The Dimond Center has two new options for shoppers looking for something to snack or sip on. The downstairs food court now features an L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and Tully’s Coffee.

L&L bills itself as “The Original Hawaiian Barbecue” and is part of a national chain that started in Hawaii and now has locations in several western states, New York, New Zealand and American Samoa. The Dimond Mall restaurant opened at the end of November.

Like local Hawaiian-style restaurants such as Hula Hands and Blue Pacific, the star of L&L’s menu is the plate lunch. Two scoops of steamed rice and a scoop of macaroni salad come standard with choices including BBQ beef, chicken or short ribs, garlic shrimp and fried mahi mahi. The chain even serves up island classics such as chicken katsu (boneless pieces of chicken breaded and fried), loco moco (hamburger patties topped with brown gravy and eggs on a bed of rice) and musubi (a block of rice with a slice of Spam, Portuguese sausage or chicken wrapped to it with dried seaweed).

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
Phone: 375-9988

The other new addition to the food court is Tully’s Coffee. Established in 1992 in Seattle, Wash., Tully’s is a specialty coffee roaster chain that serves up teas, coffees and hot cocoa and also sells panini sandwiches and whole and ground beans. Here's a menu of some of its offerings. The Dimond location is the first in the Alaska and opened at the beginning of December.

Tully’s Coffee
Phone: 522-7286

Both shops are open during the Dimond Center’s normal shopping hours (10-9 Monday through Saturday / 11-6 on Sunday) with the Tully’s often opening around 8 a.m. for early risers and mall walkers.

-- Spencer Shroyer