4. Restaurants

Hola Arepa

3501 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55408
  • (612) 345-5583
  • Store is closed

Hola Arepa Menu

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Visit below restaurant in Minneapolis for healthy meals suggestion.

Arby’s ( 5444 Brooklyn Blvd )

Visit below restaurant in Minneapolis for healthy meals suggestion.

Arby’s ( 5444 Brooklyn Blvd )

  • Erin H.

    It's a small place, so you might have to wait for a table, but well worth it. The food is hearty and delicious, with some interesting cocktails to boot. And the customer service is superb--I haven't felt so well taken care of at a restaurant in awhile.

    (5)

  • Kate M.

    With the promise, but not delivery, of warmer weather comes the return of food trucks. One of my first trucks, and most- frequented, is the lovely robin's egg blue, Hola Arepa. Arepas filled with slow cooked pork, chicken, ham and pulled pork, sweet potatoes, etc. A choice of chips and gauc or chips and salsa. Lemonade or tea, or lemonade and tea. I don't really have too much fuss with the truck to knock off two stars. I do wish the menu had a little more rotation. I've heard chorizo things are on the horizon and i tried the pulled pork and Cuban ham arepa and most recently the chicken mole...but I feel like there are so many other things to explore than chicken and slow cooked pork.

    (3)

  • G M.

    Went on a Saturday afternoon after 3pm. The place was busy but we got seated right away. I had the shredded beef with plantains and my dinner mate had the Cuban. Both were delicious and the yucca fries were hot and crispy. I tried both green sauces and liked them both. Service was great. Can't wait to go back

    (5)

  • Ben J.

    How is a place that serves casual Latin street food not open for LUNCH? I tried stopping by again at dinner and was disappointed to see a full service concept stuck in a space barely bigger than their original food truck. If I want entitled tattooed servers and aloof hosts with pretty faces I can go to Uptown for that. No luck ordering at the bar, as the "mixologist" was too busy trying to throw game on a couple college chicks. A food truck turned Uptown bar scene appears to be what this place is. I just want a freaking Arepa.

    (1)

  • Rick P.

    We had such a great meal! We laughed, talked and ate our little hearts out enjoying the great cocktails, local beers, sangria and a nice bottle of wine, all on a Tuesday night!! The place was rocking, we were talking and the food was bossin! A don't miss in south Minneapolis!

    (5)

  • Mackenzie S.

    Sooo good!! Food is ready fast and it's delish!! It's hard to have a conversation without shouting but it's a good place to go for a yummy quick meal.

    (5)

  • John W.

    We all need more Arepa's in our lives. Great atmosphere and delicious food. The quesillo salad is a must try, cant argue with fried cheese curds and when is the last time you had gooseberries? The pork arepa is stuffed full of slow roasted and well seasoned pork and the adobo chicken arepa was very tasty as well.

    (5)

  • Ralph M.

    If this place isn't heaven, I don't know what is.

    (5)

  • Kevin T.

    The arepas here are great! The pork was well seasoned and the yuca fries are soo creamy. Get the fernet with house cola to wash it down. And the soundtrack was the icing on the cake.

    (5)

  • Tino K.

    Love, love, love this food truck! Stood in a very long line at the Food Truck Fair and damn, if it wasn't worth it. I've had three different arepas, but my favorite is hands-down the roasted pork. So tender, flavorful and delicious! Yum! Don't even care how messy they are; if people are staring at me oddly because I'm licking my fingers after devouring my Hola Arepa treat then they just don't KNOW...

    (5)

  • Jason K.

    A good friend of mine and I took a walk down Marquette and saw the turquoise truck on 6th and Marquette with about 15 people in line. I had heard the line goes quick, which is how a lot of trucks should treat their customers. Order on left, food on right, they didn't have 20 people waiting for their food like a lot of the food trucks do. I ordered the Chimichurri chicken Arepa and my buddy and I went across the street to the food court for a table and a lot of laughs and great conversation. After two bites, I knew this was way too messy to eat as a sandwich, so I will eat it with a fork and knife next time, but Dear Lord! The cornbread like bun is so crispy and amazing! The meat is juicy and the aioli (Fancy people way of saying mayo) was fantastic! The flavors were amazing! The service was fantastic, the food was amazing, and the sauces (They have hot, extra hot, sweet and some other were good) I loved it! My coworker loved it too, 5 stars!

    (5)

  • John B.

    We stopped by Hola Arepa's new location and it was great. The food was delicious and the place was hopping with people. It was nice to see one of our favorite food trucks turn into a B&M resteraunt. I had the Slow roasted pork and I had a few bites of the chimichurri chicken. I am sure we will go back.

    (5)

  • Brad R.

    Great food, I've been there 3 times now and like everything I've had. I can be over crowded at times, but totally worth it!

    (5)

  • Deidred A.

    THIS IS FOR THE RESTAURANT Went here on Saturday after trying to chase down the food truck for months. In a word: Yeezus! For a restaurant that has only been open for a few days it is exceptionally well ran. The ambiance is the perfect fusion of tropical and modern. Seeing it puts a smile on your face while making you feel cool for eating there. And the dishes! Yes, at this time they are simple. Hola just moved from the food truck to the restaurant literally a few days ago. But man are they home runs. Best arepas this side of Venezuela. Light, crispy, with a hint of salt. And the filling options really combine the best of Caribbean and South America cuisine while bringing in modern twists. The pork cooked to perfection. The plantains are just like my Abuela makes. Topping of the greatness that is Hola is the value. The appetizers and arepas are very reasonable. If you skip drinks and desert you can walk out having spent less than $35 for two people. Hola was a fantastic dining experience and is a real jewel for the city of Minneapolis. I will be going back often and suggest that you go soon before the wait gets too long.

    (5)

  • Drew W.

    Had a great lunch here today. Nice selection of arepas. The wait staff was friendly and very helpful.

    (5)

  • Dan B.

    A while back my friend, Tim (aka Draper Pryce), had the chance to try Hola Arepa. They had quite a selection on their menu ranging from a classic Cuban to a chicken avocado salad, but they specialize in Arepas. According to the sign "an Arepa is a cornmeal patty cooked on a griddle, split and filled with deliciousness". I decided to go with the Cuban Arepa and a Mexican Coke to wash it down. Shut-the-front-door do I love Mexican Coke! Tim went the Slow Roasted Pork Arepa, chips with guacamole, and a Ginger Lemonade. We were both very happy with out choices. My Cuban was very flavorful and juicier than any I've ever had. As I stood in the parking lot eating a puddle of juices formed below me. It probably helped that I covered mine in one of their four fabulous sauces. The chips were crispy and light, but not so light they didn't stand up to being dipped in the guacamole. The guac was nice and fresh, a little on the mild side for me, but I easily could have added a little of their hot sauce to kick it up. Tim really enjoyed his Pork Arepa as well. Tons of meat. He also could not stop raving about the Ginger Lemonade. The real ginger made the drink for him. All and all, we left full and happy. My only complaint is that Hola Arepa spends most of it's time in Minneapolis. I get it. Food trucks go where the hungry people are, but when will a Saint Paulite like me get another chance at a Arepa?

    (4)

  • H L.

    Great food, awesome sangria and warm service. My husband and I agreed the noise was unbearable. We rushed the end of our meal to escape the restaurant, to the relative peace and quiet of Nicollet Avenue. We'll go back for take out or patio service (the patio is large, but was packed on a beautiful day), but never inside the restaurant again.

    (3)

  • Josiah O.

    I was the 2nd to last person to get served this one fine day! While I was thrilled that I got in line right in time. I wish I had been a little earlier. Because as it was all they had to serve us was the Chimichurri Chicken. I wanted to try something else but I was pleased to get anything at all. So I gladly and politely said give me the chicken!!! It took about 5 to 6 minutes to prepare and I picked it up and grabbed a hunk of spinach with the chimichurri all over it. Holy BRIGHT and still pretty earthy. It was pretty close to perfect. I just wish there was an easier way to carry it and eat. That got a little messy. But worth the mess. You just gotta lick your fingers clean! And there were no more sauces in bottles. They go quick!! I'll end my review here and revise it later. I want to go and order the Pork and Sweet Potato arepa. I'll let you know how that one is. I'm expecting very good to great!

    (3)

  • Alexa C.

    Great food, not bad prices. Gluten free! I loved the way their sandwiches tasted, and the various salsas you could add to them. The guacamole was delicious, just wish you could get a little bigger portion, but for $2 chips and salsa, it's a good enough deal. Get their early, it can take awhile to get the food as the lunch crowd grows, and they run out of food too.

    (5)

  • Randall N.

    Hola Arepa=Hola delicious. Why did I not get here sooner? I had the chimmichurri chicken arepa though I seriously could have tried each flavor they had cuz they all sounded so good. Anyways, I love me some chimmirchurri...I'm going to blame a semester in Buenos AIres on that one. But chimmichurri is tricky. It can be super oily or too herbal. Finding the right balance can be so difficult. Hola Arepa has found it. The herbs are bright and flavorful without overpowering thier house sauces and the tastes of the tomato, chicken and greens. And dear lord was that chicken tender. I honestly expected a flavorful arepa but the tenderness of the chicken was a surprise. I only wish the arepas were a little bigger because I certainly could have eaten more. The strawberry iced tea was a bit of a let down. The strawberry flavor was pretty absent to me (I think a pinch of sugar could've brought it out) and the tea itself was strong at all. All in all I will be back to try other flavors because the chicken chimmichurri was delish.

    (4)

  • Steve C.

    Hola Arepa is a great food truck that frequents downtown Minneapolis. The Chimichurri Chicken Arepa and the Slow Roasted Pork Arepa are both delicious. Be sure to order a side of chips and try a couple of their sauces which range from mild and tangy to hot and spicy. The Hola sauce is a crowd pleaser.

    (4)

  • Cailin R.

    Delicious food! A little too pricey for what you get-- especially for how long you have to spend in line. Very fresh food. Flavorful and unexpected. It's unique! It feels like a well kept secret in Minneapolis, but tons of business people head there for lunch in the middle of the day.

    (4)

  • Ryan K.

    I'm trying my hardest to be polite here, but $12.5 for an arepa - don't get me wrong it was ok food but we walked away feeling like we got hustled...In addition to insane price points it was about as much trendiness as I could stomach. Great service, cool people but from a business standpoint it comes off as a gentrification poster child.

    (2)

  • Danielle P.

    The guacamole is wonderful. If you like your hot sauce spicy you could ask for it and it's awesome.

    (4)

  • Michael J.

    So much fun and terrific food. I really enjoyed sitting outside at the bar window looking in. It was a warm and calm night, so busy that they had run out of some menu items, yet everyone was dancing behind the bar.

    (5)

  • Steven P.

    Delicious. Will go out of my way to return!

    (4)

  • Peter C.

    I was here briefly for some apps last week for my birthday with a friend. It was sweltering hot and due to all the rain that we had had, outside seating was filled with a plethora of mosquitoes. UGH! But, that's not Hola's fault. Due to this, we kept the apps (timing wise) short. Shared the tortilla chips with the 3 sauces and guacamole. Delicious! Service was slow-ish but friendly. The place was very, very busy so this was understandable. Great atmosphere with all the laughs and smiles from other patrons. Will need to come back again to try the rest out. At the bar this particular evening was also a tan-colored french bulldog which was adorable!

    (5)

  • Mpls D.

    Great patio and great good! Server was excellent and knowledgable with the menu. Dog and kid friendly! However sometimes when busy it can be over stimulating because it is somewhat cramped.

    (4)

  • Jacob R.

    I met some friends for a birthday dinner here. The food was different than what I am accustomed but I absolutely loved it. We shared the Arepitas (fried jalepeno and goat cheese balls) as an appetizer and they were so tasty-not overwhelmingly spicy which for me is great. I ordered the Adobo Chicken for dinner and what was presented still visits me in dreams. I can't cook so to have that many wonderful and fresh flavors dancing in my mouth was truly as good as it gets.

    (5)

  • Maren C.

    Fantastic! And gluten-free friendly for those who care. Welcome to the neighborhood!

    (5)

  • Rebecca R.

    My husband a I were driving by this "cute" place and decided to stop in. The decor was fun and trendy! I must go to destination for your average hipster! Food....yum! I enjoyed the pulled pork arepa with a Kill the Moon cocktail, suggested by our server kayla. We'll go back!

    (5)

  • Sajan T.

    Excellent Arepa(s), must try if you work downtown minneapolis

    (5)

  • Chung Kit T.

    I have NO fricken' clue why it took me so long to try an arepa. Quite frankly, I didn't even know what it was until I found out about this place on Yelp. I really had no idea how it was going to taste. Maybe I will like it. Maybe not. Well, my doubts came to a halting stop when I munched through the first arepa. It was so YUMMEH! The slow-roasted pork was tender and flavorful all stashed between two corn pockets. I don't think I've ever tasted anything quite like this before. I've had all kinds of Latin American food but this arepa is new to me but once I tasted it, I knew this place was a special gem. The chicken chimichurri arepa was also top notch. The chicken meat was tender and seasoned well. The chimichurri sauce really helped elevate that chicken arepa. I am HUGE fan of red meat but this chicken was really good. I would give this arepa the tastiest chicken I've had and would rank this up as high as the slow-roasted pork arepa. Yucca fries? They come in 4 sticks. They are the yummiest 4 sticks of fries you will ever eat. Dip them in the chimichurri or aoili verde sauce and you have yourself an incredibly tasty treat. The fries are fluffy in nature because of the yucca plant. It really is off the charts. I can probably just order the fries here and still leave a 5 star rating. That's how good these babies were! I'm actually craving them right now and I'm not even hungry! Back to the aoili verde and chimichurri sauces. Both are delicious. I suggest you try both as they are vastly different from one another. One's fresh and tangy and the other one is creamy spicy. Both are amazing to dip your fries or arepas in. Man oh man, I can't wait to try the other arepas. If you were to come up to me and ask me what an arepa was, I would have to say go try one at Hola Arepa. I really have no clue how to describe one without drooling. P.S. They actually have a parking lot. Had no idea until I parked in the street and walked to the restaurant.

    (5)

  • John R.

    I had a hankering for Mexican food and I came upon this place, me and a couple friends saw the name and said that's Mexican food for sure. Well it wasn't your typical food, enchiladas and tacos and stuff. They had these things called Arepa (?) Kind of a pancake but not as sweet by any stretch of the imagination. Mine was filled with Chicken Adobo and beans. It was great. Made an absolute mess of myself but it was amazing. They also had these fries called Yuca Fries and they were delightful. I'm not usually a fan of big potatoy fries a la Red Robin but these were crispy on the outside and fluffy in. They came with a couple different dipping sauces that were very good. The staff was friendly if anything maybe too friendly but that is a rare sight these days. I had a great experience and meal here. Would suggest it for my more adventurous eating friends. I could see people being put off by it.

    (4)

  • Emily H.

    I was incredibly disappointed when the bartender that was helping us was rude to us when we explained to him that we indeed hadn't heard of the restaurant and that it was our first time there. We decided to give it another try because the food is great. A couple near us politely waved at the same bartender that was rude to us before to get his attention. He said, "Don't worry, I can see you and your hair from here." He then started talking negatively about that couple to another couple near us. We paid and left. The food is great, but being treated the way we were and the other couple was trumps the food. I will not go back.

    (2)

  • Roman S.

    Holy expensive Arepa! this is the most expensive arepa i have seen to date at about 12$ with some yuca fries. It was actually quite tasty. It's big enough with the side to make most people however, don't expect to be stuffed. The place gets busy.

    (4)

  • Mary T.

    Hola Arepa was our last stop before heading back home. The fun, funky space was a great stop for a quick brunch. After a short wait, we got a patio spot, thankfully a shaded one. An arepa fan, I was excited to try the place and had already perused the menu more than once. The menu isn't huge, but it is thoughtful. I went with the black bean and queso fresco arepa and he went with the chorizo and egg arepa. We both opted for the yucca fries on the side with aioli. All I can say is yumma! While it's the taste that counts, our dishes arrived bright, colorful and tasty-looking. It was all the encouragement we needed to dig in and savor every bite. If I lived in the area, this spot would be in frequent rotation and I'd probably get some boozy drinks to accompany my food.

    (5)

  • Alice M.

    I've been a huge fan of Hola Arepa for awhile, and my first brunch there today didn't disappoint. I was pleased to arrive around 11 and not have to wait for a table because the patio being open doubles their capacity. We tried the arepitas and silver dollar cachapas to start and were happy we did! There were great flavors and textures in both, though we couldn't find the gooseberry in the arepitas. I got the tostada chilaquiles with pork and was very impressed. Beautiful presentation and fresh ingredients. It does get soggy pretty quickly, though. The chorizo & egg and chimichurri chicken arepas were delicious as well, and I could eat that yuca & aioli combo everyday! I usually love drinks here, and was really happy with the diablo. I love me a spicy tequila beverage and the diablo delivered. I was not into the Bloody Mary though-- too chunky with an off putting taste. Stick to the mimosas if you want a brunchy beverage. I love going to hola arepa but miss the days of the food truck. The arepas were cheaper and you had a salsa selection at your disposal. Still, I'm super happy that this is now a brunch option in addition to happy hour & dinner!

    (4)

  • Joe B.

