What kind of person puts nutmeg and cinnamon in birria tacos burger was wack too I fear, fell apart and was weirdly seasoned but somehow bland at the same time?? I think you'll like it here if you're a white tourist, it's giving mainland I'm usually not a hater but what the hell man, this place was hella expensive for basically no reason Staff was nice tho, mahalo read more

This is a nice brewpub which we discovered on our recent stay in Hilo. The beer range is fairly limited but they had several beers on tap and the ones we had, a brown ale and pale lager, were both very good. However, much of the menu was made up of hard seltzers rather than actual beer. The food we had, the roasted pork belly dish with watercress, etc., was excellent. The pork belly had an excellent crispy texture while the dressing and other condiments made an excellent combination of flavours and textures. The place is a bit brightly lighted and stark inside, yet somehow manages still to feel pretty comfortable and pleasant. Service was friendly and excellent. read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Ola Brew in Hilo, on Hawaii Island (aka the Big Island). - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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The brew was different and refreshing. But I went to eat! The food kind of left me feeling blah. I ordered the shrimp and grits. The grits had no seasoning. One thing grits need is salt, it tasted more like a creamy porridge. The shrimp were whole and fried and laid on top of the grits. It was messy. I think since this is a new dish it can be perfected and made a staple. With plenty of seltzers and brews grab a flight and taste them all to find your favorite. My favorite was the Kona Gold a pineapple cider, really tasty! read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Kid friendly! - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The Tofu Sandwich was ONOLICIOUS! I had it with curry fry's this time Soursop cider was a great new addition. read more

A solid spot in Hilo for a rainy day with a good variety of beers, football on TV, and friendly staff. Free parking is a plus, and the bathroom was decent. Overall, a good place to grab a beer and hang out. read more

Went in on a slower afternoon. The staff was attentive. The food good and my ginger brew was perfect.

My fam and I were supper hungry after hiking for hours at Nat'l Volcano. Fortunately, Ola Brew was one of the few places that were still open on the way back to Hilo on a Saturday night. Service was excellent! They were very attentive and super quick. We got the smash burgers and the brussels sprouts, and both were tasty and just hit the spot! My husband also had a flight of beer. Besides the food, the ambiance was awesome! A guitarist was playing in the corner with good acoustics! As the night went on, more people came- mostly locals. It seems that this is one of the happening places on the island. Would go back, again!! FYI: If you're a tourist like us and find yourself slightly wet ( it drizzled on our way back to our car from our hike) from one of your adventures, change or bring a light sweater if you have extra clothes... They keep their A.C pretty low. I was shivering the whole time. read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Smash burger with crispy fries - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The food and drinks are great, but more importantly the staff is amazing. The service is top notch, even during a very busy night when they had a large birthday party in the restaurant. They got hit with over 70 guest at once and didn't miss a beat. Im sure the building was close to capacity. Very warm and welcoming staff, perfect example of Aloha. Would definitely recommend to visitors and any of my friends. read more

Food was so bad. Got the olà burger and the barria tacos. What white person decided nutmeg and cinnamon go in barria tacos?? Burger was messy and gross. They should stick to beer. Only good thing I got was the Brussels. 2/10 Wish I was a monkey so it would be acceptable to throw the slop (food) on the floor. read more

This place was one of few open late when we arrived. I made the sad mistake of ordering a tofu burger. It was literally a brick of tofu, grilled and seasoned, on a hamburger bun. It was quite disappointing. My kiddo had a standard keiki cheese burger and it was pretty ok. The curry fries were good, but honestly could have been better. Service was great and the hostess and wait staff were very friendly. There was a live band or something happening the evening we were there and the hostess was kind enough to let us sit further away from the speakers. The restaurant itself definitely throws off brewery/bar vibes but seems kid friendly enough. read more

