Ola Brew Co — Restaurant in Hawaii

I swung into Ola a few weeks ago and I probably won't be back. I remember fondly visiting when they were new and sort of taking up the reins of the little brewery as Kona grew up and out.

I walked in and saw one clearly tourist couple at the bar, they looked absolutely miserable as they sat in silence and I assumed maybe one wanted to be there an the other didn't.

But alas as the only other patron I felt somewhat connected, being discouraged by the bartender when asking for any advice on what someone who wanted to try something new/different/etc. "Oh, I thought..." I would say being met with being told that no, I'm wrong about what I remembered from every other visit. Definitely not welcoming.

So I punted and ordered a flight, picked my favorite and had a pint. Before I finished it several "interesting" folks began accumulating around the bar. Let's just say very spirited (offensive for most people) conversation. I wasn't paying particular attention trying to tune it out and so I was caught off guard that somehow I missed last call (for me), the bartender didn't bat an eye and pointed to the crowd and said "they all work here" and told me I'm past last call for the night.

Though I can't believe as a business they would take this stance, I definitely got the vibe they were not interested in my business as an outsider. Which I can't believe after having so many welcoming experiences over the years prior and being in such a tourism based area... But as my girlfriend concluded, maybe they prefer to be locals only. Real shame if so.

So, unfortunately, I can't and won't recommend to...

The wife knows how much I love visiting breweries, especially ones we've never been to so she knew when coming to Big Island, that I'd want to check out Ola brewing since I have yet to come here.

Service a plus. Friendly, helpful and outgoing bartenders. No complaints here. Oh foresee I wanted to maximize what beers I tasted while minimizing how drunk I got so one flight FTW! I started with four, so I didn't end up with a warm beer at the end. I really enjoyed each pour and was pleasantly surprised when I saw the pricing...super affordable!

We just arrived on island so we were a bit hungry. The wife got tacos. I think they were veggie tacos and she really enjoyed them. I went with the burger because I love me a good burger! This one was really good with the exception that the meat was a bit on the salty side. Thankfully I had beer tho to help out. I will say though that I personally am a very low salt eater so the level of saltiness of the meat could be acceptable for most, just not for me and the wife felt the same.

Lots of seating. There's even an entire dining room area that is separate from the bar area and a decent amount of outdoor seating too. You get good sunset views from some of the outdoor seating.

Parking is a little confusing. There's street parking on both sides of the road BUT on one side of Ola (before Ola when going up the hill), you will find a small parking lot that I think is for Ola.

It's one of those self-bus places (Portland was infamous for these) that asks for a tip when paying, which always...

Nice place, nice atmosphere however--- disappointed in service and visual appeal. Ideal setup in bar room - however, unless you are a "regular", you feel ignored until there is nothing better for the staff to do than wait on you! Personable enough but come on, this is supposed to be a customer driven business - no? Been here in previous years and attributed lack of customer service to "growing pains" - unfortunately, not much has changed. Maybe it's a sign of the times! Love the setup where you can overlook the brewing operation. However, sorely disappointed in the visual changes over the past couple years! Keep it clean! Looks like mold, etc. on the opposite side of the glass. "Customer perception" is everything! Really would like to see this place flourish but maybe they are growing too fast? UPDATE - give credit where credit is due! Friends came into town and wanted to visit this establishment. Reluctantly, I returned. Pleasantly surprised that the service was better (at least while we were there) and the mold was cleaned off the window sills in the brewing room. Maybe someone from the brewery read my previous review! Hopefully...