    Well where to begin... Let's get the the one bad item out of the way, which for the most part isn't that big of a deal. Parking stinks. You may have to park a ways and hoof it to the restaurant....if that is a problem for you, I suggest you toughen up. it is very much worth the effort. The Wife and I stopped in for brunch. we sat at the bar to wait for a table when we learned from our bartender that you can eat at the bar! Hurray for us! Speaking of the bar their drinks are professionally crafted, and I always love a bar who makes their own bitters so hat off to Hola Arepa for that. The brunch menu presented very difficult decisions. everything look pretty good. I ended up getting the Arepa Benedict (I love hollandaise sauce, I think it should be served as a soup), and my wife opted for the slow roasted pork with black beans. Both were wonderful dishes, and nicely plated. Oh, and before I forget; the yucca fries are awesome! The cool think I like about this place (this is the second time eating here) is that both wait staff and patrons ara a hoot to strike up conversations with while you wait for your meal. I truly recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Jake R.

    Excellent food and excellent service. The Arepas are the only thing I've had and they are amazing. Oh you are gluten free, you say? Well you can take this Latin sandwich and shove-it! Into your mouth, that is- cuz these baby's are 100% corn meal, gluten free goodness. Don't get me wrong, I love my gluten, but not everyone does. It's good to know that you can eat a sandwich and be so dang satisfied, regardless of our dietary restrictions. I've had the fried egg and ham. D-lish! The egg is a primo, medium fried and it goos all over your ham. Excellent choice. The Cuban is also mucho madness, with home-made pickles, kick ass mustard and smokey shredded pork. The shredded beef and plantain is super good. Un-expected glory that exists from a marriage of fried (or grilled, not sure) not-so-sweet bananas and a pulled beef that is too good to not order again. The chorizo is my personal favorite. The amount of flavors and textures literally knocked my socks off. I think they fell into the fryer across the street at pats tap, cuz those fries tasted like feet. If you only get one- get the chorizo. It is dreamy. The sauces for the Yucca are both excellent. Spend the half dolla and order both. Pour it on your Sammie. Oh the yucca? Is it good? You ever had brasa's yucca? Yeah- brasa's ain't got jack on Hola's crispy, crunchy, super fluffy fries. Service is good- drinks are fun (sangria is a house special) but don't come here for anything but the food. It is worth every peso.

    (5)

  • Kurt M.

    Hola Arepa is another great addition to the South Mpls dining scene. As others have noted, Arepas are a South American sandwich consisting of a savory filling between two cornmeal griddle cakes. I've tried and can highly recommend the Slow-roasted Pork (with black beans, cotija cheese and Hola sauce), the Adobo Chicken (with back beans, cotija cheese, pickled cabbage and chopotle aioli) and the Black Bean and Queso Fresco (with tomato, pickled cabbage and Hola sauce). The side sauces are fresh and delicious, especially the aioli verde with a smooth but potent kick to it. Yuca fries are an excellent alternative to standard potato fries. The fried cauliflower (lightly dusted in corn flour) is addictive and served with a lemon-parsley aioli, pickled onion, arugula and jalapeno. The patio is wonderful when the weather cooperates. Inside can get a bit crowded and noisy. Service is pleasant. Plenty of side-street parking so you can comfortably avoid the tiny, congested parking lot if you choose to do so.

    (4)

  • Trupti T.

    I decided to visit Hola Arepas for my trip to MN after reading about the nomination for Bon Appétit Top 10 restaurants in America. The Shiitake Cachapas I ordered were absolutely delicious. I think it had just be right tanginess to it, with buttery and overall very yummy. The arepas though, I ordered chimichuri chicken arepas, the chicken would have been much better shredded and not big chunks. Also, chimichuri sauce was mostly sour and missed the herb flavor to it. My chicken also had a after taste to it. The yucca fries were decent, I will go again just to try their small plates. I am not sure I would go for arepas But definitely good ambiance and place to have dinner.

    (3)

  • Jay B.

    I had forgotten about this place, we started at Revival, then Nighthawks, both of these places had lines out the door at 5:45 pm on a Saturday!!! The crowd at Hola looked smaller. We sat at the outside bar and found the noise level much lower than in the actual building. The yucca fries are really really good. I had the pork and sweet potato Arepa, she had the Plantain Tostadas which included shredded beef. Both dishes were full of flavor and well made. This town has just way too many restaurants to visit.

    (5)

  • Jennifer F.

    Aaah, how did I not know this place was directly across the street from my salon?! Probably cause they aren't open during lunch! Hubby and I went here for happy hour with a few family members. We had to park a bit down the street, don't hold your breath thinking you're going to score a spot in their 5 car lot! We got there around 5:30 and it was already getting crowded. Fortunately the rest of our party had already snagged a table so no waiting for us. First, let me say, happy hour menu ftw. The arepas are $6, the yucca fries $4, so $10 to order them separately compared to $11.50 for the dinner version. Whaaaat. So I've never had an arepa before. I grew up in San Diego and somehow never heard of them?! I feel a little left out. They are SO good. I got the slow roasted pork arepa - easily the best out of the chicken and the black bean versions. Cornmeal griddle cake? Hells yes. It was slightly sweet and went amazingly with my pork. I wasn't super hungry, so I only ate half my arepa and got a box to take the rest home. We also ordered their special (see pic), chips with guac, the arepitas, and yucca fries. We shared everything family style and that seemed to work well. I enjoyed every dish, especially the yucca fries, I can't really think of a time when I've had something like those! Drinks were top notch too, I had their version of an old fashioned, which has rum instead of whiskey/bourbon, could hardly tell the difference! Our server was great and worked hard to make sure we got in everything before the happy hour ended. By the time we left, the place was a zoo. I can't fathom trying to come here for dinner and not being able to make reservations. But I feel like it's a trade-off for the terrible traffic you run in to trying to get there after work! So I guess it's a big bonus if you already live in the area. Like most places in S. Mpls, I would definitely come here again, the food and drinks are great! It's just such a drive for us. If they were open for lunch during the week I could definitely see myself grabbing an arepa to go after my once a month salon visit. I see they have a food truck, maybe I will see them at one of the NE breweries some day!

    (4)

  • Eleanor J.

    The Arepas are out of this world. Delicious. I particularly enjoyed the Chorizo Arepa, with the tangy cole slaw. The aioli dipping sauce was mouth-wateringly delicious. Yucca fries were really delicious. I forgot what they were called, but the goat cheese fried appetizer balls in the sweet sauce were the best thing ever! So delicious. 4 stars because they forgot our appetizer, and the dessert - oh, the horror! I'm the first person to try something new, and I really thought the doughnut slider sounded interesting. I really thought it had potential. It was so totally gross - fried, caramelized chicken skin over a bed of strawberries and a gooey salt snot. I wanted to like it, but alas, it was so gross.

    (4)

  • Andrew C.

    Pros: Terrific food, even better value. Great drinks. Cool spot and layout. Cons: it gets busy! I've never been to the food truck which means I've been missing out. What a terrific neighborhood spot! The restaurant itself is really nicely laid out, it has a bar and booths but this place's claim to fame (besides the excellent food) is the awesome patio on the side. It's just perfect for those beautiful MPS summer nights! The food, in a word, is outstanding. Expect to only have to pay about $20-30 per person tops, including appetizers, desserts. The way you really pump up the volume in the bill is with their cocktails which are delicious and way too tempting. It's ironic because since their entrees top out around $12 and their cocktails are up to $9, you actually spend far more on alcohol than food (which from what I understand, is a common thing in the North). Overall, the food tastes fresh and the cuisine is fun. Think Spanish tapas meets solid streetside Mexican food with a dash of vegetarian options. You cannot go wrong with this place. Bring the family, guys or girls night out...you're all going to have a great time! Just make sure to Uber it ok?

    (4)

  • Cassidy L.

    This is my favorite restaurant in the city hands down. They offer an almost entirely gluten-free menu (perfect for friends who require this), the food is amazing and different, and the service is exceptional. The drinks are strong and tasty I hear, but I like to stick to beer. Their tap beer list is alright, but I primarily come here for the food. The yucca fries and chimichurri sauce are an absolute must for anyone eating here. It's the right amount of kick and flavor to the crispy yet soft yucca. The hot salsas and guac are really good too. This is where I learned that I should always include corn in my guac. The salsas can be a bit hot. I love spicy food, but their hottest one (name is escaping me) is quite spicy. Still delicious though. The arepas are amazing. I don't know how anyone leaves this restaurant hungry. I've had an assortment of arepas. My favorites are the fried egg and ham and the black bean. The chimi chicken is a runner-up, but the beef ones fell flat with saltiness. I truly am not a salt fan, so I was turned away by those. The pickled cabbage might be my favorite part of the arepas I have tried. The service is usually very attentive and I like their patio. You almost forget you are in a not-so-great part of the city directly across from a not-so-hot gas station. The two cons: no parking and not open on Mondays. Plan on street parking and praying that you have your side mirrors when you're done dining. Fact: I saw two cars side-swipe a line of cars while dining at Pat's once (directly across the street).

    (5)

  • Tyler S.

    I was extremely excited to try this restaurant after having enjoyed their food truck downtown! Initial impressions were great with the bright blue trick reflected in their color scheme and overall design. It only went downhill from there. We ended up walking out after waiting 20 minutes without anyone acknowledging us at our table. Food looked great but some of the worst customer service I've experienced in the cities. Cleanliness seems to be lower on the priority level given the dozens of flies throughout landing on people, food, and other things I don't care to imagine. Bottom line: great food can't save the awful customer service and overall experience. Stick with the food truck Hola.

    (1)

  • Cindy W.

    MMm... I got the beef arepa with plaintains and it was really tasty. The yucca fries are really crispy but soft on the inside as well. My only gripe is that it's like $13 for a plate... I think that's a bit overpriced. The drinks are good and reasonably priced ($8.50 for a cocktail). The vibe has that Austin, TX hipster vibe. It's a great place to grab lunch and drinks with friends and they have an outdoor patio.

    (4)

  • Sara M.

    Can't say enough about this place! Food was delicious, service was fast and helpful, drinks were great, love, love, love! You must get the chips/salsa/guac, great way to start the meal. Then we had 2 arepas, chorizo and beef/plaintain, both were fresh and lots of flavor, would get both again. Also had the cauliflower and the nightly special which was brussels sprouts, wow both were outstanding. The sprouts must become a menu item! Can't wait to return!

    (5)

  • Angie S.

    I never actually had an arepa before giving this place a try, even though I had seen the food truck around numerous times. My friend is a vegetarian, so we tried the Black Bean & Queso Fresco Arepa. I would say it was "okay". There seemed to be more of the arepa breading than stuffing. I would be willing to give one of the other delicious sounding options with meat a try off the menu another time. This place has banging appetizers though! I have been a few times and these are my favs: Areitas-little balls stuff with spicy goat cheese and quince (fig flavored) sauce Shiitake Cachapa-sweet corn pancake with mushrooms, truffle oil, greens, egg Plantain Tostadas-beef or beans with crema (yummy!), watermelon relish, sauces Tortilla chips with 3 salsas! Hola sauce was creamy, spicy and sweet I would also highly recommend their specialty cocktails! They have so many to choose from, but I happen to love the Hola Fashioned and Cortez the Killer.

    (5)

  • Brittanie M.

    Went here for brunch last Saturday morning and it was a great decision. I was a little apprehensive since I'm not familiar with a lot of South American cuisine (it tends to be too spicy for me) but it turned out to be unfounded. I went with the fried chicken and cachapas plate sans jalapeños, with a coffee (they use the local go-to Peace brand). The chicken was juicy, encased in a very crispy batter with spices. It was delicious with a splash of the chipotle-infused maple syrup (a bit too smoky-spicy for me to use a lot but it added great flavour dimension). I got the two cachapas option which was almost too much but they were so delicious that I had no qualms filling myself to the brim on them. They're a thick corn cake with cheese. The plate seemed to have three of them rather than two so maybe I just got a bonus but the cachapas with the chicken, bacon, and fried egg together was one of the most delicious breakfasts I can remember having. I'd also never had (or even heard of) gooseberries before but they taste exactly like a tomato and an orange had offspring and are really weird. Service was friendly and fast, even on a really busy Saturday, and there's a lot of outdoor seating on the side patio. Prices are normal for local brunch (My plate and coffee plus tip was just over $21). I look forward to coming back!

    (5)

  • Crystal L.

    My first taste of latin american food was in NYC, so.....unfortunately, for most Latin American joints that have come after that they just can never reach that bar. First of all, SO BUSY. We went on a late Saturday night and it was just so packed...we ended up just sitting at the bar, which was fine, but super cramped. Definitely didn't feel comfortable at all, but I understand that was partially our fault for coming at such a busy time anyways. We started off with the Tortilla Chips appetizer (add the guacamole for a little extra) and if you can, get two things of the Hola sauce, the Aji Verde was blah. Our arepas were just alright. WAY WAY WAY too much. There was just so much meat and stuff.....the simpler the better I feel because it was all so overwhelming.

    (3)

  • Keith S.

    I generally don't find myself thinking about Yelp when I'm eating. This time I did. I was wondering if I give too many 5 star reviews because it really doesn't happen often that I'm moaning "oh my god" as I'm eating food. This was one of those times. Thursday night. 8pm. Three of us. It's busy. Surprisingly busy. The stools across from the bar are open so we grab those after putting our name in and get some drinks. Drinks are really good. Hola Fashioned, very smoky version of the Old Fashioned. Had another lemonady type drink that I can't remember but I really wanted it to be summer after having that. Got a booth 15 minutes later. Quicker than anticipated. Server was great and explained a few things on the menu as none of us had been there. Plantain tostadas. This was so ^&%@ good. Textures and taste galore. Molote (on the specials menu). Excellent. Cuban Arepa. Ooof. I love Cubans and Hola did no wrong here. Great variation. Messy. Delicious. The yucca fries that come with it are like eating a small child's arm. In the best possible way. GREAT food. Very good service. Fun atmosphere. Reasonably priced. I'm a habitual late adopter to new restaurants. Looking forward to making up lost time and coming back soon.

    (5)

  • Emily R.

    Once a food truck, now a food truck and a restaurant. I came here just to try out their drinks. We sat at the bar and watched the mixologist at work. Their cocktails are super! I had a fruity drink, I wish I could remember the name (attached is the picture). I also tried a tequila drink that was red (I seriously can't pronounce the names). I also tried the egg nog one. They put a whole egg in it. May frighten you BUT it was my favorite. And I don't even like eggnog. Bartenders are awesome and super friendly. Fun bar to get to know everyone. I'm excited to come back and try the food! Here's a few tips: *Don't try to go here Monday's, they are closed *It's a small restaurant so you might have to wait *Obviously order a drink

    (5)

  • Ann J.

    It is fine but not worth the hype. I would suggest the small plates vs the arepas. The Yuka fries and aioli are good but the arepas are dry and not that great. Essentially a big dry English muffin sandwich. The best part was the ice cream sandwich

    (3)

  • Matt E.

    All the hype is legit, everything is amazing!

    (5)

  • Liz A.

    I love this food truck! Okay its not as delicious as Caracas (the Arepas shop in the East Village NYC which I believe inspired the owner's opening of this food truck) but it's Minneapolis' closest thing and delicious flavors all around! I had the black bean arepa (which can be made vegan to boot!). the arepa itself was probably the best part (seriously wishing this place was open earlier so i could eat this for breakfast!) also their mild and tangy sauce was AMAAZINGG. i would eat that with everything! they ran out of guacamole when i was there which was kind of a bummer but i did go at the end of the lunch hour so that's excusable. and it is definitely a wait, but totally worth it. yummm!

    (4)

  • Libby S.

    Best food truck in St.Paul/Minneapolis HANDS DOWN. Service is fast (as allowed by the massive lines) and friendly while the food is a knock out. Love it!

    (5)

  • amy z.

    What can a girl get on the street for $5? An Arepa of course! Today's lunch was provided by the food truck Hola Arepa. Normally this is parked in the North Loop but today I was lucky to find it down the block from my office on Marquette Ave. How lucky was I today? I got the chicken arepa and the cucumber mint lemonade. It was all wonderful and totally filling. The lemonade was a little sweeter than I prefer but as the ice melted the sweetness began to tame down. I hope they keep the Marquette location.

    (4)

  • Ann L.

    Honestly, I though I was getting ripped off for such a small little tortilla wrap, but boy was I wrong. That tortilla was endless and I was so full after it! Their food had a great aroma to it. I had the vegetarian. Their food was good and their sauce was bravo. Their service was nice. If you like grits and tacos, then I think you will like this place.

    (3)

  • Julie S.

    I love arepas! The chicken salad with avocado and lemonade are both delicious and perfect for Summer. I was so happy when they were right by my office, by the Hilton. I have to go a bit further for it now. My only concern with that is the wait time I had in the first week. It was way too long for a workday lunch hour, especially if there is a longer walk involved. I am going to give the benefit of the doubt on your process because I think they will get the swing of it. I heard that some of the other food truck chefs have been giving them tips on how to make it quicker. I love our community!

    (4)

  • Zehr S.

    decent south american food

    (4)

  • X Q.

    there's a reason the line gets super long during lunchtime, tasty arepas! i didn't mind the long line because it gave me time to agonize over what to order, all of the choices sounded so good. ended up ordering the chicken, but had a bite of my friend's pork one and liked it better. not that anything was wrong with the chicken one, the pork one was just perfect. i feel like the veggie one would be quality too, that's next to try.

    (4)

  • Deanna B.

    The arepas were very light and delicious, but watch out they're messy. So grab extra napkins and dive in. Also, the Arnold Palmer was great. The cucumber lemonade was so refreshing.

    (4)

  • Mike M.

    All of the food trucks I've been to this summer have been stellar, and Hola has been right on top of all of them. When you first order an arepa it doesn't look like a lot, it's sort of small and depending on what you order it seems like you may have been taken for your money. But when you lift that thing to your mouth you can feel the densely packed arepa full of flavor. I've ordered the guac chicken salad, which was incredible and continued to order that until I got lucky ( or early) enough to order the Cuban ham pulled pork which was just as amazing, the arepa is a mix between a pita, cornbread and english muffin type thing but it is amazing and fulfilling, I would order the chips and their homemade salsa and then even a bigger guy like myself is more than satisfied

    (5)

  • Scott V.

