Yep, Islands today was as good as it gets! My husband and I went for din with baby in tow. We arrived around 6pm. I was expecting it to be packed and to wait for a table. Surprisingly, not packed and no wait! We were immediately seated. Our server took us to the very back of the restaurant, near the restrooms. At first, I thought we were seated in the back because we had the baby in the stroller, which would cause a traffic jam in their narrow walkways. But he seated other folks around us (without a baby) so I think he just sat us in his area. Anyways, it did not matter to me and sitting in the back, away from the crowd, ended up to be a good thing. It was quiet and we had a great view of Colorado. My husband took a nice photo of our view from our table.
I ordered my usual: Moa Kai, their tuna sandwich...or burger? Comes with cheese, mayo, pickles, lettuce, and tomato. Calories on this sucker is high so I asked for no mayo but then I asked that they put avocado slices on it. Ha! So much for trying to bring down the fat/calorie count. Per the usual, I was not disappointed with my meal. The french fries were hot, just the right salty, and crispy. The perfect side to the Moa Kai. The meal would have been epic if I had ordered a Roy Rogers AND cheddar cheese fries. One thing I made a note of to myself: next time, ask that they go easy on the tuna. It was a lot. I love tuna but will get grossed out if there is too much. This one had too much. I had to scrape the excess off with my fork.
My husband, the healthy guy, ordered a turkey burger. I didn't taste his or even ask how he liked his burger (oops, I forgot my manners here!). But I didn't hear any complaints from him. He ordered an alcoholic Irish shake that didn't taste good. I took a sip and gagged...bad! It was so strong of alcohol. He didn't like it, either. Definitely, not something he would order again. Waste of money and calories!
We had a pleasant experience today. I wish I got the name of our server. Really nice guy. Attentive but not overly intrusive. Checked in on us about 3-4 times during our whole meal. Never felt like we were ignored or kept waiting. Thank you, Islands, for a lovely meal!
Started off really bad ... went to get on the waitlist for the first available seating. The 2 guys there said it would take about 15 minutes. 25-30 minutes pass, everyone who came after us started sitting. Went to re-ask them and they didn't even put our names down on the paper!!! Ugh.
Ended up sitting on the balcony. Never sat our here before and the weather was gorgeous. Our waitress was very friendly which made up for the bad service in the beginning. She came back several times to give us waters, clear plants, bring us hot sauce, more fries, etc.
I ordered the hoisin bowl with chicken. Substituted the brown rice for more veggies. It was okay .. could have made that myself. The chicken was a little dry and they didn't give much of it either.
Parking is the underground lot at Paseo. Islands will validate for the first 90 minutes. Very crowded on the weekends!
I have mixed feelings about this place. On one hand, the Margarita I got was incredibly strong and wonderful. On the other hand, my tacos were so soggy that they had fallen apart before they even got to me and melted the paper that Islands lines their 'plates' with so that it stuck to the taco. Result- I ended up eating paper.
Also, the place always seems to be really busy with really old people or people with young kids. The result of that is stressed out waiters with too many tables.
The food is not remarkable but is usually passable if you're craving a burger or tacos.
As much as I love strong margaritas, this place gets a 'meh' out of me at best.
Been to one Islands, you've been to 'em all.
I like this one because it has a great view of a beautiful neighborhood, and the mall where it's located is great.
I had a margarita & my friend had dessert. Â Very tasty.
Excellent & fast service (even though we didn't really eat, LOL).
It's everything you'd expect at Islands. Â TVs, ambiance, good times.
