L&L Drive-Inn

Got food poisoning 2x here. TWICE. Plus, the mac salad is literally always runny/​watery…
Bottom line: Do not spend your money here. Food may be cheap for a generous amount but do you really want to risk getting food poisoning for it? Opt out for the Subway next door instead.
**TMI food poisoning warning!
The first time I went here, I ordered a mini chicken katsu. About 2 hours later, I puked it all up. Initially I shrugged it off thinking it was due to something else I ate but now that I think of it, there’s nothing I can attribute to it because all I had that day was a banana and water for breakfast.
Today was my second time here (12÷2÷15). I ordered a mini kalua pork and around an hour later, I threw up all of it.

WORST L&L I’ve ever eaten at. I ordered crispy chicken, and for one it was soggy and two way too much pepper I almost threw up literally. When I confronted the cashier she got upset saying that is crispy chicken and I told her then why is it soggy. You know what she said? «Yeah that’s how crispy chicken is «if I didn’t get so upset I had to argue for Another plate. And even that came out horrible !!! Then I decided to go to the bathroom, another horrible idea, dirty tampons on the floor no toilet paper and smelt like mold ! I can’t believe someone runs a business like this! Please shut them down, completely and utterly disgusted !

I used to drop by at this particular L&L quite a bit. However, for a while there was a lot of arguing between the workers usually in the kitchen. Usually it was the cashier/​boss or someone just berating the cook or something. They argued in Mandarin, probably thinking that I didn’t understand, but I did. Despite that it was just poor professionalism to argue and fight so loudly and publicly.
The final straw was when I ordered a lau lau plate. After I got took it home and started eating my stomach or something immediately reacted and I vomited it all out — about a lau lau’s worth of food. After that I stopped going to that L&L.
Short version — lot of arguing and negative vibes from the staff. And I got sick and threw up their lau lau plate.

Food was good, service was good. There’s room for improvement in the cleanliness aspect…

Food is ok. Service is fast and the location is convenient if you work in the kaimuki/​waialae area. Parking is not great (limited).

Just like any other l&l, their AC is super cold though & they have good specials :) … There’s a small parking lot and minimal street parking. They usually aren’t busy and very quick service just like any other L&L (well most of them at least) :D Bbq chicken burgers are sooooo juicy, hamburger steak isn’t too bad. I usually go in the evening, they are right across from Chaminade & St. Louis so i’m not sure how it is on a week day for lunch!

I mean, it’s an L&L. It’s one of those places where the food is always pretty consistent, decently priced, and customer service just depends on which one you’re at. So why bother writing a review? Well this one is a little different in a few ways.
Parking can be super difficult, given it’s odd location on a small corner of Waialae with Shaloha and a laundry place. Very tight stalls and not a lot of them. But that minor issue aside, this places’ serving size and options are better than most L&L’s I’ve been to on the island. A «mini» is actually pretty friggin’ gigantic — I could barely finish my meal and I was stuffed for the rest of the night once I did. Also they have garlic and mochiko chicken options as well as specials, which many L&L’s don’t offer. Chicken katsu has always been my go-​to, but after seeing mochiko chicken offered here I gave it a try and it was bomb!
And then there’s customer service. With places like L&L, I’m sure they’re big enough not to personally hound on the customer service of each individual store. Much like other chains, people will continue to come back if the food is consistent — I know I do. But this L&L’s service is really subpar. The same older man has taken our order each time we’ve been there — and not once with a smile or a hello even. We walk up and he basically stares at us until we tell him what we want. Then he repeats it back, punches it in, takes our card (minimum $ 7 by the way… annoying in itself), and hands us the receipt. We sit and wait and when our food is ready, he yells out the order, we maybe get a «thank you» and that’s that. He’s not rude necessarily, but also doesn’t make us feel at all welcome or like he wants us in his restaurant.
Again, the food here is always pretty good, especially for the price. But maybe just a smidgen of friendliness would make me wanna give this place 4 or 5 stars instead of 3.
*shrug*

Honestly, I have such a love hate relationship with this L&L location. But for this review, let’s start with the things I love.
LOVE:
I love that this location is so convenient for me! I live not too far away and so coming here is a breeze. Parking is available although it is shared with the other businesses in the building so at times it does get kind of packed. My favorite thing about this location though, is that you definitely get lots of BANG for your buck.
My absolute favorite thing to get is their Garlic Chicken plate. All mini plates come with one scoop of rice and one scoop of mac salad. Portions are insane. Usually when I order a «mini» I expect literally a miniature meal. But here? Nope. A mini will get you stuffed and maybe even have leftovers. You will NOT leave here hungry that’s for sure.
HATE:
Now I understand running a business these days is tough, but having a rule that you don’t accept credit cards on purchases under $ 7 (when most of your mini plates + tax just make pennies under $ 7.) now that’s just cruel. Luckily I almost always come with my boyfriend so purchasing two mini plates will allow us to use our cards, but I heard the girl that ordered after us have to basically beg the guy to just charge her $ 7 for her purchase under that amount just so she can use her card.
I am also Chinese, so I can usually be pretty tolerant of Chinese workers and their «attitude.» But hey we’re paying customers, we shouldn’t get the vibe that you hate us and don’t really want our business right?
Overall, even with the negative points I’ve given I’d probably still come back here once in a great while because that garlic chicken can’t be beat. But I’d definitely come around a lot more often if the negative points were fixed!