    A pocket of dough stuffed with some spectacularly delicious pulled pork. Easy to eat on the go, dirt cheap, and amazing flavors. What more could you ask of a food truck? They even provide you with a self serve condiments table with a handful of different types of freshly made sauces and dips to pick from. Beware of the line during lunch hours...get there early or late.

    (5)

  • Nikki A.

    Love this colorful little food truck! The arepas are fab, but the cucumber lemonade is to die for - find them downtown Mpls or at the Uptown Farmer's Market, you won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Jennell E.

    This was my first experience eating arepas... at first I didn't think one would be enough because they look small. However, I was plenty full after 1, they stuff those things full of meat! I had the pulled chicken, it was good but could have used a little more seasoning in my opinion. I'll try the pork next time as I have heard it's better. The line moves pretty quickly and they had everything in stock when I went (11:30). Something new and different which I love to see in Minneapolis!

    (4)

  • Ruth D.

    YUM!!! I am from the East Coast, and I adore Caribbean food, which is plentiful in New York (Mofongo! Chicharrones!) but VERY hard to find here. Brasa is my go-to joint for delicious fusion Caribbean cuisine, but Hola Arepa had also been on my list for some time. Finally got a chance to try it, and it did not disappoint. Don't be deceived by the appearance of the entrees--they may look small, but boy, are they filling. I couldn't finish my pulled pork and bean arepa. The guacamole was delicious (and clearly made in-house) and I ADORE fried yuca. The fried yuca here rivals Brasa's, and that's the highest compliment I can give it. There's also a great atmosphere, and a menu that is almost entirely gluten free (which is handy because two of my closest friends, including the one I visited Hola Arepa with this weekend, have celiac disease. Yay accessible eateries!) And the cocktails. I sampled some of several of my friends' cocktail choices, and they were all absolutely delicious. I had the white sangria, which was perfect in every way (but MUCH stronger than I anticipated). I can't wait to bring my husband here for a date night! What a lovely restaurant.

    (5)

  • Stephanie M.

    I have been trying to come here for months and finally made it for happy hour one day. They have a great happy hour! You can get a ton of food for really cheap. I got the arepa with pork and beans and the chips and salsa. Their sangria of the day was a blood orange white sangria, which was so delicious. I wish they served this every single day. They have a great patio, but unfortunately it was raining while I was there. Our server was really great and came back right before happy hour ended to make sure we could get another order in. I would definitely recommend Hola Arepa for happy hour or dinner, and I can't wait to go back and try something different!

    (4)

  • Mitchell R.

    Excellent restaurant with a very casual vibe! Their yucca fries are the best fries I've ever had in general! I would honestly eat them over a french fry. I had the beef and plantain arepa which contrasted flavors very nicely which was delicious. The set-up in the restaurant is extremely similar to Brasa. I definitely want to go back to try one of their mixed drinks and try their brunch.

    (5)

  • Patti I.

    I came here with a party of four on a Saturday night expecting to wait forever, but no--about 15 minutes and we were in! The atmosphere is noisy, jolly, and casual. Diners and staff trend fairly young but they were nice to us old folks anyway. I'd never had an arepa before but when one of my dining companions said it was a corn pancake split and stuffed, I thought, what's not to love? This food is SOLID. That pancake is not fluffy, like bread, it's a sturdy little thing, and it's filled with lots of yummy deliciousness. Since I'd eaten pulled pork earlier at lunch that day, I got adobo chicken. It was flavorful-spicy and flavorful-savory. I really liked the pickled pink cabbage in it--did the trick of balancing the cheesy-meaty filling ingredients. The yucca fries are creamy inside, and whether you dunk them in spicy aioli or chimichurri, they're delicious. And filling. I'd recommend walking to or from this restaurant. Prices are really reasonable-$56 plus tip for food for the four of us for a very tasty and substantial meal.

    (4)

  • Babs J.

    I've been dying to try Hola since we moved to our new neighborhood. Driving past the lively outdoor patio has been a constant reminder that "I really ought to try that place out". It just looks fun! We were seated right away after we chose to sit inside. The cool air conditioning won the debate in my mind when asked if we'd like to sit inside or outside. We were escorted to our little two person table. Feeling like I just entered a New York City space bubble, I hoped I could squeeze past the already dining couple next to us without getting my backside in their chimichurry sauce. The menu was intriguing and I decided to go with the chicken arepa. This was an excellent choice. We also got a side of the chorizo brussel sprouts. Yes please! So good. My oh so handsome date got a horchata drink. It looked delightful in a cute little canning jar, topped with mint. It looked a little frilly but I've been told it had a perfect rum after bite fit for a scruffy sailor. The total bill was less than 30.00 which is pretty good for a flavorful night out. I'd for sure go again. One thing to note is the noise level. It is a little loud, especially if the guy at the next table is kinda a loud mouth. (Yes. He was.) The wait seemed a bit longer for the patio so plan ahead. This place is a perfect date night out. Wear a cute sundress and be all flirty! Go now.

    (4)

  • Vee V.

    Neat place, with a chill vibe, in a cool neighborhood. There's a large outdoor patio, but the inside is kind of small, so all of the tables are really close together. So close your booty would brush against the table next to you getting into your seat. I had my light jacket wrapped around my chair and servers/guests kept bumping up against it, this got annoying in a hurry. This place was super busy. The parking lot was packed and street parking was scarce. When you walk in the bar is to your left, with people jammed into the tiny space, and the dining area is to your right. A girlfriend of mine got there early and snagged us a table around 5:30pm. We were there until about 7:30pm, and it never let up, it remained busy on a Tuesday night. It was also very loud. We had to scream our conversation, and we were sitting directly across from each other. It might have even worked better if were texting each other. We ordered guacamole, yucca fries, slow-roasted-pork arepa, and the black bean and queso-fresco arepa. Chips and salsa came with the meal as well. The food was okay. The cornmeal griddle cakes for the arepas were dry, the filling was tasty, but not mind blowing. There were 3 salsa's, all bland, bordering on yucky. My highlight was the yucca fries. These things were nice and thick, golden. The tangy dipping sauce was a perfect compliment. Other then that, mediocre food. While we were eating there was a really tall guy that was talking to the table next to us but he kept squatting then standing with his butt to our table. It went on for a good 20 minutes. I thought a server should have offered the guy a chair. It was distracting, in a very unpleasant way. The service was good, other then not getting the guy a chair. Our server came by frequently to check on us, and drink orders weren't delayed even with the busy bar. The place was nice and clean, even the bathroom, and its a one stall with a constant line. I liked the calming decor. All the walls were painted in a breezy aqua, there were wooden tables, and distressed chairs. I'd probably give this place a 2.5 if I could. I'd like to come back in warmer months, maybe that would help with more space, and I'd like to give the menu another shot.

    (3)

  • Lisa P.

    First off, I should start by saying arepas are one of my favorite foods. I was first introduced to them when I lived in Boston, and ever since have craved the flavorful Venezuelan corn cake. When I moved back to Minneapolis, i found the Hola Arepa food truck, but only got to have it a few times before it closed down for the winter. I was so excited when I heard the Hola Arepa restaurant was opening, and the food has lived up to my expectations. Unfortunately, both times I have been, the service and timing have been a little off. The first time I went, my group received our meals before we had our drinks, and although I understand that the bar may have been backed up, I think it should have been acknowledged... I figured this was a hiccup of being a new restaurant and trying to figure things out. Timing was better on my second visit, but I wasn't impressed with the service. Our server took about 10 minutes to come over to greet us. We ordered drinks as soon as she came over. They were delivered in a timely fashion by another server, but then we had to wait another few minutes before our server came back. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal, but we were hoping to get the happy hour prices and time was ticking. I recommend the chimichurri chicken and slow-roasted pork arepas. I'll definitely be back to Hola Arepa, because the food is consistent and delicious, and I'm hoping the service and timing is up to par then.

    (4)

  • Laura C.

    ¡Hola, arepas! I was in town for a meeting, and my aunt and uncle took me out for Sunday brunch. This place is awesome. Even though it was crowded, they were able to get three of us in within 10 minutes. I love the outdoor seating under umbrellas, although it was pretty warm. I had the house-made lemonade - very fresh-tasting and tart. I also had the fried yuca hash, vegetarian. It was a ton of food, very beautiful, all fresh, and really delicious. I will go back. Really nice service, too.

    (5)

  • BB S.

    This place rocks. It is a cute small place so be prepared to wait a few minutes. It is crowded and noisy but so worth the wait! The food taste so fresh. I has the arapas bean and queso. The flavors are so plentiful fresh and delicious! My husband got the 3rd world man cocktail and I got the mimosa. I was bummed about order a mimosa after trying his drink...it was amazing! We also had the chip and salsa with guac. I liked them all. The red salsa has such a beautiful color I wish it had a wee bit more flavor. My husband is not a b breakfast eater and usually want to share but he ordered the chilaquilas and plowed through them and ate some of mine. Amazing! I think the owners need to plan a getaway to los angeles with that food truck of theirs!

    (5)

  • Katie W.

    I'm not sure I can fully describe my relationship with the pork and sweet potato arepa. I want to high five everyone in the vacinity after the first few bites. I haven't ventured from it because it's so damn good. The yuca here is the best yuca I've ever had. Service is always great and the aesthetic of this place is on point.

    (5)

  • David C.

    Fried yucca is great, but everything else is lacking. Arepa was generously filled with meat, but it was too much of one flavor. Ended up being too heavy. Also had the quesillo salad, which was good, but really, it was just coleslaw with some cheese curds thrown on top.

    (3)

  • Annie D.

    Spoiler Alert: I still love this truck. I really have eaten at Hola Arepa a lot this summer, including one Saturday where I had arepas for breakfast AND lunch. True story. A lot, a lot. So now that I've eaten just about everything on the menu, thought it was time for an update. My favorite is still the slow-roasted pork, but I also have a soft spot for the chicken options and the breakfast arepa (with pork and guac!). I'm sure it's wonderful, but I haven't had the vegetarian arepa because it never seems like a great value when I can order meat for the same price. I don't have carnivore guilt here either because they buy their meat locally from solid places like Kadejan Farms and Fischer Farms. Once you get your arepa, it's time to go to town on the condiment bar, including pickled onions and all their sauces (ranging from a tangy non-spicy sauce to a flaming hot one). And grab extra napkins... it will get messy. Some first-timers might be surprised at the deceptively small size of the arepas, but know this: they are filling even if you have mucho hambre. Drink options include Joia Soda, Mexican Coke, house herbal iced tea, cucumber lemonade. All good things. Also, maybe I'm just getting used to it, but I don't think the generator is as loud as it used to be... last year it was like standing next to a running lawn mower. And the service? Much faster (though it'll still take time when there's a line, obviously---everything is made-to-order). They've definitely gotten the logistics figured out and the whole operation just runs much more smoothly than their freshman year. Current Schedule... Mon: Downtown St. Paul Tues- Fri: Downtown Minneapolis Saturday: Midtown Farmers Market Sunday: Uptown Market Plus they shack up at Fulton and Harriet Brewing every so often too.

    (5)

  • A E.

    Great food. Very much enjoyed everything I've had. Fresh and vibrant. Great drinks. Very friendly service. Be prepared: scarce parking, long wait for a table, a bit tight and crowded...but these should not dissuade you, the food is totally worth it.

    (5)

  • Amber D.

    Love this place! All the flavors blended made this such a unique tastes. I will be back!

    (5)

  • An D.

    After two years of trying to eat at this food truck (with a few close calls where I just didn't have time to stand in line) I ate at Hola Arepa today at Lyndale Open Streets. Miraculously the line wasn't too long and we quickly worked our way to the front. I had the chimichurri chicken arepa, the slow-roasted pork arepa, and an Arnie Palmer (tea+lemonade of the day: Strawberry hibiscus tea + cucumber lemonade). The girlfriend had the pork with tomato jam arepa and the strawberry hibiscus tea. We shared some chips and guac too. All the arepas were fantastic and loaded to the hilt. I found the pork arepas to be the best, particularly as I got into the hola sauce which I found about halfway through. Next time I will probably add a bit more at the counter. The chimichurri was good as well, and the toppings definitely make it what it is. The arepas themselves were fantastic and perfectly cooked. At $6.50, they're beyond worth it. Two left me overly stuffed but I can't have just one. The guac was solid as were the chips and a welcome crunchy addition to the thick, delicious cornmeal cakes As far as drinks, the Arnie Palmer is where it's at. The mixture of the tea and lemonade they had were great. It would be nice if there were a "large" size as after a couple arepas and chips you're left thirsty. We ran into some friends while eating and they ordered as well. One ordered the breakfast arepa nad added pork *and* guac to it. The thing was massive, looked ridiculously good, and I think I'll be tackling that as soon as I can. ::edited since apparently I type guac with a q::

    (5)

  • Sara O.

    Arepa what? No clue what an Arepa was but now I do and Im in love. Like a sandwich but instead of bread its corn based exterior. I had the cuban arepa and it was enough for a meal plus a snack later. I really wanted to try more than one but I suppose I will just go back! Service was great and speedy as well!

    (5)

  • Me L.

    Wowzers. All I have to say is if you're going to eat here, your taste buds are going to freaking love you! Your wallet on the other hand will love you too because you lightened it's load so much. That is to say its a little on the pricey side. This is borderline 5 stars though and almost worth the price it's so freaking good. We're visiting from Denver and a friend in town recommended it, glad they did!!!

    (4)

  • Kevin V.

    We had the Hola Arepa food truck cater our wedding a few weeks ago and it was a HUGE hit with our guests! Not only was the food incredible (spectacular, delicious, etc.) and reasonably priced, but our guests loved the uniqueness of the whole experience. Burke and his staff were very accommodating and helped us craft the perfect menu. We've been back to their new restaurant since the wedding and had an equally great experience. Groom's favorite- Chorizo Sausage Arepa (catering menu only) Bride's favorite- Chicken In Sofrito Arepa Thanks Hola Arepa team!

    (5)

  • Chelsea P.

    It is a loud energetic environment and we didn't mind that. Food was alright, a bit heavier than expected and the tastes blended together. I do think the environment is fun and the service was great. The dining room and bathrooms were dirty which takes a star off.

    (3)

  • Rebecca R.

    Good food and great atmosphere. I didn't think the one arepa with the yucca fries would be enough to fill me up for dinner, but it definitely was! I had the black bean and queso fresco arepa. It was pretty good... I was expecting a little more flavor, though. I think next time I'll try the black bean and sweet potato. I definitely appreciated the fact that they had some vegetarian options. There are many gluten-free options and some vegan options as well. This is a good place for all kinds of dietary styles! My girlfriend had the shredded beef and plantain and she said it was super delicious and that it reminded her of what her grandma would cook growing up in Puerto Rico - always a good sign. Overall, everything was good but not necessarily something I'd crave or be dying to go back to. If I'm craving Latin American food, I'd probably go somewhere that's more of a mom and pop kind of place. If you want to introduce someone to Latin American food and/or are looking for a good atmosphere, Hola Arepa is a good choice.

    (4)

  • Tom N.

    Good beer, decent cocktails, and good service. Those features alone should be enough for most restaurants. Hola Arepa adds another level with their signature dishes, arepas. Basically like Latin American sandwiches on corn patties, they pack lots of flavor and a healthy amount of food in an affordable meal. The parking lot is always full (good for business, bad if you can't find a spot), but the wait is typically minimal. It's a great place to have a drink, grab a good but relatively quick bite to eat, and move on with your night.

    (4)

  • Amy R.

    It's been awhile since my husband and I have had a breakfast that really wowed and left us wanting more. Ordered some take out: place was packed to the gills. I can see why. The food has some amazing flavor and defintely leaves you wanting more. At least it left me planning my next trip to try some more. I orderd the Arepa with chorizo and egg. Fantastic flavor. The yucca and aioli verde had me googling the aioli recipe. My husband had the tamale ranchero which he loved. Both meals were excellent. Took a little while to get the food, but they were really busy. Not a big deal and worth the wait. Will defintely return .

    (5)

  • A C.

    Awesome! Had slow roasted pork arepa. Delicious. Their chimichurri sauce is amazing. It goes well with their arepa and fired yucca. Great drinks and service also.

    (5)

  • Kien N.

    This is one of my favorite happy hour places in the Twin Cities! I SHOULDDDD try their drinks, but I always opt for a beer and just go hard in the paint with the food! I'm a big fan of both the Chimichurri chicken arepa and the slow-roasted pork arepa because I usually get both (don't judge! or do, I don't care, just give me my delicious arepas!) i also like to get the yuca fries to share. Those are my three must haves. The chips are eh, and the arepitas are kinda cool, I guess. The staff consistency was similar to their succulent plants, sometimes lively, sometimes a little on the dead side.

    (5)

  • Vidur P.

    I moved to the twin cities a year back , and in my time here I rate most of the city'a foodscape to be at best mediocre. However I am glad that this place proved that there is still hope. Hola is a breath of fresh air with quite innovative food that will not break the bank Loved the ambience, the staff and pretty much everything on the menu

    (5)

  • Tiffany M.

