For those of you not familiar, I am a 30 year-old male residing in Santa Monica, CA who has a terrible addiction to sports. I also consider myself a happy hour connoisseur. I can name nearly all happy hours in the Santa Monica/Venice area, the times, the deals, and the sports-viewing possibilities at each spot. In my book, there is nothing better than a solid happy hour spent with some friends watching sports, especially watching my Chicago Bears.
Recently, the good folks at Islands Restaurants reached out to our crew at Next Impulse Sports and offered to host us for a NFL happy hour and (not surprisingly) we jumped at the opportunity. After saying we would check it out, I started to wonder how on earth Islands Restaurants were doing happy hours for the NFL and how I had never heard about it. I remembered going to Islands Restaurants with my family back in the day, but I never thought about it as a solid spot to watch games on Sunday, Monday or Thursday.
Four of us showed up on a Monday night and we had the whole night to really settle in thanks to two Monday Night Football games courtesy of the weather in Buffalo. We grabbed a table in the bar section and were surrounded by big flat-screen TV’s everywhere you looked. We literally counted over 15 TV’s and each had volume (which is rare in Southern California bars). Each of the servers was wearing a NFL jersey and the folks at the bar seemed like they were locals of some sort. The vibe was solid.
The happy hour menu was presented to us and we dug right in, ordering the Wings, Beachside Sliders, and a round of beers. We also grabbed a ridiculously large plate of chips and salsa and a couple Longboard Lagers which were under $5 (which are a personal favorite, especially when on draft).
Small but important note: THE MUGS WERE FROZEN AND THE BEER WAS VERY COLD. It may seem trivial, but there is nothing worse than ordering a draft beer and having them come out less than chilled. As far as the review of the food, we enjoyed it all. The sliders were fantastic and the wings were as good as any you will find in the area.
We ordered another round of Coors Light and I took it upon myself to order the Mai Tai. It did not disappoint and I would have ordered a few more if not for some scheduled early Tuesday meetings. 
The restaurant did a great job of separating the dining area from the bar. The setup couldn’t have been better and we were treated extremely well the entire time. I have lived in Southern California for 20 years and have picked up surfing as a regular hobby. The restaurant is surf-themed and always has surf videos playing, which is a massive plus for me.
We proceeded to order more food and the highlight was definitely the fish tacos. I could eat those things all day, everyday. We also grabbed a chicken wrap for good measure, and it was devoured in about three minutes.
Long story short, Islands Restaurants should be a staple in your happy hour rotation, especially during the NFL season. If you are looking for great prices on cold beers, perfect viewing for NFL games and awesome food you will not be disappointed.
Here are some more details on the NFL Happy Hours at Islands Restaurants:
Monday and Thursday happy hour deals are extended from 4 p.m. to close in the bar with specials all day long on Sundays. Those looking for the full viewing experience can catch all the action with NFL Sunday Ticket and won’t miss a single touchdown or interception with NFL RedZone playing on big screen TVs at every Islands location. Also, they just announced that beginning January 3, guests can enjoy NFL Happy Hour specials on all Playoff game days, all day long.
Sunday NFL specials will run all day and night in the bar, and include the following:
Coors Light for $2.95
- Featured craft beer for $4.49
- Bloody Marys for $3.95
- Nachos for $6.65
Islands’ signature tropical drinks such as the Mai Tai ($4.25) and the Hand Shaken Strawberry Daiquiri ($5.49) will be offered on the happy hour menu, and ice cold local IPAs will be available under five bucks. Hungry fans can tackle menu deals like Beachside Sliders ($4.69), quesadillas ($3.79) and Cheddar Fries ($4.79) while cheering on their favorite team.
For more information, please visit www.islandsrestaurants.com.
I received free food from Islands Restaurants in exchange for writing a review of their happy hour.
