuts! Â
Good times, good and filling food!
So, all the other Islands were reviewed with the exception to the one on Pico. Maybe people skip Islands and hit up Norm's?? Huh.
All in all - its not very exciting. Its kind of a lame version of Duke's in Malibu. And without the eye candy of the Pacific Ocean.
My work recently took me here for a happy hour birthday drink and buffalo wing. And for that sort of thing Islands was fine. They have 1/2  priced appetizer  (which makes chips and guacamole a measly $2.00) and $1 off all drinks. from 5-7pm M-F.
And quite frankly I'm a fan of margaritas and Islands made me a good one- so it picks up a star for that alone.
Unique, flavorful, juicy burgers made to order. Crispy and addictive basket o' fries. Service that's so on point that a new Arnold Palmer was brought to me before each one was finished (total count = 4) and the baskets were cleared as soon as the meal was finished. Valet parking is available in front in case you can't find street parking.
For what Islands offers, I'd have to give it a solid 3.5 stars.
On the Westside there are so many yummy places to eat burgers that I rarely find myself going to Islands. Â Last night though, I had three acceptable reasons to visit:
1. The Counter was PACKED and I was not in the mood to wait 1 hour to eat.
2. It's usually a challenge to seat 2 people at Apple Pan, let alone our group of 5 (I was dining con familia este noche). Couldn't go there.
3. My little brother only eats pizza and burgers, pretty much, and we needed to please him on his 2nd visit to LA.
So Islands it was. Â While I'm not a fan of themed decor and weird restaurant set ups (we were seated way in the back, past the kitchen and the bathrooms, which is weird), the burgers here are undeniably good. I think that if they were served in a not-so-lame establishment, LA foodies would munch on them much more often. Â
Try the Maui burger, which has amaaaaaazing guacamole on it; AND, I don't know what part of the cow their beef comes from but DUDE. Â IT IS SO GOOD! Â We also tried the cheddar fries (wow... whose idea was this and are they incredibly fat themselves?) and the chocolate shakes. Delish! Â Not bad for a big ol' chain.
I swear they "season" their fries with heroin because about a week after eating there I'll start having these weird episodes where I can't concentrate, I become grouchy and pissy with people, get the shakes/chills/sweats, and see babies crawling on my ceiling. Â
Next thing I know I'm in a pawn shop trying to hock my grandmothers wedding band that she smuggled out of Germany to what looks like last weeks "To catch a Predator" arrestee standing behind the bullet proof glass partition. Â 15 bucks!? Â Hell yes I'll take 15 bucks my man! Â That's plenty for me to score my fix. Â
Ten minutes later I'm strollin down Pico  like the Mack that I am givin looks to all the fine ladies and "wassup" nods to my fellow hussla's.  I  roll up into them Islands and Sheila knows to bring me my regular: cheddar fries, coke, and Moa Kai sandwich on white, cause I'm a cracker, and no extra mayo cause I don't needs no more flavo.  When I finish I lay down in the booth and watch surf videos until my case of  "the itis" goes away. Â
Here's a tip for you "addicts" like myself - if you sign up for the Tiki Lounge on their website they send you discount coupons. Â Yah, I know, idiots.
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