    Completely, love the corner restaurant sign and the words..."Started From A Food Truck Now We Here" --so, I just had to capture a pic of it. This is the first time I've ever had an arepa. Initially, I thought we would be there only for the abbreviated menu during Happy Hour; however, I'm glad we go there in time to decide on enjoying either that or the dinner menu. Chips and salsa trio are a MUST. As for the Arepa, I love plantains and decided on the shredded beef & plantains Arepa with yucca fries and aioli verde for dipping. I didn't realize that I was ordering carbs on carbs on more carbs but definitely wanted to get a taste of the yucca fries. Next time, I'll be sure to get the mixed green salad to counter all the carbs. The beef had a tad of heat, which was good, and still added salsa from the chips/salsa onto my arepa for more heat. The pickled onions had good tang and only wished I had more. After a couple bites of the Aprea, it busted from the bottom causing me to balance bite and turning it so I wouldn't lose the insides. The Arepa was big enough that I could have possibly shared/split it with someone. Although I had the aioli for the fries, I found myself enjoying to dip it in the salsa verde. For spirits, I had the sangria and was a bit bummed that the white sangria was no longer available due to their pairing the Sangria with the fall season --so red sangria is what I settled for and typically the reds get me a bit red flushed. I can't wait to be back and try other items on the menu.

    (4)

  • Sarah E.

    Just had brunch here for the first time (had eaten dinner on other occasions) and it was fantastic! The Benedict is probably now my favorite in the twin cities. We got here a few minutes before 10 AM when they open and there was already a small line forming. I think getting here early for brunch is smart, otherwise you'll probably wait a bit. Btw, this is a great restaurant for gluten free and vegetarian friends.

    (5)

  • Iris H.

    A fantastic spot for Central American cuisine. Arepas are like mini corn pancakes you stuff with goodies. Kind of like holiday stockings. Their happy hour is the bomb dignity and light on your wallet. I prefer this any day over Pat's Tap.

    (5)

  • Erin G.

    OH MY GOODNESS so amazing. I just came from a medicore disappointing attempt at lunch and didn't eat much so I was hungry and found myself near here and it's been on my bookmarks for a while. I wanted to eat in but unfortunately was running out of time so take out it was. I walked in and must have looked confused because immediately a woman came over to help me. She went over the menu with me thoroughly and made recommendations. I got the chicken chimichurri arepa to go. It was a difficult decision because they all sounded awesome. Service was FAST. Like, 5 minutes and it was ready to go. I ate it in the car and it was DELICIOUS. Absolutely amazing. This was my first arepa and I cannot wait to go back. It came with yucca fries, only like 5 but I couldn't even eat all of them along with my arepa. The aioli sauce that it came with was also fantastic. I can't say enough how delicious this was. I can't wait to go back and try to pork or the cubano.

    (5)

  • Maggie K.

    Excellent food, a little pricey for brunch but very unique menu. Casual atmosphere. Cocktails were small for price. Small place so definitely recommend reservations. Staff was friendly but a little snobby- which maybe is normal for the area, but not what I'm used to being from the south.

    (4)

  • Nos N.

    Agree with others: Very little parking, gets very crowded during rush hour, and the yucca fries is a must! Friday night around 7:30 with friend, we're quoted 45 min for two people, got a table just before 9pm! Holly cow!!! Glad the cocktails were unique and delish so we didn't realize it was an hour and half we waited. Food was very good, slow roasted pork arepa was my favorite, the beef w plantain arepa friend ordered was just as good. And of course the yuca was super good, we liked the aioli better than the chimichurri dipping sauce. Happy Hour Tue - Fri 3-6, and Tue - Sun 10-close. They close late so will try to avoid the rush hour next time, but, I'll be back.

    (5)

  • Kristie O.

    I saw Hola Arepa's chilaquiles on the cover of Food and Wine magazine last week and put it on the top of my dining list. My friend and I split the chilaquiles and a cachapa with fried chicken; both were súper rico! We enjoyed the best Bloody Mary with it, which they make with Puerto Rican sofrito ~ Brilliant! We dined on their deck in front of the indoor outdoor bar on the most beautiful May day. It was a dining experience that fueled the soul!

    (5)

  • Jessica S.

    A new neighborhood blazing hot spot! The space... I love the setting! Hola Arepa transports you to beachfront property of an unspoiled Mexican village. Cut into a sleek wood exterior accented by pops of turquoise in the fencing and signage is a large horizontal window flipped upward a la food truck style to create a walk-up open air bar. Around the corner is bustling ~50 person patio. The wait time for the patio may be longggg, but don't feel bad opting-out of patio seating as the interior is an extension of the exterior, retaining an airy, beachy feel. The door is ajar, the bar window latched open, and the sun fills the room courtesy of a virtually all-window front wall. The turquoise-wood scheme continues on the inside with walls and chairs painted in the happy hue and table tops reminiscent of polished driftwood. The masses flock here, so even the indoor seating may require a wait. I'd recommend trying to snag seats at the bar where you can order your meal or at least order a lusciously-made cocktail to sip outdoors while waiting for your name to be called. The drinks.. The cocktail program is headed by Dan Oskey, formally of The Strip Club, and he's created some fabulous tropical beverages for Hola Arepa. Don't expect tiki drinks (pina coladas, mai tai, etc.). Do expect well-crafted cocktails with high-quality but fun ingredients. The Aviso (a gin-based lemon drink) is like downing spiked lemonade (but not like the just-add-water to sugar kind). It's my fave, but the Killing Moon (vodka-based grapefruit) is also pleasing. Arepa time! An arepa is a simple thick cornmeal patty split into two halves sandwich-style and stuffed with filing. Ever had Quaker instant grits? The arepa tastes eerily similar to that with a reminiscent gritty texture, but scores higher on the edibility scale. They appear to be placed on a griddle given their slightly crisped outside and retain a soft almost creamy inside. Hola offers several fun varieties of arepas. I've tried the black bean and adobo chicken. I liked the black bean mixture well enough, but the chicken chunks were too tough and detracted from the arepa texture. I'd think softer, pulled meats or veggies suit an arepa best. Other non-arepa yummies... *Yucca fritas are like fat french fries (but minimal visible oiliness). Soft, warm, melt-in-your mouth innards with a slight crisp on the lightly-salted outside. Paired with the aioli verde (select the aioli over the chimichurri sauce), a creamy, garlicky sauce, the yucca fritas outshine the arepas. *Quesillo salad is created from crisp, lightly-dressed (but not lightly-flavored) cabbage and radish, pickled onions and rhubarb AND cheese curds! My first cheese curd experience. Fortunately, these cheesy bits were nothing like the deep-fried state fair variety, but were merely balls of (dare I say, tasteless) cheese. Great in the salad, mostly from a texture perspective. I loved the flavor and mouthfeel of the salad. But, be advised, it will not stand alone as dinner. *Chips & salsa/guac. Three varieties of salsa, all distinct and tasty, some with an oomph of heat (but bearable). Guac was just fine, but not stellar, and fairly insubstantial given its price tag. The food was undeniably good--tasty with quality ingredients. But, I think some of the prices were arguably a tad much for, essentially, street food. Arepas (includes a side of yucca frita), ~$12. Arepas during HH (3-6p M-F) are only $7, but exclude yucca fritas. Quesillo salad, $6.50. Chips & salsa, $5. Add guac, $3.50. The service is friendly, but overwhelmed! So, there were a few forgivable blunders. Hola is a real winner! The space is gorgeous and tropical with an energetic buzz. Cocktails are smooth and drinkable and pair well with the Latin-American street eats. I expect this may transition well from dinner into late-night bar scene too.

    (5)

  • Leah G.

    Went there this past Friday and the food was amazing! The only negative part of our experience was we had to wait over an hour for our party of 6 and could not make reservations ahead of time. They do have an enclosed porch to wait in where you can order drinks and appetizers while you wait. We started out with chips and salsas and the salsas were delicious! I had the Roasted Pork & Ham Cuban with yucca fries and chimichurri sauce. I think next time I will go with the aioli verde sauce since it was a bit thicker but both were great. Customer service was excellent and even though the place was busy they were very good at getting us our food quickly and checking in on us.

    (4)

  • John G.

    The main knock on Hola Arepa seems to be the price tag. I point those critics to the mantra "Cheap food isn't good; Good food isn't cheap." Now that's not to say there aren't some good values out there, but you should expect to shell out a little bit for legitimately good food. Not that I'm inviting Hola Arepa to raise their prices (please don't, actually)...however, wow. Flavor galore, generous but not overly generous portions, and good service (although our server was socially awkward, which I found kind of hilarious). And best of all, almost the entire menu is gluten free, meaning that the gf and I could enjoy it equally. I was nervous about the no reservation policy since I chose this place for my gf's birthday dinner. We've had so many mediocre or bad experiences at supposedly good restaurants that I naturally expected the worst. Though it was busy, we were able to snag a table for 2 at 7PM on a Thursday. Luck? Perhaps. I also think the speed of the service keeps tables turning relatively quickly. We had brussel sprouts and chips and salsa to start. The brussel sprouts were downright delicious with pieces of chorizo (just the right level of spicy), and the chips come with a choice of 3 salsas (all of which I thought were tasty in their own way). We also each ordered a different one of their house cocktails. I can't remember which one she ordered, but I ordered one called the "Hola Fashioned" (clever, right?), a rum old-fashioned which hit the spot even for this non-rum drinker. Now on to the main attraction: the Arepas (which I'm sure I don't know how to pronouce correctly because when I say it, it sounds bad...) She had the Chimichurri Chicken, I had the Shredded Beef and Plantain. We both immediately started raving about how good they are. The meat was tender and perfectly cooked, with a fantastic combination of flavors; the plantain is a great touch, adding a sweet finish. The corn-based bread (at least I beleive it is corn) is about the same thickness as a pita (and also wraps around in the same style) but is much tastier. Hola Arepa also wins on atmosphere and style. It's small and cozy enough to still maintain the neighborhood joint feel, but classed-up enough that you can come here for a special occasion. Upon walking in we had 3 people greet us; upon leaving 3 people said goodbye. And as far as the price tag goes, we each had a house cocktail, two appetizers, and two entrees, and walked out of there for a very reasonable price considering the quality, service, and overall experience. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Tina T.

    I could eat a bucket of the yuca fries. So friggin delish!

    (4)

  • Frank M.

    Everything about this place was awesome-- the service, the staff, the food, the drinks... We visited from out of town and fell in love with this place! Their brunch is awesome

    (5)

  • Valigirl V.

    Visited for the first time with a MSP buddy who raved about this place. Very causal, heavy on "twenty somethings" and families with young kids (infants to 5 yr olds). Service was very attentive. Seating both outside and inside. Tables on a first come first serve basis only. Food and "specialty" cocktails (for my taste) were mediocre at best. Chicken Chimmichuri and Hola sauce with tortilla chips were the only standouts. Sorry but I really do not share the high marks concerning drinks and overall cuisine. Yes it still IS food truck cuisine now served table side...I was expecting a little more since they now have a conventional restaurant. Not a repeater. Too many other fab places in The Cities.

    (3)

  • Michael A.

    "Sabor Tan Bueno" Yum all around at Hola Arepa! Translating a food truck to a full-serve restaurant is never an easy task, but team Hola did a bang up job including the new patio which has summer drinking with friends written all over it! To get the party started, make sure to start with one of their delicious, home-made cocktails designed by one of their trio cocktail-artists. Center Court is a pre-made, bottled drink mixed with pisco, pimm's, honeydew-chamomile soda, and grapefruit bitters - it's simply yum! For appetizers give the arepitas a whirl. You can't go wrong with fried areapa balls stuffed with jalapeño & goat cheese. And for the main dish, the roast pork and sweet potato arepa is a must! It's served with yummy yucca fries and an aioli verde sauce. Make sure to check out the happy hour from 3-6pm on weekdays and 10-Close Sun-Thursday. Tap beers $3.5, arepas (with no sides) $7. Yummy!

    (5)

  • sam a.

    With how busy this place has been and all the buzz, was worried it would be over hyped but I finally checked it out on a Sunday afternoon. Atmosphere was cool, casual patio experience. Service was excellent. Food was damn tasty. Went with a Cuban Ham/Pork/Swiss Arepa and it awesome, I'm usually not a fan of messing with a classic but the yucca fries were tasty too. Cocktails were unique and plenty strong; "The Wrecking Ball" was a hit. I'll definitely be back!

    (4)

  • Jennifer S.

    Brunch, people. Brunch. Had a fantastic meal today at Hola Arepa. I want to be sure to give them a shout out on my main dish: Fried Yuca Hash - the blend of chorizo, yuca, pickled cabbage and radish was one of my favorite brunch meals I've ever had. An even blend of savory and spicy--very fresh tasting and filling at the same time. Brunch cocktail: I stepped out of the traditional brunch mimosa/bloody mary zone and ordered the waiter-recommended Third World Man. I noticed the bartender was rockin' a Hawaiian shirt when I walked-in, so I believed he would deliver a fantastic cocktail--and he did. The Tequila married with the grapefruit juice, lime juice, and cava was a refreshing treat. The one disappointment was the churros. I don't know if I'm accustomed to churros that are fried, but the interior of ours tasted stale. The exterior blend of cinnamon and sugar was legit (as was the chocolate dipping sauce) but the interior bummed me out. No matter--the rest of the meal was fantastic, and I can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Joel B.

    This place just keeps getting better. Great food, amazing happy hour specials and I get the feeling that the employees get along really well and enjoy being here. Hats off Hola Arepas, you're doing things right!

    (4)

  • Nancy T.

    Great first time at Hola Arepa! This was my first time and my friends first time trying Venezuelan food and it was definitely life changing! As I'm visiting Minnesota from San Francisco, Hola Arepa was such a comfort. The decor inside was so cute and comforting. I love the rustic accents and succulents all over. Definitely reminded me of places back in SF. We were greeted outside and brought in directly to or table. Our server was nice and super helpful with his drink and entree recommendations. I ordered the chorizo arepa with the yuca fries and chimichurri sauce. The best thing was the fries. They were surprisingly so crispy and soft inside given how thick they were. Perfect amount of salt as well. Both the chimichurri and the house aioli are delicious alongside the fries. As for the arepa, it was good but hard to eat. I picked at it with a fork first to make the arepa small enough to pick up and eat, however it was pretty hard to cut up with a knife. The arepa was pretty tasty, but I am left longing for the fries more than anything.

    (5)

  • Alex D.

    Used their food truck for a party and among the various other choices offered, this was the crowd favorite. Fresh and tasty. Highly recommend hitting them up if you see the truck, can get to their restaurant or, want to spice up a party.

    (5)

  • Elena T.

    MUCHO GUSTO! This place rocks my socks off. The arepas are stuffed with flavorful ingredients that make the perfect mouthwatering combinations. I highly recommend getting their crowd pleasing in-house made chips and hotter/medium salsas to start and then jumping right in to trying several different arepas to share. Their happy hour is a great deal and the seating inside or out is enjoyable. The food is very filling so make sure you're a hungry hippo when you come so you have a winning experience feeding your face! Highlights: Tortilla Chips with 3 Salsas (#2 #3 #4) Black Bean & Queso Fresco Roasted Pork & Ham Cuban Shredded Beef & Plantain Shitake Cachapas Hola Arepa = You had me at Hola.

    (5)

  • Ice T.

    I was disappointed here. came for brunch and ordered the chilaquiles, recommended by the server. the beans were undercooked and the whole dish was pretty lackluster. I much preferred my brunch at world street kitchen, heyday, and haute dish. the service was friendly though.

    (2)

  • Sara J.

    I loved the food truck and now I love the restaurant. It has very cute decor and nice outdoor seating; it made me feel like I was on a mini vacation. The drinks are delicious and strong, the food is just as good as it is from the truck. My only complaint is that the happy hour menu wasn't extremely inspiring but I will be back for a full meal.

    (4)

  • Sarah M.

    Adorable, inviting space. Love it. Great food, good drinks, decent happy hour. I really do like this place. But, here's the thing that irks me a bit. I'm not always cheap, but there menu could use a better price point, or at least more variety in prices. It's like you can either get a $12 sandwich and fries (small sandwich, arepas are not massive) or you can get chips and salsa. There needs to be a middle ground. The food is soooo good, but for the laid back vibe, I don't think $12 is right for what it is. Masa bread and some meat. With Yucca. Ok, exiting soap box now.

    (4)

  • Wen T.

    The food was great -- came to the table hot and fresh. The arepas were crispy. The meat was tender and flavorful. The yucca fries were hot and crispy. I echo others in saying they're overpriced. $11.50 for an arepa sandwich and a few yucca fries is a bit steep. The ingredients to make arepas are cheap so they must be charging a lot for the labor. If they were $9, that would be a good value and I would become a regular. I tried the roasted pork arepa (pulled pork - very tender), chimichurri chicken (it was like a chicken salad -- sliced chicken breast in mayo covered in chimichurri, served with lettuce and tomato). I would get the pork arepa again, but not the chicken. One thing I found annoying is that they charge you $0.50 if you ask for an extra side of chimichurri sauce or aioli. The sauces come in these tiny little saucers so 1. that makes it more likely you'll run out and need to ask for another side and 2. it's ridiculous to charge that much for a tiny saucer of chimichurri (which is basically just cilantro, parsley, garlic and olive oil) and aioli (which is basically mayonnaise). You already charge an arm and a leg for the arepa -- don't nickel and dime your customers. This is like a Chinese restaurant charging for steamed rice or soy sauce. Even though Yelp says they don't take reservations, they take reservations for parties of 6-12. We were a party of 5 adults and two babies and they gave us a reservation. Then they allowed us to come half an hour early at the last minute when the babies woke up early from their naps. We appreciated the flexibility on a busy Sunday morning. The parking lot is tiny, but at least they have one. Consider yourself lucky if you get a spot. Street parking isn't too bad though. Service was nice and friendly. Not great or bad. My only complaint is that the server served plates and bussed the table by repeatedly lifting plates full of food and silverware directly over my baby's head. At least she didn't serve our coffee that way. I'd go back if someone invited me to go there, but I wouldn't initiate a return visit on my own.

