Before I walked into L & L Hawaiian Barbecue, I was attracted to the bright orange building and the location by Twin Lakes Beach. However, when the aromas of teriyaki sauce and deep fried goodies hit my nostrils, my thoughts suddenly changed to "What do I want to eat from this menu?"

Folks often refer L & L Hawaiian Barbecue as the "McDonalds" of traditional Hawaiian spots, yet, there was nothing that resembled anything like a cheap fast food joint. The popular West Coast chain started in 1976 when Johnson Kam and Eddie Flores, Jr. purchased the L&L Drive-Inn on Liliha Street in Honolulu, Hawaii. There they blew up into an immediate success and the pair decided to expand their delicious and affordable food in other areas around the state.

Kam and Flores introduced L&L Hawaiian Barbecue to California in 1999 where it became a huge hit. The business has spread world wide since then and now there are close to 200 L&L restaurants in Hawaii, California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Texas, New York, American Samoa, New Zealand and Japan. Inside the Santa Cruz restaurant, the walls are painted green, yellow, and blue to resemble the similar vibrant color that is used outside of the restaurant. There are also pictures of hula dancers and a jumbo-sized portrait on canvas of the inside of a wave.

A couple of my family members joined me on my midday lunch after a lovely cruise along West Cliff back towards Watsonville, and they couldn't figure out what to order.

I scanned through the menu behind the front counter and came across interesting items like the local favorite Loco Moco ($7.25): hamburger patties over rice covered with brown gravy and topped with eggs served island style.

Another dish that caught my eye was the Kalua Pork ($6.75), a plate full of smoke flavored shredded pork slowly cooked to a point where the meat just melts in your mouth. L & L also offers burgers ($2.45 - $3.50) and traditional Hawaiian saimin or noodle soup ($4.75).