L&L Hawaiian BBQ

3890 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306
650-858-2878
$

L&L Hawaiian BBQ, a chain fastfood restaurant that has a niche market in the Hawaiian food business, recently opened up a small shop down the street from Stanford, and having spent many vacations in Hawaii eating so-called "Hawaiian" food, I knew I had to take Jenny there to expose her to this unique cuisine.

It did not disappoint. For those of you who haven't had Hawaiian BBQ before, let me warn you that it is not for small eaters, vegetarians, or health conscious dieters. Their menu is either meat or seafood. Highlights include chicken katsu, a breaded chicken cutlet with katsu sauce to dip in (tastes like a better version of sweet and sour sauce), or the Hawaiian BBQ mix, which includes Hawaiian beef, chicken, and shortribs. Each dish comes with white rice and macaroni salad. The dishes portions are huge, so for $4.25, the mini-plates will still sufficiently stuff one person. Be sure to also get one of the Hawaiian Sun brand juices - guava is my favorite. They go great with the food.

Bottom line: If you're hungry, come here. If you're looking for quick, cheap food, come here. If you're looking to impress a date, skip it - the styrofoam trays aren't incredibly romantic.