First time discovering the Paseo Colorado Open-Air Mall. Our taste buds was craving burgers and fries. We were lured to the Islands restaurant. Once inside we had a choice of dining inside or outside. It was a very hot day so we dined inside. The wait time to be seated was about 10 minutes. And yes considering that it was a weekend they were pretty busy....... Not bad on the wait time though. Once seated our waiter Kai J made our selection a little bit easier on which burger to choose from. Honest and sweet waiter he is. We decided to get the Kilauea Burger. We substituted the meat with chicken. Beverage wise we got the strawberry lemonade. Our selection did not disappoint. Aye karamba the Kilauea made my taste buds do cart wheels. The succulent strawberry lemonade went perfectly with the Kilauea. On top of that they have bottomless fries. Calorie mania I was in but was so worth it. Loved the service we received from Kai. As soon as my strawberry lemonade would get low. I did not have to hunt Kai down. He was already switching out my glass.
Cute island themed restaurant this is. With plasma screens from every corner. To the leaf shaped fan. Awesome place to come with family, friends or your cutie pie. Food was taste bud approved. Service was on point. Highly recommend Islands. When in town will for sure be stopping by to try there other selections the menu has to offer.
Enjoy :)
I love this place! One of my favorite burger places ever. I think a requirement to getting a job here is to be extremely social, friendly and happy. Well that's a given, but the workers here portray these qualities very naturally. Each time I come, I get great service. Â One time, a group of friends and I came here and this guy was taking our order. He sparked up conversations, cracked jokes (which were really funny btw), and most importantly, gave us a free order! I completely forgot what the order was..I think it was a dessert. But that doesn't matter, it was on the house! Just as long as we didn't tell his manager :) He also had a very genuine smile, which made everything even better than it already was. That's my comment in terms of service. In terms of food..I've never tried anything else except their burgers, fries, onion rings and desserts. I have this theory that if a restaurant is known to be a burger place, you're probably better off with a burger than anything else. The Hawaiian one..goodness. A party in my tummy! So saucy, so delish. My favorite. The others are great too! Price may be a bit much if you compare it to In-N-Out or something, but portions definitely bigger! I have a hard time finishing my burger every time. And unlimited fries! Unlimited GOOD fries.
Reminder: if you're going to park at the basement level of this plaza, remember to validate your ticket! 2 free hours and a good meal, cmon.
Edit: Was it 2 hours..? Close enough.
Been to this restaurant a couple times and the best thing about this restaurant is the location.
It is on Colorado inside the Paseo Colorado mall with free parking (1.5 hour free parking).
For the most part, the food is over-priced standard american burgers. They used to have a really good happy-hour special of 1/2 appetizers and cheap well drinks which is now gone.
However, if you have kids or a large party this place is good. They are usually very accomodating.
Just want to point out for the record that in addition to their delicious burgers, Islands' serves some tasty  tacos too.  This revelation struck me over the weekend when I came to this location with a friend. Highly recommend the Yaki tacos (diced chicken in a soft taco with lettuce, teriyaki sauce, pineapples, and other ingredients too - very good) or the Island Fish tacos (fried fish in a soft taco too  with lettuce, spicy sauce, lemon, and other ingredients - yum). Island's also has other taco selections. Â
Any order of three tacos should fill you up easily.  Also recommend  their cheddar fries with bacon and sour cream as a starter too.
Having these tacos with an ice cold IPA while watching some NCAA basketball games on one of their many plasma tvs, truly felt like being on a paradise island. Â Service was great too. Â Enjoy!
Islands is one of the few chains I actually enjoy. Â We got nachos to snack on before a going to a movie. Â The nachos were just OK. Â I expect more flavor and toppings. Â They were rather bland.
Our server was friendly, but not that good at her job.
I will still go back though, but in the future I will stick to the burgers and fries.
First time at Islands and I have to say it did not disappoint.
I came here with a few friends after finding out that the restaurant next door has an hour and a half wait time! NO WAY! so, since we really wanted to get some grub before watching a movie, we decided to go to Islands.
A hawaiian tropical theme will greet you as you enter this place, friendly receptionist awaits and will seat you so that you can get comfy while waiting for your assigned server. A very nice gentleman with a very interesting name (so interesting and unique that it did not register in my brain *grin) helped us get our order going. I will review the food based on what I had and service experience.
