Editor’s note: Please welcome to This Tasty Life our newest minion writer: Cris! I sent Cris off to Islands since I feel like I’ve been there about a billion times already and that review needed a fresh pair of new eyes. Happy reading! – Mary
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To celebrate the NCAA March Madness, Islands was having a Madness combo that ran from March 15th to April 2nd. Although, they did still have the combo when I went—April 3rd—heh—which now brings me to my apologies for the delay on this review.
Anywho, the Madness combo consisted of a hot dog (Nalu Nalu or Pipeline) and a 16oz. Coors Light.
Nalu Nalu: Roasted garlic aioli, swiss, sautéed onion, mixed peppers, hot deli pepper rings & lettuce.
Pipeline: Chili, american cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles & mustard.
I probably would have went for the Nalu Nalu dog if my mind and stomach weren’t already set on their new Sriracha Smack Burger. Observe the Smack…
[sriracha smack burger]
In between the warm, soft buns lays a medium beef patty topped with sriracha cream cheese, soy-sriracha glaze, pickled peppers, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, onion, and crispy bacon. I actually thought it wasn’t that bad, it definitely had a kick to it. Me being me, I opted for the Sriracha Smack with avocado — no regrets! In fact, I think it added a slight creaminess to the burger and made it much more yummy. I’m usually not a big fan of bacon on burgers — I know, hate me — but in this case, it added a nice crunchy texture, offsetting the other moist ingredients. The patty was cooked just right to my liking; it was moist and still had some pink to it. Also, there was a good amount of glaze to not drown out everything else. As for the side, I got onion rings, which were crispy, not too salty, and definitely not too greasy — I was happy :]. Overall, the burger itself was decent, I wouldn’t mind ordering it again.
[big wave burger]
My friend who came with me (let’s call her Duchess 5.0) ordered the Big Wave with Island Reds™–crispy fried red onions. Unfortunately that was a little bit more done that what had been ordered (medium). Given that the Big Wave does not come with a sauce, but with a bit of mustard, the done patty made the burger a bit dry, especially with the Island Reds™ and toasted bun. Instead of the Island Fries, she got a side of the tortilla soup. The tortilla was soup was delicious, a bit salty for my taste, but according to Duchess 5.0, it was a little more salty than usual. The soup did have chunks of avocado in it, which was a bit surprising to me, cause I don’t really hear about avocado in soup too often, or at all really (I don’t go to Islands that often, hehehe :X ). I wouldn’t mind coming back just for a cup of that.
[cheddar fries]
Our friendly server, Will, went ahead and ordered one of his favorite appetizers, the cheddar fries topped with applewood smoked bacon. These were quite delicious with ranch.
[buffalo wings]
The Buffalo Wings: Wings tossed in traditional spicy sauce, served with carrots, celery, and ranch dressing.
[big island iced tea]
For our refreshments, we ordered us some strawberry lemonade and the Big Island Iced Tea — which is basically like a Long Island Iced Tea, but more tropical and fruity!
[luponic distortion]
This…the Luponic Distortion…No. 001. Uhm…“No. 001?” The Luponic Distortion is an IPA-styled beer that will be remixed every 90 days—the base beer will remain the same, but the hops will change. The No. 001 has a blend of six undisclosed hops, all of which help produce a beer that smells sweet and tastes crispy. Duchess 5.0 and I have concluded it gave off an aroma that was very much like lychee :D. Not every Islands carries the Luponic Distortion; Huntington Beach’s Islands is one of the very few to have it, and Jen, the manager, was so kind to give us a couple of tasters. So if you’re in the area, stop by and give it a sip!
Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks
Multiple Locations
7861 Edinger Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
714-897-4619
Disclaimer: Meal was complimentary. All opinions stated here are that of the writer and no one else!
The Luponic sounds interesting and mysterious with the 6 undisclosed hops. I think we used to visit Islands for their happy hour some time ago. The onion rings look nice – are they made in house?
Hi Faye!
The Luponic does sound interesting. I’m semi-curious as to what the next remix will be like.
I have yet to visit Islands during happy hour. After looking at the happy hour menu, it doesn’t look too bad. I might have to swing by sometime. Do you recommend anything? :]
Yes, the onion rings are freshly made in house 😀
Yay, another minion! 😀
Great review, Cris. That Srirachi Smack burger looks better than its description.
I already can’t wait to read your next post.