There are moments in life that are particularly precious. For me it is when someone gives you the gift of their time. Our friend Gustavo is just about to open his second restaurant on the island-tomorrow in fact. His portfolio of projects has increased recently and he and his wife are preparing for a new baby. I can only imagine the stress of all these things coming to a head right now. And yet, he generously gave us his time last evening. We chatted about so many things as his eyes darted around Isla Burger, ensuring that everyone was well taken care of. By the end of the evening he was delivering drinks himself to a large party.

But to the food! If you look back at the story that we have documented of the growth and continued success of Isla Burger, you will see that it all started with Gustavo’s research into the highest quality products and incorporating many of his own recipes after having lived in Sicily and the US. He is originally from Brazil. He brings this wealth of food and hospitality knowledge to his new venture Isla Bistro. But that is a story for another day.

My brother Kelly and his wife Lorraine were accompanying me and Lorraine and I started with Hibiscus Ice Tea Margaritas. They were refreshing and satisfying.

Lorraine chose the Big Isla for her dinner, Isla Burger’s ode to Micky D’s big mac. It starts as the jingle goes, with “two all beef patties” but every other aspect of the burger has been elevated: the lettuce isn’t shredded and the sesame seed bun is crowned with both white and black seeds! My taste took me back to my childhood but made me very happy to taste a grown up version. Lorraine had never tasted IB’s fries and loved them.

Kelly was tempted by the BBQ Burger which I had never tasted before last evening. The pulled pork and ground beef patty made for a stellar burger but the sensational barbeque sauce put it over the top!  Gustavo started to tell me about all the ingredients in that sauce when we were interrupted, so I will have to circle back and list them for you. If you like a hint of sweetness in savoury food, you will have to order this one. Kelly too loved his fries.

Now I am a pretty simple girl. I have three favourite foods: potatoes, potatoes and potatoes. Just kidding. Potatoes, eggplant and truffles. To satisfy two of these three foods (I had eggplant the night before), I chose the parmesan/truffle fries and was so happy! Yes, food has the power to make me happy. I will sheepishly admit that I also adore fried chicken. This craving started when I used to spend summers on my grandpa and grandma’s farm in Saskatchewan. My sweet Polish Grandma ensured the crunchiest chicken by utilizing her own homemade bread for her breadcrumb coating and frying in lard (yikes, I know). Last evening IB’s Classic Chicken sandwich was on par with Grandma’s. This is the highest compliment that I can adhere to the chicken burger. IB’s chef utilizes 7 herbs in his batter but it is the crispy, crunchy perfection that makes this a classic.  

We also sampled the Isla Bang Shrimp. The “bang” created by the honey/sriracha sauce!

As well as the silky key lime pie.

If you want to research why Isla Burger continues to be so popular (last night there were guests from Germany and Denmark sitting next to us), even with the recent advent of hamburger carts popping up on every corner of the island, read “A Little Bit About Us!” on the last page of their menu. The best ingredients, expertly prepared is their recipe for continued success!

Insider Tip: Have their homemade ketchup on everything!

Kath’s quote: “A Hamburger is warm and fragrant and juicy. A hamburger is soft and nonthreatening. It personifies the Great Mother herself who has nourished us from the beginning. A hamburger is an icon of layered circles, the circle being at once the most spiritual and the most sensual of shapes. A hamburger is companionable and faintly erotic”. –Tom Robbins

Love never fails.

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