Interior View of Islands Restaurant Riverside

Islands Restaurant Riverside

Restaurant Hamburger restaurant Family restaurant American restaurant Bar and grill

Beachy gourmet burger chain also serving beer & tropical drinks in laid-back surroundings. People often mention good, service, great, fries, burger, restaurant, experience, time, server, awesome,


Address

3645 Central Ave, Riverside, CA 92506

Website

www.islandsrestaurants.com

Contact

(951) 782-7471

Rating on Google Maps

4.40
(6751.7K reviews)


Working Hours

  • Saturday: 11 AM to 10:30 PM
  • Sunday: 11 AM to 9:30 PM
  • Monday: 11 AM to 9:30 PM
  • Tuesday: (Christmas Eve), 11 AM to 9:30 PM, Hours might differ
  • Wednesday: (Christmas), 11 AM to 9:30 PM, Hours might differ
  • Thursday: 11 AM to 9:30 PM
  • Friday: 11 AM to 10:30 PM

Visitor Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: good (26) service (21) great (18) fries (17) burger (13) restaurant (13) experience (13) time (13) server (12) awesome (10)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Thomas H. 1 year ago on Google • 214 reviews
    We came in today,my wife and I on Juneteenth for lunch. We had the lunch special... she had the double cheese burger with the fries and I had the double cheese burger with a salad. Both orders were made to order. The fries here are really good, nice and crisp. The salad was nice and fresh but the star of the show was the blue cheese dressing!! Big chunks of blue cheese....Awesome Our waitress Erica was polite and very good at her job. This island theme restaurant was worth the trip. I highly recommend 😁👍 .
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jill L. 1 year ago on Google
    We are in town visiting and have enjoyed Island's in the past. Our meal today didn't disappoint. The kiddos enjoyed the Mac n'cheese (like Kraft) and fries. We enjoyed the good service and fun atmosphere.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 thirteen N. 3 years ago on Google
    The setting of the restaurant is awesome. If you are a private person, there is a cool reserved inner section where you (and your date) can have your privacy. On the other hand, if you choose not to be private, the dinning inside still provides a great view of outside, and all the surrounding shopping centers and activities. The food is awesome, especially their menu specials and salads. The bar is also assorted for drink orders, with great customer service. Will definitely go again with my friends.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Tommy V. 3 years ago on Google • 134 reviews
    Had a great experience when we stopped in here on our way home after a long day at Knotts. Out server Shawnee was awesome. She was attentive to our needs and very friendly. Our food came out in a timely manner and everything was delicious. The fried fish tacos were off the hook. Both the truffle fries and ghost pepper fries were quite tasty as well. Thanks for the awesome service Shawnee! We will be back next time we are in the area!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Homie-G T. 1 year ago on Google
    Food: Before the main food, we ordered chips and salsa. While at a lot of places the chips and salsa are free, not here. They cost, at the tike of my visit, $5.19. I felt that was a bit too high. Anyway, the Hawaiian burger was really good. It was thick and full of flavors that made my taste buds happy. When I cut it in half, the visual of my burger was mouth watering. YOU GOTTA SEE THE PICTURES! To the left side, I had my fries with ketchup. To the right side, I had my good'ol Coors Light. Oh, my taste buds want more right now. My wife ordered the Moa Crisp Sandwich and a strawberry lemonade. I tried some of that, and it was also tasty. The strawberry lemonade was on point! So good! So refreshing! Service: The services good. We were checked on a few times. The waitress was nice. Atmosphere: The atmosphere was great. The decor around the restaurant was cool to look at and admire. The tables were of quality. The amount of natural light was perfect. I would recommend this place for a burger, especially the Hawaiian burger.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 ANGELETTE J. 3 years ago on Google
    I enjoyed taking my family there for lunch. I bought the chicken nachos. My favorite. The others bought the Malibu burgers. Very satisfied yet pleased with the friendly service.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Juan DjTorq R. 3 months ago on Google • 195 reviews New
    OMG! If you haven't had a burger here you haven't been eating good!

  • 5/5 Bill M. 4 months ago on Google • 123 reviews
    This is the best location! Every time we come here, we are never disappointed. The restaurant is spotless and the food is always perfect. The servers are consistently amazing. We particularly like a server named Patience, who always goes above and beyond. You don’t experience service like this very often these days. Islands may not be the cheapest place around, but the quality and portions are well worth it and they always have pretty good deals on their IOS app.

