L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

I respect the concept and the long history of this restaurant. However, I wonder who is currently in charge of operations. With the increasing number of branches, I question whether the people still involved in this role possess the same passion and enthusiasm as the original founders. I think this is a difficult problem for many restaurants. To be honest, at this particular location, I find the language and customer service to be very rude. I've used this restaurant many times, but the food preparation is slow, and the order of service is often inaccurate, so I use the pickup service to avoid getting upset.

6/11/2023 Update (5 stars): Lau Lau and Pork Kailua (macaroni salad, 2 scoops of rice) for $15.50 is a great deal! Portion is large enough for 2-3 meals. Seasoned well, served hot, and fast service: upgrading to five stars. Original Post (4 stars): I ordered the 2 item combo this time. Portions were ginormous. The mochiko chicken was a bit overfried and dry, but flavorful. The egg on the loco moco was perfect, but the gravy lacked flavor, somewhat. For an L&L, this location has the best quality and fastest service I’ve found so far. I’ll certainly be back to try many other items on the menu.

We walked over to this restaurant for breakfast just after it opened at 0830 on Memorial day 2023 (Printed menu says breakfast served starting at 8 am but the hours posted on front door are 8:30 - 9 pm). We walked in and ordered one breakfast combo plate and one omelet with bacon. The breakfast combo ($8.45) included Spam, Portuguese sausage and crispy bacon, 2 eggs served your way and lots of white sticky rice. The omelette plate ($8.75)was made with bacon, sweet onions and zucchini and served over lots of white sticky rice. It took about 10 minutes to receive our take out order. There were only about 7 customers in the restaurant so it wasn't very busy. It's located across the street from Whole Foods.

Ordered med-well new york steak + garlic shrimp combo plate. Partner ordered bbq chicken saimin + additional egg. Steak was seasoned exceptionally well. Food tasted incredible and at very good prices. Don’t underestimate this location despite being a fast food chain. This is the best L&L Hawaiian I have been to during my time here. Place is also air-conditioned so it is very comfortable.

local fav with huge portions! if you get a regular size plate, theres really enuff protein for two adults. maybe get one plus extra side and you got yourself +1 a hearty meal. so kudos for being a bargain meal in the middle of ward center. This branch has a large dining area thats pretty clean. also the cooks at this branch make really solid chinese diner style stuff like sweet and sour chicken or pork. aloha homies.

Good chain local restaurant spot. This has place outdoor seatings. Bathroom is outside.

This is the L&L you want to go to. Get an absolutely LOADED plate lunch. Good orange chicken, loco moco, great kung pao and wings.. lot of food for your money. Want to live off leftovers for 3 days? Come here. Lots of specials and combo options. Easy parking in garage just behind.

Fried chicken is good for people who love crispy fried skin the amount of one plate in small size is a lot I think one plate is enough for two.

Lived in Hawaii for 3 years and finally got around to l&l I was always scared of the locations in Ala Moana Beach Park but I tried the one next to the whole foods in kakaako and it is amazing! They make the chicken katsu super fresh and it was juicy as it can be extremely generous portions comes with rice and max salad which was awesome! Staff are super friendly and keep a place squeaky clean

CODY visited the Ward Center location CODY ordered the mini garlic chicken CODY dined on the outside tables CODY food was tasty and ample CODY liked that the chicken was cut into bite sized portions CODY counter person was friendly and speedy CODY ordering area and inside dining room was clean CODY outside table was clean CODY will return to order more food

Everything including Barbecue... Literally is found here and is why it's the local favorite though honestly I don't frequent them despite having multiple locations throughout the island. This Ward Entertainment location was it for me as my day started with Pokemon Center and haven't had anything and caught myself feeling quite hangry and though I had a simple bite it just wasn't enough and decide on this L&L since I was in the area. Walking in there was a female staff and as I glanced at one of a ton of menu choices and just couldn't decide went with the fried noodles since I've never tried it. Noodles was nice and thicker than the standard yakisoba filled with lots of veggies many though was the hard chunky parts and it was personally too salty for me as it was a shoyu based sauce which I do love but somehow it was overwhelming by the time I ate almost half of it and needed bottled water. The vibe is the basic which is nice and clean with a good amount of seating without being too close to each other though the staff was the minimum basic with a barely under the breath greeting and nothing much more but like they do best is take care of our cravings and with that I do appreciate the convenience they provide as well. Thank you!

