Isla Restaurant: A Taste of Authentic Filipino Cuisine in Newark, CA

Isla offers authentic Filipino cuisine featuring classic dishes crafted with traditional flavors. The sisig was expertly prepared, crispy around the edges, and bursting with savory goodness. The kare-kare pork was tender and flavorful, served with a rich peanut-based sauce and crispy vegetables. Servers are attentive, prompt, and knowledgeable about the menu. The ambiance was warm and inviting, with cozy decor and lively music creating a welcoming atmosphere—definitely the best place to gather with friends and families for an enjoyable Filipino dining experience.

First time to dine here. So many Filipino customers. So festive! I’m happy that there’s a place my kababayans meet and eat!

This place truly stands out for authentic Filipino flavors. Every dish was perfectly prepared and packed with rich, comforting taste. The pancit was beautifully seasoned, the bisteg tender and flavorful, and the adobo absolutely unforgettable. An experience that genuinely impressed me.

Filipino food from the province of Pampanga. Great food and service. Our all time favorite for the past several years.

Food is delicious! We were a party of 4 with a baby and were seated right away and got our food almost immediately. The only downside is that the staff weren't very aware that we were ready for the check. Multiple employees walked passed us as our plates were untouched, so speed of service went down from there. More frequent table touching would help and treating smaller parties with the same kind of service as the large tables would be beneficial in elevating service at this restaurant. Restrooms were clean, staff courteous and presentable, just lacking in the areas mentioned above. We are planning to return in a few months for a larger family birthday and hoping this issue has been solved by then.

Food was great. Menu had a huge selection. I wasn't impressed with their desserts. The halo-halo was served in a plastic cup. 12/06/25

This review is for our server named "Nay". He is an attentive and friendly server we had today. He ensure that all our requests are accommodated right away. He gave us a great recommendation for me and my mom since it was her first time here. The pancit was freshly cooked. The lechon kawali was crispy and we separated the kare kare sauce. We ordered the bilao # 1 which all items are cooked fresh and delicious. My mom got the sago and gulaman which is balanced sweet and good amount of sagot, gulaman and ice. They provided the condiments on the side such as vinegar, sweet and sour, fish sauce, sili and mang tomas sauces.. We will definitely go back here and will request for Nay again.

This was our first time dining at this restaurant. They were undergoing some construction during our visit, but that didn’t take away too much from the experience. The food overall was good—though the pork BBQ was a bit overcooked and charred for our taste. On the bright side, the halo-halo was excellent and definitely the highlight of the meal. We’re looking forward to coming back once the renovations are complete to try more dishes!