  • 5/5 Larry B. 3 months ago on Google • 114 reviews New
    We travel anywhere between thirty and sixty miles to go to an islands restaurant, it's just a nice drive with my wife and a great dinner. When we have time, we go to anaheim with an outdoor patio.We love that. If time is pressing, we go to the one in riverside. The food is always good. I love the passion tropical iced tea, and my wife loves several of the salads. We'll continue to go whenever we can.

  • 4/5 joseph h. 2 years ago on Google
    Good drinks and service, the menu is ok , a lot of burgers and sandwiches, not too many entree meals, but the sandwiches were good
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 dc c. 2 years ago on Google
    Had a family celebration 🎉 cocktail's 🍹🍸🍺 and appetizers 🍽️🍔🍟 had a wonderful time, our bartender was great 👍
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Kevin W. 4 months ago on Google • 107 reviews
    My wife loves this place... Me, not so much... I think the food is nasty... and the service is always so slow... Every time we go, I have something different and i'm always disappointed... Taste. Like school cafeteria food...

  • 4/5 Brent T. 6 months ago on Google • 101 reviews
    Stopped here for a work lunch. Our server was Patience and she was super friendly and attentive. The food was adequate, and came out quickly. The service was really the star here. If the management reads this they should really recognize how important the servers are. I have been to a lot of establishments latterly where the service is mediocre at best, so it was nice to have someone who was both attentive and really seemed to care if we had a good lunch or not.

  • 5/5 Diamond D. 7 months ago on Google • 81 reviews
    Always a big fan of Islands Restaurants. Glad to know no matter which location they serve awesome burgers and fries. We got the Kilauea and the Big wave with cheese. This was the first place I knew to butter their buns. Buttered buns, island red onions (fried) you just can't beat it

  • 5/5 Michelle D. 3 months ago on Google • 73 reviews New
    Food was great, Server Patience was amazing and the mgr John made sure our experience was amazing too

  • 5/5 Sara W. 9 months ago on Google • 38 reviews
    Delicious, would definitely go back. Huli huli Chicken Sandwich was amazing 🔥🔥🔥, would highly recommend if you like a little bit of spicy. The burger was cooked perfectly. Onion rings are huge.

  • 5/5 Renee M. 3 months ago on Google • 20 reviews New
    Always great food & service.

  • 4/5 RUTH O. 3 months ago on Google • 14 reviews New
    The Hawaiian burger is always good and the cheese fries 😋

  • 5/5 Wayne 3 months ago on Google • 13 reviews New
    I like this place best tuna fish in town and get a good beer and meal without the bar scene 👍👍

  • 5/5 Margery D. 5 months ago on Google • 8 reviews
    I came here for dinner with my 5year old nephew and sister. The restaurant was pretty busy. However we were seated right away. Our waiter Garret was courteous and very helpful he spoke to my nephew and took down what he wanted to drink. My nephew said..and I quote he is COOL. I ordered the hula and asked for it to be medium well, but it was more on the raw side. So I asked Garrett if he could have it cooked again and he kindly took my burger back to fix the problem. It took awhile for my order to be ready however Garrett made it a point to keep coming by and apologizing for delay and assured me it was on its way. When it was ready John M brought it to me I believed he might be the manager. I’m not sure actually only assuming but he was courteous as well. He also took the time to speak to my nephew and presented him with an award for having the best tshirt. I think that is really awesome that both man included my nephew in a conversation with my sister and I. Some places usually just take your order and return with it when your order is ready. But for them to actually take the time and converse with my nephew while they were extremely busy was just awesome. Thank you Garrett and John

  • 5/5 Julie M. 1 year ago on Google • 7 reviews
    My family loves coming to this location. We usually have a bigger party and it never takes a long time to be seated. The kids love it there. Not only is the food great but we always get the best waiters/waitresses 🥰

  • 5/5 Tina A. 4 months ago on Google • 5 reviews
    I recently visited Islands and had an outstanding experience, thanks in large part to our server, Eric. From the moment we walked in, he greeted us with a warm smile and genuine enthusiasm. He was knowledgeable about the menu and helped us pick the perfect burgers and sides, making excellent recommendations. Eric's service was attentive without being intrusive. He checked in just the right amount and ensured our drinks were always full. The food came out promptly and was delicious—perfectly cooked burgers with fresh toppings. Overall, Eric made our visit memorable. Great food and top-notch service—I'll definitely be back! Highly recommend asking for him if you go.