I have to say, Their Kilauea burger almost made me dance the hula! It was wonderfully done, cooked as requested. The juicy medium rare patty was nicely seasoned together with some jalapeno slices that really gives it an extra pow! It really satisfied my burger cravings. The never ending fries was a really cool touch too but seriously? Can you really eat more than a whole platter of fries with a giant burger and an ice cold bottle of New Castle? ( that's really asking for indigestion my dear lol)
It was a good simple dinner, nothing fancy, laid-back and relaxed. A few big screen to your left and right with entertaining scenes of surfing and beach life around the globe.
This joint successfully delivered what they are trying to sell, a relaxed fun under the sun burger joint with delicious food and friendly service.
Surf's up dude!
If you're craving a fat, juicy burger, then Islands is the place! My husband and I wanted something a bit fancier than In-N-Out so we came here. I love to order their cheddar fries. They were so good that I was surprised at how much we devoured.
As for burgers, I usually order the Hawaiian burger which comes with pineapple. It's a sweet-tasting burger. However the teriyaki sauce dribbles off the side and creates a huge mess. This time I ordered a Maverick because of the zesty BBQ flavor. My burger was neatly stacked and tasted so delicious! My husband ordered the Maui burger because of the guacamole and he loved it!
I also like how you can custom order your beef patty from rare to well done. I requested medium rare. My patty was crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. You can also request a turkey or veggie patty for free of charge.
Islands has great customer service! They always come back and ask if you need anything such as refilling drinks, etc. I've been going to Islands for years and it's definitely one of my go-to places for "fine" or fancy burgers.
Burgers and fries done well if you can ignore that food has calories. Â
The Point Break burger (bleu cheese, guyere and candied bacon) was rich but not overwhelming heavy. Â You can specify how you like your burger prepared. Â We ordered medium-well. Â It came well-done but still a very tender piece of meat. Â The patty was thin which I liked. Â It made the burger experience completely manageable although the shredded lettuce did fall out.
There's a section for calorie conscious eaters from which I ordered the Sleek Greek Salad (grilled chicken breast, romaine, kalamata olives and feta with a light dressing). Â The chicken pieces on it tasted great but the balsamic vinegar dressing could've used more work. Â
The star of the meal was the fries. Â Fresh-cut, substantial, twice-fried skin-on potatoes. Â Non-greasy with a nice crunch. I love you Island fries.
For an American restaurant in the middle of a tourist area the service was terrible. Â We saw our waiter once and never again. Â I had to flag the wait staff several times but once someone showed up they were very nice.
I went to this Islands more frequently back during high school and never had a problem with their food before but for some reason, the last time I went about 2 weeks ago, it was no bueno.
On my most recent trip, the whole place had a strong BO smell. Â Mix that up with the general smell of grilled and fried foods...yuck!
I ordered the tiki tenders while my friends ordered burgers. Â The chicken tasted fine, but that night I felt sick and threw up the entire meal. Â So yeah, it was a bad time :( Â I think it was just the chicken that was bad since the rest of my friends were fine.
I'm not sure if this is a consistent issue, but I'm not willing to give it another shot. Â Not for a long time...
my husband and i were grabbing a quick bite before our movie at the arc light. Â Â we had other options but wanted something quick. Â we were reminiscing about going to islands in the past, how it was one of my first restaurants with my friends without parental supervision in HS in the hasting's ranch location. Â i thought to myself, wow, Â my tastes has matured quite a bit since then. Â but my husband brought to light what really has happened:
island has kept the same menu and same standards for the past 15 years. Â and unfortunately for them, the gourmet burger industry has been raising the bar over the past 10 years, esp the past 5 years. Â
but the service is still nice and friendly, sadly the food/menu needs a make over.
I've been a fan of Islands and their burgers for some time now. Â As the years have gone, they've added more variety of burgers... but I still go for my old favorites, the Hawaiian or the Maui. Â The cheddar fries are great for sharing. Â I also like the fact that you can substitute the burger patties and have a Turkey burger instead.
