Islands Restaurant Carlsbad on Palomar Airport Road serves the surf-and-burger menu the California chain has built around a Polynesian theme since its 1982 founding in West Los Angeles. Signature builds include the Kilauea burger, the Maui burger, and the Pipeline, each using fresh-ground beef on proprietary buns, alongside carne asada fish tacos wrapped in corn tortillas — a Hawaii-meets-SoCal grill format that fills a different niche than the traditional pub fare at Hennessey's Tavern in the Village. The full-service bar pours tropical cocktails, craft beer, and a dedicated lineup of frozen blended drinks, anchoring the restaurant's identity as a sports-viewing and happy-hour destination near the Carlsbad Premium Outlets and LEGOLAND California. Islands Restaurants' corporate headquarters relocated to Carlsbad at 5760 Fleet Street, making this Palomar Airport Road outpost the chain's de facto home-market location and placing its supply-chain operations on the same North County corridor as the wholesale seafood sourcing at King's Fish House. The fresh-cut fries are sliced from whole potatoes on-site and fried to order, available as standard or sweet-potato cuts — a made-in-house side program spanning both the regular and cheddar-topped preparations.