An extremely rude woman at the register muttered my total and then snatched my money out of my hand.
After awkwardly waiting with my son for a while until our order (that I had phoned in) was ready, I decided to attempt to distract him outside for a few minutes.
Instead of waiting for me to come back in to get my plate she yells out the door «HELLO?!» until we come back inside.
The BBQ mixed plate was okay but I’ve had much better food and service at other L&L locations.
We definitely will not be back. I should have went to rainbows or st. louis drive in instead!

Once again!
Bad customer service.
1. I was waiting at the cash register waiting to order and the guy is on his phone 3ft away and does not notice me.
2. I did not have enough to cover the minimum credit charge of $ 7. So I ordered water and he charged me $ 1.70 and poured water from the sink.
3. He did not offer me to purchase bottled water which was 0.20 cheaper.
They need to be aware of their customers needs and offer them options.

I mean, it wasn’t really anything special. We came here for the ramen burger, it was a really meh. We also ordered some orange chicken, It was better but still just meh. Place is cheap though.

I came with a group of 7 people and everybody said their plates were okay. Nobody disliked the food they got, but nobody thought it was great either. Their large drink is $ 2.75 but if you walk over one door they have$ 1 coke at the laundry mat. I got the Lau Lau and I was beyond disappointed, it looked like canned spinach with cut up meat inside. It is supposed to be roast pork wrapped in a leaf not just a pile of slop

It’s an L&L, so you won’t get any surprises (good or bad) here. Decent plate lunch for cheap and ok service. Not overly salty like some plate lunches can be. Lady working was nice.

Another place I regularly stopped at when I was growing up. Generally, I’d buy Loco Mocos, Hamburger Steaks, and Chicken Katsu plates until fluffy panda mode set in. Then I’d keep eating anyway to show my awesome logic.
I returned because I had heard so much about the Saimin Burger being sold here. It’s basically Hawaii’s version of the Ramen Burger that had gained so much attention since its debut last summer.
Basically the Saimin Burger is a beef patty, lettuce, and probably some teriyaki glaze. I felt it needed something more to really bring everything together, like a sriracha mayo. The ramen «patties» were basically cake noodles.
The Saimin Burger is fine for what it is, but probably too much of a novelty for me to get more than once. Frankly, I’ll stick with the regular plate lunches.

This place stepped up! New registers, free refill fountain drinks, and cool air conditioning… I would’ve given this place 5 stars but the tables were dirty and the cashier didn’t smile.

Always get the short ribs, rice, and macaroni salad.

One thing I’ve really begun to notice, both here on the mainland and back there in Hawaii, is that why won’t everyone use card machines that print a tip line? Some do and some don’t. Sometimes I don’t have enough (or forget) cash and it’s a downer to me because I usually like to include a tip, whether it’s dine in or to-​go. Then the look on the guy’s face receiving my card…
Anyway, I cruised over here on my Ninja 250 rental and had an awesome hearty, good lunch: grilled ahi tuna (?) w/​garlic, fries and raspberry iced tea (brisk?). The AC was smidge too cold; just a wee bit. It’s a decent, small shop with a big mirror and small plaza parking.

Located on Waialae Ave and across of St. Louis’ Drive Inn, this L&L’s is easy to spot and is on a lot with a few parking stalls. I’ve tried many things on the menu such as the cold ginger chicken and the bbq chicken which are alright, nothing to rave about. What earned this L&L’s a five star from me was definitely their chicken katsu ! As I’m devouring some of it right this second, I’ve gotta say that this is probably the best chicken katsu I’ve ever had. The breading is so crispy, and the chicken is so tender in the middle. Also, the portion is HUGE ! I always get the regular plate for a little over seven dollars. The plate will last you for days !

I’m not to sure if my friends family still owns this place since she lives in NY now but who really cares as long as the food is good right? :p haha! regardless I would still go there to support them if they were 1) friends or family of someone I know OR 2) they’re just that good.
First off, I’m not a huge mac salad type of person. I love mayo and all but sometimes mac salads just aren’t right. NOT the case here. I thought it was so yummy. super creamy and rich (enough for a heartattack – mmmm). I ordered the combo plate of Kalbi and Chicken before I went to my hair appointment and thought I could wait to eat it after I was done. My sister in law was nice enough to offer that I eat it while she was doing some work and i seriously could not put it down. The seasoning on the kalbi was perfect and the meat had a good amount of actual meat and fat in proportion to the bone. The chicken was good but I still like the Kapahulu L&L better (but again, still good). I cleaned the plate up!!!

3 things to say about this place:
1. Convenient location
2. Provides the best service out of all the other chains I’ve been to (workers aren’t grouchy)
3. I always get ordered here to pick up a Teri beef plate because my meat-​lover other half says this place makes it best: P