{"id":204530,"date":"2017-01-03T23:43:20","date_gmt":"2017-01-04T04:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/uncategorized\/islands-restaurant-308-photos-501-reviews-burgers.php"},"modified":"2017-01-03T23:43:20","modified_gmt":"2017-01-04T04:43:20","slug":"islands-restaurant-308-photos-501-reviews-burgers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/islands\/islands-restaurant-308-photos-501-reviews-burgers.php","title":{"rendered":"Islands Restaurant &#8211; 308 Photos &amp; 501 Reviews &#8211; Burgers &#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><p>    501  <\/p>\n<p>      I find myself returning to Island's time and time again. I've      never had bad service and all the waiters are super kind. As      for the good, be adventurous. I enjoy the Kilauea burger with      a side of sweet potato fries. I have noticed that they have      shrunk down their portion sizes when it comes to fries.      Overall, not a bad place if you're looking for a burger fix.    <\/p>\n<p>      Someone gave me a gift card to Islands Restaurant so I was      happy to try it. It's in a tight strip mall and looks like a      Denny's kind of place. They have a bar and lots of booths or      4-top tables. It's mostly burgers, salads, fries, etc. I got      a veggie patter Maui burger and substituted the fries for      steamed broccoli & carrots. The veggie patty is mushy and      tastless. I didn't taste much of the guacamole but it was      there, tomato not flavor, raw onions took it out. Steamed      broccoli was edible, carrots I didn't touch. B. got      quesadilla and added chicken which was so-so. At least it was      edible, chicken was decent, not dry. small tortilla soup B.      wanted was meh. Not much flavor, but he liked it. Extra chips      on the side. Huge water in tall glasses was fine. 3 things      and was over $30? We won't be back ever.    <\/p>\n<p>      I was surprised to find this chain is still around. Sadly, it      has changed a bit from the 90's - And they've tried to update      the menu with almost too many choices. Minus a couple stars      for prices, and the silly add-ons. It shouldn't be more for      sweet potato fries - at least give us a slightly larger      portion! I might go back - they still do have a decent      variety of burgers, even if they're smaller and less tasty      than they used to be.    <\/p>\n<p>      Islands is not my favorite Their burgers are overpriced and      the unlimited fries are greasy and make you feel sick. Would      prefer Red Robin any day.    <\/p>\n<p>      This is an awesome Islands location! Anyone who knows me or      has followed my reviews knows that I'm a frequent customer of      the Islands chain of restaurants as I adore their delicious      and quality-made burgers, drinks, nachos, and fries. This      location is no exception! The layout of the restaurant is      large and welcoming, and has the typical beach-side decor of      all their locations. Their employees are so friendly and I      recently found out that one of their wait staff used to work      at a location I used to visit in West Los Angeles! What's      even more awesome about this location is that for some      reason, their burgers are somehow juicier and taste even      better than the ones I've had at other locations. Everything      just tastes great and the meats, vegetables, and sauces      really mesh together for delicious goodness. On my last visit      here I had the Hula burger (mushroom swiss), the root beer      float, and nachos. Everything was amazing and even when the      waitstaff forgot to bring out our salsa for our nachos, they      happily and quickly remedied the issue. Their new electronic      system consisting of tablets for waitstaff means that food      comes to your table quicker than ever, and an even more      satisfactory experience. At the end of the day, if you love      burgers and classic American food with great service, you      can't ever go wrong with Islands.    <\/p>\n<p>      I thought Islands was solely a San Diego \/ SoCal thing, so I      was happy to stumble upon this Islands location while      searching for food on the way back from Big Basin. Islands      was a special treat for me when I was in college in SD. The      burgers were tasty but expensive so I only went once in a      blue moon. Fast forward to this past weekend... My friend and      I were making the drive back to the Peninsula from Big Basin      and we wanted some grub. It was about 2PM when we got into      Islands and there were only a couple of tables. We sat at the      bar (open seating) and the bartender promptly asked if we      wanted to get started with some drinks. I got a Sculpin and      my friend a Blue Moon. For my meal I ordered the Nalu Nalu      with a veggie patty and my friend ordered the Maui, also with      a veggie patty. Oftentimes, I don't feel like eating meat and      have been trying to cut back anyway. Islands' veggie patty      option was pretty good! The patty actually stayed together,      unlike many other restaurants with poorly put together veggie      patties. I usually get the Hawaiian burger but wanted to try      something new. I think the Nalu Nalu may be my new favorite!      Slightly spicy at the end but loved the onions and peppers!      My burgers always look smaller than the pictures though \ud83d\ude41 .      Never would have expected a great veggie patty from Islands -      good to know! Loved the bits of corn built into it. Fries      were good as always - I didn't get a refill as I finished my      burger first and was already full by the time I got to my      fries. My burger + beer came out to about $20. Not toooo bad      but I obviously would love and prefer a cheap AND good      burger. A chain restaurant, but a decent one at that.    <\/p>\n<p>      Another burger place I love to go to and my favorites are      Malibu and the Bluenami, you gotta try it! Customer service      is usual and always attentive and it can get a little busy      and delay when they bring your food. Other than that its      great!    <\/p>\n<p>      Great food! Classic American style restaurant, I ordered the      mavericks burger cooked medium.... but came cooked well.      Other then that there was great flavors within!    <\/p>\n<p>      Meh... Our waiter(s) were horrible and forgot stuff like      ranch, messed up drink orders.. My sliders were way over done      but I was starving so I just drowned them in ketchup and      ranch... But-- the cheese fries were yummy! Not my favorite      location of islands (I usually go to the one in Monterey)    <\/p>\n<p>      I would give 2.5 stars for being just \"average\". I came here      once a while back but was unimpressed with the experience. We      started off the visit by being ignored by the hostess, who      started asking people standing BEHIND us in line for names to      put on the waitlist (like what?), and when I mentioned this      to the hostess, she didn't seem very apologetic about it      either. After we were seated, I ordered the Maui burger,      which turned out to be a bit disappointing. I didn't expect      the onions to be so raw, which took away from the taste of      the overall burger. The swiss cheese was nice, but there      could have a been a bit more guacamole (you couldn't even see      it without lifting up the bun of the burger) given the price      of the burger. However, it was nice that I could order a      wheat bun instead of a white bun for no extra charge, and      that there were endless fries, but when I asked for more      fries midway through my meal, I didn't get a refill until I      was signing the check and about to leave... which kind of      defeats the purpose of endless fries. Also, the fries weren't      too spectacular either, so maybe the sweet potato fries for      an extra $1.49 would be a better side (but I doubt these are      endless). Overall, it's a decent restaurant as they seem to      have quite a selection of food beyond burgers, as well as a      selection of beers\/drinks, but the prices are a bit steep and      I wasn't impressed with the service (or lack thereof). Most      likely, I would only return here with friends, as they have a      pretty big storefront and can probably handle group meals      decently. Just be prepared to wait as it was really busy      during regular meal hours.    <\/p>\n<p>      This is a good place to get a good burger in a short period      of time. They offer a variety of signature combinations that      are sure to please almost everyone. The staff is friendly and      very attentive to your needs. Note that they won't go any      lower than medium in regards to the temperature of the meat.      I guess that's okay since we aren't talking about a 1\/2lb      gourmet patty!    <\/p>\n<p>      I've been to Islands several times in the past, but on my      latest trip I was quite disappointed. Upon entering the      restaurant, the host offered us the option to sit in the bar      area so we could take advantage of their happy hour deals.      This was really nice, as we had not known happy hour was      going on, and we ended up sitting in the bar area. Overall,      no complaints about the service here. We ended up ordering a      spinach and artichoke dip to start us off. It was just okay,      but I've definitely had better. The dip was definitely heavy      on the spinach, while I tend to like my dip a little smoother      and cheesier. That really comes down to preference. I do      think the portions were great, since we finished off all the      dip with all the chips we were given. It also came with a      small side of salsa, giving you options. I would normally      order the Hawaiian burger, but I wanted to try something a      little different. I ended up ordering the Yaki tacos, which      are basically the chicken\/taco version of the Hawaiian burger      (so different, I know). I ended up being really disappointed      though. The tacos were pretty much drowning in the teriyaki      sauce, making it so that I couldn't taste any other flavors,      and it also got a little sickening halfway through. My      brother did get a burger, but we noticed the fact that the      fries are no longer bottomless. Islands is pretty pricey      already, but it used to be justified by the fact that I could      eat as many fries as I wanted. Now it just doesn't really      feel worth it, and I was so disappointed with my food.    <\/p>\n<p>      I love Islands and go here probably once a month. The service      is always great, the burgers are delicious (especially the      Hawaiian burger - probably the best Hawaiian burger I've      had), and the fries and sweet potato fries are amazing! One      recommendation - they should have the seasonal Heat Wave      burger year round - my boyfriend LOVED this burger and they      stopped serving it after the summer! We'd come more often if      that was still around \ud83d\ude42    <\/p>\n<p>      This place is awsome! My first time there, Never had heard of      it , It's like a sport bar. Loved it , best hamburgers I have      ever had. Place clean. People are very nice. Definitely      recommend this resturant to any one , that wants a good big      hamburger. The place is great    <\/p>\n<p>      Food, service, and interior were all \"Meh,\" so when I saw      Yelp defined a two-star rating as a \"Meh,\" I was all like      \"well, I don't really have strong feelings about this, but      that seems like a sensible rating.