Rating: 8.5/10 Ola Brew is a Hawaii Island (Big Island) brewery with tap rooms in Kona and Hilo. Their mission is to help grow the local agriculture industry by using local produce in their products. We went to the Hilo tap room and had quite a few great beers. Here's what I had: Luhia Strata Hopped Lilikoi Lime Milkshake IPA Mo Hazy IPA A'a IPA B-rad's Oatmeal Stout My favorite beer was the B-rad's Oatmeal Stout and the Mo Hazy & A'a were close seconds. The other 3 were above average but nothing special. We were already really full but we decided to try the Pork Belly Boa (Crispy pork belly topped with house-made kimchi, and hot mustard). This was amazing. The boa was soft and chewy, while the pork was crunchy, sweet and savory. Cost was super reasonable for beer $2-3 for tasters and $5-8 for a glass. Food was a little more on the pricey side. read more

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We were in Hilo for the day and rented a car to go to the volcano national park. Unfortunately it was raining and we weren't prepared to go walking around in the rain. Plus I'm handicapped and there was a lot of walking involved. We decided to go back into town to find a place to have lunch. I am a beer lover so we decided to try Ola Brew. My experience with breweries in Hawaii has been mediocre at best so I wasn't expecting much. Wow. This place really knows how to brew great beer and the food was outstanding. Our waiter was very attentive and helpful with ordering our food and beer and stayed and had a nice conversation. Anytime I am back in Hilo, this is a must go to place. If you love great beer and are in Hilo, I highly recommend it. read more

We had pupus. Brussel sprouts were excellent. Service was outstanding. And the music? Heavenly!!!

Awesome brew variety with fresh ingredients in their crafted products The food are yummy and delicious that accentuates the beverage selection The people are so helpful to when you are on the fence about your choices Pork belly lechon is a must to share with your group along side with their different selection of bao Not a big menu but they do do it well read more

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Soo loud - way louder than the Kona one... Different menu from Kona. Portions are a little tiny except for the burger and jackfruit tacos. No flatbreads either since little caesars is right next door. Def would come here to drink tho. Lots of parking. I do appreciate that you can drink outside while you wait for a table. Great business plan. If you're planning on eating, I'd recommend the lechon, jackfruit tacos, and the tako. Everything else is kinda expensive for what you get and not too great tasting. The bao is just one bao per order so keep that in mind... I thought it was weird the waitress asked me if that was all I was having. I probably didn't read good but I'm so used to bao orders coming in at least three I didn't expect it. It was a huge pile of veggies on top of the protein I wasn't sure how to eat it but I somehow managed to fold it and eat it messily. The bao bun itself is really thick and chewy, maybe about double the thickness of a regular bao bun, but it is about 5" in diameter. The lechon is good, tasty, but more like roast pork since the fat isn't crispy and melty. They throw minced boiled egg on it with tomatoes and green onion. The jackfruit tacos were good.. it tasted just like a pulled pork taco. I think this came with two or three tacos and a side of regular fries. I wish the tortilla was a little bit stronger or if they put two per taco it feels really flimsy with the amount of stuffing they put it almost feels like it's going to fall apart with each bite but it doesn't. The tako was good and perfectly cooked with an amazing potato purée underneath it was so good. Only thing I wished was that the tako was cut up more so it's easier to eat. They leave it in about 2.5" to 3" cuts and it's about a quarter-size thick.. for me that's a big bite and I'd rather have something a little smaller. The hamachi tostada is good but it's missing a sauce or something. It was literally just veggies and hamachi on a crispy tortilla... didn't have much flavor. The burger was good but just a little expensive -- at least it came with fries. It tasted like a homemade Big Mac and I mean this in a good way. Also got the curry fries. Which was just Japanese style curry on fries with watercress and carrots on top for color. This was just a weird combo for me I was wanting rice Also got the fried chicken I didn't try it but friends said it was good. They also got the pho dip, which I thought was gonna be similar to a French dip but it was not... it was meat with two side containers of dip sauce. They said it was alright. read more

