There is a L&L

[SandyEA]

Thanks for the tip on L&L; I'm going to make a special trip by this weekend just to try it. Course, with beef, pork, seafood, rice, etc., I don't see how I can go wrong. Hoping to give and receive a little aloha as well.

[hotzcatz]

Beef stew and rice is what I generally get there. There's one in Waimea and one in Kona and one in Hilo by the newspaper building. Start at the farmer's market (Mamo street) and go uphill until you find L & L. Much closer to Glenwood than going to Kona.

[nwcountrygal]

Actually there was a L & L in Pahoa next to the Black Rock cafe. I believe it is still there been since the spring since I was there. However it is owned by I believe Chinise. At first I was taken back by the difference in food but once got to know them if you ask what should you have that day they are right.

[kani-lehua]

oh, i was just equating the 6 hour drive. not that i would travel to kona for l & l bbq. if we do go to l & l (which is rarely), it would be at the one in keaau near puna fresh foods grocery store. most of the l & l bbq franchises are owned by chinese. i never order the stuff that's ready made. the appearance of the food was that it had been sitting there for hours.

[mogon]

The quality (and even the menu) of L&L varies a lot, in my experience. The across from the Tribune-Herald in Hilo is decent, as is the one (usually) in the Waiakea Food Court. The one in Waimea has a very different menu from the ones in Hilo.

The best L&L-type lunch I found, though, was at the Ychiba Noodle House in the Waiakea Food Court. Their stuff is fresh and very good. And a "mini-plate" is enough for lunch and dinner.

[HonuMan]

Originally Posted by mogon

The quality (and even the menu) of L&L varies a lot, in my experience.

Yes, the L&L on the westside of Portland is okay -- not bad, but not great. We have a couple of hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop Hawaiian restaurants that are better. Their menus are limited to the basics, though -- you can't find the different types of poke that you find at the KTA deli counter, for example.

For a while, we had a great Hawaiian restaurant that offered a wider variety of food, as well as live music and hula (often performed by the patrons themselves, after a couple of drinks). The owner was from Honolulu, and the head chef had worked at Peter Merriman's on the BI. The place closed for expansion, with promises of a karaoke bar, but it never reopened. I suspect the owner tried to do too much too quickly. Aweh!