The only location in Arizona! :( Let me begin with how completely STOKED I am to find out that there's an L&L right next to my place! Score! I used to frequent the one in Oregon when I lived there, so this was a total treat. Went here at 6:30 on a friday & parking was hectic in the area, but its also rush hour. I was able to walk right up to the counter & place my order, the clerk was friendly & service was fast. I ordered Loco Moco, because from my experience, there aren't too many places in AZ that serve it for whatever reason. Eggs were made exactly how I ordered & portion of food was great (I got regular size, but you can order a mini). I will definitely be back & bring the hubs!
(4)
Claudio B.
I didn't know until my X told me (she's a native from Hawaii) that L&L is straight outta Hawaii. I guess this location in North Phoenix is the only one in Arizona. The food here is great. They have a lot to order and even though I haven't tried everything I'm sure it's all great. My favorite is the combo chicken beef combo. It looks great and smells great so you obviously can say it taste amazing. I would recommend this to anyone especially people from the Islands. Mahalo :)
(5)
Jeff B.
Tried L & L again. Arrived at 11:45 on a Thursday for lunch. There were 18 people at the tables but only six were eating. Could be a long wait. I ordered the combo: 1/2 Chicken Katsu and 1/2 BBQ Shirt Ribs. It also came with rice, macaroni salad and slaw. I added a drink for $11.37 with tax. Pretty steep for fast food but it wasn't so fast. My order arrived in 13 minutes. It was hot, crispy and tasty but rather steep for plastic plates, forks and a 13 minute wait. I did like the self-serve drinks and sauces but they ran out of iced tea at noon. They should probably ramp up staffing for lunch. Just sayin.
(3)
Jason Q.
Great place, consistent no matter where you get it, and a lot of copy cat restaurants that can't match the quality. I'm Chamorro (Guamanian), so this is the closest food I can get to my island food, and it always hits the spot. A bit expensive, but sure beats fast food!
(4)
Daniel B.
Food was good, but not as good as I imagined. No, this was not my first time, but the taste was a lot different from before. None the less it was good. Service was Great! The cashier greeted us nicely and knew her way around the menu. The food was fresh and hot, defiantly Plus Points!
(3)
Jenn M.
The food I was able to order was great. They display a full menu but don't update selection so it can be hit or miss. Service could have been better.
(3)
Milton K.
I am sad to say that I used to drive from Thomas Road and I-17 all the way to Norterra in Happy Valley to eat here. But now, I don't think so. I love their Roast Pork and Gravy plate, but they never have it anymore. I don't know why it's even still on their menu. The BBQ had been decent before but now its dry and thin and I didn't enjoy. The poi tasted bad and I told the cashier but to no satisfaction and no refund either. I have eaten poi since I was a baby 57 years now, but I know when poi is not right and the last order I had was not right. I have been forced to stay near home and eat at OHANA now. Sorry L&L.
(2)
Nali M.
i have been living in arizona for three years now. L&L is really the only good hawaiian food place we have here that is comparable to home. it's a chain restaurant that we have in hawaii, so there is consistency! i had the opportunity to stop by again yesterday on our way up the i17 to flagstaff. jared, the guy behind the counter was so nice. he has the spirit of aloha instilled in him! it's such a nice thing to see up here far from home. the husband and i ordered our usual suspects: chicken katsu and bbq chicken. also, got some mini manapua for the road. we even stopped again on the way home to tucson (that's how ono it is!) since i know i won't be able to have L&L again til i go home to the islands in may.
(5)
Connie K.
... Since everyone's taste is different, this place didn't suit me or my husband. That being said, maybe you'll enjoy it...?? We visited Hawaii for our honeymoon and saw an L&L there, as well, and remembered our experience at the Happy Valley location and it was enough to warrant not visiting a potential original location..... Meh. Again, maybe you'll find it more enjoyable, but we won't be back.. It's kind of an inside joke when we drive by actually..
(2)
R M R.
For the most part we've always liked L&L...but..... Ordered the small poke, literally was a 2 biter, then no more. Also ordered the BBQ Mix, loaded up on the chicken, and only gave you one (1) short rib. The rice was long grain kine. I'm guessing the other, (med grain or sticky) they can't afford it??? The service was good and the restaurant was clean. I'm now hesitant on ordering manapua here. Thinking I'm gonna stick w/Leo's in Glendale.
(2)
Janine D.
i have been coming here for years and i still love their hawaiian bbq chicken! i love the fact that they also offer combo meals for affordable price. the only thing that gets me here though is that you really have to check that they have made your order right.
(3)
Shigeru Y.
Not bad, and one of the extremely few choices for Hawaiian food around here. Saimin noodles were firm, though the broth was weak and the spam wasn't chopped (was just a slab). Loco Moco burger was pretty blah (overcooked and not seasoned), gravy was okay, egg and rice were cooked properly. The (deep fried no doubt) sesame balls were very good, and much, much cheaper than the ones Whole Foods carries! I managed to avoid ordering malasadas since I wasn't with a group I could share the order of six with, and they don't keep well. I got a couple of spam musubi to go too, and I am hoping they'll be okay when reheated (wrap a damp paper towel around it and microwave). They have super tiny white styrofoam water cups. The restaurant was clean, the cashier was friendly, and there was quite a bit parking on a weekend. The roundabouts that you're forced to use to get on the freeway are a pain though.
(3)
Trevor A.
I was greeted with an Aloha! This review is based on a single visit. I asked "What is your best recommendation?". I went with their 2nd choice - Chicken Katsu. It was just ok, honestly I really didn't care for it. It was a lot of food though. 2 scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad with it (neither was very good). Food is served in a styrofoam to-go go plate. I didn't care much for anything about the overall experience eating in - other than the Aloha.
(2)
Jeana K.
I'm not sure what it was exactly, but I just wasn't a huge fan. I only tried them once, since I was on vacation in the area, but I ordered a BBQ chicken salad which was simply ok.
(3)
Rob L.
S'okay. A bit expensive and not authentic. Hit L&L with the fam and left missing shops back in the islands even more. BBQ plate was good enough. The meat wasn't too fatty, and the rice and mac salad were good. Hawaiian Sun Passion Orange drinks were expensive, though. My wife had the chicken katsu and kalua pork, which she didn't enjoy. Pork was dry and too salty while the katsu chicken meat was fatty and had some extra gristle for our pleasure. My 6 year-old had the saimin with chicken and egg. She picked at it as it was bland and the egg yolk was a tad raw. Overall, it is nothing like back home in Hawai'i. The boba tea she had was a drink with ice and the tapioca was old/deteriorating. I've never seen her stop drinking a boba tea, before. Bathroom was a wreck. More than anything, it turned me off eating. L&Ls used to be so dependable for good Hawaiian food. So hit-and-miss these days.
(2)
Dennis D.
Eh. I've never been a huge fan of L&L and when I'm back in California I would rather eat at Ohno's or Ohana's. The same can be said with this one. I got a mini chicken-katsu with a taro boba. I definitely don't recommend the boba at all. I only got it because the boba place across Happy Valley Rd, Urban Boba Tea House, was closed and I was craving some. The macaroni salad was decent, the rice was too dry, and the katsu sauce was overly sweet. The chicken katsu was breaded and fried ok. The service was friendly though. Next time however, I'm going to Leo's Island BBQ on Bell.
(2)
Bobbie M.
Great food, decent prices. Eating here brought back many good memories of being in Hawaii. Jeff really enjoyed it, and mentioned he ate at the one in California a few times.
(4)
F Trey O.
Every aspect of this food is genuine Hawaiian. Except the service. I dare you to try and ask for a taste of the Poi. Not gonna happen. Shame on the owners for not bringing island love with its food.
(3)
Francis S.
I will be a honest i used to a believer and used to come here often. Yet recent visits seems to make me feel that this place has lost its touch. 4 reasons: (each points is a star minus.) 1. I am a spam masubi guy and I probably have gone to most of the places that serves them in the valley. This place was my go to before until i start tasting others. Today I ordered 2 more for old time sake and i cant believe that this was the same spam masubi I tasted before. First theres so much rice, so much that you cant even taste the spam. Theres so little sauce. I even told the guy for extra sauce and checked my order and theres still so little sauce. As a guy who loves spam masubi, i had my share of experience on making them, and if my spam masubi is better than the one you can buy in any place, then that place needs some changes. You go out to eat a better food that is not in your house- thats the essence of eating out. 2. Their soup has no flavor. No joke. Try it. I dare you. 3. If youre vegeterian or feeling dieting for a day please dont buy their healthy salmon. The fish has no flavor at all. Almost made me puke:(. 4. Lastly it seems they stop listening to customers. When I we used to eat here all our request were fulfilled. If you ask more sauce on your food you get initially. If you ask for put the lettuce on the side cuase maybe your allergic they do it. If ask for extra gravy you get them in the side. Yet now all our request seems to be neglected. As my friend said, it feels like they are slimming their food. Maybe to get more profit? Anyways, the experience is no longer there and the taste is basically gone. Maybe those who havent tried other places might find them really good. But to those who have tasted others I request you to try it once. If you like it disregard my review. For me this is the last time I am driving 45 minutes for their food (yeah i was dedicated). P.S One star for the nostalgic part of it. Also yelp wont allow 0 star.
(1)
Ben R.
Got the half half plate with kalua pork and katsu. Food is alright....nothing special. Price is fair and quantity is good. The restaurant is clean, the girl behind the counter was friendly and helpful and the restaurant is in a good location. Probably wouldn't come back just because I wasn't so impressed with the food.
(3)
Ervin H.
I believe L&Ls quality of food have gone down throughout the years. It is that or it has always been mediocre, but my taste buds accepted anything when I was in college. However, I do remember, the katsu chicken was more meat and less breaded back in the day. This particular L&Ls has its own flavor as they serve kimchee to the menu. I think it's pretty cool each chain can add its own niche to their store. What else can I say? For those that have never had Hawaiian BBQ before, you will love the flavor and mac salad. On the other hand, for those that know their Hawaiian BBQ, we have seen better days L&Ls. We will come back when my wife and I get our occasional college cravings back in San Diego...although that does not happen very often.
(3)
Darlene P.
More toward 2.5 stars. The people are nice and the place is clean, but the food is not as good as it was a couple of years ago. Not sure why. They've added a lot to the menu like boba tea, sesame balls, and malasadas, but it makes me wonder if they're branching out too much. (I haven't tried any of those items so can't comment on them.) I might still eat here occasionally if I'm shopping in the plaza and craving BBQ beef or saimin, but you can find better fare at some of the other Hawaiian joints in the Valley.
(3)
j r.
I'm really glad I found this L&L not to far away.food made to order and always good huge plates.i especially like the BBQ chicken plate what more can I say Hawaiian food is my comfort food: )
(4)
Jay D.
Going nuts this morning trying to find parts for my vehicle for my attempt at DIY repair this afternoon. Driving all over North Phoenix was a little maddening with several of the major surface streets being restricted due to construction, causing choke-points at intersections. Did Chris Christie come into town? Automotive parts in hand yet still seething (not raging and there's a difference) from the running around and bottleneck, I decide to have Loco Moco for lunch at L&L. I figured the carbs and calories will sustain me for the challenge I'm about to tackle head on. If you don't know what it is - Loco Moco that is; it's basically 2 over-easy (my liking) eggs, 2 hamburger patties over brown (my liking) rice drowning in brown gravy plus a side of macaroni salad. Nothing really special about it because if you separate the components, you'd basically be eating what they taste like on its own. The goodness is in the warm, hearty experience of devouring this Hawaiian comfort food. Overall, it hit the spot as always. Now on to being a pretend grease monkey.
