L&L Hawaiian Barbecue — Restaurant in Santee

The reason they only got three stars is that I ordered the poke bowl and all it was was a bowl of steamed rice with a scoop of totally flavorless raw fish on top. I expected the raw fish and that's what I was looking forward to but there was no flavoring, no sauce, not even the little sprinkles with sesame seeds that the poster clearly showed. I'm not sure what to call the part that was a bit grisly. If it was beef I would call a gristle. The flavor was good but it was chewy so we say. Usually good poke is melt in your mouth tender. I've had poke many times before so I knew what to expect and this place didn't have it. The table I sat at appeared to have not been wiped down. The bathroom could have been cleaner and the toilet didn't flush on the first try but it did on the 2nd. The girl behind the counter was extremely nice, no complaints at all there. I thought I took a picture of my food but it didn't turn out so I couldn't show you the comparison between the poster advertising the poke which I didn't see until I was leaving, and the actual food I was served. They did not look the same though. If they are going to serve a $15 meal at a fast food place, they should at least make sure it is flavorable and has a good presentation. I don't expect a gourmet restaurant meal but give me something better than a Jack in The box. The parking could have been a problem but I lucked out and somebody was backing out of a space right in front just as I was looking for a spot to park. Because it's in the shopping center, parking could easily be at a premium...

So I waited to sleep off the frustration, because had this been written last night, it would’ve been very mean.

I worked at this L&L when it first opened, for almost a year and a half, so I know and understand how frustrating it can be when people come in towards the end of closing. Last night was really the last straw for me, I was calling to place a phone order starting around 8:30pm(they close at 9pm). For 10 minutes, while driving to the location, no one answered. When I got to the location and walked in, the young man who works the front told me that they were closed, at 8:40pm. I said, “Wow, that’s a little early!” He said it was because they were short staffed, they had 3 people there, visible. I ordered something next door also, so after getting back in my car closer to 9 to figure out what I was going to eat, it was only then that the same young man came out to bring in the signs and lock up the front doors.

Turning away people when you’re still open just because you “dont want” to, is a crazy business practice. And I wish I can say that this was the first time this...

I was trying to decide where to eat in East county and looked on Yelp. This place popped up so I decided to give it a try. I've been to the one over by College Ave before and liked it fine. I got the Poké Bowl because that's something I always enjoy and not a lot of places have it. The poke itself was fine although a bit gristly. The Rice was totally plain white rice which would have been okay except there was no sauce on it nor were any offered to me in little containers so it was very very bland. I happened to notice the poster on the wall that showed what it was supposed to look like and it looked totally different than what I was served. It had sprinkles of seasonings and sesame seeds on it and looked much prettier. What I was given was just a bowl of rice with some raw fish on top and no seasonings at all. I don't expect fancy food here but I expect it to at least be well presented and flavorful. The girl who took my order was very nice. I thought I took a picture but didn't find one when I got home so...