About
What Is Hawaiian Barbecue?
Hover over the plate below to discover the essential components of a traditionally delicious hawaiian barbecue plate lunch.
When Johnson Kam and Eddie Flores Jr. introduced L&L to the U.S. mainland, they knew that most Californians were unfamiliar with the plate lunch. So they repackaged it as L&L Hawaiian Barbecue®.
Plate lunch – also known as “the state food of Hawaii” – dates back to wage laborers in 19th century sugar plantations and pineapple fields, who brought rice and other leftovers to work in compartmentalized tins. Lunches were often shared, resulting in a harmonious mix of home recipes from Japan, China, the Philippines, Portugal, Korea, and even New England. Use your cursor to explore the ingredients above and watch your appetite build as you discover the delicious possibilities inherent in our uniquely delicious, contemporary Hawaiian Barbecue plate lunch.
Created in 1952 in a Small Shop in Liliha
Now Serving Aloha Worldwide
In the early years, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue was a successful chain of drive-in restaurants with a reputation for serving fresh plate lunches throughout the Hawaiian islands. In late 1999, our founders – Johnson Kam and Eddie Flores, Jr. – introduced their signature, Asian and American fusion take on the classic plate lunch to the residents of California. Since then, the concept has found fans around the world and there are close to 200 L&L Hawaiian Barbecue restaurants in Hawaii, California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Texas, New York, Tennessee, Guam and Japan. Needless to say, in addition to the fresh, culturally-commingling flavors of Hawaii, every L&L meal is infused with the warmth of aloha – the legendary spirit of welcome that makes every guest feel at home.
Share Your Aloha
Own a Franchise
We owe our continued success to the franchisees who are a part of our growing global family. If you’re an entrepreneur with a vision and a passion for food, step up to the plate and join us in our mission to spread the Aloha spirit around the world.