Islander

Great little casual dining place with excellent seafoods. I loved the fish (yellowtail) plate – fresh, grilled nicely and matched well, with the sides. I was very impressive with the sides; at times you would find casual places not paying much attention to small things like sides, but this place is not one of them! Great-​tasting, fresh veggies and nicely cooked! The oysters are not as sweat as those I had in Maryland but it could be that it was off season (February) but they were fresh! The soup was tasty if you like spicy and heavy flavors; it was a bit too much for me. The waiters were very very polite, friendly, and attentive. AlTogether, the best dining experience I had in Coronado!

Well done well done. Fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. Sea bass is the way to go at this joint

The tacone kept dripping juice from the inside. The fish is very fresh though.
Pickles were fried as large slices. Too salty to finish even one piece. Very generous portion. But we couldn’t finish.

Service was excellent. Great shrimp and rice cakes with panko bread crumb. Coleslaw had just the right amount of dressing. Kiddo had the grilled cheese and sourdough and it was to die for!

My husband and I had about two hours to visit Coronado And needed to grab a bite to eat. This was a cute little place in the center of town. The employees were very friendly and helpful. Being so close to the ocean though, we wanted a view while we ate. We opted to get our food to go and head out to a seaside location.
We ordered the fish and chips. It was pretty pricey at about $ 20 a pop, but the flavor and texture did not disappoint. The portion of fish was sizable and the batter was so tasty. You can pick the type of fish – A waitress recommended the cod and I think it was a great choice.
It was really the little things that set this place apart. The fries were nice and crispy, and were served with a curry catch up. I don’t even like catch up and I finished the whole container. The tartar sauce was a horse radish tartar sauce. I’ve never had anything like it but I loved it! The final unique element was a pumpkinseed coleslaw. I wouldn’t have thought to put those flavors together but my did it work. I’d go back for a bowl full of that!
The food was hot and delicious. We’re glad we made the choice! It was the perfect flavor pairing for a lunch by the sea.

This is one of my new favorite places. Outstanding service, outstanding food. I had yellowtail tempura fish and chips, which were the best I have had in SoCal. My wife had an albacore tacone, equally great. The fries are fantastic! Mine were so good that my wife had to go order a side for herself. We also had the ceviche, which was great, with warm, fresh made tortilla chips.
It is a pay-​up-​front, take a number kind of joint, which sometimes equals spotty service. On the contrary here, our drinks were never even close to empty, someone was even serving my wife water and drinks while I was still paying at the counter!
The prices seem a little high at first glance, but the quality of the food makes it a great value. We will be back!

I gave Islander four stars, because it was super hot inside their restaurant and their air conditioning was broke or something.
Otherwise, the food was pretty damn good, the service was adequate, and their happy hour prices were awesome.
I think we ordered practically everything on their HH menu. I had just flown in from Seattle and was extremely hungry, but very hot. Fortunately, they kept our glasses full of ice water.
This is a great place with a friendly staff who know how to serve up some quality dishes.
Highly recommended.

Friendly service. Yummy food. Awesome location.
Attending a seminar in San Diego, my wife and I had a brief lunch break. Look, we get to stare at the Ohio River all year. So, instead of hanging around the hotel and conference room any longer, we made a dash to Coronado.
Maybe it’s not big deal for the locals, but us mid-​westerners need to gobble up ocean views whenever we can!
And, we needed to gobble up some viddles. So, my wife pulls out Unilocal on the way, and we the safe bet — go with the highest rated restaurant on Coronado … there’s a reason why.
It was Sunday afternoon. The weather wasn’t great, a bit cloudy, so the Islander wasn’t slammed. But, we were greeted by a wonderful hostess/​waitress, who was extremely friendly. First, she told me I didn’t need to pay the meter (which I had missed), then, she knew we were in a hurry and got our fish and chips order in right away. While it was getting ready, she prepped us to go with to go cups and the bill.
When the food came out, the chef (owner?), gave us a pro tip and said, «hey, it’s fried. The sooner you open these styrofoam containers, the better it will be.» Now, I should know that after years of takeout, but what a friendly and thoughtful tip! This guys was saying, «my food is really good. Here’s how to get the most out of it if you are getting it to go.»
And, it was delicious! The curry ketchup on the fries … awesome! My wife hates ketchup, and she gobbled it all up. The horeradish tartar sauce, yum! The cod was fantastic and the pumpkin seed slaw great on the side.
A little pricey for what we normally pay … but, that comes with the territory on Coronado. If you’re going to pay premium, get the best. Go to the Islander!

