Isla Caribbean Cuisine — Restaurant in City of Syracuse

I've been following Isla since they opened as 809 and have been waiting for a chance to give them a try and decided to with some friends this weekend. We called when they opened to make a reservation just incase - got no answer the first couple times we called, but we did eventually get through and were able to book a party of 4 at 6PM that day.

We arrived at 6 - didn't really need a reservation at the time, as there were only 2 other tables sat. Took a few minutes to be acknowledged and then sat, but we were sat pretty much immediately. Our server came over and explained a couple things and took our drink order. Took a couple minutes to get just waters, but they got there eventually along with our ordered drinks. Everyone enjoyed their drinks - as a non-drinker, I always appreciate a place that has mocktails, so I was happy to have 4 options and their Sunrise mocktail was tasty.

We ordered an order of empanadas & mofonguitos for an appetizer. They were brought a little later than we expected, as our server explained they had run our of the garlic cream sauce for the mofonguitos and had to get the ingredients and make more. We did enjoy both appetizers when they were brought, but felt like the sauces were doing a lot of the heavy lifting, as both the mofonguitos & the filling of the empanadas themselves could've used some more spice. The empanadas were huge as well.

My friends ordered the churrasco and camarones as their main dishes, while my wife and I went with carne frita mofonga rellano and arroz frito with chicken and steak. Our dishes were delivered in an acceptable amount of time and everything was very beautifully plated. My and my wifes dishes were also huge portions.

We all liked our dishes, with small complaints. My buddy with the churasco felt parts of his steak were tough, and my mofongo was served in a very nice wooden chalice-type dish, which while nice to look at, was very impractical to eat out of. My side of Isla sauce was never brought with my dish, which in turn made the mofongo more on the dry side, and while my fried pork pieces had good flavor, they had a lot of connective tissue in them and were very chewy.

Our server was extremely friendly and attentive. Our bill, with an 18% gratuity added - which they do mention on their menu, came to $275. We obviously knew this was a more expensive dinner so the price wasn't a problem, but we did not feel we would go back again at those prices.

The food has a ton of potential, but there are lots of small issues that need to be fixed, and moreso, while an upscale Caribbean restaurant is not a bad idea, Isla is mostly selling Caribbean comfort food at upscale prices, and what we were served simply was not worth...

Ambience is perfect! My friend and I decided to check this place out after seeing the reviews on where Syracuse eats. I came earlier than my friend and was promptly greeted by a woman who I think may have been the manager. The bar is lovely- copper bar with chic stools and a limited menu featuring mainly rum based cocktails. I opted for the spicy margarita which came with a spicy rim and a perfect blend of margarita mix and a pepper infused liquor with tequila. My friend and I haven’t seen each other in a while so it was a long honestly too long dinner on a Saturday night downtown but our server Christina was absolute perfection. Christina never missed a beat, gave us all of the time we needed to catch up and vote the menu, refilled drinks and water, amicable and friendly the food was amazing but service absolutely top-tier. We opted for the Camerones and chicharrones with arroz con gandules. The arroz con gandules were so so so good the rice separated and each bite so flavorful. The shrimp were in a creole sauce that was absolutely seasoned to perfection. Table next to us ordered the seafood paella and next time we come I’m definitely ordering that it looked like an entire lobster tail atop a beautiful dish. Keep in mind we definitely overstayed ( I acknowledge how rude this is but the restaurant was not busy (shocking) so we felt it was okay to overstay) the manager Melanie came over and offered us a drink to celebrate the occasion and end the evening. Christina and Melanie made the night perfect- food, ambience, but mostly the staff has made it a memorable occasion and I can’t wait for...

The first time I visited this restaurant with a friend, we ordered a variety of dishes to get a feel for the menu. Unfortunately, it was a letdown. The Bam Bam shrimp came with an overpowering garlic sauce that didn’t pair well and were excessively salty. I also ordered the fried rice, expecting it to be similar to the flavorful fried rice I’m used to in Puerto Rico, but it was nothing like that. All I could taste was soy sauce – way too salty and lacking depth.

My friend ordered mofongo with lobster and shrimp, but it was served dry, with no sauce to complement it, and the lobster was overcooked. We also tried the steak with onions and rice, but the steak was full of fat and lacked seasoning. The only highlight of that visit was the cocktails – they were good.

Despite the disappointing experience, we decided to give it another try, hoping the first time was just an off day. Unfortunately, the second visit was just as bad. I ordered chuletas encebolladas with plantains and rice with beans. The plantains were the only decent part of the meal. The beans were bland, and the pork chops were flavorless and undercooked. I couldn’t eat it.

It’s unfortunate because the restaurant itself is beautiful – the atmosphere is inviting, and the decor is well done. The staff was also amazing and incredibly polite, which was a definite plus. However, after spending $200+ between both visits, I can confidently say the prices are too high for the quality of food served. I don’t mind paying for good food, but this...