Chains can bring something to the table that local restaurants don’t. Take, for example, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. The nationally distributed fast-casual restaurant offers what it sounds like — plate lunches, spam musubi, and good vibes — in a region where Hawaiian options are few and far between. Off the top of my head, there’s just Momo & Poke in Alexandria and HawaU in Manassas.
Not surprisingly, adventurous NoVA diners have waited with bated breath for the long-delayed opening of the Annandale L&L franchise. It opened last month inside a food-court-like set-up at the far right corner of the K Market plaza, one of the best strip centers in Northern Virginia. A location of Taiwanese boba brand Tiger Sugar is the first thing guests see as they enter. A bar, labeled Garden Social VA, is where diners order their L&L and cocktails. They pick up their food at a window beneath the restaurant’s logo.
An inconvenient truth: I’ve never been much of a fan of plate lunches, including those at other L&Ls. The brand’s pasta salad is laden with mayonnaise and tastes of raw onions, the rice is mushy, and the prices are relatively high. This all holds true at this location, but darn if I didn’t enjoy my proteins.
This is paramount, of course, at a restaurant with “barbecue” in its name. To maximize the meat, I ordered the BBQ Mix. At $26.95, it can feed two. The BBQ beef was a standout, tender slices of bulgogi-style marinated meat. If I were to return, I would consider just ordering that. But then I would miss the galbi, as adiposely flavorful as the short ribs should be, if slightly tough, and the fork-tender chicken thighs. They’re served with pasta salad, rice, and raw cabbage, all of which alluringly absorb the barbecue drippings.
I also tried L&L Hawaiian Barbecue’s chicken katsu curry plate ($16.75). In Annandale, I prefer Miso Donkatsu and its many options if I’m in the market for panko-coated, fried flesh. But I didn’t turn my nose up at the pile of fried thighs at L&L. The crispy chicken is likable, even lovable, with a side of zingy katsu sauce. The gloppy curry, however, is surprisingly bland and eminently skippable.
For a sweet finish, I recommend a stop at Tiger Sugar. I tried the No. 3. It features malted chocolate milk with cream mousse and two sizes of black-sugar tapioca balls. It reminded me of an amped-up version of childhood bottles of Yoo-hoo. I contemplated a stop at Glam Karaoke next door on the way out, but a future visit there gives me a reason to return to L&L for a beef bowl and boba tea.
4363 John Marr Dr., Annandale
Feature image by Tyson Bateman
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