\" My general rule of thumb      is that American food places in Cupertino are overrated      because there aren't any affordable options that blow the      others out of the water. Personally, I'd rather eat here than      Lazy Dog (because the food here is serviceable) or The      Counter (because this place's aesthetic doesn't make me feel      like I live in Stanley Kubrick's image of \"the future\"), but      it's kind of just another chain American restaurant in a town      full of them.    <\/p>\n<p>      Food was mediocre at best but the service was terrible.      Waited way too long for refills and to get my check waited 25      minutes after we ate for someone to come by and we had to ask      for our check    <\/p>\n<p>      This place can be very hit or miss. At times when I have      gone, the food and service are amazing. But this has no      bearing unless it is consistent. Yesterday I went with my      family and the server spilled the beer, I had ordered, on my      father. It was not a big deal as it was clearly an accident.      But the problem was clear after we has gotten the check.      Although the server and hostess apologized profusely, they      did not compensate my father for his damaged clothing. Normal      protocol would dictate that the beer at least would be free,      but that was not the case. In terms of the food I ordered the      Kilauea burger. Normally this is my favorite burger but it      was riddled with too much pepper this time. As I said it is a      very hit or miss type of joint. Maybe they'll be better next      time, but really it's a coin toss.    <\/p>\n<p>      Service was excellent the waiter was on point food was really      really good tasty fresh vegetables the ambience was perfect I      love the island atmosphere along with the surfing images on      the TVs thank you.    <\/p>\n<p>      Over the past couple of months we've become regulars at this      restaurant out of convenience and proximity. We visited last      night and sat at the bar. I don't expect outstanding service      from this place, but last night was just flat out      unacceptable and I think tipping them was a mistake. First, I      asked for a coke and if you knew \"other customers have been      telling us it's flat\" at the time of, you, as the server      should have notified me, instead of trying to sell another      soft-drink. The server should not have sighed heavily when I      nicely asked for a water instead. Sorry, I'm not giving you      $2.65 (or whatever it is), but it wouldn't have been your      money in the end anyways. I'm sorry your soda machine isn't      working, you should ask someone to fix it. If you don't want      to be working on a Saturday night and you'd rather be at the      mall, take that up with your manager. Don't take it out on us      and give us attitude. Second, I flagged down one of the gals      in pink and made eye-contact with her to ask for more napkins      and she just walked away. Even if it's not your table, you      still work there. There's no need to be mean about this. You      don't want to be here on a Saturday night either? Go find a      new job that's more flexible about when you can\/can't work.      Third, the food was luke-warm. I'm not asking for a      teppanyaki grill show, but the food should at least be hot.      The cheese on the nachos already congealed to this      plastic-like consistency and the sliders weren't hot either.      Get the food out on time, or don't give it to us at all.      Yuck. Fourth, when we ask for the check, don't say you'll      grab it ASAP then go clean the counter and pour some beer for      another customer and watch the baseball game then grab food      for other patrons and then print out the check. You see us,      We see you. I'm assuming that the guy in the Hawaiian shirt      last night was the owner\/franchisee of this restaurant. I was      a hostess for 7 years, I managed a restaurant for 3 years,      and I would never have let that behavior slide. My college      degree is in hospitality with a concentration in food and      beverage, yours may not be, but there's no need for you to      bend over the counter and chat up your pseudo-bartender about      the foam in the float\/milkshake machine. For the number of      people in the restaurant, you were WAY overstaffed and still      couldn't provide good service. Everyone is all over the place      not doing their job. Pay attention to the food and the      service your people are providing and take some pride in the      product you are presenting. Clearly, everyone needs to pay      attention because no one is \"getting it\".    <\/p>\n<p>      It's a good place, warm and friendly. Burgers are good,      American style of a restaurant... We were there at the end of      the day, the waitress was very tired but she was still      charming and friendly and made a good time for us...    <\/p>\n<p><!-- Auto Generated --><\/p>\n<p>Here is the original post:<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yelp.com\/biz\/islands-restaurant-cupertino\" title=\"Islands Restaurant - 308 Photos &amp; 501 Reviews - Burgers ...\">Islands Restaurant - 308 Photos &amp; 501 Reviews - Burgers ...<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> 501 I find myself returning to Island's time and time again. I've never had bad service and all the waiters are super kind. As for the good, be adventurous.  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/islands\/islands-restaurant-308-photos-501-reviews-burgers.php\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-204530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-islands"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204530"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204530\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euvolution.com\/futurist-transhuman-news-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}