Big Island Brewhaus — Restaurant in Hawaii

Our first visit here several years ago was great - very friendly service and good beer. Just returned again, and happened to miss the “wait here to be seated” signs outside the door and nobody was at the brewery except a few people at the bar. All tables had signs that said said “Table closed” so I asked the bartender when he turned to see me & was told to wait outside to be seated. We backtracked outside where we were then rudely greeted by a woman asking how many in our party & inside or outside - again, nobody there yet, and outside tables near us were quiet & not cold. She disappeared to get the table ready & another woman then approached us “how many, inside or outside?” We explained the other woman was getting us a table & she replied “no, I will be getting you a table,” then proceeded to take us around the back side of the restaurant where we didn’t even know there were tables and sat us (including 70’s parents) at a picnic table in the wind under a speaker. If our server, Gracie, wasn’t super kind, we probably would have left. We stayed just long enough to try a beer each & left. I hate leaving reviews like this, but their approach to welcoming us was anything but welcoming, and as we walked out, the table we wanted was still open. Also of note - food was great last time, but the menu now much more expensive and charges by the ounce for sauce on your fries, for example (1 or 2 oz). Maybe just a sign of the times, but what was a charming brewery last time we visited left us with no need to return...

When on the Big Island, one must pay homage to the grunkle of the Hawai’i craft beer scene himself, Tom Kerns, and his brewery, Big Island Brewhaus. Naturally, all of the beer was great. We tried most of the menu through flights and the favorites were the Golden Sabbath and White Mountain Porter. We got fries as well and they were good. Service was great, and there’s a nice merch selection. Extremely worth it to make the trip to Waimea for this place.

@Marc either you’re a liar or illiterate, because the menu clearly states that chips are a $1 add-on to the green chili, and that adding on fries to a sandwich is $7. You complain that dishes are $20 and up but your green chili (without chips) is $12 on the menu. If your fries were $14, that’s because you got the largest size of the most expensive fries they serve. If you need chili plus enough fries to feed 3+ people (plus an appetizer and a beer?) in order to sate yourself, then you should be used to paying a lot for food by now.

@jared York gdi, not you too. As previously stated, an add-on of fries is $7, not $9. If it was $9 then you got garlic fries, which is obviously going to be more expensive. “Wasn’t informed pre order”…since when was it the responsibility of the waitstaff to read the menu for you? Or you could have easily asked how much the fries would be??? Maybe I should add “Can read menus” to my resume, since it seems to be a special...

The reviews here were very helpful and mostly accurate. It was pretty hopping at 1pm on a Saturday, no shock there. We easily found a spot in overflow parking at the cherry trees and walked over. There was only one group to be seated in front of us, so we were able to get either a table outside or seats for two at the bar. We chose the latter and had a very nice time joking a bit with the bartender in moments between his quite busy load (which he handled very well... nice to watch a pro at work). The place was steadily full and I wouldn't say it was incredibly fast but it wasn't slow service or kitchen speed either. Perfectly reasonable considering everything, so as long as you go with the right expectations, you should be quite happy.

So, all that said, the food is phenomenal. We had burgers with garlic fries and they were delicious. Best burger I can remember in a good while and the aioli for the fries was great. The beers are all quite good. Even the ones that aren't my preferred style are obviously very well made. The sampler platters (customize with 5 choices) are an excellent way to take a tour of the dozen or so choices on tap. I would personally recommend the Belgians. If you drove, be mindful of the relatively high ABV on a number of...