I've ordered from this LnL for years. I consider it one of the best quality food LnL's. But they have new staff and they don't get the orders right anymore. That's why I have stopped going here. Ordered garlic salmon. But no more garlic. Boo

They have just renovated: so it's so clean and bright! Chicken katsu is good but the sauce has changed a bit? (If I remember correctly it used to be mixture of ketchup and Worcester sauce?). I prefer former sauce for chicken Katsu. Lighter garlic ahi is my favorite: it's healthy! Mahalo!

We stop here on a regular for family dinners. They have solid food with a lot of options such as the extra Chinese food flare dishes. My son loves the burger and the teriyaki chicken bowl. Two of my favorites are the mochiko chicken and the pork chops. Surprisingly, the ward area does not have a lot of late night spots, but this is one of the few. Well actually it is only until 9pm, so early late night lol.

Ugh. Love their food. Generous portions, such tasty ribs...and that macaroni side...Heaven help! The combination of their succulent short ribs, with the macaroni salad and rice, is too good to be true. I'm telling you, there is something about the macaroni salad that makes the magic happen. There are other combinations to try, but I know what I like! My daughter's new favorite grab and go are the musubis. The service is ok, and the restaurant is a little shaggy, but for a grab and go, it's all good in the hood!!!

Purchased the mochiko chicken plate with Mac salad and rice. The service was quick for a pick up order, but the chicken was heavily fried. L & L has some great food for the price, but this wasnt it!

One of the best L&L locations, on island. The food quality and quantity is unparalleled to its' counterparts. Only gripes would be that parking can be tricky depending on time and day. Also, the registrar can seem a bit moody at times. Good to call order in advance for pickup. I ordered combo plate with garlic fish and mochiko chicken. The garlic fish was delectable while the mochiko chicken could've been a bit more flavorful. Can't go wrong with their BBQ chicken either.

I just had to put a review for this L&L because I think its the best L&Ls I've been too. I've been to many different L&Ls on Oahu, and I thought they're all the same, but this location was different. The food was such good quality. Not salty. Meat (we got katsu and roast pork) was not dry or tough. The rice was different... maybe jasmine rice? But it was perfectly cooked... not mushy or dry. The whole entire plate was so delicious, that I mopped the entire plate by myself. It was so good!!! I'm definitely going again. The place is very clean. The AC felt nice. The cashier was really sweet/nice. Parking is shared with the Ward Entertainment complex so it might be hard to find during busy times but we didn't have a hard time finding parking. When we went, a few people had large orders, so thats a good sign that they're doing good business.

I'm sorry to say that the quality of the food here is declining. My wife and I have been coming here for a few years now, but can see the changes. I've ordered the salted crispy chicken plate, what they served me was popcorn chicken. I think the original Cook left, cause there's new people back there. My wife and I won't be returning! Check out the picture.

Being it was New Year's Day, many eateries were closed. We ended up here around 6 pm and ordered some take out to bring back home. 2 mini Kahlua Pork with Cabbage, side of mac salad 1 Cha Siu fried rice (I could taste like Chinese sausage in the oil which was DEELICIOUS) 1 Chicken Katsu They offer additional Chinese items to the menu, which we appreciated. There was a TON of food. We had leftovers for the next day, for sure.

Pros: Large portions Clean tables Convenient and free parking Cheaper prices Beef Stew gravy matches rice Macaroni salad was cold and good Cons: Some beef stew meat was hard (others tender) **************** Notes: It's nice to have a reasonable and convenient alternative to eating in the Ward area. Their charge card system doesn't have the irritating tip option when paying. Prices are lower than other comparables and some of the minis are the size of a regular plate elsewhere. It got fairly crowded at lunchtime. The staff was also cleaning tables and taking out trash. Other customers were ordering burgers, katsu, fries or mochiko chicken. The rice consistency is Chinese long grain rather than Japanese short grain. They have a drink fountain as well as plastic bottle and cans drinks with juices and ice teas.

