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The L&L Hawaiian Barbecue ‘ohana, or family, has expanded to serve more New Mexicans with the opening of its first Albuquerque location.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is a chain known for its “iconic ‘Plate Lunch’ of Hawaii,” which a news release said features rice, macaroni salad and a protein option. The chain, founded in 1952, has 232 locations across the U.S. and Japan.
The chain first debuted its Hawaiian cuisine in New Mexico in March, when franchisees Robert and Stasia Ybarra opened a Rio Rancho location at 2340 Grande SE.
Josh and Jennifer Juhadi are the husband-and-wife duo behind Albuquerque’s first location, which had its grand opening at 2270 Wyoming NE on June 12.
Josh Juhadi, who grew up in Hawaii, used to save his allowance as a child to buy a chicken katsu curry plate from the chain, a news release said. Jennifer Juhadi was introduced to the restaurant during a 2011 trip to Hawaii and has been a fan ever since, the release added.
“Now that we call Albuquerque home, opening an L&L Hawaiian Barbecue here feels like we’re sharing a part of ourselves with our new ‘ohana (family) of Albuquerque,” Jennifer Juhadi said in a statement.
In addition to L&L’s signature menu items, the restaurant has an exclusive dish called the “Green Chili Loco Moco” — a hamburger patty with gravy, egg over rice and green chile. The new dish is a nod to “the rich cultural infusion of Hawaii and New Mexico,” a news release said.
The 1,200-square-foot restaurant, situated in Wyoming Mall in the Northeast Heights, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