(3)
Jolly M.
I am torn between a 1 & 2 star, but I need to be truthful here. This is based on my meal here with the seafood combo at under $9 dollars. The combo comes with mahi mahi fish, shrimp and your choice of meats: chicken, pulled pork or short ribs, macaroni salad and rice. I chose the chicken and my brother had the pulled pork. PRO: Large portion. CONS: * Although combo portion is large it was completely inedible. (My meal ended up in the garbage.) * Everything was TASTELESS minus mahi mahi and not in a good way. It was the most pungent and extremely Fishy, Foul tasting fish I've ever had. The food was NOT good whatsoever. Perhaps it was this combo item. * The condiments: Siracha and terriyaki sauce was heavily watered down DELIBERATELY. My brother agreed with the great disappointment and he was picking through his meal. He was extremely hungry and we thought this was a place to satisfy his hunger. I regret not having lunch at the suggested Greek place next door, but he thought the portions may not be filling. :(
(1)
Patrick W.
We really enjoy this place! As close to real Hawaiian food as I've been able to find in the states. Friendly staff, plus it's quick, easy and affordable
(4)
Nicole M.
DELICIOUS bbq combo plate. didn't get much else but loved the chicken, beef, and short ribs. i could do without the rice and macaroni salad but if it's the hawaiian thing to eat with this, ok fine. my mouth is watering thinking about the meat. yum yum. i would totally do platters of that to cater a party.
(4)
Patrick A.
Living in the southeast and my wife is Hapa Haole girl we miss Hawaiian food. So as I travel to arizona and a L and L is next to Hotel Heaven just got closer. I have had the lao lao plate there and I thought I was at Auntys house. I will have to vist more before I go back to NC.
(4)
Michael J.
The girl at the counter was super nice, a little too enthusiastic lol, but really nice. The food left something to be desired. It wasn't bad, just not really good and Hawaiian food isn't that difficult to make, so I have to give them 2 stars.
(2)
John O.
It's nice to visit an establishment that seems to care about the customer and quality of food they deliver. I've been going to this location for many years and finally thought, "Hey! I should write a review"! Anyway, I usually get the bbq chicken dinner and I'm always satisfied with the flavor and quantity. The staff is always pleasant and helpful. Great place for a change of pace from the usual fast food fare!
(5)
Patrick M.
DO NOT EAT HERE FOR ANY REASON!!! The food is the worst BBQ I have ever eaten. How does one mess up teri chicken?? The "lady" who took our order was very rude. The teri sauce and katsu sauce were thr same thing, and it was soy sauce with sugar!!!!! Hungey 11 year old baseball players wouldn't even eat it. Do not eat here!!!
(1)
Bo D.
Food is very good, I always order the loco moco, chicken katsu and spam musubi, but I was disappointed with their boba. I don't know if it's just the way they make boba in Hawaii but the black pearls were hard and dry and it was like they just put ice cubes and creamy coconut juice in there.
(3)
Rachel M.
We ordered catered pans BBQ chicken , katsu chicken, rice and mac salad....was hot and super delish. ..all my guests loved it as well...this was for my son's graduation party.... it was a very successful party...thanks L & L Hawaiian BBQ!!
(5)
Taylor Momo J.
A few years ago I got food poisoning here. Maricopa County Health Inspectors verified some critical/serious violations. Since they've resolved those, I returned (after many years) to give it another try (which is hard to once you get food poisoning from something or somewhere). But, this time all was well. I have been there many times since and am glad to not get sick anymore. That was not a fun sick experience. the happy, tall girl that worked the counter was pleasant and friendly. The last time I went there though she wasn't there.
(5)
Tim M.
Went in today because I had been wanting to try it. The girl working the counter was very nice and helpful. The food was pretty forgettable and the shrimp was pretty fishy. Doubt I'll be back but the food wasn't awful.
(3)
Howie W.
Like many reviewers I am from Oahu and have eaten at crap shack L&Ls in Waimanalo and fancier ones catering to haole tourists. This is a great spot. Of course things are a a bit different. We're on the mainland so there isn't the beach breeze or pigeon talk to make you feel at home. It's still great food and they have some extras like manapua (almost as good as from the manapua truck) and poke.
(5)
Danielle F.
I fell in love with this place since the first time I tried the seafood combo! Omg it's to die for!! I highly recommend this and many other dishes on their yummy menu.
(5)
Matt F.
The only decent thing about this place is the food. It is nothing outstanding. I would consider the quality normal for Hawaiian BBQ, but I've definitely had better. The person at the counter was trying to be friendly, but I could tell she didn't want to be or was a shy person. This place is also frugal with Napkins and silverware. They gave me 2 napkins, a fork and a knife for dining in. There is no place to freely grab more napkins, or when your plastic fork breaks like mine did, I couldn't just walk over and get a new one. I had to get someone's attention at the counter to give me another. This isn't a deal breaker, but definitely doesn't help with the experience. If all you care about is food, the food is good, you should go. If you care about any of my other points, stay away!
(3)
Eddie D.
L&L here is as delicious as it is back home. I just wished their cheap asses would turn on the AC during the summer and maybe then their loud "in door" voices could be overlooked.
(4)
Jaime S.
Go here and get the green curry beef. Shh...don't ruin this, just do it. You'll be thanking me in your mind.
(4)
monika c.
I normally order their 1/2 and 1/2 combo which had cabbage, rice, macaroni salad and choice of two meats. I always choose the katsu chicken and BBQ chicken and is delicious. Today I opted for the seafood combo which us mahi mahi, 3 fried shrimp and a choice of other meat. I chose BBQ short ribs. The short ribs were excellent. The mahi-mahi was a flat thin fillet heavily battered and no flavor. though it was tender, there was no flavor. The fried shrimp only had their crunchy batter as a positive.. they were thin and bland. Definitely won't be trying those next time, but altogether I still love L&L and if nothing else will stick with my 'regular' 1/2 and 1/2..
(3)
Sitha I.
By far, THE BEST HAWAIIAN BBQ. I would make the far drive from tucson for this place. Everything made and cooked perfectly. Perfectly seasoned. Great prices. The best thing of all, that sets this place from the rest......MACARONI SALAD. What's in there? Macaroni. Why its so good? IDK it just is. TRY IT!!!! My order: Half and half kalbi and chicken katsu plus an order of spam musubi.
The service and quality is average considering it is fast food. What people need to realize is not to blame all the problems on the cashiers because it puts a lot of stress on them. Not only do they have to stand there for hours putting up with dissatisfied customers due to bad management, they have to do everything: clean, wrap food, take orders, sweep, take out trash, stock, serve food etc. and there is only one person at a time working and sometimes it can get pretty busy. I've seen the dishearted look on their face when they get yelled at by customers for something they can't help. If there is a problem with your visit don't blame the cashiers or workers as they obviously have no control over it and have no choice but to go with the house rules of the restaurant because they work for money like the rest of us. It's sad how a cashier has to deal with rude customers and get the blame for everything when all they do is follow their orders and due their job for a bit of spare change in their pocket. Due to bad management and poor customer service cashiers aren't tipped and they have expressed their upset over it. People need to get over the fact that just because a table isn't clean because its busy and full of people they don't need to be rude and complain. The workers literally have to do EVERYTHING and I rarely see the boss out. People need to give it a break and be more respectful. The chef is an elderly Chinese man and the cashiers are all teenagers/young adults. In short, the bad service and quality has nothing to do with the workers and more with the management and as I said before in regard to other reviews, there is one person working and it is a fast food restaurant, you get what you pay for. This is probably the most straightforward review. They do charge for everything and overprice some items but again , learned no need to be rude to the cashiers for it, they cant do anything. food is average quality for fast food. They seem to have remodeled it because now it is fairly clean compared to before they remodeled it(reviews saying it was dirty) and I thought the bathroom was pretty nice. In brief, it's good if you want fast food BBQ and a taste of hawaii. People need to be more considerate and have lower expectations. Obviously it's going to be bad if you're comparing it to something like cheesecake factory.
(3)
Jason S.
The food is great. This has become my go to spot for close food fast. I have eaten here at least once a week since moving to Phoenix. I tried to go healthier and get the brown rice... that lasted 2 attempts. the rice wasnt cooked all the way, and had too much crunch. BUT going back to what they do best. 1/2 BBQ Chicken, 1/2 BBQ Short Ribs, 2 scoops of rice, and macaroni salad..... well, its had be going back over and over. Highly recommended. the ONLY reasons i didnt give it a 5 star rating was the bad brown rice, and the Boba Tea wasnt that great. In past I've had the Boba served warm at the bottom of the drink that made it less rubbery. This was not the Boba Tea I was used to, BUT everything else makes this place a winner.
(4)
Vincent F.
Almost as good as the chain in Hawaii.... Seafood combo is waht we get. MAC SALAD IS AWESOME
(3)
Erik A.
This place has gotten a lot better. I stopped coming here a while back. The portions were getting smaller and the quality was going down. Recently I decided to give it another try and it was really good. They even have some new dishes, which were a good price and generous portion. Had another good dish tonight. I tried they're BBQ Chicken bowl with broccoli. Have to try another time and try the seafood plate again to see if the portion and quality has been fixed.
(3)
Shanna C.
The chicken Katsu combo was perfect!:) but don't try the boba!! Tried the coconut and it was nasty. I'll stick to "bomb boba" on cactus from here on out.
(4)
Dean W.
Everything I had an L&L was good, especially their barbecue chicken. Service was friendly and fast if you have never tried Hawaiian barbecue this would be a great place to start
(5)
Andy M.
Coming from Hawaii finding good local food in Az can be a challenge, but I gave them 5 stars only because every time the cook sees me, he knows what I want and the cashiers has been pretty nice, they try to be all Aloha even though there haoles but eh they were nice. I've have several different plates, some impressed me, some didn't but overall, if your hungry they load it up, and that's why I love it!! I love their roast pork with chicken katsu one of my fav. combo.
(5)
Scott R.
We'll not anything special and food ok but not justify price! Would NOT try again! So much better food like this available for much better price! Business was dirty and condiment area Nasty!
(2)
Grace G.
It's a typical L&L. They have added a lot of healthy dishes to their menu. I go there to get my Hawaiian food fix. No one else close serves lau lau. They have Atkins, low carb and medifast smart dishes. Not a fan of the fried manapua. My daughter gets her musubis and boba tea. Otherwise a good choice!
(3)
Carmelo W.
It was nice. The cashier was chipper. The food was just like the L&L in Oahu. Wish they would crank the A/C a little more though. Restroom was a little dirty.
(4)
Danielle F.
Always a favorite
(3)
Kyle J.
Can't hate on some L&L, Grew up in hawaii through middle school and high school. Back home L&L is considered fast food, generally you get your plate lunch from a truck or local restaurant not L&L. But when your on the main land, L&L is a blessing!! Closest thing you can get and I'm not complaining. For those of you that are looking for something to try, Chicken Katsu is always a good starter, basically breaded chicken with a tangy dipping sauce. My go to meal is the Hamburger Steak, 2 hamburger patties covered in gravy with rice. It just works!! Other good choice would be the Kalua pork. You can always get half/half and add some BBQ too. Make sure you try the Mac Salad, I'm not normally a big fan of mac salad but its a must here! Great service to boot also.