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We had such a great time we Went back today again. Brew selection is great. Foods are awesome. Service is prompt. Very casual ambience. Will be back. read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Kalbi meatballs and chicken ceaser salad - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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I first visited this place in 2021 and was blown away; the food was amazing. Unfortunately, time has not been kind to the flavors of Ola Brew. I don't know why they changed their recipes, but it was definitely a mistake. This place no longer holds any appeal. The customer service remains excellent-- their staff is the best. However, the food is another story. They set the bar very high in 2021, but now it is well below what I've come to expect from Ola Brew. I kept coming back, hoping they'd revert to what they were, like trying to save a marriage when you know it's over, hoping this time things will be different, only to end up disappointed and unsatisfied again. I've asked my friends, and they all feel the same way. The food is not the same; it's not as good as it used to be. Therefore, I will no longer return to Ola Brew, nor will I recommend it to others. I really miss the lechon and gnocchi of 2021 ! read more

Bumping up my rating as we had great service during our recent visit. Hostess and servers were all attentive and checked on us. My birria chicken tacos were ok/fine, the overall seasoning and consommé was a bit bland and the shells could have been crispier. Husband's burger was amazing with crispy caramelized beef patty edges. We shared a flight of ciders and all 4 of them were unique and really good. Thanks so much Ola Brew, clearly you take customer reviews into consideration and it's appreciated read more

Brittany, our server, was wonderful. Food and beer selection is amazing. We were able to get a table right away, as we were hoping to catch the Phillies playoff game. Visiting from Philly read more

Date nite- Well a bit disappointed that the flatbread pizza not available in Hilo. Smashed burger a little too well done for my taste. Hubby had pork belly and duck buns. Pork belly was smashed flat and the savory pleasure of the fat was nonexistent. The duck was served as a crunchy patty that did just not fit on the bun-would have been so much better if sliced . Beer sampler my fav was golden pineapple (white was sold out). Deep friend bun slices with coconut icecream was delish! This cute little pup also visited tonite! Was a busy nite for the Ola team but they were attentive and checked in frequently! Mahalo read more

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ola brewing food: tofu burger: pickles and aoli bring this together well. the tofu is a nice size and crispy. 4.5/5 wanted a little more flavor from the tofu itself. shrimp bao bun: the star of the show 10/10 recommend. sweet glaze and crunchy shrimp with the neutral bun. Drinks: dark chocolate orange hard cider : slightly bitter with subtle orange notes pairs well with the shrimp. portion size: well sized portions service: staff was nice and attentive. Ambiance: great for any group. Parking: parking lot on site Payment: apple pay and card are both options. not sure about cash read more

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Good food and great drinks. Went here on a Monday evening and got seated immediately. They were busy but the service was quick. The waiter was friendly and took the time to get to know us. I had the Ola burger with fries and a dragon fruit cider. The burger was done perfectly. The ola sauce was a little on the spicy side, but not too much. To me it had just the right amount of kick. The fries were well done, just the way I like them. The dragon fruit cider was the star of the show! The right amount of sweetness! So refreshing! The only downfall is parking. The adjoining parking lot is small and parking can be hard. However, they are located across the street from a shopping center that is closed at night, so there is plenty of parking directly across the street. read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Ola Burger and Dragon Fruit Lemonade Cider - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Perhaps I shouldn't be shocked that a Hawaiian brewhouse served me the best drinks and food (other than fresh fruit I scored from farmer's markets) out of everything I tried during my 9 day stay on the big island. The lady and I were looking at several of the top-Yelp-ranked places in Hilo for our final dinner in town and Ola Brew seemed to have the chillest vibe. Indeed, the vibe was chill, but the eats and drinks were even better. I had a beer flight, she had a hard seltzer and hard juice flight - and then, she liked the hard juice enough to get a second flight (to try the rest of the flavors!) and I went for another beer pour by the end of the eve. The waiter was very accommodating of my girlfriend's dietary needs (no onion or garlic - pretty hard to do with Hawaiian food!) as well as her drink tastes (dry, not too sweet). The pork bao was shockingly good - I did not expect to enjoy it THAT much. The meat was loaded with flavor and the kimchi was exceptional. Brussels sprouts were good too (seems like they used an entire head of garlic for it) and I also enjoyed the tofu burger, very well balanced between the condiments and deep-fried tofu. Girlfriend had the steak and fries and loved it. Seems like this spot is also popular with locals. Thank you, Ola Brew, for such a great experience. read more

