Came here with two of my girlfriends and I would say it was ok. The hostess was a young, cute little thing and we ended up having to wait about 25 minutes to be seated but she was very apologetic and seemed sincere. Our waitress was also very nice and very chatty which I appreciate in a server. Food took forever, about 30 minutes, but my understanding was they were Understaffed. Overall, a nice dining experience however I would suggest working on getting the food out faster.
Review Source:Went in here late... Â a while ago, probably about a month ago. Â Sat in the bar area because there was no wait. Â The girl working the bar area was SUPER NICE and HELPFUL, gosh I wish I could remember her name. Â She made the entire experience awesome. Â Helped with our order, made fabulous drinks... Â we truly enjoyed our visit.
Food was great as usual... Â my burger was made exactly how I requested... Â fries and onion rings were great. Â Left very full and satisfied.
Not much to rave about, the Maui and Nalu Nalu burgers weren't bad! I thought they had bottomless fries but never got asked if we wanted more fries. I would go back because you can't be expected to be treated like royalty everywhere. The service was ok. I didn't like how they ask to clear your table after you are paying the bill. We had several cups and the chips and salsa container on the table while we ate our meal. The experience wasn't bad though. Good job Islands!!
Review Source:I stopped coming here months ago because the food quality went way down- last night it was my Birthday and I said what the hell it's a fun place with the kids- to my surprise the food was amazing and new menu items were GREAT!!! The new Poke is to die for!!!! The service was right on and the servers were sweet and management was constantly watching attention to detail!! This place will now be on my regular Happy hour stop and dinner with the family stop!!!!!!
Review Source:Came here for dinner with my neighbor. We walked in, and left our name with the  cute girl at the hostess booth, who said it'd be ten to fifteen minutes, and they'd call our name. We accepted, and went to the bar to get a beer and some fries... where we waited for about twenty minutes. Once we realized how long it'd been we asked the bartender, and she went to ask. Â
  The manager then came back to the bar to speak with us.  He apologized to us, as apparently,  they had called out my name, then even went outside to call my name, then they gave up on me.  Odd, you'd think they'd check the bar first before going outside. Good thing I wasn't locked in a trunk somewhere! Anyways, they said we'd be next up, and we were. Just a few moments later, cute hostess girl came to the bar and said our table was ready.
  I took care of the tab at the bar, grabbed my beer and my plate of fries, and we followed cute hostess girl to a table in the front of the place. We perused the menu, and figured out what we wanted. Waiter dude came over and we ordered. I went with the Nalu Nalu burger with a side of onion rings rather than fries. (I was still working on the basket of fries from the bar.) My neighbor got a Maverick burger. We then chatted and waited for our food to arrive.
  Our burgers showed up before too long. My burger was very pretty. It was a massive thing. Peppers and onions and sauce and veggies were poking out of the bun from all sides. The 'side' of onion rings was less than impressive, as it had a whopping FOUR onion rings on it. Nevermind the fact that I'd already nearly polished off a basket of fries, and was kinda full....that's not the point. Four onion rings? Really?  Now that I think the menu said 'bottomless' onion rings or fries with burgers. I might have to test that next time I go back.
  Aside from the weak showing from the sides department, my burger was actually quite delicious. The roasted garlic aioli, provolone cheese, sautéed onion, mixed peppers, hot deli pepper rings & lettuce all merged with the burger to make one heck of a tasty creation.  My neighbor also complimented his burger several times over the period of it's consumption.
   So, while you did a great job on the burger, you really need to add more onion rings next time please, and do try and look in your bar for the people waiting for your tables before you cross their name off the waiting list....I think that's about everything. I'll probably be back. Hopefully I won't have to remind you of these lessons.  (No, the burger wasn't green like it is in the picture..there was a weird light anomaly goin on there.)
Nothing too exciting to report, sadly. Â The food here is usually solid, as is the service. Â I've only ever sat in the bar during my lunch, so I can't comment as to the actual dining area. Â I enjoy the veggie tacos. Â I have yet to try a burger (I know). Â Overall, the food is good and the prices are reasonable. Â I wish the menu would change every so often and add a few specials to spice things up. Â I'm a bit bored with the same old same old.