(4)
Benjamin S.
For me this place is truly just ok. I work nearby and my bosses bring this stuff in on occasion. The chicken and the macaroni salad are both pretty great but I just never find myself having a hankering for this stuff. I've still yet to drive by here on the way home and find the compunction to stop and pick some up. If you haven't tried it I say go for it, there are far worse places to eat in this shopping center.
(3)
Phxazrb B.
Was good for the price
(3)
Chip P.
So what can I say, it was meh at best. We ordered the 1/2 beef and pork combo with white rice and the macaroni salad. The beef was perfectly cooked but bland. The BBQ pork why dry as the Sahara Desert. We also ordered their healthy chicken option. Once again the chicken was perfectly tender and bland. It came with brown rice, salad, and some cabbage. The salad and cabbage had absolutely nothing on it. Put a little salt and vinegar on the cabbage or something and there are plenty of low fat options for salad dressing if you want to keep the healthy angle. Would I go back and try it again? At this point it's a coin flip.
(2)
Tiana G.
Being from hawaii, I love me some good hawaiian bbq and this is as close as I am going to get without having to get a plane ticket or having to beg my mom to cook some for me. BBQ Short Ribs: hit or miss. Sometimes they are amazing and sometimes they are too fatty and chewy. Chicken Katsu: Good, sometimes can get over-cooked. Both come with rice and (my fav) Mac Salad. Spam Musibi is spot on here and the saimen is good.
(3)
Jessica P.
I'm digging that they have some korean food here too... they are quick and easy. It's a TON of food, by the way, so bring your hollow leg. I'm not too fond of the katsu... I think it's just not really my thing. But the service is good, place is clean.
(3)
Maureen Y.
Do you ever have chicken katsu cravings? If you don't, you're going to start having some after your visit. What is it I love about their katsu... 1. The ratio of juicy meat to super crunchy panko breading is absolutely perfect, there's not too much chicken and the breading isn't so crunchy that it cuts up the roof of your mouth. 2. It will still be crispy after a 15 minute drive home. 3. The creaminess of the macaroni salad is a perfect balance for the crispy katsu pieces. Yes it may be cooked beyond al dente, but what do you expect? This ain't no 5 star restaurant. I've had other things on the menu but what keeps me coming back is their chicken katsu and super friendly service.
(4)
Rey H.
had one of the best konkatsu when i was in town in phx!! we need more legits hawaiian restaurant in tucson!!
(5)
Chukki S.
I thought this place was okay. Cashier was extra friendly, which was nice. I like the Hawaiian decor, with pics of the ocean and beach on the walls. But it's still in a strip mall so don't get too excited. Chicken was tender and flavorful, and the little mini macoroni salad was a nice added touch. It could be priced a little cheaper for what it is, but still, it's not bad. I haven't been to Hawaii in a while, but based on other reviews, I would say it is pretty authentic.
(3)
Steve T.
Just stopped in for lunch and ordered the grilled mahi, but received the fried version. I specifically asked to substitute the brown rice for white rice, which the grilled comes with, but she didn't clarify. At first she was nice, but after their gaffe, her demeanor turned and she didn't even give me utensils or napkins until I asked repeatedly. To make it worse, she went to the kitchen, and the guy ended up giving me the fried fish even though he said it was grilled, which it clearly wasn't. :(
(1)
Nathan S.
BBQ Chicken plate is excellent! My wife says that the half order is fine. Usually take orders to go and food is ready on-time! We eat here on a monthly basis.
(5)
Gregory N.
I'm not sure why this place got the good reviews it did. The food just wasn't that great. Maybe I'm spoiled by what I can get at home (Philadelphia)? I don't know. I had the BBQ Combo and my girlfriend had the Mahi-Mahi Sandwich. I dumped tons of teriyaki and BBQ sauce on the whole thing and just kinda scarfed it down. She thought the sandwich was good and said that she regretted putting too much teriyaki sauce on it which made the bun soggy. I also had some kind of sweet pork pastry. It was kinda hard to stomach. Maybe I'm being too rough, don't know. But I will say this: the blond-haired young man working the counter was extremely helpful and courteous. He went through each and every item on the menu, explaining it to me and my girlfriend. He was extremely knowledgeable and quick to suggest menu items for me and my vegetarian (but fish eating) girlfriend. So, as my rating says, "Meh. I've experienced better."
(2)
Tonya S.
This is our favorite place to eat out when my kids and I are meeting my husband for lunch on his lunch break. I love their shrimp plate with rice and macaroni salad. My daughter loves the same plate, though she foregoes the mac salad for extra rice. My three year old eats off of our plates and gets fresh, hot french fries. My husband likes their pork bbq plate with the rice and mac salad. The help is always friendly and always greet us with a happy, "Aloha." Definitely love this place.
(5)
Matt D.
Had the curry chicken...found it to be a bit bland, Would come back and try again, this time trying something that isn't breaded.
(3)
Stacey A.
This is basically the closest you can get to have local hawaiian food without actually being in Hawaii. They make everything the way it's supposed to taste like back home - and they even have laulau! A total menu must have if you're going to claim to be a "Hawaiian" restaurant, but since L&L is a Hawaii based chain I wasn't too worried about that! The regular plate lunch sizes are really big so I always end up getting the mini. Among my favorites are the chicken katsu, roast pork with gravy, manapua, and the saimin. And as a side note - you might not want to come here if you're trying to watch your weight, Hawaiian food in general is high calorie-laden goodness which is why I always leave this place full and happy!
(5)
Aletheia W.
Hellooooooooooo Spam Musubi! My favorite Hawaiian concoction - grilled marinated Spam on a bed of rice, wrapped in seaweed - spam sushi! Ingenius. For the Spam-shy, they also have a Chicken Musubi. L&L was my first venture into Hawaiian BBQ back in college. Cheap, large portions, deeeeeeeeeelish BBQ Chicken - MMM! Even the mini plates (in the $5 range) are good portions (probably what would be closer to a healthy serving...). As far as authenticity.... now, while some L&L locations really suck, L&L originated IN Hawaii, and having just been to HI a year ago, I'd say that this location does a smashing job of getting it right. YUM!
(4)
Gloria S.
Pretty good Hawaiian food! You get good sized portions at an ok price. I typically get the loco moco, which is yummy and really filling! The last time I visited I decided to try new things, so I got the chicken katsu musubi and we split a soup. The musubi is kind of like a sushi roll with non-fish meats. It was ok, a little dry and I think it could have used a little more meat to rice ratio. I looked for some soy sauce but found some gelified katsu sauce. Eww. I just decided to eat it dry. The soup is like a ramen soup with great broth and meat. I got the beef, which was a little grizzly. The staff was a little cranky that night, but usually they are ok. The iced tea was empty and their condiments needed to be restocked.
(4)
Akiko I.
I was here one night to get some dishes to go. Honestly, I don't understand why the rating is so high. Maybe I went on the wrong night. The decor is really cute and the service is really nice but...that's pretty much it. I ordered L&L Hawaiian BBQ Mix, Seafood Mix, and Spam musubi. The first problem was rice. Part of it was overcooked and soggy, the other part, uncooked. Any Asian dish has to have at least "descent" rice to enjoy the rest of the plate. The second problem was the seafood. I understand that this is not Roy's but still, it would have been nice if they could have given me a real piece of fish and shrimps instead of all panko and batter. *Food = badly cooked rice ruined pretty much everything *Decor = very cute *Location = it looked a little shady but it was around 8pm and very dark *Service = very nice *Price = ok but not worth what I received.
(2)
Mickey A.
This place, to me, is just like Aloha Eats in Chicago. The menu offers pretty much the same options as Aloha Eats and is also about the same price. My brother recommended this place because my mom was craving some Hawaiian BBQ, and L &L hit the spot. L & L is located in a row of fast food places - think mall food court within a shopping center. What -- you can't decide what to eat and are in the area? Uh, no problem. My mom and I shared the BBQ mix plate. I wasn't too crazy about the chicken, the beef was pretty tender and tasty. I was a little disappointed to see that the mix plate only offers one slice (?) of the short rib, which my mom loved. My dad enjoyed his Atkins version of the BBQ beef, but he loved the mahi mahi mini plate he had on our second visit to L & L. Yeah, I said second visit .... second visit in 4 days. It's pretty much on our "to-eat" places the next time we are Phoenix.
(4)
James B.
This place is going downhill. Cheaper utensils, napkins (I miss the old L&L printed ones) filled trash cans and filthy restrooms; I don't know where to start. I hope they get their act together, I really want to like it again.
(2)
Deb L.
Hey here is something off the beaten path ..Polynesian junk food , complete with sides of spam , macaroni salad dripping with mayonnaise and lots of sides of rice. Did i mention they Bobo? They have added items posted on the wall like Poi , Portuguese Sausage, Kim Chee and some spam sides. While not exactly the most amazing food it was tasty in the way that sometimes you get something at a food court at the mall that's tasty. It had interesting BBQ like meat , that almost was teriyaki but not quite. The plain rice was of course plain. The food was plentiful , all in all not bad , and something unique to try . Business looks steady and many people seemed to walk in and know exactly what they wanted and needed.
(3)
Marika K.
got the chicken bbq plate.. lots of food and it was yummy. seemed very clean and fast service.. I will be coming back.
(5)
Marlon D.
(Keep in mind there are few choices for Hawaiian style fast food in AZ so this might influence my review). I love going here when I have a craving for Hawaiian food. I usually order the BBQ mix plater composed of beef, chicken and short ribs. I also love their macaroni salad. The portions here are quite large; I usally eat half the plate and save the rest for later. The people at this location are very friendly and the food is prepared quickly. I would recommend this place if you are tired of eating at the burger/Mexican chains around Phoenix.
(4)
Tyler B.
My husband and I just moved back to az from hi and were so excited to find our favorite fast food joint was on the mainland too!! All I can say is its our little slice of the Big Island!
(5)
Bob J.
Can't say we ate here in HI, but we do go to L&Ls in SoCal and this place is just as good. My boys love it and so do I. Good sized portions mean you never leave hungry. The Katsu sauce is great and I ladle it over just about everything. I wish I could buy some to have around the house. Kind of unusual menu. Macaroni salad as a ubiquitous side dish, for example. But perhaps that is the Hawaiian way. Doesn't get five stars because the food seems a little bland to me - hence my putting the Katsu sauce on everything. Maybe that's the style though so don't let that one missing star stop you from giving it a try! Unlike a prior reviewer I have never had food quality problems here. Rice has always been perfect. And I have eaten here many times.
(4)
Ray N.
This is L&L... How can you go wrong? If you been to one L&L then you been to them all... It's a franchise, but they do a good job of it. They do chicken katsu really good here... I like how they have poke and kim-chee but the poke is a bit over priced and it is loaded with onions... sometimes more onions that fish. Then again you can never put a price on good food. I really like the Lau Lau from here... It is rare that I can get good Lau Lau unless I am at someone's house and someone's grandmother made it. I like how they have the atkin's plate for those who are watching carbs... Portions are big so I would think about going with the mini plate and try 2 different things. The spam musubi is good for what it is... A piece of pan seared spam over rice wrapped up in seaweed... Sometimes I think it is too much rice but it is not like you can't take some of the rice out.
