L&L Hawaiian Barbecue has quietly slipped into the Baltimore suburbs, serving up its island-style comfort food in Towson and Columbia. The Honolulu-born quick-service chain is now staking out space in local shopping centers after years of building a following on the mainland. Diners at both spots will find the brand's signatures on the menu, including Hawaii's Plate Lunch and Spam musubi.
According to QSR Magazine, the Towson restaurant opened on Jan. 12, and the Columbia location followed on Feb. 21. Both sites offer dine-in, takeout, mobile-app ordering, and catering. The Columbia shop is tucked into Columbia Palace Plaza, turning a routine strip-center stop into an authentic plate lunch run.
Local Owner Behind The Expansion
The two Maryland locations are owned and operated by Mike Wu, who has been steadily building L&L's East Coast footprint. In 2024, he added restaurants in Annandale and Rockville, part of a larger franchise strategy that leans on multi-unit operators for careful regional growth, Pacific Business News reports.
What To Expect On The Plate
L&L centers its menu on the classic Hawaii's Plate Lunch, which traditionally consists of two scoops of rice, one scoop of house-made macaroni salad, and a choice of entrée. The chain's website lists standbys like chicken katsu, barbecue chicken, and kalbi—the kind of comfort food that helped the brand grow beyond the islands. According to L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, the lineup focuses on hearty portions and the "Aloha Spirit" that has defined the brand since its founding.
Columbia Site Pairs L&L With Local Poke Shop
The Columbia restaurant doubles up as a dual-concept space shared with local operator Blowfish Poké, giving the shopping center a one-two punch of poke bowls and plate lunches under one roof. "The combined space is where national meets local and this is an extremely special collaboration," Michael Wu told WMAR2-News.
A Maryland Foothold That Started In Rockville
L&L's Maryland story actually started in Rockville, where the chain quietly soft-opened in late December 2024. Local coverage noted that the Rockville spot took over a former noodle-house space and marked the brand's first permanent outpost in the state, a test run before moving closer to Baltimore. MoCo Show covered the Rockville soft opening and early reactions from curious plate lunch converts.
What’s Next
QSR Magazine reports that Wu plans to add another L&L in Camp Springs later this summer as part of a broader East Coast push that has grown the chain to more than 230 locations worldwide. For now, Towson and Columbia diners can expect the usual L&L grand-opening energy, complete with value-focused plate lunch combos and a steady stream of locals enjoying a taste of Hawaii's iconic meal tradition.