Review Source:I think the concept of Islands is great. A fun, unique atomsphere with playful styling. The food is mediocre and on the expensive side.
Our experience was overall great related to service. Our waitress was punctual, attentive and got our order right.
I ordered sliders for my two little boys and a swiss burger for myself. For the Sliders ($11) there were for of them. Meat patties were a little too dry for me. My kids loved it though. My burger ($13) was descent, but nothing to be ecstatic about. for these prices, they should be gourmet burgers.
I love that the fries are bottomless (free refills) and they do not use trans-fat for cooking them. If they offered sweet potato fries I would be happier for this healthier alternative.
For 4 small sliders, a burger with fries, 2 kids drinks and a beer my tab was $35. I can order double that amount by going to In n Out and stopping Vons for a 6 pack of beer afterwards for $35. For
I probably will not be returning.
Came here because CPK was a zoo. The wait was much better here and they took in our party of 8 within 20 minutes of arriving. Our server was Robert and we loved him. He didn't miss a single detail and catered to our every request. This is important for us because we wanted the kids to be involved in the ordering so they feel a sense of independence and if you have small kids, you know this could take minutes. Robert was patient and understanding of all this. Thank you Robert!
This is the kind of service we have grown to love from this and other Island locations. I can't remember a single bad experience we've had.
The food is solid, the host and wait staff friendly, but this place lost a star for its slow kitchen.  We were waiting too long for a very simple order.  Fortunately, the drinks came out quickly, so we weren't starving, and they were good drinks.  Once the burgers were delivered, they were very good.  I had the Point Break (Gruyère & bleu cheeses, caramelized bacon & onion relish) with no mayo add-on Island Red Onions; hubby had the Nalu Nalu (Roasted garlic aioli, provolone cheese, sautéed onion, mixed peppers, hot deli pepper rings & lettuce).  We cut them in half and shared the joy.  Kiddies enjoyed their simple burgers.  I was pleased that their dining room wasn't as cold as I remember from a few months back.  My oldest had a certificate from school for a free kids meal, but our waitress forgot to take that off our bill; we noticed it after paying and the manager came out to apologize, which was a really nice touch.  The apology actually kept my rating at a three.  I like Islands, they were just a bit off this time.
Review Source:I had the pleasure of dining at Islands this past weekend and I did not go away disappointed. Â The staff is always friendly and accommodating and -- at least it has been my experience -- to go the extra mile to ensure pleasant dining. Â One of my favorite dishes is the "No Blame" Veggie Tacos. Â They are delicious and filling without making you too full. Â Finally, love the atmosphere at Islands as it always reminds me of the commercial for Calgon -- "it takes me away!"
Review Source:I've been going to Islands in Manhattan Beach since I was like 15yrs. We always loved it. Then I frequented the one in Irvine during college. Then I stopped eating at Islands and forgot about it after moving to LA where there's tons of burger options.
After moving to SCV we only frequent 3 non chain places, Mexican, Kbbq and Peruvian (we keep alternating) and FINALLY Â we were craving burgers but wanted something a little nicer than in-n-out. So that's why we came here.
Same hawaiian decor, family friendly. The food is exactly how I remembered. Tasty and big burgers. Now they include endless fries with the burgers. (before you pay extra for fries) The Kona Mud Pie is still the same and so good!!! I was a bit disappointed that the mac and cheese for kids was kraft. (I can make it at home for a third of the price!)
The service was ok. She was nice but forgot a few things like the ranch and milk. We got refills but they kept leaving the empty glasses so I had like 4 empty glasses beside me along with my empty appetizer salad bowl. When I got a refill on my fries, they brought a new basket, but didn't take away my empty basket (we had a party of 6) By dessert time, I felt like a hoarder with all these empty baskets/plates/glasses on our table.
This is the first place I took my girlfriend to years ago on our first date. Every time I come I never get disappointed. Never too long of a wait, good fast and friendly service. Their endless fries are awesome! I've tried their bbq chicken salad, northshore tacos, and the big wave burger, blunami burger, The Kaluea burger is my favorite. Love the environment as well. This place will always be one of my favorites.