(4)
Cuisine I.
Decent food, which tickled the palette enough for you to want to go back. Food portions are good value for money. If you're trying to eat healthy portions, order the mini with one scoop of rice & one scoop of macaroni instead of the two scoops in the regular sized meal. I had the BBQ chicken and it was very good... except... don't expect prime meat, this fast food joint will supply you with 'nicely' flavored dark meat!!
(3)
Donny C.
When I'm craving a good plate-lunch, this is where I end up. Curry Chicken Katsu is my go-to item. Their portions are very large, so the mini is always plenty of food.
(3)
Hal S.
I had terriyaki chicken. The chicken was bits of grizzle and tendons and the macaroni salad was swimming in mayo. No me gusta.
(2)
Jake D.
Not that good, not that bad. So-so, more or less. Stopped by here for lunch the other day, I had the BBQ chicken lunch. Overall a pretty bland taste, but maybe that is just the style. If I ever end up here again I may try something else, but I won't be going out of my way to do so.
(3)
Amanda B.
Located in a monstrosity of a shopping complex on Happy Valley, you have to drive around in circles a bit in order to find L&L if you're as dense as me when it comes to navigating these giant driving malls. This may be due to my own incompetence and sense of direction, but I'll pretend it's a universal issue. I've never been to Hawaii and will not pretend that I can vouch for authenticity. I have a good friend who grew up in Maui and when I would fly out to visit her when they moved out to the southwest, her Mom would occasionally cook up a dish, but that was the extent of my experience with the cuisine outside of a few places in town. This easily the best fast food Hawaiian food I've eaten in the valley, even if I order it sans macaroni salad and receive looks of horror. This is one of those reviews that deserve a "useless" button: All I have to say is that it's inexpensive, fantastically delicious, and a completely adorable fast food counter joint.
(4)
Rebecca S.
g spent a good amount of time living in hawaii as a kid so when L&L opened just minutes from our house he was stoked. we both agree that this isn't the highest quality food, but man you get one hell of a plate lunch here. lately i've been frequenting L&L far more than usual because g reminded me they have atkins plates. the atkins mini plate gives me a giant serving of chicken, barbecue beef and a scrambled egg for under $5. it is tasty. and filling. i like it. g always orders the kalua pig, all rice, no macaroni. it is pretty darn good, but truth-be-told aloha kitchen makes a much better kalua. if i'm not low-carbing i love the garlic shrimp, and the chicken katsu and various other fried, carb-laden hawaiian junk food options. there's a sign on the wall that teases me. it says "chicken long rice" but every time i try to order it i'm told it isn't chicken long rice day. i'd say screw it on the low carb diet if only they'd quit teasing me about the chicken long rice. i've been told the signs located under the menu are items that are available; signs on the other wall are there for occasional use. i really hope it is chicken long rice day soon.
(4)
jon c.
THE BEST!! Just like at home in Maui - and we have tried every "Hawaiian" restaurant in the Valley - no compare bra! Chicken katsu and loco moco - the best - and not Hawaiian junk food - this is Hawaiian lifestyle food. Aloha :)
(5)
Stephanie M.
For being one of the only decent restaurants in the area I really enjoy L&L. Everyone is always so nice and the restaurant is always clean. I am able to call in and pick up my order as well. The man and I usually stick to what we know; Hawaiian BBQ Chicken and Chicken Katsu all rice no mac salad. I have actually had their mac salad and it basically tasted like mayonnaise which I am not a big fan of. If you are looking for decent affordable Hawaiian food this place isn't bad.
(4)
Sarabear B.
Whenever i get a craving for some distant memory of a food, and that craving won't go away.... i start whining. So it was yesterday. I had been sitting all day with my cravings for real Hawaiian food for what seemed like weeks. I decided to commiserate with a friend who had grown up in Hawaii. I thought it might make it better. It was worse. I started off telling her how i sure could use a big bowl of Saiman for lunch, and didn't laulau and kalua pig sound good? Pretty soon we were both drooling for lomi lomi salmon and manapua. I was ready to run all the way across town to Mesa. "Oh, my friend exclaimed, Why don't you go to L & L?" I thought she was kidding. Sure, I'll grab a flight to Hawaii this afternoon.... "No, There is one at Happy Valley and I-17, across from the Lowes." Needles to say, I spent the rest of the day planning my route home. I would have to go about 10 miles out of my way, but there wouldn't be traffic..... L & L doesn't have haoli Hawaiian food, they have REAL Hawaiian food. I walked in to hear the woman ahead of me order a loco moco plate lunch. There was a big poster advertising that laulau has only 1 carb, and a paper plate hanging on the service pass through proclaiming "Linguica special" in blue magic marker. This place has it all. They have Saiman (a Hawaiian version of ramen but the noodles and garnishes are more fun), Musubi (even with spam), manapua (steamed or fried pork roll), haupia (thick coconut cream desert), Poi (pounded taro root), poke (raw tuna seaweed salad), lomi lomi salmon (chopped raw salmon rubbed with chili and onion served with chopped tomatoes), BBQ short ribs, and all other sorts of Hawaiian favorites. I had a plate lunch. A traditional plate lunch has a scoop or 2 of rice made with an ice cream scoop, a scoop of macaroni salad made with lots of mayo and Maui onion, and one or 2 main dish items. Mine were laulau and kalua pig. Laulau is pork, butterfish and ti leaves with Hawaiian salt, wrapped up in taro leaves and steamed til it can almost melt in your mouth. Kalua pig has to be simulated because the traditional cooking method used to achieve the smokey flavor cannot be approved by the USDA. Traditional method is a rock lined pit. The pit is then lined with leaves and the meat (a whole pig) is lowered in then covered with more leaves. It is then covered to keep the heat in. I have no idea how they do it, but there is probably smoke flavoring, Hawaiian salt, and a large amount of ti leaves involved. The Kalua Pig is delicious. I loved every morsel, and today I have a little leftover vacation to the islands waiting for me at lunch time.
(4)
Jesse J.
Today our boss took our department out for lunch at l&l. There are many great looking items on the menu I had a hard time choosing. There was however one that stuck out from a triple d episode. I ordered the loco moco and it was darn good. It's a bed of rice with a ground beef patty on top with 2 over easy eggs and gravy above that. On first bite you pop the egg open over the meat and rice and just get this layered goodness. It was a great lunch. I totally want to go back to try their other items but at least this one was great.
(4)
Nick V.
I LOVE L&L. The saltiness of the kalua pork against the creaminess of the macaroni salad - it is soooo worth the calories. The BBQ chicken and chicken katsu are my second favorites. I have had other hawaiian BBQ in the area and this is hands down the best around metro Phoenix. The staff are super friendly, the prices are low and the place is always clean.
(5)
WeWho E.
There is a good variety of dishes and meats, and it is tasty but the quality of the meat is ok (but you really can't expect much more for the price). It's a good alternative to your typical fast food fare, but nothing all too special.
(3)
Ted H.
I love this place...my wife and I discovered it after returning from a trip to Hawaii. We ate at one of the L&Ls in Oahu several times and were pleased to find one down the street from us at home The mixed plate is the best way to eat at L&L for the first time - you get Korean style BBQ Ribs, beef and chicken with rice and the ever present macaroni salad (every Hawaiian I have ever met has their own recipe for macaroni salad). Also, try the Masubi (sp?)...it is a kind of Spam sushi...I know - SPAM! But it is actually very good. Finish off the meal with a Guava juice - and you are in the islands.
(4)
Bryan B.
The food is still good but the last couple times I've been there, the service has kind of lacked. For an example, the most recent time I went there, the person working the register had a horrible time communicating with us and had no idea how to work the register. I mean, I understand training for a new person, but when I make a change from the standard (going from 2 scoops of rice and 1 scoop of mac, to 2 mac/1 rice) that isn't that difficult, the employee shouldn't stand there looking at the register for a few minutes without asking someone for assistance. Then the person I was with got the wrong thing based on the person's inability to communicate. Luckily, he's not picky so it was fine...but still a minor annoyance. Anywho, like I mentioned above, the food is still good, so I'll still go there of course!
(4)
Maka A.
All in all, this place is pretty blah. Nothing special...the chicken is dry, and their manapua is not made fresh--it's from a frozen bag. The boba drinks tasted gross and the tapioca balls were undercooked. Save the money and the trip out to Happy Valley and go to Ono's or Paradise Hawaiian BBQ. If you think this is good plate lunch, you haven't had a good plate lunch.
(2)
Ross H.
It's not Hawaii, but it's as close as it gets on the mainland. I really wanted to try "Mai Family" but as it was closed on the weekend, this was the substitute. The "mini-plates" of Chicken Katsu and BBQ Chicken were more than enough food for the two of us. I'm both scared and intrigued how big the normal plates were.
(4)
Alan L.
Ono! This is the real thing - fast food Hawaiian Style. When we were in Kona last December we had lunch at an L&L --- because we wanted local food and they were the busiest place we saw. Well, the menu is exactly the same at the north Phoenix location (they also have one in Mesa). It may not be the healthiest food, but it sure is good! L&L is in the Happy Valley Town Center shopping center (at Happy Valley Rd and I-17), across the parking lot from Lowe's. Note that the Aloha Kitchen in Mesa, Arizona is more of a Hawaiian style mom and pop corner restaurant than is L&L - if you prefer that.
(4)
Andrew K.
Hawaiian Barbecue, replete with delicious BBQ shortribs, macaroni/mayo salad, white rice, and so on. My favorite is the Kalua pork. Also the short ribs. I also like the Seafood combo - 3 breaded shrimp, a 4 oz. slab of Mahi Mahi, PLUS a serving of the aforementioned pork, ribs, or chicken. This place can be busy, but is usually pretty quick to have my order ready to rumble. Beware the intense garlic of the macaroni salad. This place should be much busier
(4)
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Address :2501 W Happy Valley Rd,Ste 50-1250
Phoenix, AZ, 85027
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Nicki M.
The only location in Arizona! :( Let me begin with how completely STOKED I am to find out that there's an L&L right next to my place! Score! I used to frequent the one in Oregon when I lived there, so this was a total treat. Went here at 6:30 on a friday & parking was hectic in the area, but its also rush hour. I was able to walk right up to the counter & place my order, the clerk was friendly & service was fast. I ordered Loco Moco, because from my experience, there aren't too many places in AZ that serve it for whatever reason. Eggs were made exactly how I ordered & portion of food was great (I got regular size, but you can order a mini). I will definitely be back & bring the hubs!
(4)Claudio B.
I didn't know until my X told me (she's a native from Hawaii) that L&L is straight outta Hawaii. I guess this location in North Phoenix is the only one in Arizona. The food here is great. They have a lot to order and even though I haven't tried everything I'm sure it's all great. My favorite is the combo chicken beef combo. It looks great and smells great so you obviously can say it taste amazing. I would recommend this to anyone especially people from the Islands. Mahalo :)
(5)Jeff B.
Tried L & L again. Arrived at 11:45 on a Thursday for lunch. There were 18 people at the tables but only six were eating. Could be a long wait. I ordered the combo: 1/2 Chicken Katsu and 1/2 BBQ Shirt Ribs. It also came with rice, macaroni salad and slaw. I added a drink for $11.37 with tax. Pretty steep for fast food but it wasn't so fast. My order arrived in 13 minutes. It was hot, crispy and tasty but rather steep for plastic plates, forks and a 13 minute wait. I did like the self-serve drinks and sauces but they ran out of iced tea at noon. They should probably ramp up staffing for lunch. Just sayin.