This place is ruled by a foodie muse that’s run amok! And that’s a very good thing. They don’t just serve food here; they like it, they have fun with it. Examples? Start with the a very strong contender for best french fry in the universe. (They must change their deep fryer oil continually.) But don’t let’s just consider the fry itself. I mean what’s the point of a world-​class fry if you can’t dip in something familiar, yet with an original twist – like curry ketchup? And tartar sauce for their perfectly battered, perfectly fried fish dissolves with embarrassment when faced with wasabi tartar sauce. (Why hasn’t tartar sauce ALWAYS been made with wasabi mustard, I ask you. Talk about your culinary travesties!)
But, really, everything we tried was like that, inspired by the same wanton disregard for the predictable. Try the tacone. This is how fusion cuisine happens.

Awesome food and good customer service! We will definitely be back the next time we are on Coronado.
I went for the local sea bass fish and chips and it was some of the best fried fish I’ve ever had. The batter was crispy and not greasy at all and the portions are huge. The piece of fish they served was an inch thick and must have been a half pound. The freshness of the fish and it’s natural meatiness was the star with the tempura-​style batter a perfect co-​star.
If it wasn’t for the fish being so damn good I would have had the buyers remorse after tasting my wife’s penne a la vodka that was on special. If this is an option GET IT! The sauce was so light and creamy and was easily the best a la vodka I’ve ever had. I can’t remember what seafood it has besides shrimp, but the sauce was outstanding!
The negatives were the long wait for food and how warm the inside dining area was. If you want a beer you have to stay inside because they can’t have alcohol on their «patio» which is just tables out on the sidewalk. The outside seating was all taken when we say down anyway and the inside was uncomfortably warm with the open kitchen. It was such a cool night outside it’s a shame their windows are fixed and can’t open. If they were able to air out the inside with new windows or figure out some way to get air moving through the back doors to ventilate, it would be much nicer to eat inside.
How to do Islander: Get the pasta if it’s on special, sea bass if not, skip the alcohol and score an outside table.

We were touristing our way through Coronado and got hungry. We found and chose this little gem by simply walking by and being hungry.
At first I was a little turned off by the prices. $ 20 for a grilled fish plate? But again, we were huuungry. So we went for it. Money well spent.
I had the grilled Halibut Salad with a side of grilled veggies. My hubby ate the grilled halibut plate. The fish was by far the highlight of the meal.
You can choose the seasoning you want on the fish. I had salt and pepper and my hubby chose Cajun. Both equally delicious. That’s good quality fish. Also, it was probably a 6−8oz piece. Plenty of food!
One more highlight. They make their own pickles! Delicious. I want more pickles…

We were visiting the Island to celebrate with our teenage son. He wanted fish and I was just ready to eat. We found the Islander and thought this «fast casual» restaurant would be the perfect lunch spot for the three of us. Three lunch portions and three sodas cost us $ 80. Oops! We ordered one grilled fish with rice and veggies and two fried fish with fries and potato salad.
It’s a very casual atmosphere. You order at a counter and it seems like a spot to visit in your beachwear and flip flops, but the price tag seemed to indicate something different. Thankfully the food was pretty good! The potato salad was served in a tiny cup, but it was really well seasoned and our only complaint was that we wish there was more. The fries were crispy. The grilled fish definitely a highlight of the visit! Sooo good! The fried fish was good, but it was fried fish. Nothing overly exciting.
Yes it was good, but I wouldn’t put this on my must try list.