  • 4/5 Jennifer H. 3 years ago on Google
    Took Mom out for Mother's Day lunch & could not have been happier!! Service was good. We split an Hawaiian Burger with side of fries. Mom even got dessert - brownie. Will be adding to our list of places to go.

  • 3/5 Debbie B. 1 year ago on Google
    Was first time here I wasn't impressed. My chicken sandwich was very messy plus fries were green. They remade but still had a few green ones.

  • 4/5 Mike C. 1 year ago on Google
    Burger and Chicken sandwich were excellent but the fries were old and dry and unseasoned. No issue other than that or food would have received 5 stars. Server was just “fine” nothing stands out. Atmosphere about what one would expect in a casual dining experience. Nice that there’s no additional charge for gluten free or lettuce wrapping the burgers.

  • 3/5 Angel B. 3 years ago on Google
    The food is so so. Not so good however not so bad. Their desserts on the other hand looked good and had friendly service no wait time.

  • 5/5 Viviana m. 4 months ago on Google • 4 reviews
    Always a wonderful experience here! Amazing customer service and excellent food. Today is sat Oct 19 we dinned at 8pm. Our server and I believe manager Went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed our visit. Will definitely take the drive out here. Worth our hour drive!

  • 5/5 Delia D. 4 years ago on Google
    If you're looking to get out during this pandemic then this is a good spot to go. Outdoor dining area with heating (if you want to eat out during these brisk fall evenings). Friendly services and delicious food. When you are seated you need to QR scan the menu or search it up online because they do not have traditional menus available so bring your electronic devices. I ordered the Toucan on wheat with sweet potatoe fries and a side of honey mustard. Most of their menu items are delicious though. And their cocktails and beer selection is wide so they have what you are looking for.

  • 5/5 T Jackson (. 3 years ago on Google
    The burgers there are really good and the Wings. We had drinks 🍸 there they were decent too

  • 1/5 Jim H. 3 years ago on Google
    They told us 30 minute wait people that came in after us were getting seated before usWasn’t seated until I complained food was gross return all the food

  • 5/5 Jimmy J. 2 years ago on Google
    Went there Christmas Eve with the wife and it was great. Burgers were delicious. Our server was a little so so at first, i actually wanted to leave. He won us over in the most simplest way, just being polite and checking in on us regularly. I understand that he probably wanted to be home instead of serving anyone. We made sure to tip him well, fist bump and a Merry Christmas, happy new year and we left happy and full. Well be back for sure.

  • 5/5 Evelyn W. 3 years ago on Google
    We had the best experience at Islands to celebrate two birthdays. Birdie was our server. She was the best ever!!!! She was polite, friendly, efficient and professional. We absolutely love her. The twins got a kick out of her. The food was 💯. Thank you Islands Restaurant!!!! Thank you Manager you're awesome!er

  • 5/5 Patti K. 2 years ago on Google
    Amazing experience! I had a big order and they were so nice about it. Every order had the person's name on it so it was easy for me to organize our lunch at the office. When 2 people didn't get their fries, the manager, Terry brought it to us. This Islands locations is top notch!

  • 5/5 Nidia B. 2 years ago on Google
    Tasty, friendly and healthy options abound!! Try their bowl. Good and good for ya. Great place for the kiddos. I would however love firmer seats in the booths. Never a long wait and always clean. Do watch out for the soup... delicious but a bit heavy on the salt and the endless bowl is over 800 calories. Oooh! I love the calories on the menu. They really help you make better decisions. Our server was excellent. Came by often, anticipated needs. You go, Islands!!