    (4)

  • Sway N.

    Like a lot of people are saying- brunch is the way to go here. I found out about this place through Food & Wine Magazine, which had featured the chilaquiles on their front cover. And for good reason. If you eat meat, you are in luck- their pork is amazing- soft and flavorful. Get the chilaquiles with the pork. My husband got the fried yuca hash and enjoyed it until he was part of the Clean Plate Club. The silver dollar cachapas were something else- in a good way. All sorts of different flavors and a lot of variety. The food keeps your taste buds guessing! (And the jalapenos are actually spicy- love that!)

    (5)

  • Dharmesh D.

    Drinks were really good. Yuca Fries were amazing and so is the black bean & queso fresco arepa.

    (5)

  • Irina S.

    Visiting Minneapolis for the first time with a friend. Coming from spending the afternoon at the beach at Lake Calhoun, we stopped by Hola. We were graced with a lovely waiter Jakub. He was great about recommendations and said their top two Arepas was Slow Roasted Pork and Shredded Beef & Plantain. So that's what we went with. Both were delicious ! On the side, we tried the Hola sauce, House Aioli and Chimchurri sauce with our delish Yucca fries. I do have to say it's very filling (at least for us). We had no space for starters and desserts. If you do, I recommend having a dessert - they looked different and interesting.

    (5)

  • Taylor P.

    I love their food truck. However their restaurant food fell a little short of the quality the truck delivers. It's worth another shot, but don't feel the place totally lives up to the hype.

    (3)

  • Albert C.

    This a great place to bring a date. The parking lot is pretty convenient, but there aren't a lot of spaces available. Lot's of street parking around though. Although not the biggest of places, i didn't feel like we were crammed together with all the other diners. The drink menu is pretty extensive, lots of unique options. The Sangria was great, sweet and strong, just how I like it. The Arepa's were good. I chose to have the daily special, it was made with pulled pork and a cabbage slaw... very tasty! I'd go back again, but possibly avoid weekends as it can get pretty busy.

    (4)

  • See X.

    Foodies looking for new foods to try will love this place. Drinks might not be their specialty because my sangria was nasty but! Boy is their food awesome!!! We tried the black bean and queso arepa as well as their famous slow cooked pork arepa and both were delicious!!!!! They have the best sauce for their arepas. I don't know what it is but it's a green sauce and I loved it. It was light and extremely flavorful. We also tried their arepitas, which were sooo good. It's like a deep fried doughball with goat cheese in it and some sort of honey drizzled around it. The flavors balanced out so well!!!!! A must try to all foodies.

    (4)

  • Wendy L.

    Here's why it got 5 stars: - Great service - Amazing food (the arepas are mouthwatering, the salsas were so tasty I wanted to buy it in bulk for home eating) - Parking lot - Fun cocktail drinks

    (5)

  • John R.

    This place is so great! Went for brunch, started with a couple drinks (not sure of the names) the were both great. Ordered the Arepitas and pork arepa for my meal, they came quick and hot. The yuka fries were phenomenal, both dipping sauces were great. My favorite part of the meal was dessert, had the ice cream sandwich and oh man that was good. Only tricky part of this place is parking, they have a small parking lot

    (5)

  • Kate N.

    I didn't even know I liked arepas until I ate here! We were in Minneapolis for the weekend for the Twin Cities Marathon, and we stopped here for lunch the day before the race on the recommendation of a friend of a friend. We shared the shredded beef and plaintain arepa and the adobo chicken arepa, with their perfectly cooked, crunchy, salty delicious yucca fries. Both were excellent, and we each had a different favorite, so obviously it was a close call.

    (4)

  • Yesenia M.

    We were in town from Chicago and stopped by here cause of the awesome Yelp reviews! Def did not disappoint! This place is so cute and super delicious! Service was awesome and we happened to come in during happy hour which made it even better! Ate at a lot of places during our trip and Hola Arepa was the highlight for sure! Now I'm wishing there was one closer to home!

    (5)

  • Erin D.

    Food was great, service was not. I feel bad because we were a guy's first table during really busy service so that's why I didn't knock them too much. It was crazy busy and our server did the best he could with his first table. The yuca fries are to die for. I would go back solely for the yuca fries. I was impressed. I had the chorizo arepa and it was good but I would try a different one next time. I don't recommend the sangria. I want to try their brunch arepas next time. Good food but they were a little overwhelmed with the high volume of customers.

    (4)

  • Craig M.

    Best arepas I've ever had in the Twin Cities, loved them since the food truck days. Good flavor combinations, whether it be the arepas or the Chorizo Brussel Sprouts. There are plenty of reviews with accolades for the pre-dessert items, so I'll address the one dessert I've tried at Hola. If you are GF, the GF version of the Chevre Cheesecake disappoints in several ways. It is served on a warm plate thus is half melted before you can sink a utensil in, I'm sure the dessert designer intended a chilled plate. Had it been served correctly it may have impressed, but came across closer to a melty foam than a light cheesecake. And it had a too healthy sprinkling of poppy seeds, our slice was more of a layer. And although there are great GF/Vegan crusts out there, one isn't available on a GF order; if they kept a few GF/Vegan crusts in the icebox, and served into that, they could skip the chilled plate requirement. One final note, for those with dietary challenges. Hola has been known to put a specials item with cheese in their fryer. They don't maintain a separate fryer that is free of allergens, so not just anyone can enjoy their Yuca fries, all the time. Watch the specials menu if you're dairy free.

    (4)

  • Mike B.

    Let me just start by saying, this place gets six stars for the food. Some of the most unique and flavorful food I've had in the Twin Cities. So, why the four star review? The unrealistic time quote we were given by the hostess for a table of two and the continuing unrealistic time quotes we kept hearing as we were waiting close to the reception area. The place was packed when we walked in, and from that and the previous Yelp reviews, I was expecting a decent wait. When we were told 35 minutes, I was pleasantly surprised and chalked it up to being able to more easily seat only two people. So we waited. And waited. And waited. After a little over an hour had passed, I was starting to get a little hangry and asked the hostess where we were on the wait list...there were still at least seven tables to seat in front of us (there are maybe 15 tables in the entire restaurant), and I was told it would probably be at least another half an hour (it ended up being another forty). What really made me upset was that immediately following this, they were still giving new patrons on the wait list an estimate of 35 minutes as they came in. How is that even possible when I've been waiting for over an hour, and I'm expected to wait another half an hour, and there have been at least another dozen tables put on the wait list since I was put on it? Seriously, just give a realistic time estimate, so patrons can make an educated decision on whether to stay or go find somewhere else for the night. I don't mind waiting, and I understand being busy, but don't waste my time if it would be a better use of my Friday evening to find somewhere else for the night and come back at a slower time. I'd rather be told it will be an hour and a half. Just like flight times are overestimated to keep travelers happy, don't underestimate wait times if you don't want frustrated customers. So, onto the good part of the experience. The food. Oh my God, the food. After the long, frustrating wait, I'm still thinking about going back this week to try more arepas and order ridiculous amounts of the yuca fries. They're that good. We started with the arepitas and the plantain tostadas for appetizers. The arepeitas are yummy little balls of fried goodness stuffed with jalapeno and goat cheese served with a sweet honey-like sauce. So unique. The tostadas I would eat several plates of for a meal. Probably the best tostadas I've ever had. The braised beef was incredibly tender with just a little kick of spice, and the fried plantains (instead of the usual fried tortilla) counterbalanced that nicely with their sweetness. Fantastic. For the main show, we ordered two arepas: the slow-roasted pork and the roast pork and sweet potato. These sandwiches are messy, as it's basically a ton of filling in between two pieces of bread (delicious cornmeal griddle cakes in this case). There's so much filling that it's impossible to keep everything in between the cakes, but that's okay, because it's still delicious to mop up with a fork when you're done. The pork in both arepas was melt-in-your-mouth tender and their respective sauces (a tangy, semi-spicy Hola sauce and a green onion aioli) made both dishes very unique. All of the veggies were incredibly fresh. Possibly the best part of the meal was the side of yuca fries with aioli verde. I could eat these things all day, and I plan on ordering several sides of them if/when I come back for round 2. Dessert was a unique (I'm using that word a lot, but it's true) chevre cheesecake slice with candied pomegranate (I think) seeds and other delicious fruity toppings. Great end to a fantastic foodie experience. Once you sit down, everything moves very quickly (I recommend putting your entire order in at once), and our waitress was incredibly efficient and helpful. The restaurant comped our tostadas due to the long wait, which was a nice, unexpected gesture and helped ease some of the frustration that was still lingering. The food is very close to being worth a two hour wait. I know I'll still be back to try more arepas...but it will definitely be at a more unconventional time! Our entire experience from when we walked in the door until we paid the check was a little over three hours, so make sure you have the time if you come in here during busy hours.

    (4)

  • Erin S.

    Yum. Had the chimichurri chicken and the adobo chicken arepas. Both were beyond my already high expectations. Well done!

    (5)

  • Sarah S.

    Pros-Great food.Loved the arepas especially the yuca fries are to die for.Next time I'm def trying their deserts. Cons-Was too loud-servers were way to occupied.Cocktails on the menu were so so.It was kind of warm rather hot in there too.

    (3)

  • Yun V.

    Pretty yummy. The arepas are fairly big. I only needed to get one. They just opened and their happy hours from 3-6 was almost half off. Same size arepas. Just no yucca fries. I ordered those separate. Arepitas were good. Not very spicy. They are dog friendly

    (4)

  • Joline E.

    We recently made a reservation for a large party on the patio at Hola and it was my first time there. The staff informed us we couldn't be seated until our entire party arrived but got a little annoyed when we all stood around the entrance sipping cocktails at the bar. Thankfully they changed their mind and seated us shortly after that. We kept our 11-person bill on one tab which really simplified things for our server. We also ordered in bulk and had her just distribute things among us. We were disappointed they would not cut the sandwiches in four pieces but overall had a good experience!

    (4)

  • Justine L.

    Disappointed. We made reservations here for our Twin Cities supper club three weeks ago, and showed up looking forward to the meal. Due to lack of organization, Hola was not able to fulfill our reservation (for 10 people). They ended up seating us at two different tables, but the other half of the party had to wait an additional 35 minutes. The hostess told us that the table next to the original group "just asked for check," but being that they were still looking at their menu, we called them out on the lie. Frustrated by restaurants who can't manage their turnover appropriately and overseat the tables. To not acknowledge that they did it and not resolve it at all was really frustrating and ruined the experience there. Throw me a glass of wine or an app or something so I hate you less on Yelp! That said, their shiitake cacharas was excellent. The pulled pork (what others had recommended on Yelp) was meh. Didn't finish it. The service? Bitchy. Her response to our hostess complaints? "It's not my fault." Oh Manny's, are you the only one with good service nowadays? Is it limited to expensive meals? No need to go back. My husband's boycotting the truck now based on such a crappy experience.

    (1)

  • Abbie F.

    Food 4+ Service 3- Ambiance 5 Cost 4 I'll start with some details about the food and then move into the rest. Went on Friday for happy hour and got everything on the menu with the exception of the nuts Arepas are REALLY good! The pork one seemed really greasy but still had good flavor. The black bean one was my favorite. Yuca fries were over done and greasy. Salsas were good and so was the guac-not worth 3.50 though. Their tortilla chips are the best chips I've ever HAD!! MMM! Also had the ice cream sandwich-pro-delicious, con-you will break your tooth on the cookie since it is frozen. Soft cookie would have been better. Had an Hola Fashioned to drink. Super cool ice cube, not a super cool drink. Really smoky and I didn't like it. Service-waiter was nice to begin but didn't refill my water or bring me more napkins. Also, didn't stop to check and see how the food was. The hostess actually did this for us. And we sat in a spot that he walked by us every time he went to a table. Ambiance-They didn't want us to sit in a booth bc it was just two of us but it was early so they did. I love the blue color they use and it is a super cure place! Cost-for happy hour I think it is very reasonable (except for guac). Otherwise slightly expensive.

    (4)

  • Sarah L.

    Really beautiful simple decor. Tastey arepas with thoughtful, high quality fillings. Lovely South Americsn sides. Good happy hour desls- arepa sandwiches for $6 and cheap-ish alcohol. My Colombian boyfriend agrees- this is the real deal!

    (5)

  • Patrick A.

    These guys do it right! From the little cocktail bottles to the pour it in your mouth margarita thing. One of the best meals I have had in a long time.

    (5)

  • Miriam K.

    Incredible. I had the pork and sweet potato arepa. So happy! And the yuca fries! Delish. I highly recommend.

    (5)

  • Marisa B.

    Great restaurant with patio addition to the neighborhood. Naturally there was a wait for outdoor seating, but you can grab one of their great signature cocktails from the bar and sit/stand in the waiting area. They should have a dedicated bartender helping the patio wait area as it took about 15-20 minutes to just get our drinks to drink while waiting, so we ended up being seated as soon as we paid our bar tab. We were seated at 4 person table with another couple. Great idea for maximizing use of space and minimizing wait times, but it was kind of awkward to share a table with another couple. You could hear everything they were saying and made you self conscious of your conversation. The food was good but not great. It was quickly brought after we ordered - likely cause of the small menu and food truck history. I'd go again, but likely just focus on drinks and maybe their chips/salsa/guac.

    (3)

  • Valerie H.

    Hola lunch time deliciousness! I usually avoid food trucks during lunch because I only get around 30 minutes, but it was past time to try an arepa. The wait is more than justified, friends. I went with the pulled pork arepa, which included Mexican cheese, black beans, and a mysterious green lime-y sauce into an unusual corn sandwich shell. Be sure to grab a fork because it fell apart pretty quickly. The truck has a changing variety of iced teas- I've had strawberry hibiscus and blood orange hibiscus. Both were delicious but here's where Hola Arepa loses a star: your cup isn't filled all the way, and there are no lids. If the missing inch of liquid is intentional to prevent spilling, I'd rather pay less. Otherwise, please invest in some lids. You have plenty for the miniature to-go cups of sauce. I'll be back to try other arepas...and probably more tea regardless of a lid.

    (4)

  • Doghouse R.

    They have the same great sandwiches as their food truck but now with sweet, sweet booze.

    (5)

  • Jason R.

    Not fast, but not too slow. The flavors in my arepa were mixed but not muddled, so they balance the tastes well. Mine was the thankfully cilantro-free black bean & sweet potato arepa. The goat cheese was just right. While the price isn't high for higher-end, local food, I admit this arepa wasn't as filling as the ones I know at home. I can't quite put my finger on why... Perhaps these are smaller even if they don't feel it? I should have rounded out my order with a side, but I didn't know. The rhubarb ginger lemonade is a good lemonade first and foremost. The rhubarb comes through, and the ginger is just a hint. And, yes, the logo is really cool.

    (3)

  • Whitney F.

    Next on my food truck adventure, Hola Arepa! I was convinced to steer away from my beloved stable Dandelion Kitchen's BLT, to be pleasantly surprised with my lunch on 6th and Marquette. We showed up at noon exactly, frustrated, starving and expecting a 30 minute wait. The line went by quicker than I expected and I was happily gorging on a delightfully huge corn pocket full of slow roasted pork, some kind of queso, and guac (chips and guac are an additional $, well worth it). Hola also offers 4 different salsas, the Mild Tangy is delightful! Well worth the $9 lunch, I was happy and full for the rest of the day.

    (4)

  • C H.

    Loved the truck all last year. So happy for their new shop on Nicollet! Though my friend from Venezuela says its not exactly authentic, everything I've tried is delish and I look forward to trying the rest of the menu. I went in on a Saturday late-afternoon. Patio was full, inside was half full. Great recommendations from my "tender, and I took mine to-go. Ordered slow roast pork and sweet potato arepa, which came with yucca fries. I chose aioli verde sauce for the fries (yum). Also ordered arepitas and quesillo salad. Everything was really great and it was two meals, easy!

    (5)

  • Peter S.

    1.5 hour wait and $3.50 tablespoon of guacamole that is not worth ordering, but salsas that come with chips are delicious! Chips are also quite good. The arepas and yucca fries were amazing! The service was mediocre, forgotten drinks, not that friendly. I would recommend this place for the food only.

    (4)

  • Marsha L.

    the food tastes amazing from here. I think there's a little too much bread for my tastes. Also, warning: it's VERY messy! Beware if you're eating downtown while at work. The sauce goes everywhere. If you have a lunch room and access to a sink. go for it.

    (4)

  • Shannon G.

    Love their food. Went for happy hour. Great service but their happy hour menu isn't really a "deal," prices on HH food is the same as the regular menu, only deals on adult beverages!

    (4)

  • Jane V.

    Great non-alcoholic drinks aka a pregnant lady's dream come true! I had the cuban sandwich. It was messy and delicious! They had lots of salsa options. I wish I could have tried more. I also had some chips with guac too, which was also good. The biggest challenge I had was keeping all of my food on my plate. They made need to get bigger plates!

    (5)

  • Lisa K.

    Our food and drinks were great and the service was SUPER fast. We had such a good time we interviewed the owners and wrote a blog post about it :).

    (5)

  • Paola M.

    This was my first food truck. And it was awesome. Actually more than awesome. I took one bite at the arepas and I immediately understood the whole food truck crazyness. We shared 3 arepas and 1 order of chips and tried a couple of the sauces. Everything tasted great. The arepa buns were particularly good. But the sauces were awesome too. And so was the filling, don't get me wrong, I don't rave about the filling because only because it was comparatively more normal than the other pieces of the bun. Even if I have to admit that the pickled onions in where also awesome. If only I worked downtown....

    (5)

  • Dina B.

