Description: Islands is a casual sit-down burger chain with a Hawaiian/surfer theme. I went with three friends to the location in Fullerton by Amerige Heights. There are many other locations in and around Orange County, including Irvine, Foothill Ranch, Mission Viejo, Huntington Beach, Orange, Anaheim Hills, and more.
We were seated fairly quickly. The decor attempts to simulate a hut made of thatch and bamboo, with surfboards and other surf related memorabilia around. Even the employees are all dressed in Hawaiian print shirts! Our table was fashioned to resemble a surfboard. The atmosphere is light and lively and has a generally happy feel to it.
The menus are tucked in the corner of the table. The menu basically has burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and other inexpensive fare. Most all of the items are under $10 each. My friends ordered the North Shore fish tacos (Three flour tortillas stuffed with spicy chicken, cheddar, lettuce, and tomatoes with salsa on the side,) a Sandpiper grilled chicken sandwich with choice of wholewheat bun (comes with sauteed mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, swiss, and mayo,) and I ordered the Big Wave burger with bacon (burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and mustard.) We also ordered a side of island fries (basically french fries.)
Our orders came out within 10 minutes. They all looked good and tasted even better. Sometimes there's nothing like sinking your teeth into a good burger, and Islands definitely fulfilled that desire. The fries were nice and crisp too. We were all quite happy during and after our meal.
Our waitress asked if we wanted dessert, and we chose the New York Style Cheesecake and Kona Pie (Mocha almond fudge ice-cream and cookie crust topped with chocolate fudge, roasted almonds, and whipped cream) The Kona Pie is basically the same as a Mud Pie. The desserts came out looking totally delectable (see the pictures, you'll understand.) The Kona Pie was drizzled with ribbons of chocolate sauce, and the cheesecake was topped with strawberry sauce. I sampled both and they were terrific. Being a chocolate lover, I preferred the Kona Pie, but I would have gone for either one!
After all was said and done, our total bill came out to about $45 before tip. That included the tacos and two burgers, fries, one soft drink, and two desserts. Not bad at all! I'd consider this one of my semi-regular places to visit every month or so!
Some can say that Islands is just an expensive sit down burger joint, so why go here when you can go to a drive-thru burger stand? Well, I think the quality and taste of the food at Islands justifies the cost. You do get what you pay for, and we still didn't pay that much!
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