Pham A.
Yelp
I first visited L&L Hawaiian BBQ down in SoCal. Exactly the same establishment and small chain, it was so-so then, and it's so-so now. Ordered here in Portland from their Beaverton location for delivery. Just an FYI, for whatever reason Uber Eats wouldn't deliver Roxy's Island Grill even though they are practically next door to L&L and actually a little closer to our address. The order was prepared quick and timely, but a few things were a bit off. Here's my take:
(1) Ordered the BBQ Mix plate. Not sure if it's always been this way, but the plate was only one short rib, one slice of beef with some stray pieces and two chicken thighs filet cut over some shredded cabbage, two scoops of rice and a scoop of Mac served in a cup. I know meat prices have gone up, but I would have much rather had two short ribs and one chicken thigh. Other Hawaiian places usually serve more than one short rib in their combo plates.
(2) Not sure if it's a problem with ordering through Uber Eats, but I asked for extra teriyaki sauce and didn't get any. Compared to other Teriyaki and Hawaiian establishment L&L sauce is thin and runny, flavor is okay, but not as good as the darker thick stuff most of us know.
(3) One of the main reasons I ordered from here is that they make and serve Hawaiian Mac. They could have fit the scoop in the main container, but included it on the side. The Mac is also just okay, not bad, but Roxy's and 808 are creamier and have richer flavor.
(4) If you order a side of garlic shrimp or fried shrimp, it is only one piece for each side. I would have thought a side would have been at least two pieces for the price. Nope, just one.
(5) Unfortunately they still use styrofoam food packaging. It is extremely hard to recycle as Portland does not have the facilities to recycle this stuff, especially after it's been food contaminated. There's a center in Tigard that can only recycle certain types, but most just ends up in the trash despite peoples efforts. Not sure what Ridwell really does with what they collect.
Overall the teriyaki taste of all the meats isn't as good as the regular local competition. Everything was cooked well and nothing was undercooked or burnt, chicken was soft and moist, ribs were soft and moist, but the beef was slightly dry. Portion size is average, same with pricing. Regardless, next time I think I'll have to go to one of the other Hawaiian Teriyaki places, even if it's a little less convenient to get.