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.

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.

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.

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!

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???

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.

On Sunday 7/13 around 4pm, my husband and I were walking around Ballard looking for a place to eat. We passed La Isla and the food smelled great, and looked even better. The place was packed, we went inside to the hostess stand and they said the wait would be about 10 minutes. We took a seat outside and waited patiently for our sets. While we were waiting we looked over the menu and decided what we would like to eat, it all sounded great. A line started to form behind us and as people were coming up we let them know what the hostess had told us because the few staff members were really busy. A table cleared, and my husband and I took it because other people were walking up thinking the tables were open seating. We sat at the table while the server was inside, when she came out she addressed another couple that had arrived after we did, which was fine. When she came over to our table she did not say hello, she immediately lectured us on the fact that we should not have sat down because they have a waiting list. When we told her that we were the first ones on that list she said that she knew but how was she supposed to know if we had been sitting there for a while or not because the table was still dirty from the group before us. She did not offer to take our drink order or food order she simply lectured us while cleaning off the table and then walked away. Sad to say we did not ever try the food because we were disgusted with the way that we were treated. They were completely understaffed but made it seem to be our fault. I tried to call to let management know of the bad service that we received but there was never anyone available.

This place is amazing and I have eaten here a lot. The servers are always helpful and give great service even when they are very busy. Late night happy hour is where it is at from 10-12 at night EVERYDAY even the weekends you can get $3 rum and cokes and mojitos along with food for only $2. So for $30 you can get drunk and full with plenty left over for a tip. If you think it will be busy call ahead and the wait will be less because the restautant is so small especially on the weekends. I have never been dissappointed here and crave their wonderful food so will keep coming back.

My wife and I were in Seattle for a wedding. I was picking up my Tux just down Market at The Tux Shop. When we saw that they had Happy Hour specials at La Isla we knew we had to come back. We LOVE Mojitos and it was obvious that they know how to make them. We live 1900 miles away in WI but plan on eating at La Isla every time we are in town.

The service and food were all top notch. The bartender was very friendly and even offered some tips for making Mojitos at home. We were waited on immediately and our food came within 10 minutes which is perfect. All of the staff seemed friendly and willing to help in any way possible. We had 5 of us all get appetizers and drinks and our total bill was only $47 for happy hour 10-12.

If you want to eat at a place that is different and not some corporate Applebees type restaurant then this is a great place to eat. The only downside to the place is that it is kind of small and could use a little more space.

Thanks
Norm Walker
River FAlls WI

I eat out a lot and have NEVER written an online restaurant review. My experience at La Isla last night was bad enough that I felt obligated to do so. The first time I went to La Isla, it was during happy hour for margaritas and appetizers. The drinks and service were good, the appetizers were okay - a little bland. I went there last night for dinner and I ordered a vegetarian appetizer and they brought beef - then the waitress told me that I ordered beef. I disagreed - a 10 year+ vegetarian doesn't accidentally order beef. But she would not waiver - I've worked as a server and that is TERRIBLE customer service. The evening deteriorated after that. The entrees were again bland and the drinks (margaritas) were 85% ice. The bill for four drinks, four entrees, four appetizers (at $2.00 happy hour prices) and two desserts was just over $100. Way overpriced for the quality and quantity of food and drink, not to mention the terrible service (very slow, in addition to being argumentative about the appetizer). I definitely won't go there again.