(3)Jason Q.
Great place, consistent no matter where you get it, and a lot of copy cat restaurants that can't match the quality. I'm Chamorro (Guamanian), so this is the closest food I can get to my island food, and it always hits the spot. A bit expensive, but sure beats fast food!
(4)Daniel B.
Food was good, but not as good as I imagined. No, this was not my first time, but the taste was a lot different from before. None the less it was good. Service was Great! The cashier greeted us nicely and knew her way around the menu. The food was fresh and hot, defiantly Plus Points!
(3)Jenn M.
The food I was able to order was great. They display a full menu but don't update selection so it can be hit or miss. Service could have been better.
(3)Milton K.
I am sad to say that I used to drive from Thomas Road and I-17 all the way to Norterra in Happy Valley to eat here. But now, I don't think so. I love their Roast Pork and Gravy plate, but they never have it anymore. I don't know why it's even still on their menu. The BBQ had been decent before but now its dry and thin and I didn't enjoy. The poi tasted bad and I told the cashier but to no satisfaction and no refund either. I have eaten poi since I was a baby 57 years now, but I know when poi is not right and the last order I had was not right. I have been forced to stay near home and eat at OHANA now. Sorry L&L.
(2)Nali M.
i have been living in arizona for three years now. L&L is really the only good hawaiian food place we have here that is comparable to home. it's a chain restaurant that we have in hawaii, so there is consistency! i had the opportunity to stop by again yesterday on our way up the i17 to flagstaff. jared, the guy behind the counter was so nice. he has the spirit of aloha instilled in him! it's such a nice thing to see up here far from home. the husband and i ordered our usual suspects: chicken katsu and bbq chicken. also, got some mini manapua for the road. we even stopped again on the way home to tucson (that's how ono it is!) since i know i won't be able to have L&L again til i go home to the islands in may.
(5)Connie K.
... Since everyone's taste is different, this place didn't suit me or my husband. That being said, maybe you'll enjoy it...?? We visited Hawaii for our honeymoon and saw an L&L there, as well, and remembered our experience at the Happy Valley location and it was enough to warrant not visiting a potential original location..... Meh. Again, maybe you'll find it more enjoyable, but we won't be back.. It's kind of an inside joke when we drive by actually..
(2)R M R.
For the most part we've always liked L&L...but..... Ordered the small poke, literally was a 2 biter, then no more. Also ordered the BBQ Mix, loaded up on the chicken, and only gave you one (1) short rib. The rice was long grain kine. I'm guessing the other, (med grain or sticky) they can't afford it??? The service was good and the restaurant was clean. I'm now hesitant on ordering manapua here. Thinking I'm gonna stick w/Leo's in Glendale.
(2)Janine D.
i have been coming here for years and i still love their hawaiian bbq chicken! i love the fact that they also offer combo meals for affordable price. the only thing that gets me here though is that you really have to check that they have made your order right.
(3)Shigeru Y.
Not bad, and one of the extremely few choices for Hawaiian food around here. Saimin noodles were firm, though the broth was weak and the spam wasn't chopped (was just a slab). Loco Moco burger was pretty blah (overcooked and not seasoned), gravy was okay, egg and rice were cooked properly. The (deep fried no doubt) sesame balls were very good, and much, much cheaper than the ones Whole Foods carries! I managed to avoid ordering malasadas since I wasn't with a group I could share the order of six with, and they don't keep well. I got a couple of spam musubi to go too, and I am hoping they'll be okay when reheated (wrap a damp paper towel around it and microwave). They have super tiny white styrofoam water cups. The restaurant was clean, the cashier was friendly, and there was quite a bit parking on a weekend. The roundabouts that you're forced to use to get on the freeway are a pain though.
(3)Trevor A.
I was greeted with an Aloha! This review is based on a single visit. I asked "What is your best recommendation?". I went with their 2nd choice - Chicken Katsu. It was just ok, honestly I really didn't care for it. It was a lot of food though. 2 scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad with it (neither was very good). Food is served in a styrofoam to-go go plate. I didn't care much for anything about the overall experience eating in - other than the Aloha.
(2)Jeana K.
I'm not sure what it was exactly, but I just wasn't a huge fan. I only tried them once, since I was on vacation in the area, but I ordered a BBQ chicken salad which was simply ok.
(3)Rob L.
S'okay. A bit expensive and not authentic. Hit L&L with the fam and left missing shops back in the islands even more. BBQ plate was good enough. The meat wasn't too fatty, and the rice and mac salad were good. Hawaiian Sun Passion Orange drinks were expensive, though. My wife had the chicken katsu and kalua pork, which she didn't enjoy. Pork was dry and too salty while the katsu chicken meat was fatty and had some extra gristle for our pleasure. My 6 year-old had the saimin with chicken and egg. She picked at it as it was bland and the egg yolk was a tad raw. Overall, it is nothing like back home in Hawai'i. The boba tea she had was a drink with ice and the tapioca was old/deteriorating. I've never seen her stop drinking a boba tea, before. Bathroom was a wreck. More than anything, it turned me off eating. L&Ls used to be so dependable for good Hawaiian food. So hit-and-miss these days.
(2)Dennis D.
Eh. I've never been a huge fan of L&L and when I'm back in California I would rather eat at Ohno's or Ohana's. The same can be said with this one. I got a mini chicken-katsu with a taro boba. I definitely don't recommend the boba at all. I only got it because the boba place across Happy Valley Rd, Urban Boba Tea House, was closed and I was craving some. The macaroni salad was decent, the rice was too dry, and the katsu sauce was overly sweet. The chicken katsu was breaded and fried ok. The service was friendly though. Next time however, I'm going to Leo's Island BBQ on Bell.
(2)Bobbie M.
Great food, decent prices. Eating here brought back many good memories of being in Hawaii. Jeff really enjoyed it, and mentioned he ate at the one in California a few times.
(4)F Trey O.
Every aspect of this food is genuine Hawaiian. Except the service. I dare you to try and ask for a taste of the Poi. Not gonna happen. Shame on the owners for not bringing island love with its food.
(3)Francis S.
I will be a honest i used to a believer and used to come here often. Yet recent visits seems to make me feel that this place has lost its touch. 4 reasons: (each points is a star minus.) 1. I am a spam masubi guy and I probably have gone to most of the places that serves them in the valley. This place was my go to before until i start tasting others. Today I ordered 2 more for old time sake and i cant believe that this was the same spam masubi I tasted before. First theres so much rice, so much that you cant even taste the spam. Theres so little sauce. I even told the guy for extra sauce and checked my order and theres still so little sauce. As a guy who loves spam masubi, i had my share of experience on making them, and if my spam masubi is better than the one you can buy in any place, then that place needs some changes. You go out to eat a better food that is not in your house- thats the essence of eating out. 2. Their soup has no flavor. No joke. Try it. I dare you. 3. If youre vegeterian or feeling dieting for a day please dont buy their healthy salmon. The fish has no flavor at all. Almost made me puke:(. 4. Lastly it seems they stop listening to customers. When I we used to eat here all our request were fulfilled. If you ask more sauce on your food you get initially. If you ask for put the lettuce on the side cuase maybe your allergic they do it. If ask for extra gravy you get them in the side. Yet now all our request seems to be neglected. As my friend said, it feels like they are slimming their food. Maybe to get more profit? Anyways, the experience is no longer there and the taste is basically gone. Maybe those who havent tried other places might find them really good. But to those who have tasted others I request you to try it once. If you like it disregard my review. For me this is the last time I am driving 45 minutes for their food (yeah i was dedicated). P.S One star for the nostalgic part of it. Also yelp wont allow 0 star.
(1)Ben R.
Got the half half plate with kalua pork and katsu. Food is alright....nothing special. Price is fair and quantity is good. The restaurant is clean, the girl behind the counter was friendly and helpful and the restaurant is in a good location. Probably wouldn't come back just because I wasn't so impressed with the food.
(3)Ervin H.
I believe L&Ls quality of food have gone down throughout the years. It is that or it has always been mediocre, but my taste buds accepted anything when I was in college. However, I do remember, the katsu chicken was more meat and less breaded back in the day. This particular L&Ls has its own flavor as they serve kimchee to the menu. I think it's pretty cool each chain can add its own niche to their store. What else can I say? For those that have never had Hawaiian BBQ before, you will love the flavor and mac salad. On the other hand, for those that know their Hawaiian BBQ, we have seen better days L&Ls. We will come back when my wife and I get our occasional college cravings back in San Diego...although that does not happen very often.
(3)Darlene P.
More toward 2.5 stars. The people are nice and the place is clean, but the food is not as good as it was a couple of years ago. Not sure why. They've added a lot to the menu like boba tea, sesame balls, and malasadas, but it makes me wonder if they're branching out too much. (I haven't tried any of those items so can't comment on them.) I might still eat here occasionally if I'm shopping in the plaza and craving BBQ beef or saimin, but you can find better fare at some of the other Hawaiian joints in the Valley.
(3)j r.
I'm really glad I found this L&L not to far away.food made to order and always good huge plates.i especially like the BBQ chicken plate what more can I say Hawaiian food is my comfort food: )
(4)Jay D.
Going nuts this morning trying to find parts for my vehicle for my attempt at DIY repair this afternoon. Driving all over North Phoenix was a little maddening with several of the major surface streets being restricted due to construction, causing choke-points at intersections. Did Chris Christie come into town? Automotive parts in hand yet still seething (not raging and there's a difference) from the running around and bottleneck, I decide to have Loco Moco for lunch at L&L. I figured the carbs and calories will sustain me for the challenge I'm about to tackle head on. If you don't know what it is - Loco Moco that is; it's basically 2 over-easy (my liking) eggs, 2 hamburger patties over brown (my liking) rice drowning in brown gravy plus a side of macaroni salad. Nothing really special about it because if you separate the components, you'd basically be eating what they taste like on its own. The goodness is in the warm, hearty experience of devouring this Hawaiian comfort food. Overall, it hit the spot as always. Now on to being a pretend grease monkey.
(3)Jolly M.
I am torn between a 1 & 2 star, but I need to be truthful here. This is based on my meal here with the seafood combo at under $9 dollars. The combo comes with mahi mahi fish, shrimp and your choice of meats: chicken, pulled pork or short ribs, macaroni salad and rice. I chose the chicken and my brother had the pulled pork. PRO: Large portion. CONS: * Although combo portion is large it was completely inedible. (My meal ended up in the garbage.) * Everything was TASTELESS minus mahi mahi and not in a good way. It was the most pungent and extremely Fishy, Foul tasting fish I've ever had. The food was NOT good whatsoever. Perhaps it was this combo item. * The condiments: Siracha and terriyaki sauce was heavily watered down DELIBERATELY. My brother agreed with the great disappointment and he was picking through his meal. He was extremely hungry and we thought this was a place to satisfy his hunger. I regret not having lunch at the suggested Greek place next door, but he thought the portions may not be filling. :(
(1)Patrick W.
We really enjoy this place! As close to real Hawaiian food as I've been able to find in the states. Friendly staff, plus it's quick, easy and affordable
(4)Nicole M.
