La Isla

Recommends

Rocky Y.

Joined 1 year ago

Rum Club the last Tuesday of every month. Get down and try three rums and three paired small plates for cheap!

Doesn't Recommend

juliewd

Joined 2 years ago

Loved the garlic sauce, but suspect food poisoning (pork). My husband and I had a date night here about a month ago. The plantains and garlic sauce were amazing, and I would give a good review except for the fact that my husband was very sick that night with food poisoning and suspects it was the pork. I had a vegetarian entree and was fine.

Doesn't Recommend

GPetunia11

Joined 5 years ago

Horrible Bartender Ramone. I am sad to say that my favorite restaurant has been ruined by an arrogant bartender. I have loved La Isla since it opened but will never go back again because Ramone the bartender is so rude. I have never been treated as badly as I was last night with my friends. It is too bad that a bartender who is in the service industry thinks he is too good to serve customers. This is the second time I have had bad service from the bar there. Is being rude to customers La Isla’s new policy?

Doesn't Recommend

Mr Gourmet

Joined 2 years ago

NEVER AGAIN. Last night was our first and last visit to La Isla. The food was horrible and had no flavor, the service was horrible, and the restaurant was super noisy. By the time I got home my first visit was to the bathroom. I am not sure if the meat was bad but I ended up with my head in the toilet and was sick all night. If you want tasteless food that will make you sick to your stomach, this is your restaurant. As for me....never again

Doesn't Recommend

kpnitrl

Joined 8 years ago

FOOD POISIONING. I am the concierge of a highrise building and this is an experience of one my residents.

Let me first say that the food is tasty and cheap. But I'm not here to reveiw the food, I'm here to tell you about my resident's experience.

My resident had coffee for breakfast and lunch (that's it). She came here for dinner with 'her' friend and they shared a vegetarian plate together. However, she ordered a pork entree (I don't remember which one) to eat by herself. The other lady was vegeterian and did not have any.

That night her world was turned upside with FOOD POISIONING. She ended being taken to the Dr.'s the next morning. She was given 2 different medications to help her recover. The Dr. quickly ruled out her daily coffee as the cause of her POISIONING. She was layed up from work for 3 days.

She called the restaurant 3 times and left messages. They refuse to speak with her about what happened. Frankly, she just wanted to tell them what she ate so they could investigate it. Their irresponsibility and concern for their patrons is a cause for alarm. I wonder if this has happened to others as well. The food is pretty cheap so it causes me to wonder just how fresh it really is.

Her meal came with a price that no one should have pay!

You've been warned.

Recommends

dsepulveda

Joined 8 years ago

Best Puerto Rican. We searched the internet for a Puerto Rican restaurant in Seattle, WA. We went on a Firday night it was crowded but, that was because the food was WONDERFUL. The service was excellent along with the food. If you want really good food go there.

Doesn't Recommend

SeattleCindy

Joined 5 years ago

Really awful customer "service". Really awful customer service. I wasn't glad to see the other bad reviews but was happy to know that I wasn't being singled out, which is what I felt when I went to La Isla with my boyfriend. We we skipped over on the waiting list, another party being seated before us and the hostess was awful about it. I've told many people of my bad experience and while quite a few say they like the food, they've had only so-so experience as far as servers/hostesses go and with my recommendation, won't be going back. I think your Ballard dollars are better spent at another resturant.

Recommends

suburbanseattlite

Joined 6 years ago

Yummy Puerto Rican Food!!. It was our first time trying Puerto Rican food, and we gotta say, we loved it. For appetizers, we got an empanada filled with juicy pulled pork accompanied with a delicious tangy red pepper dipping sauce, and the fried plantains with their signature garlic dipping sauce. YUMMY! The entrees were equally as delicious, I got the salmon and my bf got the plantain lasagna. The rice and beans were so flavorful with some kind of delicious sauce in it. The salmon was tender and the plantain lasagna was sweet and savory. We'll definitely be telling our friends about this place... a Ballard treasure!

Recommends

TheTripChick

Joined 9 years ago

New Favorite Friday Night Spot!. I am not a mojito connoisseur (I think I've had two previously in my lifetime), but this one was goooooood. A bit tart, not sweet, it cut through the weekday haze and ushered us into the weekend like that's what it was born to do. The Salmon a la Parrilla sounded good to all of us, so the server had an easy time with three of the same entree. I ordered mine without grilled onions, and we all had a side salad in place of the rice and beans. The service was relaxed but good, and the food delivery time was about the same. When our plates arrived, we each basked in the delicate salmony glow before being accosted by the most delicious scent - fresh garlic, and lots of it! A small side of mojito sauce that accompanied the tostones was the culprit; it had to be about 90% fresh chopped garlic with a little oil, lime juice and seasonings to create a cohesive sauce. The salmon was a good-sized steak, you won't leave La Isla feeling hungry. It arrived with four fried tostones (plantain) and a good-sized green salad finished with a light, tangy vinaigrette. While the salmon was perfectly seasoned and cooked, I found myself dipping it into the mojito sauce simply because the mojito sauce was so sublimely garlicky. Heck, I think I tried dipping everything on my plate into the mojito sauce. A word of warning, the mojito sauce is so chock full of garlicky goodness, be prepared to breathe garlic fire for the rest of the evening, the next day, and possibly the day after that (at that point, it'll be oozing out your pores). But, it is sooooooooo worth it. We were wonderfully sated by the time our entree plates were cleared and so there was no room left for dessert. However, one dessert caught my eye and is on my "to try" list the next time I am at La Isla...Guayabitas Vivian, a warm torte with sweet guava filling and a cream cheese top, served with old fashioned vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. Mmmmmmm, can next Friday come soon enough???

Recommends

lilrugby

Joined 5 years ago

Great food!. We have been there twice, first time was during Norwegian Constitution Day celebrations. La Isla was quite busy. The food was outstanding and the service was fine. I do have to say they are a bit understaffed and the place is not big. Probably only ten tables inside. Since we have the stroller it can get a bit tight, but the wait and the cramped space are well worth it.