    I visited Hola Arepa for the first time yesterday, a Tuesday at 5:45pm with 5 other people. It already was jam packed! Great start for a new restaurant! If I were to rate this place on the food alone it would be a five star rating. The food is really amazing, authentic, creative and filling! Price is right too. However, the noise level was so obnoxiously loud (voices, not music) that I could only converse with the people sitting next to and across from me, screaming at that. One of the servers delivering drinks couldn't even hear us and acted annoyed at us. Go figure. This basically ruined the dining experience and I will not go back. I'll look for the truck so I can eat and not strain to have a conversation with a frined.

    (1)

  • Kathy S.

    I've waited entirely too long to post about this. Hola Arepa is fabulous. Every time I visit one of the trucks lining the downtown streets, it's the best day of my life...and my first time to Hola Arepa this summer was no exception. I showed up around 11:30am and was incredibly lucky to experience a short line of just 2-3 people in front of me. I had the pulled pork arepa (incredible flavors) and cucumber lemonade (interesting...but definitely refreshing). A friend who studied abroad in Venezuela was blown away by these arepas, so these are the real deal. Also, the Hola Arepa crew is a blast. I actually found out about Hola Arepa when studying abroad in Italy, so I was counting down the days until I got back and could try it out....I was so excited that I was finally there, I completely forgot all about the salsas and sides, which means I'll have to try next time. My only wish is that I had grabbed more napkins!

    (5)

  • Alanna H.

    I enjoyed this food truck fair at Father Hennepin Park during their weekly event with music & a movie in the park. The food tasted amazing, BUT sooo messy. Since we were picnicking, we were all in a pretty bad state by the time we were done, and had no where to clean up. If only they could design a better packaging system, more of the food would have made it into my mouth rather than dripping down my arm... Maybe eating these delicious packages of joy is a learned art. I'm down for some more practice any day. Yum!

    (4)

  • Kristin H.

    The line at Hola Arepa is no joke. I lucked out and was only behind about a half-dozen people when I took my place in line at noon (less than 10 minutes of wait-time), but a glance behind me after I placed my order revealed a startling line of more than 20 people! Winding to the corner of the block! The people have spoken and the people adore their arepas. Enough said. My expectations rise accordingly. The fried cornbread is light and delicate, not at all greasy. The pickled citrus onions give an unexpected burst of freshness and zest. The sweet potato is subtle, with all of the other flavors to compete with, so I pretty much forget it's in there. The pork is the real star of this arepa: rich, incredibly flavorful, and unbelievably juicy. So juicy, in fact, that it immediately seeps through the wax paper cone and into a huge splotch on my jeans. Even with a rearrangement of strategy (paper boat in my lap to catch the drips) and three napkin casualties, my jeans take two more greasy hits and the saucy juices are all over my hands and dripping up my forearms. I am a wreck. But here's the thing: it was worth it, and I would do it a thousand times over again. Here's my quick take: Service Friendly crew, fast service -- once you get past the formidable line, of course! Presentation I loved the look of my arepa in the wax paper and cardboard boat, but it was incredibly messy to actually eat. Thicker wax paper might have helped. Or wet-naps or a bib or something? Taste Mmmmmmmm. Five star taste. Value for Dollars The best value in street food I've had yet. Despite it's smaller size, the arepa filled me up completely, and for only $6 (if you don't go for a soda) it's tough to beat that deal in downtown. Overall Food Truck Experience The wait can be a turn-off if you're in a hurry, but if you get lucky like I did there's absolutely nothing to complain about at Hola Arepa.

    (5)

  • Sally A.

    My girlfriends and I stopped by the new spot in my neighborhood to check it out. We decided to go there as none of us had ever had an Arepitas before so while we waited for our table we sat at the outside bar area and enjoyed our craft beers. The place was really busy but fun atmosphere. The staff was nice and prompt and was great at explaining the menu and what exactly is an Arepitas. We ordered the Quesillo Salad, Pork and Ham Cuban and of course extra Yucca Fries. I would order all of it again. The only place to improve is the noise level as we all had to lean in to have a conversation and hear our server. All in all, it was a great experience and I will be back.

    (4)

  • Mike C.

    Lively, noisy, fun, and that's just the front patio/bar/waiting area. People watching at it's best. We arrived 6:30'ish last evening, Friday, it was very busy, slighty chaotic looking with people standing in groups, chatting, laughing and just enjoying the moment. We entered, asked one of the hosts about wait times for a table for 4; 45mins to 1 hour. OK, so we gave a name, grabbed a menu and sat on the bench, perused the bar menu, then headed to the little bar area. We were served very quickly, and whilst waiting were asked by another bar guy if we needed help, they were buzzing. We sat down and chatted, drinking our beers. Our name was called and we are being seated inside near the window. Great spot, but WOW it is noisy, people talking and eating. I'm usually not in favour of loud noisy places, but in here I am loving it. It feels like a big family gathering, with everyone catching up and having a great time. Our waiter arrived and greeted us, friendly without the usual 'my name is $#%$# and I'll be taking care of you', he poured water and took our starter and drinks order. We ordered the chips with salsas and guacamole, a couple of beers, cider and a hola old fashioned. They arrived and we ordered our mains, 1 cuban, 1 chicken adoba and 2 beef. w/plantains. The chips were light and crispy, not oily. They were eaten quickly and a refill was brought so we could finish the salsas and guacamole; all really tasty. The background noise was now just that, as our conversation continued to add to the delightful near-cacophony! The Arepas arrived, there were yucca fries and a tasty dip aioli verde, crikey that's a lot of food. Our waiter came by and asked if we needed anything else and was all OK. We ate; we stuffed ourselves, we talked and laughed and felt relaxed. There was no one urging us to finish to make room for more diners. I like this place. We ordered a couple of deserts and shared. Lovely, just lovely. We shall be going back. I think I might have to go and do happy hour with small plates and a couple of beers. Now if you want intimate, quiet conversations, well this is not the place. If you want great food, great attentive service, a great bar and an energetic atmosphere with the ambience of a big family gathering this is the place. Expect a wait and be surprised.

    (5)

  • Breanne K.

    I really need to stop doing this to myself. I get all worked up looking forward to someplace and then it inevitably can't be as great as I've been imagining for the past summer. Hola Arepa was exactly this situation, and it makes my soul die a little inside. Being as I'm a poor student, it is really hard to justify paying $7 for a lunch that couldn't possibly fill me up. I ordered the cuban arepa and was astonished at how it not only wasn't that large, but it doesn't come with a bag of chips or anything. For $7, I got a sandwich the size of a McChicken? And the bottom was dripping in greases? I might try again another day because the flavors were great (and those pickled onions), but I won't expect it to be my meal next time.

    (3)

  • E H.

    This place is pretty good. I tried the Vigoron, the chimichurri chicken arepa, a gin and tonic, and the hola fashion. The Vigoron was excellent. The pork, cabbage, and yucca were all really fresh tasting and combined to create an interesting texture. I'm not a fan of pork rinds, so these unnecessary, large garnishes were left on the side. I would've liked more of the main thing instead. But if you like pork rinds, do it up. You won't regret it. The arepa was uninspired and bland in comparison, and the fried yucca isn't the best compliment to a corn griddle cake; it would've been nice to have something refreshing -- too bad a side salad costs $2 extra. And that brings me to price. The pricing is what I like to call "typical Minneapolis," which mean overpriced simple food. The arepa is not worth $12. But hey, that's no worse than every other place's $12 burger. Finally, the cocktails were perfect. Probably the best old fashioned I've had anywhere in Minneapolis. Service was solid!

    (3)

  • Diana R.

    Oh. Em. Gee. Amazing. After eating my first Chimichurri chicken Arepa, I was literally at a loss for words. So delicious. So filling. So unique. A must stop in food truck season.

    (5)

  • Martha H.

    Yummy food, great drinks, decent service, and OMG LOUD. Please tun the music down and add noise mitigation so we can actually talk to our dining companions. Just in case I haven't been clear REALLY VERY MUCH TOO LOUD WOW

    (4)

  • Jeff U.

    Love the food. Love the deck. Love the service. Wished they served @finnegans.

    (4)

  • Emily N.

    What a unique restaurant to add to Minneapolis - the main cuisine, arepas, are Venezuelan! I've been to the food truck several times, so was eager to try the brick & mortar - the level of detail & character was perfect! Charming & quaint, a very open and inviting feel. I'll start with the space: the signature turquoise-blue with white, and exposed wood on the bar and table-tops is great, definitely has that open-air beachside vibe you'd expect in South America. The bar has a window that opens to the outside of the restaurant. The space itself really packs in tables. The acoustics are not great, I did feel as though my table had to talk louder and listen harder to each other than should be normal. The walls are all cement/stucco - I didn't see anything in place to abate the noise in a small boxy interior. They also boast a fantastic outdoor patio with benches, tables and standing room. They have their own parking lot with about 12 spaces or so - a bonus for this area of town! Otherwise there is street parking, but with other establishments and apartments nearby, it's not easy parking. The food: delicious! Lots of flavor, spices & combinations. We ordered all 4 salsa (it's a trio, but we wanted all 4). We all agreed that the spiciness-level ratings are off, we think everything is listed as spicier than it actually is. We all have European/Scandinavian blood too, in case you were wondering...The guac was a nice addition as well - and it had corn in it, a unique addition, don't see that often. Now slightly disappointing is that the chips are $3 for more. What? Who charges $3 extra for a small basket of thin chips? This seems very steep and bit unreasonable. Most Latin American restaurants I've been too offer bottomless chips. We did order the arepitas as well - little fried balls with corn on the outside, stuffed with goat cheese & jalapeno, with quince sauce for dipping. The jalapeno pieces are chopped up very tiny, I would not consider these spicy, the goat cheese helps to cut the spice, and the quince was a nice addition of sweet to the salty. The arepas: The beef & plantain was a hit with the couple we were with, and my boyfriend loved the pork & sweet potato. Slightly disappointing was that the salad substitution for the yucca fries was $2.50 - the salad was extremely sparse, maybe a loose handful, just lettuce - no toppings of any kind. This is horribly overpriced - and the amount is far less than the thick-cut yucca fries. In my opinion there should not even be an upcharge for the substitution. My arepa was the chicken chimichurri. It was delicious, stuffed with a generous amount of chicken in chimichurri sauce, tomato and lettuce. The arepa is like a thick & hearty corn pita-shaped sandwich "bun." The corn/arepa doesn't have an overwhelming taste, so the filling was not outdone! The yucca fries are fantastic with the aioli. I love the sauces here, Hola Arepa is creating some hits! The drinks are also great - watch out for the Aviso - WOW! This is refreshing & delicious and it will sneak up on you. Also worth an order is the Wecking Ball (served in a Weck jar) - tequilla with a bit of rhubarb with a bit of sweet & salty - also delicious. They make 4 in-house cocktails already served in bottles. The prices are about normal for drinks, $8-8.50, and there are few red & white wines to order, avg about $7-8 a glass, and a nice selection of beers as well. All in all great, I will come back and hopefully get a patio seat next time to avoid the noisy interior. Hoping Hola Arepa reconsiders the $3 extra for more chips and the $2.50 for a salad substitution!

    (4)

  • Christina L.

    Arepas are on my list of top 5 things to eat, so I'm always on the hunt for good arepas. I was pleasantly surprised that of all places across the country (and I've eaten at a ton of places), I would find such good, delicious arepas in the Midwest. Be prepared to wait a bit when you come, especially when it's nice outside and want to take advantage of their patio. We were a party of 5, and waited about 20 min at 6 pm on a Friday evening; I assume it gets even more crowded as the night goes on. I like the ambiance of this place - it has a beachy, bright, airy feel to it. Lots of turquoise, white, light wood, and windows make you almost feel like you're in South American, and not in Minneapolis. The tables are made for smaller parties, so l would recommend coming with a party of 2-6 people. We started out with the chips, guacamole and salsa. ($5 for chips & salsa, plus $3.50 for guacamole) There were 3 different types of green salsa that ranged from spicy to a sweetish mango based one. I really enjoyed the salsa - it was different than what you'd normally get at restaurants. The chips were on the oily side, and the guacamole was a bit on the small side and good, but nothing spectacular. It was hard to decide on what flavor of arepa to get since they all looked great. I settled with the shredded beef & plantains. I had been debating between the beef & plantain and the slow-roasted pork, but I tried a bite of the pork from my friend and was happy with my selection. The arepa was one of the biggest arepas I've seen - it was half as big as my head and generously stuffed with filling. The beef was tender, flavorful, and not salty, and the plantains were a perfect tinge of sweetness. It was one of those dishes where you're full, but want to keep eating because it tastes so good. The arepa comes with yucca fries, which were good, but pretty standard. 5 stars for a great restaurant with delicious food that you can't just find anywhere else. The prices ($12 for most arepas) are pretty reasonable, since the arepas are huge and filling. I wish they would make them half the size and charge half the price, so I can try 2 of them instead of just 1. I'll definitely be back on my next trip to Minneapolis.

    (5)

  • Audrey P.

    My favorite spot for brunch! Delicious bloody and the tostada chilaquiles are on point. The pickled onion radish is my favorite touch.

    (5)

  • Zachary C.

    Been once, food was good, service was good and I'm ready to go back!

    (4)

  • Tian Q.

    Service: 4.5 stars -Truck lady was friendly and patient with fielding my typical 10000 questions Arepas (Chimichurri and Slow Roasted Pork): ZERO fucking stars -A bunch of gourmet-sounding ingredients, but tasted very uninspiring -TERRIBLY put-together arepas; the corn cakes were way too soggy and soaked through the paper pocket they came in; overflowing contents fell out right as I picked up the arepa and then consistently with each bite until I was pissed-off frustrated Go to ALM if you want better arepas. Highlight was when a huge soggy glob of pork and beans fell on my crotch. That was my cue to throw away the arepas baseball-style.

    (1)

  • Teresa E.

    Stopped in at the brick & mortar, haven't visited the food truck yet. Once upon a supremely humid day for Minneapolis, a friend and I had to make a quick decision on whether to eat inside or out. That patio looked so pleasantly inviting with string lights and that turquoisy color popping all over the place. We opted for inside to beat the heat. The color theme was paired with cute illustrations of animals doing silly things. I wondered how they would look in my baby's nursery... Right away I wanted to order the yucca fries but my friend informed me that they come with an arepa! (sandwich of corn tortilla-like bread) We split the quesillo salad: similar to coleslaw with pickled rhubarb, watermelon radish and topped with grilled cheese curds. While the salad was delightful and I could have consumed it in its entirety I think my taste for pickled items is just not there right now. Perhaps my Midwestern tongue prefers the greasy cheese curds to these less flavorful grilled ones... still cooked cheese, still delicious. I opted for the Fried Egg & Ham arepa.... YUMYUMYUM! While I didn't even attempt to eat the thing with my hands like a regular sandwich, I still wiped the whole deal out with a fork & knife. I suppose if I would have eaten it normally it would have been like eating a taco - the ham was at the bottom and the pickled cabbage was on top. A bit messy for a white dress, completely devoured however. These ingredients were clearly picked with much thought because the flavors blended so well together. Back to the yucca fries... BEST EVER. Crispy on the outside, so so soft and velvety on the inside. Light fried flavor with the perfect thickness. Choice of chimmichurri sauce or aioli verde. I went with chimmichurri: perfect amount of heat and outstanding flavor all around. I would come back just for these fries!!!! Great food. Lovely staff. Cute decor and decent atmosphere - pretty darn loud in there but with all the other killer positives you don't even notice it.

    (4)

  • L J.

    If you like the color turquoise eat inside. Everything is that color, it's kind of insane. BUT ALSO! Almost everything is awesome tasting and GF (celiac friendly!). Such a great place, I was there for brunch so I can't speak for the everyday menu, but brunch was fantastic!

    (5)

  • Carl F.

    Maybe it was the half-hearted vegetarian options, or that I was expecting great, or that people haven't had arepas before, but I just don't get the hype. The plate portions were small, they seem to be taking the small plates thing to the next level: tiny plates. Food was good, but not amazing. Arepa was fine, but again not great. The wait was loooong. Not worth the combination of price and wait. Was also not a fan of many of the other guests who thought they were the cat's pajamas and were loud and proud about eating pretentious, pricier food in an old gas station in a not so well off neighborhood.

    (2)

  • Steve J.

    Certainly a different type of flavor, and it always leaves me stuffed to the brim. Verde sauce gets spicyyyy

    (4)

  • Jeremy H.

    Amazing arepas made here with tasty yucca fries, local beer, and top notch service. The best.

    (5)

  • Elyse A.

    What an awesome addition to our little Whittier/Lyndale neighborhood! My husband I went to see what all the Instagram-fuss was about on this sunny Sunday afternoon (a lot of our friends have been posting about this place over the last couple of weeks). We were not disappointed! The space itself is adorable. I felt like I was on vacation with the bright teal pops of color, funky pendant lights, succulant plants and the warm woods. We sat the outdoor bar with the windows open and it was very pleasant. All the employees had big smiles on their faces. We each had a handcrafted Minnesotan beer (although now I wish we had tried some of the cocktails!) and ordered the guac/chips to start. The salsas were absolutely incredible. We love flavorful, funky, spicy salsas and sauces and these really hit the spot. Sweet and spicy...unexpected...super flavorful. Loved them all. The guac was good too, but man. We were so distracted by the trio of salsas that we almost forgot about guac (which I did not think was possible). We ordered the chicken chimichurri arepa, since it was recommended by the bartender. It was very good, but I wish I could have tried a few others, too. We'll just have to come back soon! But also the yucca and the yucca sauce: TO DIE FOR. My husband, who has never liked yucca, was fighting me for these fried little guys. They were absolutely amazing. We had such a great time, yummy food, stellar service...we will definitely be back here soon to try even more amazing arepas (and cocktails!)\

    (5)

  • MN Ad Man Z.