DELICIOUS bbq combo plate. didn't get much else but loved the chicken, beef, and short ribs. i could do without the rice and macaroni salad but if it's the hawaiian thing to eat with this, ok fine. my mouth is watering thinking about the meat. yum yum. i would totally do platters of that to cater a party.
(4)Patrick A.
Living in the southeast and my wife is Hapa Haole girl we miss Hawaiian food. So as I travel to arizona and a L and L is next to Hotel Heaven just got closer. I have had the lao lao plate there and I thought I was at Auntys house. I will have to vist more before I go back to NC.
(4)Michael J.
The girl at the counter was super nice, a little too enthusiastic lol, but really nice. The food left something to be desired. It wasn't bad, just not really good and Hawaiian food isn't that difficult to make, so I have to give them 2 stars.
(2)John O.
It's nice to visit an establishment that seems to care about the customer and quality of food they deliver. I've been going to this location for many years and finally thought, "Hey! I should write a review"! Anyway, I usually get the bbq chicken dinner and I'm always satisfied with the flavor and quantity. The staff is always pleasant and helpful. Great place for a change of pace from the usual fast food fare!
(5)Patrick M.
DO NOT EAT HERE FOR ANY REASON!!! The food is the worst BBQ I have ever eaten. How does one mess up teri chicken?? The "lady" who took our order was very rude. The teri sauce and katsu sauce were thr same thing, and it was soy sauce with sugar!!!!! Hungey 11 year old baseball players wouldn't even eat it. Do not eat here!!!
(1)Bo D.
Food is very good, I always order the loco moco, chicken katsu and spam musubi, but I was disappointed with their boba. I don't know if it's just the way they make boba in Hawaii but the black pearls were hard and dry and it was like they just put ice cubes and creamy coconut juice in there.
(3)Rachel M.
We ordered catered pans BBQ chicken , katsu chicken, rice and mac salad....was hot and super delish. ..all my guests loved it as well...this was for my son's graduation party.... it was a very successful party...thanks L & L Hawaiian BBQ!!
(5)Taylor Momo J.
A few years ago I got food poisoning here. Maricopa County Health Inspectors verified some critical/serious violations. Since they've resolved those, I returned (after many years) to give it another try (which is hard to once you get food poisoning from something or somewhere). But, this time all was well. I have been there many times since and am glad to not get sick anymore. That was not a fun sick experience. the happy, tall girl that worked the counter was pleasant and friendly. The last time I went there though she wasn't there.
(5)Tim M.
Went in today because I had been wanting to try it. The girl working the counter was very nice and helpful. The food was pretty forgettable and the shrimp was pretty fishy. Doubt I'll be back but the food wasn't awful.
(3)Howie W.
Like many reviewers I am from Oahu and have eaten at crap shack L&Ls in Waimanalo and fancier ones catering to haole tourists. This is a great spot. Of course things are a a bit different. We're on the mainland so there isn't the beach breeze or pigeon talk to make you feel at home. It's still great food and they have some extras like manapua (almost as good as from the manapua truck) and poke.
(5)Danielle F.
I fell in love with this place since the first time I tried the seafood combo! Omg it's to die for!! I highly recommend this and many other dishes on their yummy menu.
(5)Matt F.
The only decent thing about this place is the food. It is nothing outstanding. I would consider the quality normal for Hawaiian BBQ, but I've definitely had better. The person at the counter was trying to be friendly, but I could tell she didn't want to be or was a shy person. This place is also frugal with Napkins and silverware. They gave me 2 napkins, a fork and a knife for dining in. There is no place to freely grab more napkins, or when your plastic fork breaks like mine did, I couldn't just walk over and get a new one. I had to get someone's attention at the counter to give me another. This isn't a deal breaker, but definitely doesn't help with the experience. If all you care about is food, the food is good, you should go. If you care about any of my other points, stay away!
(3)Eddie D.
L&L here is as delicious as it is back home. I just wished their cheap asses would turn on the AC during the summer and maybe then their loud "in door" voices could be overlooked.
(4)Jaime S.
Go here and get the green curry beef. Shh...don't ruin this, just do it. You'll be thanking me in your mind.
(4)monika c.
I normally order their 1/2 and 1/2 combo which had cabbage, rice, macaroni salad and choice of two meats. I always choose the katsu chicken and BBQ chicken and is delicious. Today I opted for the seafood combo which us mahi mahi, 3 fried shrimp and a choice of other meat. I chose BBQ short ribs. The short ribs were excellent. The mahi-mahi was a flat thin fillet heavily battered and no flavor. though it was tender, there was no flavor. The fried shrimp only had their crunchy batter as a positive.. they were thin and bland. Definitely won't be trying those next time, but altogether I still love L&L and if nothing else will stick with my 'regular' 1/2 and 1/2..
(3)Sitha I.
By far, THE BEST HAWAIIAN BBQ. I would make the far drive from tucson for this place. Everything made and cooked perfectly. Perfectly seasoned. Great prices. The best thing of all, that sets this place from the rest......MACARONI SALAD. What's in there? Macaroni. Why its so good? IDK it just is. TRY IT!!!! My order: Half and half kalbi and chicken katsu plus an order of spam musubi.
(5)Morris K.
Since moving from Hawaii back in 1995 to Arizona, I've been very skeptical about places that claim to serve "Hawaiian" food here, because as we all know, pineapple on a pizza does NOT make it Hawaiian. I know what Hawaiian-esque food is supposed to taste like. Right away I wasn't impressed because we weren't greeted by the customary Aloha that the person behind the counter is supposed to do to everyone entering the restaurant. Some people were but not us. The place had the look and feel of a fast food restaurant. Dah that's because it was. The décor was made up of posters of Hawaii, Hawaiian Aloha shirts and a single surfboard on the walls. Not very impressive nor did it give you the feel of a restaurant in Hawaii. Anyway to the food. My wife ordered the Kalua Pork - Smoke-flavored, shredded pork with white rice mixed with cabbage. She immediately said it didn't taste anything like the pork we've had in Hawaii. It had no flavor so she added some katsu sauce to it. That made it edible. She didn't even eat the rice or cabbage. I think she only ate the pork because she was hungry. I ordered the 1/2 and 1/2 plate of chicken, & short ribs. It came with white rice, cabbage and macaroni salad. But the macaroni salad was not cold because they placed the chicken which was hot on top of the macaroni salad so it was warm. The short ribs were NOTHING like I had when I lived in Hawaii. In addition to them not being "authentic" I've had better at local Asian restaurants or buffets. I have to admit the chicken wasn't that bad but again it wasn't "authentic" Hawaiian short ribs either. I dipped it in their teriyaki sauce which made it better. The short ribs on the other hand was so bad I didn't eat them. They were tasteless and Hawaiian short ribs are normally amazing. I guess this is what happens when you try and eat Hawaiian food in a city like Phoenix that's the furthest you can possible get from Hawaii. I'll never come back here because of their false advertising and horrible food. Please change your name L&L Hawaiian BBQ, because this place is not Hawaiian. FOOD: Maybe the original L & L in Hawaii is good but this L&L franchise location was truly disappointing. The food was SUB-PAR If I would have been satisfied with my meal maybe I wouldn't be judging this place so harshly. I was so disappointed that the food didn't live up to what the promises in its name. SERVICE: The gal behind the counter represented everything but the spirit of Aloha was about. She had a look one her that said she wasn't very happy and didn't want to be there. PRICE: The price for the quality of food you receive is high. AMBIANCE:The décor was made up of posters of Hawaii, Hawaiian Aloha shirts and a single surfboard on the walls. Not very impressive nor did it give you the feel of a restaurant in Hawaii. CONCLUSION: There's not really much to say here..I miss Hawaii... but what i miss more is the FOOD! I spotted this place while visiting Applebee's and thought... OH MAN - THIS IS GONNA BE AMAZING! then I tried it. RETURN FACTOR 0%. ******************* What does my OVERALL rating mean? ******************** 5 stars -Highly recommended. I would be willing to drive out of my way to this business. It is that good. This place represents their industry or cuisine very well! 4 stars - Highly Recommended. I would frequent this business. 3 stars - Not that good but not that bad. Just average. I wouldn't mind going again. 2 stars - I would not recommend this establishment to friends or family. 1 stars - DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND DO NOT patronize this business. I would RUN AWAY from this place and you should too! DON'T WAST YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY AT THIS ESTABLISH
(1)Jane L.
The service and quality is average considering it is fast food. What people need to realize is not to blame all the problems on the cashiers because it puts a lot of stress on them. Not only do they have to stand there for hours putting up with dissatisfied customers due to bad management, they have to do everything: clean, wrap food, take orders, sweep, take out trash, stock, serve food etc. and there is only one person at a time working and sometimes it can get pretty busy. I've seen the dishearted look on their face when they get yelled at by customers for something they can't help. If there is a problem with your visit don't blame the cashiers or workers as they obviously have no control over it and have no choice but to go with the house rules of the restaurant because they work for money like the rest of us. It's sad how a cashier has to deal with rude customers and get the blame for everything when all they do is follow their orders and due their job for a bit of spare change in their pocket. Due to bad management and poor customer service cashiers aren't tipped and they have expressed their upset over it. People need to get over the fact that just because a table isn't clean because its busy and full of people they don't need to be rude and complain. The workers literally have to do EVERYTHING and I rarely see the boss out. People need to give it a break and be more respectful. The chef is an elderly Chinese man and the cashiers are all teenagers/young adults. In short, the bad service and quality has nothing to do with the workers and more with the management and as I said before in regard to other reviews, there is one person working and it is a fast food restaurant, you get what you pay for. This is probably the most straightforward review. They do charge for everything and overprice some items but again , learned no need to be rude to the cashiers for it, they cant do anything. food is average quality for fast food. They seem to have remodeled it because now it is fairly clean compared to before they remodeled it(reviews saying it was dirty) and I thought the bathroom was pretty nice. In brief, it's good if you want fast food BBQ and a taste of hawaii. People need to be more considerate and have lower expectations. Obviously it's going to be bad if you're comparing it to something like cheesecake factory.
(3)Jason S.
The food is great. This has become my go to spot for close food fast. I have eaten here at least once a week since moving to Phoenix. I tried to go healthier and get the brown rice... that lasted 2 attempts. the rice wasnt cooked all the way, and had too much crunch. BUT going back to what they do best. 1/2 BBQ Chicken, 1/2 BBQ Short Ribs, 2 scoops of rice, and macaroni salad..... well, its had be going back over and over. Highly recommended. the ONLY reasons i didnt give it a 5 star rating was the bad brown rice, and the Boba Tea wasnt that great. In past I've had the Boba served warm at the bottom of the drink that made it less rubbery. This was not the Boba Tea I was used to, BUT everything else makes this place a winner.
(4)Vincent F.
Almost as good as the chain in Hawaii.... Seafood combo is waht we get. MAC SALAD IS AWESOME
(3)Erik A.
This place has gotten a lot better. I stopped coming here a while back. The portions were getting smaller and the quality was going down. Recently I decided to give it another try and it was really good. They even have some new dishes, which were a good price and generous portion. Had another good dish tonight. I tried they're BBQ Chicken bowl with broccoli. Have to try another time and try the seafood plate again to see if the portion and quality has been fixed.
(3)Shanna C.
The chicken Katsu combo was perfect!:) but don't try the boba!! Tried the coconut and it was nasty. I'll stick to "bomb boba" on cactus from here on out.
(4)Dean W.
