Boiseans might know this restaurant chain from California. Or Vegas. Now? Nampa
A Honolulu comfort-food brand with more than 200 U.S. locations is surfing into the Boise area.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue plans to debut soon at 140 Caldwell Blvd. in Nampa, according to its website. (Really soon, if you saw local social media indicating it opens Monday, July 28. A message to the chain’s corporate offices was not returned.)
L&L will take over a building that recently housed a similar concept, Aloha Island Grill.
Founded in 1976, L&L eventually expanded as a franchise operation. In the West, locations exist in places such as California, Nevada, Utah and Oregon. This appears to be the chain’s first Idaho infiltration.
Like Utah-based Mo’ Bettahs, which has established a significant Treasure Valley presence, L&L specializes in plate lunches.
“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,” the website explains. “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.”
At L&L, that means Hawaiian-style versions of proteins such as chicken, beef, pork and shrimp with sides of rice and macaroni salad. The menu also includes hamburgers, sandwiches, loco moco and, of course, Spam musubi.
The approach has succeeded. In 2024, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue was chosen by Yelp as #21 on its “Fastest Growing Brands” list, according to a media release.
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 11:56 AM.