Islands Restaurant Menu & San Diego Locations (2026 Guide)

Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks has six restaurants in San Diego County, according to its official San Diego page: Chula Vista, Mission Valley, Mira Mesa, Carmel Mountain, Vista and Carlsbad. The menu is built around big burgers named after surf spots, fresh-cut fries, tacos and bowls, with a full bar. You can browse the complete, current menu on the Islands food menu page, which is the only place to trust for prices.

What Islands is

Islands is a Southern California casual-dining chain that opened its first restaurant in West Los Angeles in 1982. Its founder, Tony DeGrazier, built the concept around a relaxed surf-and-tropics feel he took from time spent in Hawaii, and the company is now headquartered in Carlsbad, here in San Diego County. The founder retired in 2020 and sold the company to private investors, and the chain has trimmed its footprint since the late 2000s, with around 39 restaurants as of 2024 (Wikipedia summary of company history).

Inside, expect a casual surf-and-tropics look, a full bar and a menu that reads like a tour of the Pacific. It is the kind of place locals use for an easy family dinner, a lunch meeting or a game on TV with a beer, rather than a destination meal.

Islands locations in San Diego County

These are the six restaurants listed on the official San Diego page in November 2026.

Location	Address	Good to know
Chula Vista (Eastlake)	2255 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91915	South Bay, handy for Eastlake and Otay Ranch
Mission Valley	2441 Fenton Pkwy, San Diego, CA 92108	Near Snapdragon Stadium and the Mission Valley trolley line
Mira Mesa	10669 Westview Pkwy, San Diego, CA 92126	Off I-15 in Mira Mesa
Carmel Mountain	12224 Carmel Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA 92128	Inland North County, near Rancho Bernardo
Vista	240 South Melrose Dr, Vista, CA 92081	Off Highway 78
Carlsbad (Palomar Airport Rd.)	889 Palomar Airport Rd, Carlsbad, CA 92011	Coastal Carlsbad, near the outlets

Closed or unlisted locations

• Kearny Mesa (Balboa Avenue): permanently closed. Local news reported on the empty building on Balboa Avenue, which is now listed as permanently closed (CBS 8 report). If you remember eating at the Islands near Montgomery Field, that is the one that’s gone.
• The Shoppes at Carlsbad: Islands opened a second Carlsbad restaurant in the former Westfield mall on El Camino Real in 2017. It does not appear on the official San Diego page in 2026, so don’t plan a trip around it without checking the Islands location map first.

The San Diego page itself mentions “seven locations” in its intro but lists only six, so the map is the final word.

What the Islands menu is known for

There is no point reproducing the menu here, as it changes and prices vary by location. This is what the restaurant is known for, based on the current official menu.

Burgers

Burgers are the main event. There are around ten named burgers, with names drawn from Hawaii and surf culture, including the Big Wave, Kilauea, Malibu, Maui, Hawaiian and Pipeline. A smash burger has been running as a limited-time item. Any burger can be made with a turkey patty, a veggie patty or a plant-based patty, and gluten-free buns are available.

Fries and starters

Islands Fresh-Cut Fries are the default side, with sweet potato fries and cheddar fries as options. The starters section (called “Surfer Starters”) covers nachos, Tiki Tenders, sliders, wings, spinach and artichoke dip and onion rings. These are sized for sharing.

Tacos, bowls, salads and sandwiches

If you don’t want a burger, the tacos and bowls section is the next most popular part of the menu. It includes Yaki, Northshore, Classic Fish and Kalua Pork tacos, plus Beach, Baja and Burger Salad bowls. Salads such as the Jungle Caesar, Kaanapali Kobb and China Coast are full meals, and there is a tortilla soup. Sandwiches include the Shorebird, Toucan, Moa Crisp and the Moa Kai tuna sandwich.

Desserts and drinks

The signature dessert is Kona Pie, with Chocolate Lava and shakes and smoothies alongside it. Many older menus and fan pages mention a “Paradise Pie,” but that name is not on the current official menu. The bar serves cocktails, margaritas, beer and wine, and there are agua frescas and non-alcoholic drinks for everyone else.

Kids menu

The kids menu (“Gremmie” meals, for surfers 12 and under) bundles an entrée, side and drink. Choices include a junior burger, mac and cheese, a grilled cheese called the Sandcastle and junior Tiki Tenders, with a small sundae or shake for dessert. This is one reason Islands is a common pick for families with mixed ages.

Happy hour and Lunch Break

Islands runs a happy hour throughout the restaurant, not only at the bar. The San Diego page describes it as weekday afternoons from 3 to 6:30 p.m., and the happy hour menu page has recently shown longer windows on some days, including all day Sunday and 3 p.m. to close on Mondays and Thursdays during football season. It covers small plates such as nachos, sliders, street tacos, wings and fries, plus discounted cocktails, beer and house wine. Because the schedule shifts with the sports calendar, check the page on the day.

There is also a Lunch Break menu with smaller, quicker plates for weekday lunch. It is linked from each location page.

Hours, ordering and reservations

Hours vary by restaurant. As an example, the Mission Valley location page lists 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Check your own location’s page for its hours, phone number and holiday changes.

Islands is a walk-in restaurant for most meals. Takeout and pickup can be ordered through the official online ordering site, which also shows the current prices for the restaurant you pick. That is the most reliable way to check prices before you go, since menus and prices are not identical across every location.

All six San Diego County restaurants are in or beside shopping centers with on-site parking lots.

Who Islands suits

• Families: the kids menu, booths and noise level make it low-stress with children.
• Groups with mixed tastes: burgers, fish tacos, salads, veggie patties and gluten-free buns cover most needs.
• Sports fans: happy hour has run longer on game days during football season.
• Visitors who want something familiar: it is consistent and casual, but it is a chain. If you want a meal that feels specific to San Diego, see our guide to where to eat in San Diego by neighborhood.

Nearby pairings

• Mission Valley: the Fenton Parkway restaurant is a short drive from Fashion Valley shopping, which makes it an easy lunch stop on a shopping day.
• Carlsbad: the Palomar Airport Road location is a convenient stop on the way to or from LEGOLAND California, if you want a simple sit-down meal outside the park.
• Mira Mesa: pair a burger with a morning walk or fishing session at Miramar Lake, a few minutes away.

Quick tips

• Check the Islands location map before driving to an address you remember from years ago. Kearny Mesa has closed, and the Shoppes at Carlsbad restaurant isn’t on the current San Diego list.
• If you have a food allergy, say so when you order. Gluten-free buns are available, but the kitchen and fryers are shared.
• Use online ordering to check prices. Menu prices vary by location and change through the year.