Everything I had an L&L was good, especially their barbecue chicken. Service was friendly and fast if you have never tried Hawaiian barbecue this would be a great place to start
(5)Andy M.
Coming from Hawaii finding good local food in Az can be a challenge, but I gave them 5 stars only because every time the cook sees me, he knows what I want and the cashiers has been pretty nice, they try to be all Aloha even though there haoles but eh they were nice. I've have several different plates, some impressed me, some didn't but overall, if your hungry they load it up, and that's why I love it!! I love their roast pork with chicken katsu one of my fav. combo.
(5)Scott R.
We'll not anything special and food ok but not justify price! Would NOT try again! So much better food like this available for much better price! Business was dirty and condiment area Nasty!
(2)Grace G.
It's a typical L&L. They have added a lot of healthy dishes to their menu. I go there to get my Hawaiian food fix. No one else close serves lau lau. They have Atkins, low carb and medifast smart dishes. Not a fan of the fried manapua. My daughter gets her musubis and boba tea. Otherwise a good choice!
(3)Carmelo W.
It was nice. The cashier was chipper. The food was just like the L&L in Oahu. Wish they would crank the A/C a little more though. Restroom was a little dirty.
(4)Danielle F.
Always a favorite
(3)Kyle J.
Can't hate on some L&L, Grew up in hawaii through middle school and high school. Back home L&L is considered fast food, generally you get your plate lunch from a truck or local restaurant not L&L. But when your on the main land, L&L is a blessing!! Closest thing you can get and I'm not complaining. For those of you that are looking for something to try, Chicken Katsu is always a good starter, basically breaded chicken with a tangy dipping sauce. My go to meal is the Hamburger Steak, 2 hamburger patties covered in gravy with rice. It just works!! Other good choice would be the Kalua pork. You can always get half/half and add some BBQ too. Make sure you try the Mac Salad, I'm not normally a big fan of mac salad but its a must here! Great service to boot also.
(4)Benjamin S.
For me this place is truly just ok. I work nearby and my bosses bring this stuff in on occasion. The chicken and the macaroni salad are both pretty great but I just never find myself having a hankering for this stuff. I've still yet to drive by here on the way home and find the compunction to stop and pick some up. If you haven't tried it I say go for it, there are far worse places to eat in this shopping center.
(3)Phxazrb B.
Was good for the price
(3)Chip P.
So what can I say, it was meh at best. We ordered the 1/2 beef and pork combo with white rice and the macaroni salad. The beef was perfectly cooked but bland. The BBQ pork why dry as the Sahara Desert. We also ordered their healthy chicken option. Once again the chicken was perfectly tender and bland. It came with brown rice, salad, and some cabbage. The salad and cabbage had absolutely nothing on it. Put a little salt and vinegar on the cabbage or something and there are plenty of low fat options for salad dressing if you want to keep the healthy angle. Would I go back and try it again? At this point it's a coin flip.
(2)Tiana G.
Being from hawaii, I love me some good hawaiian bbq and this is as close as I am going to get without having to get a plane ticket or having to beg my mom to cook some for me. BBQ Short Ribs: hit or miss. Sometimes they are amazing and sometimes they are too fatty and chewy. Chicken Katsu: Good, sometimes can get over-cooked. Both come with rice and (my fav) Mac Salad. Spam Musibi is spot on here and the saimen is good.
(3)Jessica P.
I'm digging that they have some korean food here too... they are quick and easy. It's a TON of food, by the way, so bring your hollow leg. I'm not too fond of the katsu... I think it's just not really my thing. But the service is good, place is clean.
(3)Maureen Y.
Do you ever have chicken katsu cravings? If you don't, you're going to start having some after your visit. What is it I love about their katsu... 1. The ratio of juicy meat to super crunchy panko breading is absolutely perfect, there's not too much chicken and the breading isn't so crunchy that it cuts up the roof of your mouth. 2. It will still be crispy after a 15 minute drive home. 3. The creaminess of the macaroni salad is a perfect balance for the crispy katsu pieces. Yes it may be cooked beyond al dente, but what do you expect? This ain't no 5 star restaurant. I've had other things on the menu but what keeps me coming back is their chicken katsu and super friendly service.
(4)Rey H.
had one of the best konkatsu when i was in town in phx!! we need more legits hawaiian restaurant in tucson!!
(5)Chukki S.
I thought this place was okay. Cashier was extra friendly, which was nice. I like the Hawaiian decor, with pics of the ocean and beach on the walls. But it's still in a strip mall so don't get too excited. Chicken was tender and flavorful, and the little mini macoroni salad was a nice added touch. It could be priced a little cheaper for what it is, but still, it's not bad. I haven't been to Hawaii in a while, but based on other reviews, I would say it is pretty authentic.
(3)Steve T.
Just stopped in for lunch and ordered the grilled mahi, but received the fried version. I specifically asked to substitute the brown rice for white rice, which the grilled comes with, but she didn't clarify. At first she was nice, but after their gaffe, her demeanor turned and she didn't even give me utensils or napkins until I asked repeatedly. To make it worse, she went to the kitchen, and the guy ended up giving me the fried fish even though he said it was grilled, which it clearly wasn't. :(
(1)Nathan S.
BBQ Chicken plate is excellent! My wife says that the half order is fine. Usually take orders to go and food is ready on-time! We eat here on a monthly basis.
(5)Gregory N.
I'm not sure why this place got the good reviews it did. The food just wasn't that great. Maybe I'm spoiled by what I can get at home (Philadelphia)? I don't know. I had the BBQ Combo and my girlfriend had the Mahi-Mahi Sandwich. I dumped tons of teriyaki and BBQ sauce on the whole thing and just kinda scarfed it down. She thought the sandwich was good and said that she regretted putting too much teriyaki sauce on it which made the bun soggy. I also had some kind of sweet pork pastry. It was kinda hard to stomach. Maybe I'm being too rough, don't know. But I will say this: the blond-haired young man working the counter was extremely helpful and courteous. He went through each and every item on the menu, explaining it to me and my girlfriend. He was extremely knowledgeable and quick to suggest menu items for me and my vegetarian (but fish eating) girlfriend. So, as my rating says, "Meh. I've experienced better."
(2)Tonya S.
This is our favorite place to eat out when my kids and I are meeting my husband for lunch on his lunch break. I love their shrimp plate with rice and macaroni salad. My daughter loves the same plate, though she foregoes the mac salad for extra rice. My three year old eats off of our plates and gets fresh, hot french fries. My husband likes their pork bbq plate with the rice and mac salad. The help is always friendly and always greet us with a happy, "Aloha." Definitely love this place.
(5)Matt D.
Had the curry chicken...found it to be a bit bland, Would come back and try again, this time trying something that isn't breaded.
(3)Stacey A.
This is basically the closest you can get to have local hawaiian food without actually being in Hawaii. They make everything the way it's supposed to taste like back home - and they even have laulau! A total menu must have if you're going to claim to be a "Hawaiian" restaurant, but since L&L is a Hawaii based chain I wasn't too worried about that! The regular plate lunch sizes are really big so I always end up getting the mini. Among my favorites are the chicken katsu, roast pork with gravy, manapua, and the saimin. And as a side note - you might not want to come here if you're trying to watch your weight, Hawaiian food in general is high calorie-laden goodness which is why I always leave this place full and happy!
(5)Aletheia W.
Hellooooooooooo Spam Musubi! My favorite Hawaiian concoction - grilled marinated Spam on a bed of rice, wrapped in seaweed - spam sushi! Ingenius. For the Spam-shy, they also have a Chicken Musubi. L&L was my first venture into Hawaiian BBQ back in college. Cheap, large portions, deeeeeeeeeelish BBQ Chicken - MMM! Even the mini plates (in the $5 range) are good portions (probably what would be closer to a healthy serving...). As far as authenticity.... now, while some L&L locations really suck, L&L originated IN Hawaii, and having just been to HI a year ago, I'd say that this location does a smashing job of getting it right. YUM!
(4)Gloria S.
Pretty good Hawaiian food! You get good sized portions at an ok price. I typically get the loco moco, which is yummy and really filling! The last time I visited I decided to try new things, so I got the chicken katsu musubi and we split a soup. The musubi is kind of like a sushi roll with non-fish meats. It was ok, a little dry and I think it could have used a little more meat to rice ratio. I looked for some soy sauce but found some gelified katsu sauce. Eww. I just decided to eat it dry. The soup is like a ramen soup with great broth and meat. I got the beef, which was a little grizzly. The staff was a little cranky that night, but usually they are ok. The iced tea was empty and their condiments needed to be restocked.
(4)Akiko I.
I was here one night to get some dishes to go. Honestly, I don't understand why the rating is so high. Maybe I went on the wrong night. The decor is really cute and the service is really nice but...that's pretty much it. I ordered L&L Hawaiian BBQ Mix, Seafood Mix, and Spam musubi. The first problem was rice. Part of it was overcooked and soggy, the other part, uncooked. Any Asian dish has to have at least "descent" rice to enjoy the rest of the plate. The second problem was the seafood. I understand that this is not Roy's but still, it would have been nice if they could have given me a real piece of fish and shrimps instead of all panko and batter. *Food = badly cooked rice ruined pretty much everything *Decor = very cute *Location = it looked a little shady but it was around 8pm and very dark *Service = very nice *Price = ok but not worth what I received.
(2)Mickey A.
This place, to me, is just like Aloha Eats in Chicago. The menu offers pretty much the same options as Aloha Eats and is also about the same price. My brother recommended this place because my mom was craving some Hawaiian BBQ, and L &L hit the spot. L & L is located in a row of fast food places - think mall food court within a shopping center. What -- you can't decide what to eat and are in the area? Uh, no problem. My mom and I shared the BBQ mix plate. I wasn't too crazy about the chicken, the beef was pretty tender and tasty. I was a little disappointed to see that the mix plate only offers one slice (?) of the short rib, which my mom loved. My dad enjoyed his Atkins version of the BBQ beef, but he loved the mahi mahi mini plate he had on our second visit to L & L. Yeah, I said second visit .... second visit in 4 days. It's pretty much on our "to-eat" places the next time we are Phoenix.
(4)James B.
This place is going downhill. Cheaper utensils, napkins (I miss the old L&L printed ones) filled trash cans and filthy restrooms; I don't know where to start. I hope they get their act together, I really want to like it again.
(2)Deb L.
Hey here is something off the beaten path ..Polynesian junk food , complete with sides of spam , macaroni salad dripping with mayonnaise and lots of sides of rice. Did i mention they Bobo? They have added items posted on the wall like Poi , Portuguese Sausage, Kim Chee and some spam sides. While not exactly the most amazing food it was tasty in the way that sometimes you get something at a food court at the mall that's tasty. It had interesting BBQ like meat , that almost was teriyaki but not quite. The plain rice was of course plain. The food was plentiful , all in all not bad , and something unique to try . Business looks steady and many people seemed to walk in and know exactly what they wanted and needed.
(3)Marika K.
got the chicken bbq plate.. lots of food and it was yummy. seemed very clean and fast service.. I will be coming back.
(5)Marlon D.
(Keep in mind there are few choices for Hawaiian style fast food in AZ so this might influence my review). I love going here when I have a craving for Hawaiian food. I usually order the BBQ mix plater composed of beef, chicken and short ribs. I also love their macaroni salad. The portions here are quite large; I usally eat half the plate and save the rest for later. The people at this location are very friendly and the food is prepared quickly. I would recommend this place if you are tired of eating at the burger/Mexican chains around Phoenix.
