Da Local Boy’s new counter-service outpost in the Loop is not just feeding hungry office workers anymore. The Hawaiian plate-lunch spot has landed on The New York Times’ list of 25 Best Restaurants in Chicago, putting the tiny lunchtime operation on a very big national radar. It is a rapid rise for a family-run concept that started with a food truck and a run of pop-ups before settling into brick-and-mortar life.
According to Block Club Chicago, the Times singled out the Loop location on its refreshed "25 Best" list, handing the suburban-born kitchen a citywide spotlight. The shoutout comes just months after the downtown shop’s soft opening this spring and highlights how quickly the team has scaled up.
Downtown Outpost and Hours
The counter-service shop sits at 335 S. Franklin St. and opened this spring to serve weekday lunch crowds. The hours, listed on the restaurant’s downtown page (Da Local Boy) and in a recent writeup from The Infatuation, run roughly 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the heaviest rush hitting right at noon.
Menu and Mural
The menu sticks to Hawaiian comfort staples. Diners find poke by the pound and in bowls, garlic shrimp, beef short ribs, grilled pork belly, mochiko fried chicken, lumpia and spam musubi, as listed on ezCater. To wash it all down, the small shop pours Hawaiian Sun blends, while a colorful wall-spanning mural by local artist Kevin Garbacz adds some beachy energy to the Loop, as documented on BookAnArtist.
From Pop-Ups to the Times
Owner Nate Domingo traces the business back to cooking for coworkers, then testing recipes at pop-ups and on a food truck before opening a full restaurant in Highwood and, most recently, the Loop counter. "It’s the last thing we thought we would get into," he told Block Club Chicago, reflecting on the unlikely path from casual side hustle to New York Times notice.
Local Context
The Highwood cafe first showed up on the Times’ radar in 2025, when it earned a spot in the paper’s Chicago dining guide, coverage that was highlighted by NBC Chicago last June. The newer Loop opening carries that buzz into the weekday lunch rush and offers a clear case of suburban flavors winning over downtown appetites.
Plan Your Visit
The Loop counter is set up almost entirely for the midday crowd, and the lines can back up fast. Reviewers at The Infatuation suggest timing your visit before noon or after 1 p.m. if you want to dodge the peak rush. For the latest hours and ordering info, the restaurant’s downtown page remains the go-to reference.