The food item that peaked my interest for my visit was the chicken birris tacos. The tacos themselves were great I appreciated the amount of meat in the tacos, but the consume for dipping the tacos lacked flavor. read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Chicken Birria tacos - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Overall ambiance is pleasant and welcoming with an open layout where you don't feel cramped like most bars. They have a bar area and plenty of tables to sit at with a variety of food and drink options. The service is good and friendly. The food was quick and good. Not a whole lot of parking on the side, but enough for when it's not too crowded. read more

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While I was staying in Hilo, I decided to check out Ola. Due to my food allergies, I had called ahead to see what oil they cooked with. After finding out that food was probably not an option, I headed over for a drink. I love ciders and at the recommendation of the bartender, I ordered Tangelo. I enjoyed it immensely. The staff were super friendly and would check on me to see how I was doing. I loved the vibe of the place. I wish I was able to eat here as the food smelled delicious! If you are in Hilo and like to check out breweries, I highly recommend you check Ola put. read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Pint of Tangelo - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Everything about our experience was amazing. The service, the food, the ambiance. We arrived when it was about an hour and a half til closing. We were seated immediately. We had just missed the live music unfortunately but the music they were playing was very lively. Light clubbing music that got the us and the servers dancing as well. The music was definitely more for the "younger" crowd. We got a bunch of tasters to try the different hard seltzers and hard juices. Our favorites were the Tangelo hard Cider and the dragonfruit lemonade hard juice (not pictured). The bao buns are so good. Would definitely get the pork belly bao if you only wanted to try one. The ola burger was smash burger style and the curry fries were such a good pupu (appetizer). I would definitely come back the next time we are in Hilo! read more

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Friendly attentive service, wonderful foot and amazing beers. Centrally located in Hilo town. Cauliflower appetizer super tasty. Nice crunch. The curry fries cool yummy concept. Wonderful selection of beers to taste. Definitely be back again! read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Vanilla porter and fried cauliflower appetizer. - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Beer!!! Food was amazing. Service was good. Big place. A few too many families with screaming children, but that seems to be the thing with breweries these days. read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - Pork Belly Bao Buns. OMFG! - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Aloha, Ola Brew Kona has always been a favorite of ours as it's air-conditioned and Kona is so bloody hot! Thanks for opening a second location of Ola Brew in Hilo! So happy to be able to visit one of our favs when on this side of island. Staff is very friendly and fun, and YES IPA BEERS, whoohoo! So happy to have great pupus with cold beers! And they are open late, probably 1 of 2 places, and I prefer beer to pancakes, LOL. Nice when we're driving over Saddle from Kona to Hilo, and hungry! Ahui hou! See you soon! Mahalo read more

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So glad we found this place on our last visit to Hilo and the big island. Also great to support local businesses in our island communities. Firstly you have to love their beverage selections and offerings. That have a wide selection to please and tempt all comers so open yourself to something new and the possibility you'll like it. Odds are you won't be disappointed. Beers were good and a few of our group really liked the hard ciders. Winners. We snacked on various Bao Buns and fries which really hit the spot. One one of the orders they made a small mistake. For us it was not biggie, partially cause it wasn't and partially cause it was a long work day, but they insisted they remake the order and we appreciated it. It was good the second time around. All this on a Sunday night. We came back on Tuesday and walked into a crowded room cause it was trivia night. No open tables so the hostess found a seats at the bar. Not ideal for a group of five but we made it work. It was more of a eating event so burgers were more of the choice of the night. Unfortunately they were just ok and honestly a little too fall aparty in your mouth vs a good bite. Decent flavor but mushy bites and not as satisfying. I'll always make an effort to come to Olas every time we're in town and strongly suggest you do the same. read more