(4)Tyler B.
My husband and I just moved back to az from hi and were so excited to find our favorite fast food joint was on the mainland too!! All I can say is its our little slice of the Big Island!
(5)Bob J.
Can't say we ate here in HI, but we do go to L&Ls in SoCal and this place is just as good. My boys love it and so do I. Good sized portions mean you never leave hungry. The Katsu sauce is great and I ladle it over just about everything. I wish I could buy some to have around the house. Kind of unusual menu. Macaroni salad as a ubiquitous side dish, for example. But perhaps that is the Hawaiian way. Doesn't get five stars because the food seems a little bland to me - hence my putting the Katsu sauce on everything. Maybe that's the style though so don't let that one missing star stop you from giving it a try! Unlike a prior reviewer I have never had food quality problems here. Rice has always been perfect. And I have eaten here many times.
(4)Ray N.
This is L&L... How can you go wrong? If you been to one L&L then you been to them all... It's a franchise, but they do a good job of it. They do chicken katsu really good here... I like how they have poke and kim-chee but the poke is a bit over priced and it is loaded with onions... sometimes more onions that fish. Then again you can never put a price on good food. I really like the Lau Lau from here... It is rare that I can get good Lau Lau unless I am at someone's house and someone's grandmother made it. I like how they have the atkin's plate for those who are watching carbs... Portions are big so I would think about going with the mini plate and try 2 different things. The spam musubi is good for what it is... A piece of pan seared spam over rice wrapped up in seaweed... Sometimes I think it is too much rice but it is not like you can't take some of the rice out.
(4)Cuisine I.
Decent food, which tickled the palette enough for you to want to go back. Food portions are good value for money. If you're trying to eat healthy portions, order the mini with one scoop of rice & one scoop of macaroni instead of the two scoops in the regular sized meal. I had the BBQ chicken and it was very good... except... don't expect prime meat, this fast food joint will supply you with 'nicely' flavored dark meat!!
(3)Donny C.
When I'm craving a good plate-lunch, this is where I end up. Curry Chicken Katsu is my go-to item. Their portions are very large, so the mini is always plenty of food.
(3)Hal S.
I had terriyaki chicken. The chicken was bits of grizzle and tendons and the macaroni salad was swimming in mayo. No me gusta.
(2)Jake D.
Not that good, not that bad. So-so, more or less. Stopped by here for lunch the other day, I had the BBQ chicken lunch. Overall a pretty bland taste, but maybe that is just the style. If I ever end up here again I may try something else, but I won't be going out of my way to do so.
(3)Amanda B.
Located in a monstrosity of a shopping complex on Happy Valley, you have to drive around in circles a bit in order to find L&L if you're as dense as me when it comes to navigating these giant driving malls. This may be due to my own incompetence and sense of direction, but I'll pretend it's a universal issue. I've never been to Hawaii and will not pretend that I can vouch for authenticity. I have a good friend who grew up in Maui and when I would fly out to visit her when they moved out to the southwest, her Mom would occasionally cook up a dish, but that was the extent of my experience with the cuisine outside of a few places in town. This easily the best fast food Hawaiian food I've eaten in the valley, even if I order it sans macaroni salad and receive looks of horror. This is one of those reviews that deserve a "useless" button: All I have to say is that it's inexpensive, fantastically delicious, and a completely adorable fast food counter joint.
(4)Rebecca S.
g spent a good amount of time living in hawaii as a kid so when L&L opened just minutes from our house he was stoked. we both agree that this isn't the highest quality food, but man you get one hell of a plate lunch here. lately i've been frequenting L&L far more than usual because g reminded me they have atkins plates. the atkins mini plate gives me a giant serving of chicken, barbecue beef and a scrambled egg for under $5. it is tasty. and filling. i like it. g always orders the kalua pig, all rice, no macaroni. it is pretty darn good, but truth-be-told aloha kitchen makes a much better kalua. if i'm not low-carbing i love the garlic shrimp, and the chicken katsu and various other fried, carb-laden hawaiian junk food options. there's a sign on the wall that teases me. it says "chicken long rice" but every time i try to order it i'm told it isn't chicken long rice day. i'd say screw it on the low carb diet if only they'd quit teasing me about the chicken long rice. i've been told the signs located under the menu are items that are available; signs on the other wall are there for occasional use. i really hope it is chicken long rice day soon.
(4)jon c.
THE BEST!! Just like at home in Maui - and we have tried every "Hawaiian" restaurant in the Valley - no compare bra! Chicken katsu and loco moco - the best - and not Hawaiian junk food - this is Hawaiian lifestyle food. Aloha :)
(5)Stephanie M.
For being one of the only decent restaurants in the area I really enjoy L&L. Everyone is always so nice and the restaurant is always clean. I am able to call in and pick up my order as well. The man and I usually stick to what we know; Hawaiian BBQ Chicken and Chicken Katsu all rice no mac salad. I have actually had their mac salad and it basically tasted like mayonnaise which I am not a big fan of. If you are looking for decent affordable Hawaiian food this place isn't bad.
(4)Sarabear B.
Whenever i get a craving for some distant memory of a food, and that craving won't go away.... i start whining. So it was yesterday. I had been sitting all day with my cravings for real Hawaiian food for what seemed like weeks. I decided to commiserate with a friend who had grown up in Hawaii. I thought it might make it better. It was worse. I started off telling her how i sure could use a big bowl of Saiman for lunch, and didn't laulau and kalua pig sound good? Pretty soon we were both drooling for lomi lomi salmon and manapua. I was ready to run all the way across town to Mesa. "Oh, my friend exclaimed, Why don't you go to L & L?" I thought she was kidding. Sure, I'll grab a flight to Hawaii this afternoon.... "No, There is one at Happy Valley and I-17, across from the Lowes." Needles to say, I spent the rest of the day planning my route home. I would have to go about 10 miles out of my way, but there wouldn't be traffic..... L & L doesn't have haoli Hawaiian food, they have REAL Hawaiian food. I walked in to hear the woman ahead of me order a loco moco plate lunch. There was a big poster advertising that laulau has only 1 carb, and a paper plate hanging on the service pass through proclaiming "Linguica special" in blue magic marker. This place has it all. They have Saiman (a Hawaiian version of ramen but the noodles and garnishes are more fun), Musubi (even with spam), manapua (steamed or fried pork roll), haupia (thick coconut cream desert), Poi (pounded taro root), poke (raw tuna seaweed salad), lomi lomi salmon (chopped raw salmon rubbed with chili and onion served with chopped tomatoes), BBQ short ribs, and all other sorts of Hawaiian favorites. I had a plate lunch. A traditional plate lunch has a scoop or 2 of rice made with an ice cream scoop, a scoop of macaroni salad made with lots of mayo and Maui onion, and one or 2 main dish items. Mine were laulau and kalua pig. Laulau is pork, butterfish and ti leaves with Hawaiian salt, wrapped up in taro leaves and steamed til it can almost melt in your mouth. Kalua pig has to be simulated because the traditional cooking method used to achieve the smokey flavor cannot be approved by the USDA. Traditional method is a rock lined pit. The pit is then lined with leaves and the meat (a whole pig) is lowered in then covered with more leaves. It is then covered to keep the heat in. I have no idea how they do it, but there is probably smoke flavoring, Hawaiian salt, and a large amount of ti leaves involved. The Kalua Pig is delicious. I loved every morsel, and today I have a little leftover vacation to the islands waiting for me at lunch time.
(4)Jesse J.
Today our boss took our department out for lunch at l&l. There are many great looking items on the menu I had a hard time choosing. There was however one that stuck out from a triple d episode. I ordered the loco moco and it was darn good. It's a bed of rice with a ground beef patty on top with 2 over easy eggs and gravy above that. On first bite you pop the egg open over the meat and rice and just get this layered goodness. It was a great lunch. I totally want to go back to try their other items but at least this one was great.
(4)Nick V.
I LOVE L&L. The saltiness of the kalua pork against the creaminess of the macaroni salad - it is soooo worth the calories. The BBQ chicken and chicken katsu are my second favorites. I have had other hawaiian BBQ in the area and this is hands down the best around metro Phoenix. The staff are super friendly, the prices are low and the place is always clean.
(5)WeWho E.
There is a good variety of dishes and meats, and it is tasty but the quality of the meat is ok (but you really can't expect much more for the price). It's a good alternative to your typical fast food fare, but nothing all too special.
(3)Ted H.
I love this place...my wife and I discovered it after returning from a trip to Hawaii. We ate at one of the L&Ls in Oahu several times and were pleased to find one down the street from us at home The mixed plate is the best way to eat at L&L for the first time - you get Korean style BBQ Ribs, beef and chicken with rice and the ever present macaroni salad (every Hawaiian I have ever met has their own recipe for macaroni salad). Also, try the Masubi (sp?)...it is a kind of Spam sushi...I know - SPAM! But it is actually very good. Finish off the meal with a Guava juice - and you are in the islands.
(4)Bryan B.
The food is still good but the last couple times I've been there, the service has kind of lacked. For an example, the most recent time I went there, the person working the register had a horrible time communicating with us and had no idea how to work the register. I mean, I understand training for a new person, but when I make a change from the standard (going from 2 scoops of rice and 1 scoop of mac, to 2 mac/1 rice) that isn't that difficult, the employee shouldn't stand there looking at the register for a few minutes without asking someone for assistance. Then the person I was with got the wrong thing based on the person's inability to communicate. Luckily, he's not picky so it was fine...but still a minor annoyance. Anywho, like I mentioned above, the food is still good, so I'll still go there of course!
(4)Maka A.
All in all, this place is pretty blah. Nothing special...the chicken is dry, and their manapua is not made fresh--it's from a frozen bag. The boba drinks tasted gross and the tapioca balls were undercooked. Save the money and the trip out to Happy Valley and go to Ono's or Paradise Hawaiian BBQ. If you think this is good plate lunch, you haven't had a good plate lunch.
(2)Ross H.
It's not Hawaii, but it's as close as it gets on the mainland. I really wanted to try "Mai Family" but as it was closed on the weekend, this was the substitute. The "mini-plates" of Chicken Katsu and BBQ Chicken were more than enough food for the two of us. I'm both scared and intrigued how big the normal plates were.
(4)Alan L.
Ono! This is the real thing - fast food Hawaiian Style. When we were in Kona last December we had lunch at an L&L --- because we wanted local food and they were the busiest place we saw. Well, the menu is exactly the same at the north Phoenix location (they also have one in Mesa). It may not be the healthiest food, but it sure is good! L&L is in the Happy Valley Town Center shopping center (at Happy Valley Rd and I-17), across the parking lot from Lowe's. Note that the Aloha Kitchen in Mesa, Arizona is more of a Hawaiian style mom and pop corner restaurant than is L&L - if you prefer that.
(4)Andrew K.
Hawaiian Barbecue, replete with delicious BBQ shortribs, macaroni/mayo salad, white rice, and so on. My favorite is the Kalua pork. Also the short ribs. I also like the Seafood combo - 3 breaded shrimp, a 4 oz. slab of Mahi Mahi, PLUS a serving of the aforementioned pork, ribs, or chicken. This place can be busy, but is usually pretty quick to have my order ready to rumble. Beware the intense garlic of the macaroni salad. This place should be much busier
(4)