If you have a kid and live within a five mile radius of an Islands, you’ve eaten there. Even if you don’t have kids but live close by an Islands, chances are good that you’ve been there – that is unless you are one (or more) of the following:  a food snob, a burger hater, or a health freak.  With its original location in West LA, Islands has been serving burgers and fries for over 30 years.

Kids love Islands. They have a fun kid’s menu, filled with activities to keep the them busy, and complimentary crayons. Islands regularly changes the activities on the menu, which helps keep frequent kid diners entertained. I think I have the only kid in America who doesn’t like burgers and fries, but she’s got plenty of choices for entrees and sides on the menu. When she was younger, she always chose a grilled cheese or quesadilla. Now, it’s always a hot dog, which she covers with a generous blanket of ketchup.

All the burgers can be subbed with either a veggie or turkey patty at no extra charge. My husband usually chooses one of the burgers and subs it with a veggie patty. The Hawaiian comes with pineapple, teriyaki sauce and lettuce, tomato, swiss and onion.

If I get a burger, I’ll sub it with a turkey patty, which I like just as much as the regular beef patty. Flecked with vegetables, the turkey patty is moist, and doesn’t make me miss eating beef at all.

If you don’t feeling like a burger, Islands has chicken sandwiches, wraps, salads, rice bowls and tacos. I like the Northshore tacos, filled with spicy chicken, cheddar, lettuce and tomato. They come with salsa and beans, though I’d much rather be eating…

…their fries. Cooked with the skins on, the fries are crisp and salted to perfection. Paired with ranch dressing, Islands fries are my weakness. I have to make a concerted effort to stop eating them. No trip to Islands is complete without eating the fries. Most of the entrees come with fries, although you could substitute them with other options like a salad or steamed veggies (shudder).

To say that Islands is just a kids restaurant would be selling it short. L.A. Weekly even recently wrote up Islands as having one of the best happy hours in Los Angeles, not that  I’ve ever partaken in it. Do they have the best burgers in town? Not even close, but for a casual, relaxed atmosphere with friendly service, Islands fits the bill. Oh, and don’t forget to order some ranch dressing to go with your fries.

Location: 10948 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles 90064. See additional locations here.
Website – https://www.islandsrestaurants.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – Yes. https://www.islandsrestaurants.com/food
Pesco-Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes

As of October 2018, this location is closed. See additional locations here.