Bienvenidos! Welcome to La Isla Cuisine
“Washington State’s first and best Puerto Rican cuisine restaurant. We love our food and so do our customers, who continually rank La Isla as the best Caribbean restaurant in the area. Don’t take our word for it — please join us for lunch, dinner or cocktails at either of our Seattle or Redmond locations.”
La Isla started in 2003 as a street vendor at a Sunday market in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. The delicious food has deep roots in Puerto Rico, as three native chefs created all of the recipes. Since its inception, the menu has evolved into local Puerto Rican fare with Pacific Northwest influences. Please come in, relax, and soak up the bright and festive culture that makes the actual island so inviting. If you have never wandered the blue cobblestones of Old San Juan, our dining rooms — and the official island guide at Discover Puerto Rico — are a wonderful place to start dreaming. Read more of our story.
Brunch
Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 2pm at both locations.
Brunch Food
PUERTO RICAN BREAKFAST — 7
Two over-easy eggs on top of homemade rice and beans with ketchup.
EMPANADILLAS DE HUEVO — 6
Two scrambled egg and cheese empanadillas stuffed with mozzarella, veggies and chicharrones, with ketchup.
PORTORICAIN FRENCH TOAST — 8
Pan sobao bread, grilled maduro, pure maple syrup.
SIMPLE’ — 6
Two over-easy eggs on top of home fries with ketchup.
A CABALLO — 11
Two over-easy eggs with our bistec encebollado (flat iron steak with grilled onions) and home fries.
THE LINEBACKER — 14
One scrambled egg empanadilla, one piece of French toast and our bistec encebollado topped with a fried egg.
3-PLETA SCRAMBLE — 10
Ham, cubed steak and pulled pork scrambled with Swiss cheese, lettuce, shoestring fries and mayoketchup.
VEGGIE SCRAMBLE — 8
Three-egg scramble with onions, peppers, mushrooms and tofu over home fries.
ENCEBOLLADO STEAK SCRAMBLE — 10
Three-egg scramble with bistec encebollado, grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms and mozzarella over home fries.
Brunch Libations
‘OLD SAN JUAN’ BLOODY MARY — 8
Cilantro-infused vodka, sofrito bloody mary mix, isla de fuego sauce, maduro and roasted red pepper garnish.
THE OLD MANDALAY — 8
White and añejo Puerto Rican rums, orange juice and ginger beer.
MIMOSO — 7 classic, 8 flavored
Classic: white rum and brut sparkling wine. Flavors: guava, mango, passionfruit or strawberry.
Lunch Specials
EMPANADILLAS — 7
Made to order: a deep-fried, flaky turnover packed with any of the choices below, served with rice and beans and ajilimojili dipping sauce.
- Pernil — marinated, slow-cooked pulled pork
- Carne Molida — seasoned, all-natural ground beef simmered in sofrito and tomato sauce
- Pollo — tender pulled chicken, potatoes, olives and capers
- Papa — garlic and onion mashed potatoes with mozzarella cheese
- Queso — a simple favorite of mozzarella cheese
MEDLEY DE PLATANOS — 7
A mixture of sweet maduros and crispy tostones with rice and beans, mojito and creamy maduro sauces.
POLLO GUISADO BOWL — 9
Tender stewed chicken thighs, slow-cooked in sofrito and seasoned with olives, capers and potatoes over a bed of rice. Served with tostones and mojito sauce.
PERNIL BOWL — 9
A lunch favorite: our slow-roasted pork shoulder, marinated for days and hand-pulled atop a bed of arroz con gandules. Served with tostones, mojito sauce and mojito flamboyán!
Cocktail Specials
“La Isla always carries an extensive cocktail menu. Each drink is made from scratch with fresh ingredients by our local bartenders. Please visit us to see the current specials and watch our bartenders in action.” Curious about rum itself? Join the La Isla Rum Club.
FLAMENCO BEACH — 10
Dark and coconut rums with cilantro, lime, mango and coconut.
THE SLUGGER — 10
Bourbon whiskey and overproof rum, bordeaux maraschino, fresh ginger and ginger beer, with a hint of orange. A tribute to Seattle’s favorite designated hitter.
THE PEARL — 14
Small-batch gin, aged rum, and sweet and dry vermouth with sweetened lemon and a dash of grapefruit bitters.
Happy Hour
One-drink minimum for late-night happy hour. Last call for happy hour is 15 minutes prior to ending time. Happy hour prices are for dine-in only.
Seattle (Ballard)
Every day: 3pm–6pm (all ages). Sunday–Thursday: 10pm–11:30pm (21+). Friday and Saturday: 10pm–1am (21+).
Redmond
Every day: 3pm–6pm. Sunday–Thursday: 9pm–11pm. Friday and Saturday: 9pm–1am.
Happy Hour Drinks
- CLASSIC MOJITO — 7 early, 5 late — white Puerto Rican rum, mint, lime, soda
- CUBA LIBRE — 5 — white rum and cola
- DRAFT BEERS — 4 — rotating local and imported drafts
- HOUSE WINE — 5 — red or white
- NON-ALCOHOLIC — 4 — mocktails, scratch juices and lemonades
Happy Hour Food
- EMPANADILLAS — 2 — pork, chicken, beef, pizza, cheese, potato or veggie
- MEDLEY DE PLATANOS — 3 — three tostones and five maduros with sauces
- CARNE FRITA — 6.5 — bone-in pork “wings” marinated overnight in auntie’s special rub, with her magic caldo sauce
- BACALAITOS — 4 — three shredded salted-cod fritters with ajilimojili sauce
- GANDULES DIP — 3.5 — onions, peppers, garlic, pigeon peas, olive oil and spices with five tostone cups
- CHICHARRONES DE POLLO — 5 — bite-size fried chicken marinated overnight in adobo, with mayoketchup
- CAMARONES — 8 — six jumbo prawns sautéed with garlic, criolla, spicy or coconut sauce (mix two sauces for $1 more)
- SLIDERS — 5 — two count: pork, catfish, or one of each
- CEVICHE DE GALDO — 5 — our uncle’s recipe growing up, qué lindo (eating raw food may cause foodborne illness)
- TIRAS DE SALMON — 6 — deep-fried salmon strips marinated in orange juice, garlic and cilantro, with mayoketchup
- ENSALADA DE LA CASA — 5 — organic greens with mango bits, vinaigrette or rum-lime dressing (contains alcohol)
- FLAN — 3 — delectable, melt-in-your-mouth vanilla custard
News from La Isla
Keep up with events, seasonal specials and stories from the kitchen on our blog — including why coquito comes alive at La Isla all year round.
Order Online
Craving pernil on the couch? Both locations offer takeout and third-party delivery. See delivery and takeout options for Seattle and Redmond.
Contact
Seattle
In the heart of the Ballard neighborhood, Seattle, WA. Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11am–close; Friday and Saturday 11am–2am; brunch Saturday/Sunday 11am–2pm. For catering information, please send us a message.
Redmond
Downtown Redmond, WA. Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11am–11pm; Friday and Saturday 11am–2am; brunch Saturday/Sunday 11am–2pm. Reservations are available at the Redmond location only — request a table through our contact page.
Event Room
La Isla Redmond’s event room can be reserved for parties of 12 or more. Please contact us for pricing and further information.
Gift Cards
Please visit our Seattle or Redmond locations to purchase gift cards. An online option is coming soon!