This particular location is right inside the Pasadena Paseo, right across of the Arclight Theater.  For the most part its clean and getting seats hasn't  been a problem.  Service is a hit or miss.  Had come here and had great service on one visit.  On another visit, they person just looked lost/nervous and had often forgotten to refill our drinks.
So while the service is up in the air, I'm only really concerned with the quality of the burgers, which hasn't disappointed me in the years I've been coming here.
"Cowabunga!" Where else can you enjoy tasty burgers and watch surfing videos. I've been coming to Islands restaurants for years. The burgers are tasty, prices are affordable and you get friendly service. It's a laid back casual environment with cool Hawaiian beach decor. Fun place to enjoy fresh, delicious food with friends and family. I like coming to the Pasadena location for lunch cause it's close to work. Lunch time is usually crowded so instead of waiting for a table I sometimes eat at the bar. Great attentive service and you get to sit in front of two 46in flat screen TVs. Surfing videos on one side and NFL football on the other. How cool is that!
Islands is known for great tasty burgers, my favorites are Point Break and Mavericks burgers. I ordered mine on a wheat bun with apple-wood smoked bacon or Island Reds(crispy fried red onion). Both so juicy and amazing served with their endless island fries. Island fish tacos are also good. The crispy fish with chipotle-white sauce and pico de gallo is so flavorful and excellent. Make sure to accompany that with their island brown ale for a perfect island meal.
Happy Hour is also awesome and a great deal. Tues,Wed,Fri 4pm-7pm and Mon-Thurs 4pm-closing. Beer - $2.95, Tropical Drinks - $4.25 and Wine $3.95
I definitely be back, especially for happy hour.
Parking at Paseo /with 90 minute validation
ONLY FOR DRINKS
The Tropical Breeze is a refreshing drink for hot summer days. My drink was quite strong, fruity and not too sweet. I enjoyed it. However, my friend's pina colada was pretty disgusting as they put very little alcohol and excessive coconut cream in the drink making it like a thick dessert than a drink!
I guess it really depends on whether you have a good or bad bartender that day.
But this is probably a good place in Pasadena if you want a tropical drink in the summer!
They have a few tables outside the restaurant, which is tucked into the corner, and you could only see people walking up and down the stairs and coming in and out of the elevator, which makes it not too interesting to people-watch while sipping your drinks. So, just keep talking to your friends!
Ok, so as a last minute meal before heading to the airport to come back home, ended up at this cute, applebee-esque restaurant in Pasadena. I like my non-chain places like whoa, but applebee's does have good drinks, and this place did as well, yeah!
The appetizers and some entrees during their happy hour were under $5 and they usually go for $8-11, so we had a great meal deal going.
Buzzed and happy, is there any other way to be?
The Maverick burger with bottomless fries is great! Â Their happy hour is one of the better ones out there too. Â $2.95 for a beer is not bad at all. Â The staff is always nice and accommodating to requests such as additional salsa, etc. Â
Having chatted with the manager about the Islands specialty brews, I learned that Firestone brews their IPA - pretty cool.
Today's review's based on my 2 times experience. Â Food is very average. Â I think I enjoyed my bf's friend's side of fries more than any entrees. Â Everything looks better than it taste. Â
I ordered the Nachos and the chips were way too crispy (it tastes like they have been deep fried for too long? Don't know if that make any sense). Â My bf ordered the Chicken wrap which was ok but a little on the dry side to me. Â Didn't try my brother's sliders but they looked mediocre. Â
I am a picky eater, and not a big fan of chain restaurants including fast food (McD is an exception but I rarely eat there either). Â With that said, I must say the service was friendly, our waiters and manager were attentive. Â We were only impatient because we had to catch a movie but for the most part she came to check up on us 3 times. Â To me it's a little overboard because I like to be left alone unless I need my water refilled. Â But I think for others they would appreciate it. Â Wait was only 15-20 mins on a Saturday night.