Review Source:Hubby and I have eaten at Islands several times and the experience is always consistent.
We find you can always anticipate a table quickly and pleasant well-trained wait staff who do a super job of checking on you without bugging you and keeping your refills topped off.
I like the toasted wheat buns but the burgers are really too small for the buns, so if you cut up your sandwich, you may find sections without meat.. Lots of choices though and all of the combos I have tried have been tasty. I also believe the onion rings are the best in the SCV. I also like their salads and their wraps.
The place is loud, and usually filled with families. Â Hey. It's SCV. One thing that bugs me though is that the greeter invariably sits us by a loud family with a kiddo or multiple kiddos. I just hate that. I don't know why they can't try to keep families together and couples without kids in a different area, so that we can enjoy our meals and hear one another talk without the fear of having your shoulders groped by an outgoing toddler with ketchup all over his little paws. (Don't laugh; it's happened to me more than once in Islands.)
It's a bit pricey, Â maybe 10-15% higher than where it compares to other like restaurants, but the consistency adds to the value. Now if we could just get seated in the bar...
I haven't gone to an Islands in a few years because of bad service at the one in Burbank that I used to frequent. Â But wanted to give it a try up here in SCV. Â The staff was very nice, but for the number of them that work here the service is not that great.
We waited around five minutes on Friday early evening for someone to even come and ask for a drink order although there were people passing by constantly.
My burger here was very greasy....another reason I stopped going to Islands. It tasted okay, but way too heavy on the grease factor. Â Overall I would not go back since there are so many places to get a burger around and for less than $12 too.
I've been to a different Islands location before and it was much better.
My burger here was very greasy. Â It was good, don't get me wrong, but the calories in this thing was insane. Â Food took longer than expected to receive due to it being busy at the bar. Â Price is not worth it either.
Pound for pound, Red Robin in Valencia outperforms Islands. Â Neither are the best burger in Santa Clarita though.
I've been going to Islands with friends and family for years. Their food is pretty great--especially the Hula burger (Swiss cheese and mushrooms) and the endless cheesefries... MMM...
But, recently, I had a very scary experience: I found two razor-sharp metal shards in my mouth, while I was chewing my food. I pulled it out in front of the waitress and the manager had no explanation. Islands HQ called to follow up with me and for 6 months, they bullied me around, then concluded, without an apology, that there was no evidence to support that the shards came from their end (indirectly accusing me of a set-up). I was pretty disgusted by that comment, but I guess corporate America functions that way. It's not about what's right--it's about protecting your own ass and your own $.
Sometimes, I think that If I'd swallowed, could have cut myself up, choked, or even died... Hmmm.
I'd like to go back... Someday.
We gave Islands another shot because their food is good. Once again they blew our order, but this time they were quick to fix it. The waitress was much better than last time, but the guy who took our order seemed careless.
I also tried their brown ale restaurant brand beer. It was nothing special. I would prefer they had greater variety of established drafts on tap than drink their mediocre brand beer.
I know I'l be back, eventually, when I come down to visit my folks. Will the hiccups in their service change? Probably not. Will the food still meet my (good) expectations? Probably.
It was late, I was leaving Whole Foods, and I was hungry. Went over to Islands and said, "Three chicken tacos with fries." I paid my $15 (which seemed kind of high) and went home.
I got home and found out I had enough fries for 3-4 people. I looked at the receipt and saw I was charged for a BASKET of fries. I called and found out, not only that, but she should have substituted the side of beans with fries and not charged me for fries at all!
Not cool Islands girl who doesn't care that she makes the whole company look like idiots.
I have been a customer of different Islands -CA-AZ-NV and HI. I have never had a bad experience (just a bad waitress in Burbank) My food (whatever I ordered at the time) was always right. But the best combination of service and food was in Summerlin NV. That was our go to spot for a consistent dining experience.
Back on 7/4/10 there was a horrible accident right outside of the Valencia location - we unfortunately witnessed it as we were standing outside after dinner - watching the fireworks at the Town center. The manager saw pieces of debris flying and immediately opened the door so that my 13 year old and my 4mo old daughter (in her car seat) could sit inside. It was horrific and people were acting like animals - taking cell phone video/pictures while holding their kids in their arms - as a woman lay crushed under a car!! Other people who couldn't get through to help, were let into the restaurant as well to be able to leave through a back door. He could've locked the doors or worse been out there gawking, but this guy showed some class and helped as best he could to help the people inadvertently stuck in the middle.
