Some nights call for a dining room full of salsa music. Other nights call for pastelón on your own couch. We respect both. Here is how to get La Isla to your door — or into your passenger seat — in Seattle and on the Eastside.
Ballard Delivery
Our Seattle location partners with local courier services to deliver throughout Ballard, Fremont, Phinney Ridge and the surrounding neighborhoods. Search for “La Isla Cuisine” in your favorite delivery app to see current coverage, hours and fees for the Ballard kitchen.
Redmond Delivery
Eastsiders, you are covered too: delivery from our Redmond kitchen reaches downtown Redmond and nearby Eastside neighborhoods through local delivery partners. Same scratch kitchen, same recipes — the empanadillas just commute by car instead of ferry.
Takeout, Straight from Us
The takeout service used the same kitchen line as dine-in plates and followed each restaurant's regular schedule; see the locations and hours page.
What Travels Best
Twenty-plus years of feeding this city have taught us exactly which dishes ride well in a box:
- Pernil and pollo guisado bowls — built on rice, designed to hold heat and flavor
- Pastelón — our plantain “lasagna” is arguably even better after ten minutes of steaming in its container
- Empanadillas — order extra; they have a documented habit of disappearing before you get home
- Arroz con gandules, maduros and yuca frita — sturdy, scoopable sides
- Flan and tembleque — chilled desserts that arrive exactly as they left
Tostones are the one diva of the menu — they prefer to be eaten within minutes of frying. Order them anyway; just eat them first, in the car. We won’t tell.
Reheating Like a Pro
Leftovers (a theoretical concept, we admit) deserve respect. Rice dishes revive beautifully with a sprinkle of water and a covered minute or two of gentle heat. Pastelón wants a low oven, not a microwave — give it ten patient minutes and the plantain layers re-caramelize like the dish just left our kitchen. Tostones can be re-crisped in a dry skillet or air fryer; never the microwave, out of respect for the plantain. Flan needs nothing from you at all except a spoon. And treat the mojito sauce like the precious commodity it is: a little drizzled over reheated pernil brings the whole plate back to life.
Round Out the Box
A takeout order is a chance to build the same balanced plate you would get at the table. Pair a rich pernil or pastelón with one of the lighter sides — a house salad with the island rum dressing on the side, arroz con habichuela, or an order of maduros in place of a second fried item. Add a soup for the table and a couple of ceviches, and a decadent spread suddenly eats a whole lot lighter without losing a thing. It is exactly how we plate for dine-in guests: one show-stopper, a few fresh supporting acts, and everyone leaves happy rather than heavy.
Ordering Tips
- Match days and Fridays are rush hours — order early or pick up at the bar and beat the apps entirely.
- Sauces on the side travel best; ask and the kitchen will pack them separately.
- Add a flan to any order. This is not a tip so much as a public service announcement.
- Rainy-day forecast? So is everyone else's. Seattle's drizzle is our delivery rush — order before the craving peaks and you will eat before the rush does.
- Check both kitchens if your app shows long delivery times — Ballard and Redmond cover different zones, and one may be quieter than the other.
Feeding a Crowd
The restaurant's catering service covered office lunches, parties and family gatherings of a dozen or more. The locations and hours page gives the service overview, while the full menu shows the dishes involved.
However it reaches you — courier, counter or catering van — every order is cooked the same way: sofrito first, no shortcuts. Buen provecho!