This review is a few weeks late, but I definitely had a thing or two to say about this place.
3.5 stars, decent casual fare. I ordered a cup of chowder and a sea bass tacone. The chowder, to my surprise, came with a decent sized piece of fried fish in the center. The broth was bright and citrusy and quite spicy. The sea bass tacone was a daily special. The fish was fresh and well-​seasoned but unfortunately overcooked. Otherwise, the tacone flavors were good — it was fresh, citrusy, well-​balanced. I also enjoyed the side of spicy rosemary pickled carrots and dill pickled cucumbers. Overall a very filling dinner for under $ 20.
The only reason I am not rounding up to 4 stars is because of the rudest server I have ever encountered. Now I rarely complain about service since I care far more about the food than service, but at Islander the chick that served my soup literally served it with her back to me, while talking to the table next to me! Is it too much to ask someone in the SERVICE INDUSTRY to say «here’s your soup» before turning their back? Luckily, my main course was served by a friendly and courteous guy, so I didn’t have to see the disrespectful girl’s face — I mean, BACK — again.

You can never go wrong with fish and chips! I was very impressed with this place when we were stopping by for lunch. The wait staff is very helpful and attentive, the food was worth the $$ and I ended up being so full I couldn’t clear my plate — the portions are not something to be taken lightly!
At first I wasn’t very excited about their «curry ketchup» but after tasting it… I realized that this was the best ketchup I’ve ever had! I couldn’t get enough of it!
Anyway, the only things I would change about this place is that it was REALLY hot the day we were there so I was hoping to have a hot lunch in the air conditioning. And two, their tartar sauce has a little too much horseradish in it… Enough to clear the sinuses if you ended up dipping too much, but I recognize that’s just a personal preference of mine.
I would definitely recommend this place to someone if I lived in San Diego.

It doesn’t look like much from the inside. And I was a bit grumpy when we walked in. It’s blistering hot outside, why is it so warm in here? I almost walked out. Everything on the menu is like $ 20 except for the «tacones». I almost walked out again.
I grumpily ordered a tacone, expecting a standard taco-​sized thing for a ridiculous $ 8, and sat down directly in front of a large floor-​standing fan that they had set up.
Nope. This thing was huge, and it was absolutely delicious. $ 8 well spent! I left hydrated, full, and happy.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Harry S Truman
Noticed all the outdoor seating was taken. Strange nobody was sitting inside. After I went inside to look over the menu I felt why. Air was hot and still. The ceiling fans 20 feet above rotating slowly didn’t help much. This was during the summer heat wave and the AC was broken.
I chose the special. Fresh locally caught sea bass fish and chips. Crunchy tempura batter gave a delicious fried salty flavor to the mild sea bass. Flavor was pretty good but I prefer the flavor of the fried sea bass at Sally’s Seafood on the Water. Twice cooked Kennebec fries had a crunchy outside and a delicious flavor. Among the best in San Diego.
Staff was very friendly. I’d come here again if I was in Coronado.

This place is brand new! It is only 8 months old. It is located in a great spot which is great for business. The atmosphere is casual and the restaurant is clean. The bathrooms, although, were very dirty and quite disgusting.
The customer service is EXCEPTIONAL! They’re all so nice and friendly. They all made sure we had everything we needed. You can tell that people, not money, are their priority.
Let’s talk about the food. I ordered the seabass fish and chips. It came with French fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce, and ketchup served on a paper plate.
The fish was really good! It is caught locally. They give you two big pieces. I honestly wish they’d give more. Anyways, it was crisp and delicious I just had to put some salt on it. French fries: not my favorite. The flavor is good but they cook them twice and personally, they tasted burnt and soggy to me. My mother’s fries were really burnt and the lady was nice enough to bring out a new side of fries. The coleslaw was different and super sweet. I can’t quite put my finger on what made it weird for me. The sauce was gross, in my opinion. The consistency was very watery and it tasted a watery too.
Now, you MUST have a lemonade to drink. It is SO GOOD!
For 4 plates of fish and chips and 1 plate of grilled fish and vegetables, it was $ 115. A little pricey. I also think for that price, they should invest in nicer plates, better presentation, and maybe drop the price a little bit.
Overall, my food experience was decent and my customer service was AMAZING. I believe you guys will go far as long as you keep having people as your main focus instead of money. Great job guys!

Fish n Chips ist sehr zu empfehlen. Gute Qualität. Der Preis ist in Ordnung. Der Service ist prima. Sehr zu empfehlen wer schnell guten Fisch essen möchte.