I will return because since that date, I see the people behind the chain restaurant, and the burgers do kick butt imo.
Don't really understand the negative reviews. Â
They have a good Happy Hour. Â Service at the bar is excellent.
I was drinking cold beer, consuming cheese fries, while watching NCAA Curling Finals on ESPN 9 1/2 HD so I might have been distracted. Â
I may have missed the "frozen bar stools" and "sub-par" food. Â
This is Islands, right? Â Burgers and fries, right? Â Served by people who wear clothing from a 1963 era surf shop? Â
Or am I reviewing the new Bobby Flay spot in Old Newhall? Â
Is this thing on?
This is a chain in the land of many chains. Â It's solid a choice for the area.
Each time I come here, I have to say that the service is worse than the time before. When you pair this up with sub-par chain restaurant food, you get a bad restaurant.
The first time you'll notice is that all of the hostesses are standing behind the counter talking to each other. They will help you when their conversation is over. Next, when you sit down, be prepared to wait wait 10 minutes before a server comes to greet you. Once they greet you, wait another 10 minutes to take your order. Once they take your order, you will not see the server again until they bring you your food. The last time, we got our drinks half way through our meal. I'm not sure how hard it is to get a glass of water and a soda, but maybe the other three tables in the restaurant had some crazy orders.
it's sad to see this restaurant perform so poor. I remember when my family would go to Islands and want to come back because it was awesome. Now, I try to avoid this Islands at all cost.
Watch out for the "frozen stools" at the bar. There are air vents directly above the bar and if you should happen to sit at one of the dreaded frozen seats be warned, be cold and be ready to try to eat quickly before your food is frozen to your plate.
I think it's all a clever plot to get you to try to eat your food faster so you don't have time to really think about the sub-par "food" you are putting into your body.
I used to work a stones throw away from Islands and every so often a manager would feel like being a solid guy and treat some of us to lunch. You know, a pat on the back, thanks for going the extra mile so here's some food.
It was all a not so clever way to make me want to stop going the extra mile at work. If Islands is my reward I would rather be known as the employee that slapped a customer in the face and was then being punished for that action by having to eat at Islands. That makes more sense to me than doing something well and then being given something that is a slap in the face.
I can deal with sitting under an air vent freezing, the solution is a jacket and I keep one in the car. I can't deal with terrible food and a lazy ass waiter.
I didn't eat here, but I met up with some people who did. Â They enjoyed their food, but that is not why we are here today, friends. Â We are here because of the awful service.
Let us begin with the bartender.  He delivered the drinks, and we said we were ready to order.  Even if you don't want to take the order, rolling  your eyes and ceasing eye contact is pretty ridiculous, right?  After that, a server was hard to find.  It was as if they transformed into ninjas and hid all over the restaurant.  Heaven forbid someone wanted to order another drink...which we did.  We were settled in watching the baseball game and eager to drink more.  We finally got the attention of a server and she took the request for another drink with the lackluster attitude of a goth kid at cheer camp.  She dropped off the drink without even acknowledging the table...no eye contact, no thank you...nothing.  Then she disappeared again, and finally returned to present us with the bill.  I wish we would have tipped less...but being in a group of servers, it's just not in our nature.
I can't remember their names, but it was the bartender and server in the bar on the evening of July 2nd.
One of the challenges in Valencia is picking where to go to eat. As I don't live here, I rely on Yelp reviews to help me out. There are a lot of very good places to choose from, and the town has a slow, relaxing pace during the daytime.
I've been to Islands about 5 times in various locations. I've eaten at the "AwesomeTown" (aka Valencia) Islands twice - once in the bar area, and once in a booth. Fortunately, both times my business associates have picked up the tab; Island's is far from my first choice of places to eat.
They've freshened up their menus since I went last time. They also now have a nutrition information guide as well.
The location is good, right off Valencia Blvd, across the street from the huge mall. There is lots of parking. Finding the main entrance was difficult, as it faces the intersection, not the parking lot.