  • 5/5 Michael C. 2 years ago on Google
    Your experience will probably vary depending on where you go and who is serving you at the restaurant you go to, but this restaurant has been great every time I've been there for the past 7 years. The main things I would want to know when going to a restaurant, How fast will I be seated? Do they have good food? Do they have good servers? Is the restaurant clean? Is it kid friendly? Do they have and keep clean bathrooms? If you have any one of these questions, I can help you. Rest assured that The answer is yes. The go-to for my wife is the yaki tacos and for me it's the impossible Burger. Try this place. I think you'll like it.

  • 5/5 Jackie A. 2 years ago on Google
    The burgers are great but possibly even better is the whole atmosphere and by far the friendliest servers on the planet. Not to mention quick, you can see the whole team jump in and help. The seams don't show and it makes for such a fun experience even beyond the great food

  • 1/5 Edith M. 2 years ago on Google
    Was unhappy. This was always one of my favorite spots. But I think they changed there recipe. I always get the Maui Burger. Couldn't taste the cheese. The salsa was either bad or had way to much lime. Don't think I'll ever be back. My husband's burger wasn't cooked well, he asked to exchange and they did. They deducted the cost of it; which was nice of them (we didn't ask for that). Overall service from the waitress was great, but food quality was bad.

  • 5/5 Renae W. 2 years ago on Google
    Attentive wait staff, we were sat quickly and server got our drinks to us quickly as well. My date had the bottomless soup which looked great, I had the bowl with chicken and rice and it was good, a little too salty but good. It had plenty of chicken and vegetables.

  • 5/5 Inda N. 2 years ago on Google
    The world cup is in the desert this year so it seems appropriate to watch it from this beach themed tiki bar in the sister desert of southern california. From the Inland Sea of qatar to the Inland Empire of riverside, it’s all solidarity and nachos for your world cup watching needs. ⚽️ ⚽️

  • 5/5 Tiffany F. 2 years ago on Google
    The wait was short. The server was friendly. The burger was ENORMOUS. The kid portions were very generous as well. Prices were comparable to say Red Robin. Great atmosphere with multiple TVs playing sports. They also have Happy Hour options. Overall a great experience and we will definitely be returning.

  • 4/5 Emily N. 2 years ago on Google
    Everything was perfect. The service was stellar. They used half the restaurant for most of our visit so it was a bit crowded but I recognize this is likely due to staffing. Our fries were especially tasty. It was fun listening to the guys at the bar cheer their favorite team on.

  • 5/5 Grace T. 2 years ago on Google
    I had a wonderful experience at Islands. The entire atmosphere and customer service was top notch. Paige was our server and was very kind in her mannerisms and made sure that we always had everything we needed. Also, Kristen brought out our food and was incredibly nice and helpful with getting more utensils and sauces. Overall, they made the dining experience very enjoyable!

  • 5/5 Flossie T. R. 3 years ago on Google
    The food is awesome, especially their menu specials and salads!!!

  • 5/5 Hope P. 3 years ago on Google
    Server very attentive and happy. Food tasted great but a bit pricey as well as the alcohol. I decided to make my own margarita at home.

  • 5/5 WILLIAM THE C. 3 years ago on Google
    Let me start off by saying best service I’ve had in years Right when we walked through the door We were greeted and then seated waitress came around right away to get our drink order. Food came out quick my Burger was really good especially the bacon liked the fries 🍟 and the onion rings were good too Will definitely be back

  • 5/5 Jessica M. 3 years ago on Google
    Our waitress was attentive and very kind. The food is delicious. They have a good selection of items to select from. The restaurant is clean and atmosphere is fun. Love going here.

  • 5/5 A B. 1 year ago on Google
    Love eating here. Our server Patience was absolutely wonderful. I had a really complicated order and she gave us the best service! Jocelyn came by our table in between and also was amazing. I do have to say whoever was making the truffle fries this time did the best job. Best fries Ive ever had. The food was delicious (got the Kilauea burger veggie patty) the wait was short, and the vibe of this place is just awesome! Please keep being the greatest Islands!

  • 4/5 shiloh l. 1 year ago on Google
    The food was great, I was disappointed with the service. We were definitely being rushed in and out, what’s the point of a restaurant if you can’t sit and enjoy your meal and company?! I finally had to tell our waitress that we would be done when we are done! It’s extremely rude to bring the check before we are even done eating!!! Stop this type of service!!! Won’t be coming back to this location, it’s obviously poorly managed.


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