A regular takeout joint. No hype. Just a cook in the back that grills your BBQ to order and serves it piping hot. There was no line ahead of me and my order came in 5 minutes. I ordered the regular. It's huge, with unfinishable mac salad and rice. Try the mini unless you eat a lot. The BBQ is tender and lightly sauced. Only minor gripe is the short ribs are a little more chewy than others. I didn't get to try the musubi, was too full.

I ordered a seafood platter take out. When I got home I opened my plate and found the fried shrimp was burnt, but the 3 tiny scallops were CREMATED. All that was left were round black pieces of batter. The 2 pieces of fish, rice and Mac salad were decent. Never going back again. Lose hard earned money!! $$$$ Side note I called to complain and female worker said OK, I'll tell the cook. No apologies. I told her you should be ashamed to even put that kind of food on the plate. I would serve that to my dog.

L&L is still a good go to for plate lunches...this dish was just not on the money. Rushing to get a bite before movies. Was going to get Fried Chicken Wings, but thought not enough food and probably take too long. Decided on the Salty Crispy Chicken since she said boneless and only 5 minutes. It's not on the menu board but on the hand-written sheets. Got it with all tossed, no rice. 5 minutes on the nose. But chicken itself not salty at all. Maybe my salt threshold is that much higher than the average person? Since pieces weren't very uniform in size, they all cooked differently Some pieces were crispy, some not so much. Some dry, some juicy. 1 piece had bone. Glad I grabbed some ketchup or else it's just so bland. They did give a lot though, so that's good for $12+. Salad was nice and fresh with tomatoes and cucs.

The macaroni salad today was just fricken horrible! Ruined my day! It was so watery and soggy WTH?????yuck!

Best thing on the menu. I love the curry in this. The flakes of the katsu are super good. The portion size is pretty filling and the best part is the price of $7. So convenient and refreshing in Hawaii prices. The lady was nice. Hardly any wait, maybe 5 min. Hot and ready meal yum!

Food was okay but service is terrible. Called for phone order 20 minutes prior to arriving still had to wait an extra 15 minutes. No point in ordering ahead.

This place is not bad for fast food but if you are in a hurry I do not recommend this place at all. I ordered one chicken sandwich and waited over 20 minutes only to go to the counter and it was just sitting there because he forgot to give it to me

I ordered the BBQ Chicken...They gave me jasmine rice with that order...WTF...doesn't taste good with local Hawaiian food. Jasmine rice is good with Chinese..Thai..or Vietnam food.

Food is normal takeout food, not good or bad just regular. I do have to give them credit for the portions though. But it's a toss up on how long you will have to wait. A girl waiting in front of us waited even longer then us and we waited half in hour. She got something small and was also getting impatient. Everyone that came after us got their food before us. One guy who came after us got his plate finished eating and left before we got our food. If you go, be mentally prepared to possibly spend a long time waiting and watching people with bigger orders get their food before you.

Located on Ala Moana beach. Mostly take out. Quick service. And a shady place to sit while you are waiting for your food.

I usually don't give 5 stars to take out places because usually it's just take out, fast food quality but man, I was surprised with this L&L! This is the one by Ward Center, next to Mens Wearhouse. My cousin and I wanted to fortify ourselves for an afternoon of shopping so we came here for lunch thinking to pick up something small. We chose mini plates but when we got our food, we thought someone made a mistake because the portions were HUGE! The only way we figured the plates were "mini" was they had only one scoop rice. Cousin got the teri beef which was soft but pretty much the same as anywhere else. I got the garlic crispy chicken ($9.25). It took awhile for me to get my order though, cousin was already digging into hers. BUT, it was fresh and hot! The chicken was soft and not fried hard but with a light crispy batter topped with garlic butter sauce. They weren't skimpy on the garlic. Good thing I love garlic because I'm sure no vampire is gonna come near me for a long while :) ! Both of our plates came with one scoop rice and a humongous scoop of Mac salad. The mac salad wasn't bad- very mayonnaise-y though. Did I tell you that we got MINI plates? 'Course I did! the box was loaded and darn heavy-if that's a mini, I shudder to think what a regular is like. My mini chicken could have fed at least 2 people easy. So much for a lighter lunch. I wonder it was because it almost closing time so they didn't want to waste food? Well, the end result was that we almost didn't go shopping because of the massive food coma we got after!