Our hostess and server were very nice. The hostess was great. The server had 4 or 5 tables, and was running around frantically, even at 11:30 AM.
The tables look like surfboards, and are the highlight of the table. The menus are thin, full color, and glossy. Paper napkins, generic tableware and cups.
They have a lot of flat panel TVs displaying videos of surfing, wake-boarding, windsurfing, etc. Reminds me of Wahoos Fish Taco, which is about 50 yards away from Islands in the same parking lot.
The new menu reminds me of Red Robin. When the food arrived, it sort of taste like something at Red Robin, too - I think it is because of their seasoning salt.
I had a nice BBQ chicken wrap and cooked veggies on the side. It was a lot of food for under $10. The veggies were terrific, and the wrap was very good.
I agree with others that Islands is mediocre, however on my visit this week, the food is much better than I remember. I might give them a try again in the future...especially if someone else is paying!
Place is laid back. Happy hour monday-friday 5-7 pm at the bar. 4 angus beef burgers and red onion strings for $4... unlimited chips and salsa for $2-$3 ice cold beer/lemonade/smoothie and a fudge brownie (topped w/ vanilla ice cream) for under $3.
holla at ya boy!... No im serious, if you go page me.
Islands, the definition of mediocrity. Â The Ryan Seacrest of the restaurant world. Â Santa Clarita.
So, I have no great love for this chain. Â I never choose to eat here, Â I end up going here for a relatives birthday. Â I have no choice. Â I remembered when they opened, people lined up waiting to get in. Â Are you kidding me? Â Oh, I forget where we live. Â
Anyway, the food here is just OK. Â I opted to bypass one of their "island" burgers and try a salad with chicken. Â Well, it was better than expected, not that I expected much. Â The lettuce was all light green to white, the chicken was dry. Â My kids did get chicken strips that were OK. Â Their fries, although lackluster, were OK as well. Â
If there was one bright spot about the whole night, it is that we opted for dessert elsewhere. Â I cannot stomach their terrible "mud pie" or the brownie sundae with Hersheys chocolate syrup on it. Â Gross.
Mmmmm, Islands is where it's at!
I love Islands regardless of where it is. Â Whenever I come to this particular one I usually get a burger and it always tastes delicious. Â The fries remind me of those from In-N-Out, probably because they're made fresh. Â It's also a pretty laid back place. Â Service is always nice and speedy and the waitresses are really good looking. Â It's not like they're wearing anything revealing either...there's just something about a women in a tropical paradise bring you a big delicious burger. Â
I kinda want one now =S
Tip o' the Day: Â If you sign up for Islands' e-mail club, you get a printable coupon during your birthday month for a free burger and dessert. Â Free. Â As in never touch wallet.
So I got my birthday e-mail. Â I wanted this experience to be quick and painless, so I ordered takeout. Â The Kilauea Burger and the Kona Pie.
The Kilauea Burger is described as a "jalapeno & black pepper crusted burger w/pepper jack cheese, chipotle aioli, lettuce, tomato & seasoned red onion strings." Â The Kona Pie is "mocha almond fudge ice cream and cookie crust topped with chocolate fudge, roasted almonds, whipped cream & a cherry."
My Kona Pie didn't have any almonds, whipped cream or cherry on it, perhaps because I got it to go. Â Or perhaps they forgot. Â But for free, who cares?
The Kilauea Burger was a hefty, peppery burger that I cut in half, and then cut in half again, because I didn't think I could eat the whole thing.
Here's why: the Kilauea Burger has 1,650 calories! Â And 115 grams of fat!
So I ate one-fourth of the burger and saved the other quarters for my next three meals.
What the heck, I'll pile on here too. Â
Never really had even an ok meal at this locale. Â I came here with my Dad once, and my burger was seriously RAW in the middle. Â I almost puked right there. Â Been here two or 3 times and its always crappy. Â I have been to ones in the OC as well and had better experiences but its not much of a chain. Â I usually like the fries, and the Coke Lime slushee is right up my alley and the chicken sandwiches have been ok (but know that the bun is 50% larger than the chicken breast) but all in all, I NEVER seek this place out.