    Used to be 5 stars when they were a food truck. Now it's a hipster & old hippy hang full on restaurant in mpls, and the price for an arepa has doubled or more. they are the same smallish size except that you get 3 plantain "fries" with it. Add on to that you also now have a server to tip and the price is triple of the early days when an arepa was only $6 at the truck. Too bad as we really enjoyed them.

    (2)

  • Leah M.

    Met friends for an evening out. great atmosphere for socializing. food was fantastic. definitely recommend trying whatever is the nights dpecial, as the chef is fantastic.

    (5)

  • Grace R.

    Good food but the waitress was very moody...had an attitude for sure...the food though was awesome! Arepas were a hit, yuca fries were awesome too! Drinks were good, but too expensive

    (4)

  • LB L.

    Truly excellent little arepa place. The arepas are enormous and very filling. We adults got the Cubano- which was good, but the pork was far too spicy and overwhelming for the other ingredients. The yucca was terrific and filling. The kids liked their cheese arepas and the tortilla chips were delicious. We had the ice cream sandwiches for dessert. It would have been better to split and eat one per every two people at the table, but those were delicious!

    (4)

  • Suzanne P.

    I've been here once and I'm already plotting my return trips here in the summer for their patio and bright, sunny interior. Then also in the winter for their heavenly oasis inside and cheery cocktails. Jessica S. and I came here on a whim and I was so pleasantly surprised with everything. They have a really nicely-sized patio outside, but they've done such a nice job with their interior decorating that they bring the outdoors in. They have a big, open bar; huge windows on the front of the restaurant and light blue walls turquoise painted chairs. If I'm describing something that is sounding like a tacky resort, I've done you a big disservice -- Hola Arepa is a relaxing caribbean spa resort village magical wonderfullness right on Nicollet Ave in Minneapolis. The food was great! We split a really unique salad that had radishes, cheese curds and agave dressing which was very tasty. We also ordered a vegetarian arepa with black beans and corn. MMM. This is the type of food I could eat daily. The arepas are like a corn polenta sandwich with the filling of choice inside. They are served with the most perfect pillowy, flaky heavenly fried thing (what are yuccas?) to have come across my plate. They are gooood. Finally, there is a walk-up tiki-esque bar where you can grab a drink while you wait on an outdoor bench to be seated. I loved everything so much that I won't knock you too much for the two drinks I had to have re-made.

    (5)

  • Rana H.

    I went there for dinner with the family. I ordered plantain tostadas. It's the best thing I ate in a while. Perfect mix of sweet and savory. I tasted other dishes as well and they were all delicious. I recommend this place and can't wait to go back there!

    (5)

  • Henok T.

    This place is incredible. Very good arepas, personable bartenders/servers and great craft beer on tap. The food is extremely delicious and pairs well with a beer. Arepa options include: black bean & sweet plantain, shredded beef and plantain (my choice), adobo chicken, etc. They also come with awesome yuca fries ftw! This will be a regular spot whenever I need to grab a quick and tasty dinner.

    (5)

  • Merritt J.

    The Beef plantain arepa was excellent, led previously by the three dip tortilla chips appetizer. The dips left variety for the kids palates and a little extra for the parents. Service was good and prompt despite being busy. The yucca fries with the aioli verde was the most pleasant surprise.

    (4)

  • Marisa C.

    The service and food were amazing! We were eating outside when it started to pour and the staff kept smiles on their faces And handed out towels. I had the Black Beans & Queso Fresco Arapa and it was full of flavor and would have it again! Check this place out!

    (5)

  • Gretchen J.

    Service fantastic, Food delicious. I can't wait to go back! Get the guac and the yuca fries.

    (4)

  • Mohammad H.

    I was very happy to find out they have Lagavulin, one of my favorite scotch. The decor, atmosphere and the friendly crew are all extremely energetic. When you come here, you will realize they are busy!!! Despite the high volume of crowd, the staff are very friendly and happy. They make you feel welcome. I do like it. As far as the food, I loved their appetizers. On the main course, I thought the chicken was little blah, but the fries were awesome. The beef seems to have really great flavor, I think I will go for that next time. There are plenty of street parking within couple blocks. I didn't order any dessert. Overall, I was happy with the dinner. I don't know why the Typo on the name for this place on Yelp. It is supposed to be Hola Arepa no Hola Apera.

    (4)

  • Amy M.

    Amazing Sunday Brunch! Great coffee and cocktails. Recommend the Tostada Chilaquiles!

    (5)

  • Lisa K.

    GREAT happy hour. Everything was chock full of flavor from salsas to cocktails to meats. Cool vibe, cool patio. Lovely wait and bar staff for a causal night out!

    (5)

  • J. E.

    Not awful, but not great either. I'm a big fan of yucca, so I was excited for the fries. They were awesome, but I felt like my meal was a bit spendy for what it was. The restaurant is small, and there really isn't anywhere to wait for a table, so you have to just kind of plant yourself next to the bar and hope no one needs to pass by. Overall, it was an okay experience. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area.

    (2)

  • Oscar t.

    Really good food. The outdoor space has a great vibe to it and is dog friendly. They also have a really good happy hour with a nice mix of food specials.

    (5)

  • Neil B.

    Delicious! Tried this place out after reading some reviews and have to agree. This place delivers on flavor. It has a Manhattan feel in that the seats are close and intimate. The waiters are friendly and enthusiastic. And of course the food is on point. Tried the carnitas and the black bean queso. Both were unique and flavorful. Very filling, don't second guess ordering two. The yucca fries are crispy and oh so tasty.

    (5)

  • Heather S.

    My new favorite eats in the Twin Cities. The food was incredible, and a good value. We were there as a 6-top without a reservation, and were seated in a timely manner. Our waitstaff was friendly, but didn't dilly dally, and kept things moving. Never had to wait for our drinks to be replenished, and everyone at the table gushed about their meals. I had the Green Plantains with Shredded Beef and was in heaven. A malbac was just the perfect pairing. Our friends had the arepas, for which there was nothing but high praise. A fantastic experience and one We all intend to repeat!

    (5)

  • Gus L.

    I use to frequent the food truck downtown before the brick and mortar building existed thus I am quite familiar with the business. The food truck is one of the best, a good lunch for a good price so I was excited to see what the owners could do with a little extra kitchen space. Of course a food truck is an entirely different experience from a traditional sit down restaurant where the food and the presentation are not the only important things. First we will start with the environment: The indoor area has both bench/booth type tables as well as a bar with the kitchen tucked in behind the bar. It isn't a big space but the organized layout maximized the mobility of the many staff that were working on the busy Sunday evening that we visited. A large mirror is mounted on the south wall giving the entire inside a spacious feel. Lighting appeared to be good, however, a second visit after dark would confirm. The small bathroom was less than well lit and though nicely furnished, was dirty which is unacceptable from an establishment of this caliber. The outdoor area was nicely spaced and the gas station across the street did not detract from the deck. The wrought-iron patio tables were clean, presentable, and noticeably clear of excess condiment containers, menus, salt & pepper shakers, etc. "Hola" blue wood chairs that were brilliantly stable brightened up the deck amid the beige plastic lawn chairs and summit brewing umbrellas. There is also a small collection of sunflowers and other plants growing recklessly on the boardwalk to keep things green and fresh. All in all, a lovely environment for a meal Secondly the service: Service is difficult to judge as only one waiter/waitress attends to you directly but it seemed as though the staff was alert and friendly. Our particular waitress seemed distant and aside from us ordering, we had very little contact. She did not bring drinks or the food as I guess the kitchen/bar staff takes care of that so it was slightly unclear what her particular duties were. Last and most importantly, the food: I ordered the shiitake cachapas and the shredded beef and plantain arepa. The mushroom dish was delicious complete with beautiful presentation. Also, the shredded beef and plantain arepa was one I had never seen on the lunch menu at the truck so I decided to give it a try. It was as heavenly as all the other arepas they serve. In my personal opinion they are quite generous with the meat on the arepas so if you aren't trying to be comatose after the meal you could possibly ask them to go easy on the shredded beef or slow roasted pork. The sweet onions are excellent so maybe try and get some more of those in your sandwich. The Yuca fries are delicious as well coming with either the chimichurri sauce or a verde aioli. Both are stellar though the aioli has a slight edge. In summation the simple menu is made beautifully and I would not shy away from anything. The menu is almost entirely gluten free as well which is a nice touch for celiacs. I can almost certainly state that I will be back for more. It should be interesting to see how the restaurant adapts for the winter.

    (5)

  • SR S.

    Love this place. Everything good and place is hopping. Only problem is getting a table -- which tells you something about its quality; everyone wants to go there. Been there with kids and sans; good variation in the menu in terms of meeting various flavor pallets. Love the sauces and the service.

    (5)

  • Catherine P.

    I was delighted to learn that my favorite food truck, Hola Arepa, would be opening a brick and mortar restaurant. Now I always know where to find them! We came for dinner at 7 on Saturday of opening weekend. First, I was really impressed by how smooth everything seemed to be running! The hosts were calm and sweet and informed us of a 35 minute wait. We ordered two awesome cocktails at the bar (the Wrecking Ball - a rhubarb/tequila thing, and the Hola Fashioned - a rum-based old fashioned) and waited 25 minutes for a table in the spacious outdoor patio. At our table we had quick and friendly service even despite the fact that the place was jam packed and kind of crazy. I loved the fried egg & ham arepa and thought the slow roasted pork was almost as good. Huge, filling plates also come with chips and salsa. The place is pretty loud, so don't plan on having an intimate conversation! We'll happily come back - I'm already decided on which cocktails I want to try next.

    (5)

  • Karen T.

    All was yummy I had the yuck fries and beef plantain arepa lots of flavor. Best thing I have eaten on my trip to MN is the cookie ice cream sandwich wow!! It's made out of corn chips and cheetos!

    (4)

  • Leandro T.

    I tried Hola Arepas for the first time tonight while visiting Minneapolis for a conference. Had the shredded beef and plantain arepa, side of yuca fries with chimichurri sauce, and an alcoholic horchata to drink. I'm sold. Gonna stop here every time I come to Minneapolis!

    (5)

  • Chris L.

    Restaurant review. Popped in at 9 pm on a Saturday and got a no-wait table inside (40 min wait for table outside). Nice casual vibe...place was hopping. Service was attentive and quick. Me and my companion ordered two arepas -- shredded beef and the most popular pork. Beef blew pork out of the water, but they were both good. Yucca fries were great as well (on par with Muddy Waters). Meal came out within 5 minutes of ordering despite the restaurant being packed -- wow! We did not order drinks, apps, etc. so there's plenty missing from this review, but based on our experience I'd go back in a Minneapolis minute. Repeat experiences like this will move the rating up to a 5-star.

    (4)

  • Lexi K.

    Yes yes yes. This place nailed it. We just came in as a group of four on a Friday night. They're small and don't take reservations which we knew so we were expecting a wait. Thankfully, we were able to quickly order drinks from the bar to tide us over while we waited for a table. I had the "wrecking ball" super awesome strong tequila cocktail. Our server was great- super happy and upbeat! We wanted the yuca and he warned us we would be getting the fries with the arepa so we might not need them as an appetizer -very good to know so we appreciated the heads up. We got the goat cheese filled appetizer - it wasn't bad but didn't stick out as anything special at all. Not very tasty and a small portion. Then We ordered four arepas to share and they were all equally phenomenal!!! The yuca fries were tasty and filling but the arepa is definitely what shines. We finished with some flan, which was great. So happy I finally tried this place and can't wait to go back and try more. Awesome job to the wait staff; everyone remained positive and friendly despite the stressful rush and close quarters

    (5)

  • Neal C.

    I have eaten at Venezuelan restaurants in almost every area of the country (and several across the world) but I think Hola might have just made the best arepa I have ever eaten. Incredibly crisp skin, just the right amount of thickness to hold the enormous amount of pulled pork, cheese, and black beans inside, and the meat had such great flavor. The ambience here is really trendy and fun. Friendly servers and a laid back environment make this a great place to go with friends. It clearly has gained popularity recently, as this place was so packed no one could really move inside. Crazy busy. Small parking lot, but you'll probably have to park on the street (plenty of free spots around). Only drawback is how incredibly expensive it is ($12 for an arepa!? Never seen such a thing). That being said, The superb quality and deliciousness make this an easy five star rating for me.

    (5)

  • Hannah L.

    The place is a hipster's paradise. It's cute, and fun, and stylish. And the food was really good! We went for brunch and ordered the Silver Dollar Cachapas (Sweet corn cakes topped with bacon, corn, cojita cheese, jalapeno, and chilpotle maple syrup), they were sweet, and salty, and spicy, and a little funky from the cojita (in the BEST way) and were sooo good! For our mains we got the Chorizo and Egg Arepa, and the slow roasted pork arepa, and both were delicious! We are suckers for anything chorizo and this was no exception. The pickled cabbage MADE the chorizo and egg arepa. The pork was tender and flavorful, but I wanted a variation in texture and wished the cabbage was on this one as well (or anything bright and crunchy). Overall we loved this meal! The servings were adequate, we went hungry and left full but not stuffed, service was prompt and friendly, price was resonable, and the food was tasty. We will be back!

    (5)

  • Heather F.

    My rating would be 5 stars for service sitting outside and 3 stars inside. I've experienced both and if outside isn't available, I'll head elsewhere. The atmosphere is very different and the servers seem nicer. Since I'm not a fan of the yucca fries, I prefer to get there during happy hour when you can get your arepa sans fries and for $6. The arepas are delicious as always as well as the other small plate options. Do not miss out on their cocktails - awesome flavor combinations and they pack a punch.

    (4)

  • Melissa S.

    Love both the truck and permanent location! :D Drinks: Fantastic! Strong but balanced. I love the glasses they're served in as well. Food: I was nervous trying the restaurant since I love the truck so much, but I was impressed. The menu at the restaurant is well-rounded and not overwhelming. The shitake cachapas -- divine. From the description, it might sound odd but the flavors are fantastic. We had a few different arepas and they were all tasty. The sauces that come with the arepas are fun to try. One of our favorite parts of the meal though was the yuca fries. They were perfectly cooked with a slight crust and soft insides, and not greasy. Atmosphere: Very trendy but very loud, especially inside. The patio is perfect in the summer.

    (5)

  • Andrew W.

    One of the rare times a restaurant actually lives up to the hype. Great beer selection and the service was fantastic. The food was very good and I can't wait to go back and explore the menu further.

    (5)

  • Joseph S.

    Perhaps if I'd never eaten arepas before I could understand why this joint has such a high rating, however as someone who regularly eats Venezuelan food I'm sorry to say this place was a huge disappointment. I should have been tipped off by all the white employees, but this is nowhere near a traditional arepa. I'm fine with fusion and "foodie" cuisine, but they couldn't even prepare a good arepa. The ecoutrements and sauces were quite good, but the beans were totally plain and the arepa much, much too tough. Unacceptably so. Really, try a real arepa and compare. Service was friendly, drinks were good, prices decent. The space itself is also quite nice, though I hope the exposed whitewashed OCB is formaldehyde free.

    (2)

  • Ryan S.

    Let's start with the service: SLOOOOW. It took forever to get our food. In the meantime, the server rarely (if ever?) checked in. Nor did the server apologize for the wait once the food finally came. The server was also less than pleasant. Now the food. First off, it's all $1-2 too much, especially considering the atmosphere. Second, they charged a $2 upcharge to get a salad instead of fries. This upcharge was printed on the menu, so I was not surprised by paying it. I was, however, surprised at the "salad" that cost me this $2 upcharge. It was a few pieces of lettuce not worth an upcharge at all. Third, my pork arepa was SALTY. So salty in fact, I stopped eating it. Tl;dr: Slow, spendy, salty. Pass.

    (2)

  • Donielle P.

    Amazing food! Might be my new fav in our area and around Minneapolis, not that I could eat an Arepa every date night we head out for (maybe I could) but I love when food is just as good as it should be and then, better - that's Hola. I'm a Chicagoan transplant, former bartender / server turned professional and love when there's harmony between the staff, menu, kitchen and ambience. Would have been a no brainer five stars however, the cider on tap was off with an easy to smell sulfuric rotten egg smell (really gross), maybe it was the cup? When brought back to the bartenders they insisted there wasn't anything wrong but that the cider was "dry" hmmm.... effortlessly and quickly replaced with a bottle cider however, the interaction wasn't on par for the excellence of the service or food. Slight misalignment but definitely not a show stopper for the tasty, delish food! We will for sure be back!

    (4)

  • Kaz Bamako F.

    With my friends I had a late dinner and the price, service, lastly the food was amazing! Very filling arepas, great desert which I had was the rum raisin cake! Absolutely the food was great and understandable why people are writing great reviews! :) Recommend to anyone and best arepas I have ever had and not oily, unlike the ones I have had quite a few in Montréal, Québec! Great job!

    (5)

  • Julianne Z.

    One a Friday at work, we were walking down the Minneapolis streets looking for the Smack Shack truck. When we saw the line, some of us knew that we were too hungry to wait. We happened to pass by this food truck and having had arepas before, I was immediately intrigued! They have this beautifully bright truck and service was decently fast. We started for the wait and I slowly began making, what was going to be the most important decision of my day. Looking at their arepas, the Chimichurri Chicken Arepa immediately grabbed my eye. It had a jalapeno herb aioli and I love chimichurri sauce. They also had a housemade chorizo sausage arepa that sounded heavenly as well. IN the end, I went with the chimichurri chicken arepa and I was so happy! It was an extremely filling lunch and all of the flavors were so distinct, yet they melded so well together. The person running the truck was super nice and I am def. going to visit again!