Food quality is meh. Its fast food quality honestly. Its a fast food place so don't expect good service. Place wasn't really clean but again.... Fast food

This L&L has their own garlic salmon...like Giovanni's shrimp. It comes with salad and scoop of brown rice. Everything is so tasty. The salmon and salad dressing match. I couldn't get enough both salmon and salad. It makes your lips smacking. This is how good it is! We went two nights in a roll...yummy! The workers or owners are proud of the secret recipe and people can't resist. I don't think I can tire of this dish and very heathy. It's my favorite place for salmon because of complimentary sides. Oops?! I'm going again...smacking my lips. I know other L&L salmons don't taste like this!!!

The macaroni salad is so horrible wth??? Very watery and overcooked! Wth? It never used to be like this! Who's making the salad! Aw man ruined my dinner!!!!

L&L's are each independently owned, so some are better than others. This one is a good one! We got the BBQ combo plate which came with some short ribs, chicken, and other BBQ delishness. You can tell when there is care put into the cooking, and I could taste it here. They have tables outside for dining, which I can totally appreciate during these times as I cannot always get take-out from establishments if I live too far to go home and enjoy it. Having outside options to enjoy our food is a major plus, especially right now.

I work in the area of Ward Village so I sometimes get my lunches here by take out. The ladies who answer the phone aren't too friendly but they get to the point and get the job done, which is fine with me. My regular is the mini loco moco with extra gravy on the side, an extra $1 btw. I can pick it up in a quick 10 minutes wait or less from my walk from my office. The portions are big even for a mini. I'm a petite girl so just half way through it fills me up for the rest of the day. Taste is a bit bland on some days so I ask for extra soy sauce packets just in case. On other days the BBQ chicken is a great choice. Especially when they leave the fatty chicken skin on. Overall, I'd recommend. Convenient, fast, big portions, good taste.

AHI SO AWFUL!!! Got my order and went back in saying "My order is wrong, this is chicken not ahi" .. Lady shouts in surprise "ITS AHI" I look at it again and take it outside to check.. It appears that they have overcooked this ahi SO MUCH that it is white and shreds like chicken.. it's soooooo dry, it doesn't even taste of anything except the garlic.. If I wasn't shaking with hunger and really not in the mood to argue with anyone about a $10 meal I would ask for a refund... I hope that it's not rotten and the reason thy cooked it to chewy leather is to disguise it. So I hope I don't get sick! The salad and rice are fine but this .. it must be SO OLD!! ! ‍.. *shoulda gone to Whole Foods!*

*This review is for takeout only* FOOD I grew up eating L&L, so the food here has a soft spot in my heart. I noticed that each L&L has a different quality level and sometimes also different special menu items. This location seems to have a bit more Chinese food offerings as well as your typical plate lunch BBQ foods. I haven't tried those yet, but I definitely will review them once I do! * Food Highlights * 1. Fried Shrimp - I love the fried shrimp here! Even when doing takeout/delivery, it's always so crispy when I get home. The shrimp are pretty sizable and are served with a tangy tartar sauce. Such a good combo and definitely a must-have. 2. Mac Salad - I love this L&L's mac salad. I actually think it may have some tuna in it (?!) which I actually enjoy. Not too too creamy and thick but just right. And goes perfectly with the fried foods. 3. French Fries - This L&L has some amazing crinkle fries. If you get a separate side order, your receive a sizable bag BURSTING with fries. And the fries are thiccc and crispy. So good. I'm surprised people don't order this more often. Recommended? Yes - for takeout! I haven't done dine-in here in a long while. The food is really good and made pretty quickly. One of the more solid L&Ls on island IMO, especially quality wise.

Came here on a weekday and shortly after the dinner time rush. Having worked in the industry when I was younger I completely understand places get busy and customers have to wait for orders to be ready. Not the issue, but having ordered a regular BBQ Chicken Plate to go and numerous other customers (none prior call in or online ordered) order the same thing and get their order before me was frustrating. The lady called BBQ chicken a couple times and after seeing her fulfill orders after I ordered I asked about the status of my order. She must have forgotten, but kept saying mine was still being made. Again not one to complain but it took 30 mins for one BBQ chicken plate to go. There was even a walk in customer who ordered the same plate and got it, ate it, and left before I received my plate. It would have been better if she would have just acknowledged she forgot instead of just saying it was still being made. I haven't had issues with L&L before, but will go to another location over this one.