I'll be brief. Â As a matter of public policy, I'm opposed to the death penalty. But if a restaurant disappoints so consistently and spectacularly they will, at my discretion, receive such punishment. Â IHOP is doing a life sentence, for instance, eligible for parole once a year on free pancake day. But Islands is dead to me. Â You will never see me here. Â I hate this even more than Wahoo's. I have been here about five times and never liked a single part of any meal.
A note to other reviewers: Young S. is always right except when it concerns pizza and cheesesteaks. Â Heed his warning and avoid Islands, always.
I agree, Young S. must have been here on an off night. I come to Islands often with my friend who has kids because it's one of the few kid-friendly restaurants where I don't feel like I'm necessarily at an amusement park.
I've only ever ordered one dish here (creature of habit, I guess) and that is the north shore tacos. Essentially chicken soft tacos. My friend's kids always get tiki tenders (chicken fingers) and fries and I absolutely love the french fries here. For dessert we will all share a giant hot fudge lava cake. It's hard to go wrong with a brownie the size of one's head topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. One time when we adults weren't paying attention, my friend's 4-year-old devoured about half of the sundae by himself in 5 minutes. Needless to say, he made a sizeble donation to the trash can outside several minutes later.
If you have kids, this is a nice kid-friendly restaurant complete with children's placemats and crayons to help keep them occupied. It's got a menu adults can enjoy as well. It can be crowded on the weekends, usually around 5-6pm for the early dinner crowd. But on weeknights getting a table is an island breeze.
I think Young S. went on a off night. Â I frequent this Islands, and I've never had anything short of good, prompt, attentive service at this location. Â I've sat in both the dining room and the bar area, and always have had a pleasant experience. Â The restaurant is not usually busy where I've had to wait (except on Friday nights) for a table, and this allows for attentive servers. Â My food order was wrong one time (and it was an easy fix - no sour cream and extra limes for my northshore tacos).
This location, and the one in Venice, are the best Islands around. Â All other Islands locales, that I've been to, pale in comparison.
Again... I rarely write reviews for chains and franchises, but once in awhile I have to chime in and vent my frustrations regarding their nonchalant employees. Here's the letter I sent to Island's Corporate Headquarters.
"My girlfriend and I went to Island's in Valencia to grab some beer and a salad. We ordered an asian chicken salad and two mugs of beer. The place wasn't busy at all and our beer came in a timely manner.
Few minutes later came the salad but lo and behold no chicken... So we hail our waiter and tell him that the chicken is missing from our salad and he gives us the most indifferent look and replies "oh" and without saying anything else takes the salad back to the kitchen.
5 minutes later he comes back with our chicken salad and I notice that our "asian" salad is lacking a couple other ingredients that were clearly listed under the menu description including water chestnuts and shredded fried noodles. We track down our waiter again who went missing for a couple minutes to flirt with some other customers and tell him that our salad is missing a couple other items.
His response "so what do you want me to do?"
I reply "can you fix the salad to the description on the menu?"
With a sigh he once again takes back the salad and we finish our first mug of beer (which was probably the highlight of our visit). Another 5 minutes pass and the waiter comes by, silently drops off the salad bowl and continues walking on by. It appears the rest of the missing ingredients were pretty much thrown sloppily on top of the chicken rather than tossed to fully incorporate all the ingredients.
Furious, I asked to speak to the manager. I told the manager the story, of how we had to send back a simple salad two times and how ingredients were missing and how sloppily they've been corrected. So the manager asks "so do you want a new salad?"
I respond "Honestly, we'd like to see the food we get served a little more presentable and appetizing. I'm sure many other customers would probably throw a tantrum but we're not that type and we just want YOU the manager to know that the service here isn't up to standard par and that you'll lose business in the long run." He said "thanks" and left"
We ended up eating some of the salad, although it sort of ruined the whole dining experience cause it seemed we were arguing more than actually eating or drinking. I think we were very patient and expected the manager to do something to make up for the whole situation, I'm not talking about comp or anything but even a sincere apology would have done... "
Few days later I get a letter from Island's apologizing and again, sending me a giftcard... and yes we spent all of it on beer.
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