New dining options to open in Annandale
Three new eateries – L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Garden Social, and Tiger Sugar – are tentatively scheduled to have a soft opening the second week of April.
All three are located in the same 5,000-square-foot space at 4363 John Marr Drive, Annandale, in the Eastgate Shopping Center.
The L&L chain specializes in Hawaiian comfort food, such as barbecue chicken, fried shrimp, chicken katsu, and the traditional Hawaiian plate lunch consisting of fried fish, a chicken or other entrée, rice, and macaroni salad.
L&L is famous for popularizing “Spam musubi,” a slice of Spam over rice wrapped in seaweed.
Michael Wu, the franchise owner of the Annandale location, suggests people try the “musubi trio,” which includes Spam musubi, chicken barbecue musubi, and chicken katsu musubi.
This will be the first L&L Hawaiian Barbecue location in Northern Virginia, Wu says.
Garden Social will have 24 kinds of beer on draft, bottled beer, and wine. Eventually, Wu plans to add cocktails and mocktails.
Tiger Sugar specializes in brown sugar bubble tea. The company started in Taiwan in 2017. There are 62 locations in the U.S., including two in Maryland and one in D.C. This will be the first one in Virginia.
Wu says the new dining venue will be a family-friendly space with waitstaff and multiple TV screens for watching sports. A 3,000-square-foot outdoor dining space will be added later.
A grand opening to be scheduled later this spring will feature Hawaiian entertainment and a performance by the Choy Wun Lion Dance Troupe, which Wu founded. Choy Wun means “reaching for the sky,” he says.
A graduate of Annandale High School, Wu studied business at James Madison University. He opened his first boba shop in Harrisonburg and always wanted to open one in Annandale.
16 responses to “New dining options to open in Annandale”
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Awesome! Can’t wait 2try new flavors.. esp. Hawaiian BBQ! 🤙🏼😎🇺🇸
Excellent, looking fwd to it!
Oh excited to try out. Please have moco loco plates!!!
Since I live near there, I’ll keep my eye out for the opening.
Welcome to Annandale!
Plate lunch with BBQ and chicken katsu, Mac Salad, and rice… 😋
Yes, please!
No pork or beef? I hate chicken. No way will I eat spam!! That’s gross
Yes, they do have pork and beef.
Spam has been very popular among many Hawaiians since its introduction/arrival there in WWII, thus its inclusion on the menu at L&L. I don’t like Spam either (I went vegetarian in 1986 and never looked back) but I’m pleased to see it will be there for those who do.
I’ll be heading back to Chay (MAJOR YUM), but I’m happy to say “Welcome home” to Michael Wu!
Wooohoooo! Finally,We’ve been waiting for so long 🤭
Saddened by the exclusion of Vegetarian and Vegan options! What about us???
I’m with you – I used to love getting the vegetarian plate lunches in Hawaii ! Maybe if there are enough request….?
Thanks for sharing that history of spam. What a nice post
You know what we need ? A skewer bbq place !
Excited for these to open! Love seeing new businesses come to Annandale.
The only headscratcher for me is Tiger Sugar. There are already two other similar stores in the same complex, so I’m not sure how successful it will be. (There is a milk/bubble tea option, Ben Gong’s, right next to K-Market. There’s also a yogurt/red bean drink option, Yomie’s, on the side of the building by Glam Karaoke.)
When first constructed one business that was slated was listed as ‘Beer Garden.’ Doesn’t look like that is still in the mix for the center.
Still there. It’s called Garden Social.
Mini Teri Beef, double mac salad!