Legit one of the best l&l's I've ever had. Typically I'm weary of eating in these hole in the wall spots, but this did not disappoint

We wanted to try the Beyond Burger loco moco, so went to lunch here. L&L has always been solid for a chain place. We were not disappointed. It tasted pretty much like a regular loco moco, though they skimped on the gravy. It was pretty small, so really more like a mini loco moco. My wife got a mini chicken katsu, and hers had much more food than mine. We couldn't believe it was a mini. The chicken katsu was very good -- nice, crispy, and tasty. This location is pretty clean, and we had good service. We'll be back -- especially if they decide to keep the Beyond loco moco beyond the end of the year. Here's where you can get the Beyond loco moco, at least until the end of 2019: Keeaumoku (inside Walmart); Airport Trade Center; Ward Entertainment Center; Kahala; and Marine Corps Base Hawaii (Kaneohe Bay).

This may be one of the worst l&ls I've had. All the food was bland, shrimp way way over cooked, rubbery, and hard to get the shell off. Even the mac salad had no flavor. Avoid this l&l at all costs unless you want to be disappointed and waste your money.

Great location, but the workers are careless. Yes, it's Hawaii and things are slower than the mainland, but the person at the counter lazily took down my order and even got parts of it wrong. It took 15 minutes for our 4 orders (2 of them were loco moco bowls) and the chicken katsu I got wasn't cooked all the way through. I had to toss some of it because it was pink in the middle. It's impossible to eat at the tables outside because of all the birds. You are probably better off going to the mall across the street to grab a bite. I've never had these problems with L&L on the mainland.

IMHO I think this is the best location. You get a variety and can create combo's and it's so reasonable and they pack on the food. ALSO, out of the few L&L's I've visited, they make the BEST fries. LEGIT it's fire.

The best local kine food best plate lunch in Kaka'ako but no moa parking for my bus! Auwe! Last time da mean cop wen give me wan ticket on Mother's Day!!!

L&L Drive-In is located at the Ward Entertainment Center with the entrance on Kamakee Street. It's one of many food establishments in Ward Village. Back in mid 2018 I entered the food joint with one of my brothers. We were greeted by the female employee. I asked my brother on what he wanted to eat. He said he wanted chicken katsu. I bought him a chicken katsu plate. I also got him a fountain drink. We waited a few minutes before he received his chicken katsu plate. The plate consisted of two scoops of rice, scoop Mac salad, and the chicken katsu placed on top of the rice. Katsu sauce was given as well. My brother made his drink from the Coke fountain machine. We exited the establishment and sat down at one of the available two seater tables near the railing. My brother took some bites out of the food but got full really fast. I told him "next time I'll get you a bowl since it will be in smaller portions". My brother ended up taking the rest of the food home with him back to Kalihi.

So my husband and I've gone to this particular l&l a few times bc need to get breakfast while waiting for our truck to get serviced at Servco. Their service is terrible. Today it took 40 minutes for two simple breakfast plates! I thought they'd forgotten our order. Once we got our plates, we both told the bltchy waitress what terrible service they had and last time going there. No sorry, no thanks for waiting, nothing. Yea, we'll go to another place. And their plates aren't exceptional, just basic at best.

I just want to say that fried noodles & fried saimin are 2 VERY different things. The whole reason why we went to this L&L is because its the closest to Ala Moana Beach Park and we were craving fried noodles. Fried noodles made with Lo Mein. So I see the fried saimin on the menu but I ask the cashier if they have fried noodles. She points out char siu fried noodles. So we order Char Siu fried noodles, mini chicken katsu, 1 hamburger & 1 teri beef sandwich. Everything we order was good. My only 2 complaints is the fact that 'fried saimin' is being sold as 'fried noodles' and the teri beef meat was a little dry.

Not the healthiest or the best quality but in a pinch, fast and reliable. My guilty pleasure for breakfast is their spam and egg sandwich with cheese (extra 35 cents). Lunch I like their chicken cutlet with gravy. Their mini is more than enough for me. If you call in your order, it's usually ready by the time you get there. I'm only across the street.

