Misty and I kicked off spring break with a visit to Ola Brew in Hilo. Luckily, we got dropped off because there were no spaces in the parking lot. If you are planning to visit with friends, I recommend that you carpool.

There were no tables available when we got there a little after 4 p.m. but there were lots of seats at the bar and we made ourselves comfortable there. There were a lot of people there but it didn’t feel super crowded. It did get pretty noisy as the evening progressed. Misty and I started with a sampler of brews. We tried a variety of IPAs and enjoyed all of them. If you aren’t interested in sampling but don’t quite know which one to get, I did see someone near me asking for complimentary tastes to help make a decision.

Misty and I shared three dishes as we enjoyed our brews. If pork belly is on the menu,, I have to get it so we ordered the lechon. It was a very generous serving. I’d have liked it with an equally generous serving of tomatoes and onions, although the pickled onions that came with the dish were good. we also enjoyed the Dandan gnocchi which had a nice heat and was nice with cold beers. We also tried the beet salad.

I do like to eat salads and I like beets but I think I’ll try one of the other dishes in the future. Like maybe trying all the different bao options! Ola Brew is a casual fun place that I’d go back to. Living Hilo Style.