A lot of people ordered tacos and the endless fries. Â I know I probably should go with the burger but with my recent attempted diet I decided to skip on that. Â The salad looked pretty good though from the other table and a huge portion too.
Tab came out to be $40 including tax a trip, no alcohol, 1 smoothie. Â I wish there were more options around but I strictly came here because of convenience. Â Will to eat elsewhere before coming to the movies next time.
Islands is one of the many franchise burger places found everywhere. If you haven't heard of it then drop by for a burger itch, but don't expect anything too creative or profound. Everything is average, but to top it off all your burger combos come with bottomless fries. In the end, you'll get a full meal for about 15 bucks whether it be lunch or dinner. I've frequented this place often when they had an awesome lunch deal which INCLUDED a beverage. You could get your entire lunch for less than 10 bucks but that has since changed.
What brought me hear today was a promotion for a free Maverick burger meal. Pretty freaking awesome of these guys to do that, and it brought a non-fan to eat here to give this place another chance. Chris was our lunch server and was pretty responsive, friendly, and awesome. We made sure to tip him real well, above and beyond even the normal prices of the maverick combos that we got for free.
Maverick Burger =-= This burger was eerily similar to the lunch special I always used to get here the California Flyer Chicken Sandwich. It's BBQ based and has these thin fried onion straws inside. The fried onion straws could get a bit oily, but what else would you expect. Nothing else worth mentioning here, other than I'm always happy to indulge in my french fries with ranch addiction here.
I came to this location for the first time tonight because I had a gift card.
I got the Pesto Paradiso, which was a chicken burger with pesto. It was very messy, but the size was hearty. The fries it came with were dependable and acceptable.
The service was fine.
Like most chain burger places, it's OK.. nothing amazing, but it's steps above a fast food place (well, it should be for what you're paying! ~$9-11)
The Paseo location is nice. It's next to the Arclight theater and would make for a fun place to eat while shopping or before/after a movie.
You get 90 minutes free parking with validation. If you go into Macy's, you can get 2 hours free validation there. Anything over that, you have to pay.
Decent burgers at decent prices. Â The portions are well-rounded, and you can pretty much get as custom as you want when it comes to toppings. Â There is always a wait on weekends, and the service is often subpar because they seem to be short on hands.
PROTIP: Â Try the guac in your burger, you won't regret it.
I don't generally head out here, mainly because there's another Islands (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/islands-pasadena-2">http://www.yelp.com/biz/…</a>) closer to where I live that doesn't have to worry about parking fees. But here's the impression I got from my last visit to this particular location.
Our party of 5 adults and 2 kids came here for dinner yesterday. There was a bit of a wait to get seated, but managed to finish dinner and get back to the parking lot in just under 2 hours (the amount of free parking you get if you get validation at the Macy's here in Paseo Colorado). Woohoo!
Service here was amazing. Friendly and efficient. Never had to ask for refills once. Generous portions for their endless fries. Here's a generous tip to you, waiter guy!!!
Ordered the Kilauea Burger. Large size. You can definitely taste the strong seasoning of black pepper. I'm not really a fan of onions but the Island Reds in my burger is one of the rare exceptions where I enjoy how it's prepared.
If it weren't for the parking situation, I'd give this restaurant 5 stars.
Burger was good. Endless fries were delicious.
However, I took off four stars all because of the extremely poor service. It first started with the waitress forgetting to give me a napkin. It's no big deal, just a napkin.So, I ask for a new napkin and it takes her 15 minutes to bring one back!
Then when I got  my burger, they forget to give me a knife and fork and I had to borrow my friend's utensils. Also, she never came by to check up on us. Little instances like these are small but they made a difference in my night.
The bill also took forever. We only had 90 minute validation and because of the waitress taking her sweet time, we went 9 minutes over. We kept reminding her that we needed to go and she would just ignore us.
The whole atmosphere of the place was just bad. All the employees there looked so unhappy to be there.
If service is a big thing for you, then I would highly suggest you to NOT come here.
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