This place is a classic. It's where I used to go back in my high school days especially after practice days. Sure the prices went up a bit since then but compared to other places, I think it's still pretty affordable. The portions are generous and honestly a mini plate could probably fill you right up especially that mini chicken katsu plate; that's two meals for me right there! They have a lot on their menu where it just feels overwhelming but just know that whatever you pick, it'll always be fresh. My faves are the chicken katsu, kalua pork, the burgers, and the fries yum!

This is strictly for the food that I've had from here. I'm gluten-free and so I never really considered being able to eat at L & L. I tried their garlic ahi plate with all rice or rice and salad. The fish is fresh with generous amounts of garlic, just the way I like it. Their rice is cooked nicely also. Not too wet and not hard and dry. The portion for their regular plate is huge so I will order a mini and it's still more than enough. I come over here on my lunch break from Whole Foods and I can order ahead or wait a little bit for the food. Not all L & L's are the same. After experiencing another L&L on the west side of the island, I appreciate this location all the more!

Ordered kalua pork and cabbage with brown rice. I got week old shredded pork that has no taste mixed with a small amount of SHREDDED cabbage. Horrible! Gross! Nothing close to what Hawaiian kaula pork should be . Charged me 50 cents extra for brown rice and the rice is cold! Will never go back to this L&L again!

My wife and I went to the new Whole Foods in Kakaako on Sunday and we didn't want to shop right away because we were starving so we decided to eat at L&L Drive-Inn first since it was just across the street. Good move, we had a good meal and probably spent less at Whole Foods afterwards. The daily specials were pork chop with gravy and roast chicken, so we ordered the mini size for both of them. My pork chop was perfectly cooked, crispy and juicy. And for $7.25 it was a bargain. My wife had the mini roast chicken that was huge! She said it was delicious and it was also $7.25. My wife had it for two meals and still had leftover for the dog. I don't eat at L&L very often but after this I may be back sooner.

I am not a fan of L&L Drive-Inn, but I do remember when I was a fan, during my middle school days, I would frequent the L&L Drive-Inn location at Pucks Alley after school. Its been a very long time since then. I did visit a few L & L Drive-Inn and didn't seem to care for them. Since L & L is a franchise, not all L & L are created equally. I am not sure which L & L is the best one but I do like this L & L location. I have been a fan of this location recently, during our movie premiers, waiting in the long standby long to get our tickets, I walked to L & L to grab me and my hubby their special, which was the chicken katsu curry bowl for 5.95. Its been so long since I had chicken katsu from L & L and I have to admit the chicken katsu was cooked nice, fresh, and crispy, along with the curry sauce and rice cooked just right. Me & my other half really enjoyed this snack before we get in to theater for concession food of popcorn and mochi crunch. Since we go to dinner after the movies, the chicken katsu bowl fills us up, until then. The portions are big and it was enough to feed both of us. This L & L location will be a must stop, for me when there is a movie premier at Ward. The staff at this L & L are nice, the restaurant is nice and clean, there are tables to dine in and also a bathroom in the back. Credit cards are excepted. There are lots of item to choose from and specials are reasonable. This L & L location is very convenient for Ward customers and future residents of the new developments. Next time, I would like to get their musubi @ 2.50, with a choice of spam, katsu, or chicken. On Yelp photos, It looks huge and yummy!! All in All, had a great experience during my visits and will be back again for more chicken katsu curry bowl! #57/100 for 2017

So I've lived in Hawai'i most of my life and I'm a real LnL fan. The owner and the workers were not locals. The attitude and disrespect from the "owner" just speaks volume.

There are thousands of L&Ls around Oahu, and we've eaten at most of them, lol. Where can 2 people eat on Oahu for $25? We don't eat meat, but 2 scoops rice, 1 scoop macaroni salad and a huge portion of fish - Swain, bass, ahi, shrimp, scallops, salmon - all deliciously prepared! This restaurant in particular has a Chef who creates plate lunches extraordinaire, ono grinds bra (great food brudda)! Katy at the counter makes it extra special explaining the different choices, she is the personification of Aloha! Park for free at the Whole Foods garage next door. We will return - again!