My hubs and I don't normally drink beer but we liked most of our drinks, we had creamsicle, hard guava, and soursop? (not certain if it was that flavor). All of the staff were very nice. For the food we liked the burger and the shrimp bao. We did not like the gnocchi- it just tasted like flour, i could only eat a couple bites. The prices for the food were not reasonable and is the main reason for the loss of a star. read more

We had some beer and snacks. They were excellent as was the service. The atmosphere was typical brewery restaurant style and perfectly okay for us. read more

We had just landed in Hilo and needed a solid meal before checking into our Airbnb. After reading the review, I knew I had to get the gnocchi in my belly. It didn't disappoint! read more

Nice local place. The Barria tacos were pretty good. Very limited non-alcoholic drink selection. No regular sodas offered. Pretty cool atmosphere. read more

Ola Brew looks like something straight out of Oahu - a bright, modern looking pub with high tables and a long bar. The prices are just like Oahu too, which made me feel right at home lol. We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm, and it was surprisingly busy. Another great evolution of food culture in the sleepy town of Hilo. Food: - Ahi Salad ($20) - Mixed feelings about the mixed greens. Well, the mixed greens were crisp, sweet, and delicious. The "caesar" dressing was way too strong and sharp, had an odd burn-the-roof-of-my-mouth flavor. Ain't it. The seared ahi was a beautiful cut and well seasoned, but four thin slices is so stingy for a $20 salad. - Kaloko Farms Blue Oyster Mushrooms ($16) - To be honest, I was hesitant about a $16 plate of mushrooms - but here I am, wishing I had more mushrooms! These oyster mushrooms are so perfectly fried up and bursting with meaty flavor, they really didn't need any garnish. The worst part about this dish was when we ate it so fast. Flight: A taster flight is a great way to find out what you like here, as Ola seems to experiment a lot and it's hard to commit to a sixer at KTA sometimes. - Hazy Light IPA - Easy, refreshing, crushable. Not remarkable to me, but I wouldn't say no on a hot day. Or any day lol. - Lilikoi Lime Milkshake IPA - Again, something that I'd probably regret trying a sixer of, but fun nonetheless. Fruity and substantial. - Kiawe Vanilla Porter - This is my go-to at home, definitely one of the top local porters. It'd be hard to choose between this and a White Mountain Porter. - Orange Vanilla Seltzer - Creamsicle seltzer, nuff said. Lots of flavor and easy drinking. It's so refreshing to see Ola strike out and take chances in Hilo, as Mehana/Hilo has just been cruising on what they know. Breweries like this are always fun to revisit, just to see what they're cooking up next. Between Ola and Big Island Brewhaus, the Big Island beer culture is doing just fine. read more

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Just stopped in with my family, was told that they are not serving food, only cocktails. Sign in window says 10pm. Yelp says 10pm. Staff was not concerned or humble about letting me know they closed their kitchen over a half hour early. As a restaurant owner that carries their product and a consumer that supports this company to say I was disappointed at the mis management and the staffs attitude is an understatement . Closing time should dictate a last seating not a time that guests are kicked out ‍ read more

Ola Brew - Hilo - A sign in their window falsely claiming hours. - Brewpubs Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Oh, how I wish they delivered beer outside of Hawaii. The food here is wonderful. The beer is even better. Have you had a chance to try all their flights? I wish I had a stronger tolerance to do more tastings. I love the ambiance of this location. Highly recommend Ola for those who enjoy tasting various beers and even those who like sweeter options. Great place for a girls' night! read more

Great experience. Brittany took good care of my husband and me. We enjoyed the shrimp and pork bao buns, and the smash burger. Delicious! Would highly recommend. read more

We always get takeout here even we're in hilo. The appetizer is always a go to as well as the burger. Tried the gnocchi this time and was very yummy sauce. We called and the pickup was so quick and convenient! The parking was easy and would love to eat in when we have time next trip and get drinks. I've seen online that they host events inside. Also love the string light wall inside ! read more