Islas on the Square — Restaurant in Spartanburg

Tonight was our first visit and it was AMAZING! From the atmosphere to service to the food it was all spot-on!!!

Last evening, I messaged the restaurant to see if they did reservations and their GM Austin Quillin reached back out to me very promptly to explain they don't do reservations but to come at 5pm or 8pm for best chance at quick seating. I greatly appreciated the fast response. We put it to use when we went tonight, arriving just after 5pm as we came from an hour north.

We chose to sit at the windows which afforded a good view of the square and the windows have a great tint so no issues from the late afternoon sun. Kayia was our waitress and I have to give a shout-out to how sweet she was and attentive. The place was hopping but she never faltered and took great care of us.

We started by sharing the cheddar corn fritters which were nice and crisp on the outside and super creamy inside with plenty of corn and corn flavor. Really enjoyable.

I had 6 each of the Canada Cups and Kellum oysters which had a nice level of salinity (I look for high salinity) and plump. My hubby had one of the Canada Cups but all the rest were mine😁😁😁 The were very fresh and i enjoyed the variety on the oyster bar menu.

For our entrées, I had the sesame ginger shrimp and my hubby had the blackened cod puttanesca. We sampled each other's dishes and both were perfection! The shrimp had a great crunchy coating and were perfectly cooked and the sesame ginger sauce complemented them very well. There was 4 hefty shrimp on the plate along with the salad greens, mandarin orange slices, pickled radishes, and crispy wonton strips and it all made for a perfectly portioned meal. My hubby's cod was succulent & perfectly seasoned and the puttanesca sauce had the right brineyness without being too salty. The fried grit cake with it was a great surprise and so good. Again, a perfect plate!

For dessert, we shared the espresso flan which was to die for!!!! The coffee in it was not overpowering, the carmel sauce was bliss, and the creaminess of the flan was magic.

Such a great evenjng for us and I know we will become regulars even though we live...

Last night, four of us dined at ISLA ON THE SQUARE, a lovely new restaurant here in Spartanburg and I must say, it's a fantastic addition to the dining scene in town. To start, I enjoyed a cocktail called the Chupacabra, made with tequila and passion fruit. It was so well-crafted that I ended up ordering a few more! My friends tried various other drinks, and they must have liked them because they kept ordering and trying new ones. We began our meal with a selection of fresh oysters, available in a few different varieties. For my main course, I had shrimp and grits. The chef had the brilliant idea to transform the grits into fried balls, paired with shrimp and an amazing sauce. It was quite a delight! The rest of the table enjoyed the pork tenderloin, which was tasty and well-cooked, the sea bass with a flavorful risotto, and the perfectly cooked swordfish. For dessert, we had a hazelnut creation that was so delicious we had to order a second one, though I can't recall the exact name. The atmosphere was lovely, with great décor, and the service was attentive. Our server, Olivia, made sure we were well taken care of throughout the evening. Overall, ISLA ON THE SQUARE is a wonderful new spot, and we...

I was very much rooting for this restaurant. I was hoping to have a new favorite place to visit but it definitely needs a bit of work.

Let’s talk good. The atmosphere is cute and charming. The bar has a lively vibe to it and the staff is fairly attentive. The menu is pretty interesting.

My husband and I stopped in Wednesday evening and since there was a wait for tables, we sat at bar and ordered 4 appetizers. Seems like a lot but we were hungry and wanted to try several items. All the appetizers are small and not cheap. But the Tempura Veggie appetizer wins the prize for biggest rip off. It’s $11 and was comprised of 6 tiny pieces of zucchini. That’s it!!! It’s so small and very under whelming. The mussels are decent but not alot. The shrimp was 4 pieces and the salmon bruschetta was nothing to write home about. All food was served cold or room temperature.

The bartenders never checked in on us and never asked how our food was. But they are nice when they take your order.

Our bill for 4 appetizers and their cheapest bottle of bubbles was $129. I left hungry.

I will give it one more try but not...