    (4)

  • Kelsey K.

    I finally went here for the first time last weekend for brunch and it was amazing! It was busy when we got there, but the wait was much shorter (15 mins) for a spot on their cute patio. The food was incredible- I tried the Arepa Benedict and it was delicious and a large portion. Everything that was coming out of the kitchen made my mouth water. Will be returning very soon.

    (5)

  • Crystal D.

    Great food, service, and south Mpls atmosphere! We had some fantastically fun drinks mixed for us at the bar and our party of 5 was attended to quickly by the host staff. I had the rum/grapefruit/cinnamon(?)/habanero bitters cocktail. Absolutely wonderful and a perfect complement to the great food. We had their special of the night, which was a wonderfully friend cauliflower. The arepas were served with yuca fries that had a thin, crispy shell on the outside and a soft, warm interior. The aioli and verde sauces were both great accompaniments. I tried the pork and plantain and pork and sweet potato arepa. The plantain added a little sweetness to the arepa. My favorite was the pork and sweet potato which also had onions and tomatoes, and a great sauce on it. The arepas themselves reminded me of the ones I had in Colombia- looks, tastes and everything! To top it off we had a Hot Cheetos brittle. These were Hot Cheetos covered in a caramelized goodness with a little hot and Cheeto-crunchy inside. Everyone at the table agreed they were amazing - and addicting.

    (5)

  • Brendan T.

    Finally made it to Hola Arepa and it surely met my sky high expectations! It is still crazy busy though...we had to wait for a table at 8:00 on a Wed. night. The parking situation is also awful, particularly on a subzero night. Had the tasting menu and I loved every course all the way to the hot chitos! Jolly poltergeist cocktail was super tasty!

    (5)

  • Mariel L.

    Wow, that was brilliant. I've visited the Hola Arepa taco truck only once or twice, since the long lines can be daunting, especially during a short lunch hour. I remember liking the arepas a lot, though, so I was truly excited to hear that this uber-popular food truck was opening a brick & mortar. Given how crazy folks are about the food truck though, I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see how busy this place was when my friends and I stopped by for dinner on a Thursday night. We were supposed to wait about 30 - 40 minutes for a table of 3 (totally acceptable), but got super lucky when a table opened up no more than 5 minutes after we put our names in. I bet the folks waiting to sit outside weren't as lucky...that particular section was doubly hot and hopping. We were more than happy to be inside, though; since it's summertime, the restaurant windows were wide open completing that beachside vibe the restaurant had. I particularly loved the art and the cool hues on the wall. The menu is short and sweet, with fun small plates and appetizers and heartier arepa options. We got the shitake cachapas and quesillo salad for starters, and I ordered the adobo chicken arepa for the main course. The cachapas were amazing, with that unmistakable truffle oil smell hitting our noses before the dish hit the table. The corn cake is the perfect edible vessel for everything that is good on this earth -- from the runny egg (yum!) to the juicy shitake (double yum!), truffle oil (srsly) and goat cheese (ok, just stop now) and a bunch of other stuff. The quesillo salad was also beautifully composed; clean, with a little squeak from the cheese curds, and very refreshing. At this point, we've already decided this place was a win, and we haven't even gotten to our arepas yet. While the chicken adobo is not the one from my childhood of course, it was just as flavorful and mouthwateringly good. It can get a little messy, but that's half the fun. The arepa cake was delicious on its own, but like myself, beauty is on the inside. See what I did there? I can't wait to try all the other exciting options. Last, but certainly not the least, was dessert. I think this is the first time I've ever decided to come back to a place primarily for its dessert, but hey, there's a first time for everything right? Oh my Sweet Jeebus, that ice cream sandwich is the BEST I'VE EVER HAD. I can't emphasize that enough; it's my favorite ice cream sandwich, hands down. Why? That cookie man. I can't explain it, so I won't even try. Just make sure you save room for it, seriously.

    (5)

  • NIdia M.

    Absolutely love this spot! -Conveniently located only a couple blocks from my apartment. Food is delicious (I've tried pretty much all of their arepas), cocktails are also fab, prices are reasonable and the ambiance is super chill. Definitely recommend this spot, for a casual night out! Oh yeah, and get the aioli verde instead of the chimichurri! so yummyy!

    (5)

  • Alicia M.

    Yucca fries and melt in your mouth arepas! I had heard about this place when it was just a food truck and then saw a write up in the paper on how almost all their food is gluten free! How fun for me as I have a gluten intolerance and usually only have 1 or at most a few options on a menu...like a kid in a candy store:) Sat on their patio this past summer with a friend and really enjoyed it. Can't wait to go back!

    (4)

  • M A.

    Why are you still reading reviews? Get your butt over to Hola Arepa and find out for yourself how amazing the food is there! Flavors galore, guaranteed to satisfy!

    (5)

  • Joe S.

    Not a lot of places reach five stars for me. As someone who has been nearly every position in the service industry I tend to be quicker to be critical of a place, especially if poorly managed. This is NOT the case at Hola Arepa! Parking, host service, server, and food/drink are the main factors when it comes to making a rare night out with my wife memorable (good or bad). Parking is tight here, the lot is fairly small and is on the corner of a one way so circling is tough. Spots do open up but be prepared to walk a short ways. Hosts were fantastic. We were greeted immediately upon entering and the young host noticed my wife is pregnant and promptly went to work finding us "the most comfortable seat in the house". This was not expected but the effort was much appreciated. While our host was getting the table ready we were greeted by 3 other friendly servers. Excellent. Our server was busy so it took her a couple minutes to get over to us, but we needed time to look at the menus anyways and she brought water with her when she made her first stop at our table. My wife is desperately missing beer and cocktails and Hola offers bartenders choice mock tails. Our server asked a few questions and spent the time to understand what my wife wanted and they came back with a delicious concoction that was just what she was looking for. Again, excellent. We ordered 2 Arepas the arepitas and chips with guac + salsas. Arepas were good, we had the chicken chimichurri and the plantain beef. They didn't blow our minds, but had good flavors and were filling. Arepitas were excellent, the sweet sauce with them was great. Salsas were just ok, the hola sauce was by far the best. The verde and the extra hot salsas we would pass on next time. Guacamole was again solid, but not the best (Maya Cuisine) overall our food and drinks were what we wanted and satisfied so no complaints. (This is much harder to do than most think, we've seen many places put out very mediocre food when busy) Overall the service more than makes up for the tricky parking. The food won't disappoint and the drinks are great, especially on their patio. We will definitely be coming back.

    (5)

  • Sydney S.

    We arrived @ Hola around 7:15 on a Saturday night & it was packed. We were told there'd be a 1-hour, 15 minute wait. We went across the street (Pat's Tap) for a drink & missed our name 20 minutes later. Clearly they need to work on table turnover estimates but we then got in quickly. We started with 2 apps: the bar nuts & an order of jalapeño goat cheese balls (not their real name) and both were tasty & unique. There were only 4 tiny balls in a tiny dish (yep, Hola Arepa has tiny balls) but I liked the quince sauce so much I got over it. Apparently they think it's not the size but how you sauce it...but I wanted more. Then came our round of arepas. I ordered the pork & sweet potato arepa and it was fan-freakin-tastic!! We all agreed that the yucca fries with chimichurri sauce were delish too. The vegetarian arepa was raved about from across the table too but the reviews on the slow-roasted pork & Cuban ones were "good" (not great). So pick wisely, young grasshopper, and enjoy.

    (4)

  • Rebecca A.

    My mom and I had lunch here a few Saturday's ago. It was right after a local newspaper had given them good reviews so the place was packed! It took us a while to get seated but we didn't mind waiting. We were seated at the table closest to the bathroom which I didn't quiet understand because there other tables open but we stayed. When we got seated, we knew what we wanted and ordered right away. We ordered arepitas, plantain tostadas, one chimichurri chicken arepa and one roast pork and sweet potato arepa. We both really liked the plantain tostada. The arepitas were good, but a little expensive for such a little plate. The arepas were good but very messy. And you can't go wrong with yuca fries! I'm interested to try other arepas next time. Hopefully it won't be as crowed.

    (5)

  • Jill F.

    Absolutely delicious drinks--try the Center Court. Arepitas were really good and so were the chips, salsa, and guac--make sure to get the hola sauce! The patio is nice, you don't realize you're next to a busy street. Good servers and gluten free menu--I'm in love!!

    (5)

  • Marcus L.

    Gluten free dream! And fantastic all around. They can get busy, so try and go early or late. Great prices too!

    (5)

  • Cody C.

    My girlfriend and I were seated immediately on the patio on a Saturday night and were greeted right away by our server. She was attentive, kind, and oh man was she fast! We got our food and drinks almost immediately and they were incredible. We split the chips with salsa and guac, then I got the beef and baby plantain arepa, she got the chimmichuri chicken - both were unreal! After we paid, we though we'd hop inside for another drink before heading on with our night. Long story short, we spent our whole night there, entertained by the bartenders Elijah and Dan. They made our cocktails with care, we're incredibly funny and personable, and they didn't mind my incessant questions about techniques and the booze they were pouring. We'll be back soon, this place is a new favorite!

    (5)

  • Kelly S.

    Cool spot for unique eats & lively atmosphere. It gets very busy during prime time so come early if you don't like to wait for a table - the place is pretty small. The style is cohesive & the colors are striking, I like to see this type of attention to detail in an eatery because it suggests that someone put some thought into the place. Onto the important part, the food! The arepas are unique & tasty, though a little messy to eat. There are a couple vegetarian options & lots of delicious drinks like a ginger infused lemonade. Service is decent, though not exceptionally friendly. I'll be back for more of the yucca fries & another arepa!

    (4)

  • Anna P.

    I am updating my review because I went to the brick and mortar location and it is fantastic! The menu is expanded and there is a bar. They serve bottled gin and hibiscus tonics that are the cutest-tastiest concoction in Minneapolis! There is a big deck and plenty of waiting space outside. I will be here often.

    (5)

  • Jessica M.

    The arepas are fantastic! I'm having a chorizo sausage one and Dave's having a plantain one. Really great. Also try one of the craft cocktails!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Chen P.

    We were blown away by Hola Arepa last night! The food was great, I think our favorite was the pulled pork. Such a nice change from the usual Twin Cities fare, and easy on the wallet as well. The menu is 100% gluten-free except for the desserts, so as a Celiac I felt very safe eating here. The white sangria with grapefruit and rhubarb was wonderful. And here's a first--because there's no gluten going into their fryer, I could enjoy their homemade tortilla chips, which were warm and salty and outstanding all on their own. The only downside is, as many others have noted here, it is VERY LOUD. Hopefully they'll read their reviews and install some acoustic ceiling tiles or something. Until then, I'll happily sit outside.

    (4)

  • Nicholas E.

    I really wanted to love this place. We were warmly welcomed and promptly seated inside. Overall the place wasn't all that busy for a Saturday afternoon. Yet there we were for 15 minutes sitting at the table with a menu and two empty glasses of water. We observed the staff waiting in every table other then ours, and during our wait, we decided to wait up until the point the table next to us got their food and wait a bit longer and decided to leave when they got their water refilled and we still got no attention.

    (2)

  • Gypsy S.

    The food is not very appealing to me. I figured they had a lot of veterinarian options and they had a few but other then yucca fries I didn't care for the food.

    (2)

  • Jim F.

    Really love this place. New, friendly, hip, delicious, different. Just be aware that even though they bring the check to your table in an American Express binder, they inexplicably do NOT take AMEX cards. A bummer if - like me - you are in town on business and use AMEX for business dinners & expenses. Would have been 5 stars if not for this issue. If you are paying cash or using another card, by all means check Hola Arepa out!

    (4)

  • Bashir B.

    They ought to rename this place Overtime, because Daddy is coming home LATE tonight!!!!

    (5)

  • Heather L.

    So i'm not going to repeat every other post that has already been written about hola arepa because yes the yucca fries, chimichurri and roast pork arepas were really delicious. The reason i'm not giving it 5 stars was the wait time expectations from the hostess. Knowing the restaurant is super popular and stopping in on a Sat evening there would be a bit of a weight but we were quoted 35/45 minutes and it ended up being a little over an hour. They need to button this up because it causes unrealistic expectations for the diner.

    (4)

  • Sara G.

    I have been here twice in the last few months and both times were great! First time I got the shredded beef and plantain arepa (so good) and the second time I got the chimichiri chicken ( good but the beef was better). Love the yuca fries that come with the arepa. They are very filling but the chips with 3 salsas was a good starter. The vibe is cool here and there is always a wait!

    (5)

  • Thomas R.

    We stopped in the brick-and-mortar hollow during happy hour. Overall the restaurant has a homey style that is representative of the fact that they are primarily selling South American street food. There is a large outside eating area that is perfect for a nice summer day in Minneapolis. Were able to make it during happy hour and were greeted by a packed house. The happy hour specials include some reduced price drink options and the ability to purchase arepa's without the sides at a discounted rate. We ordered drinks, chips with guacamole and salsa's, and several different arepa's. The chips come with a variety of salsas featuring different flavor profiles non-of which were particularly special. For some reason I expected more out of the salsa. The guacamole is very fresh tasting and much more on par with our expectations. We had a combination of vegetarian black bean and roast pork arepa's. Fridays were extremely fresh featured great flavors and had wonderful accompaniments with it in the corn cake arepa. Having never had one before, I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty this take on South America street food is. Overall our experience at Hola was very good. Were back in the Twin Cities it is a place that I would like to visit again.

    (4)

  • Fish D.

    Food is creative and presented well. Drinks were equally excellent. Service was also quite good. Would have been 5 stars but we had to find out about specials from the table next to us instead of our server. Overall well worth the trip.

    (4)

  • Theresa P.

    Excellent service, delicious food, unique drinks, dazzling ambiance! I recommend the arepitas (goat cheese balls) and the black bean/plantain arepa served with yucca and green aioli. One arepa is a good amount to fill you up. Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Michael R.

    I'd come back here for dinner, but their happy hour doesn't hold a candle to other options in the area. Prices are high, portions are small (avoid the guacamole. It's tasty, but tiny). Trade in the limited options and just come here for dinner when you're craving an arepa. The arepas are good. And the beer list is small but well-chosen. Yucca fries are delicious. Get them for your side, you won't be sad. Their cocktail ideas are really interesting but not always well-executed. My partner was super excited to try their gin and tonic with hibiscus tonic. Hibiscus gets bitter and overly floral when infused for too long, which is what was happening here. Maybe other batches are better.

    (3)

  • Ben R.

    My group was here for a total of two hours waiting for the waitress to stumble back and forth messing up drinks, food orders, and ultimately culminating in a really crappy arepa. The waitress disappeared multiple times for God-knows-what and only reappeared to bring us either the wrong items or an incomplete order. The waitstaff needs some serious remedial training in basic restaurant skills. It is a long leap from a serviceable food truck to a decent full-service restaurant; these guys fell flat on their faces in mid-stride.

    (1)

  • Keshar N.

    I have changed offices and unfortunately, I now have a lack of access to the Hola food truck (I seriously considered not accepting the offer after I found this out). But! My spirits were lifted when I found out that they were opening a brick and mortar location! YES! And it's on my way home from work (a little too convenient). My bestie and I not only share a love of all things food, but also our birthdays. We decided that Hola was the best place to get together and have a yummy dinner and celebratory cocktail. The interior is really beautiful! Old wood tables with succulents in little mugs... very cute! The food (as it was), is delicious! I can't keep my hands away from the slow roasted pork arepa and get it every time (my stomach just can't cheat on Hola). But, I do have to say the service was less than stellar. I am not sure if they are still working out some kinks, but our server was not super pleasant. How can you have a scowl on your face when you are working in this establishment? Also, it does get pretty loud so I felt like I ended up yelling at/to our server too - maybe she didn't like that? Aside from our surly server, everything was lovely! A little sass is not going to keep me away from this place, and I doubt it would keep you away either!

    (4)

  • Tess G.

    Loved the food truck and the restaurant now as well! I ordered the black bean and queso fresco arepa with chimichurri sauce. Highly recommend it! Planning on returning for happy hour in which arepa's are $7

    (5)

  • Eater M.

    Food/Drink: Arepa, what's an Arepa? Well, come here to find out (or go to a wiki page). It's good food regardless of where it's from and what it's meant to be, meaning you won't be disappointed. We ordered three different arepas (pulled pork, chicken and black bean). We tried to split it them up between us, consider that a fail; so consider that a note to people that typically share. With the arepa you choose, make sure to get the right sauce (and maybe some extra). The food itself isn't too spicy, but very flavorful. And to cap it off, the yucca fries which are probably the best executed I've had in MN. Good happy hour and some pretty decent beer selections made it a good place to go. Ambiance: So, I've been to a few of the trucks converted to restaurants. For me, coming into this place, I think of it first then the food truck. They really did the design simple and easy and you can picture some good summer nights wasted here (doesn't hurt that you can sit outside, but still at the bar). It's a well designed place and you can tell they cared. It's also not too big, so just make sure you're not expecting a ton of space. Service: No problem. Maybe because it recently opened, but the servers were plentiful and there if we needed anything. Quick with a recommendation or to check up that everything is good. When one server was slightly busy, another dropped by to check in (and one to deliver food). Overall: Sometimes I call it "Holy Arepa" since the food is definitely good enough to knock your senses around in a good way. Don't forget the booze as they have some interesting mixed drinks (and wines) that could pair really well with your mood and the food. It's probably a good place to catch up with a friend you haven't seen in a while, drink and be merry. You'll for sure leave thinking "We should do this again"

    (4)

  • Sondra S.

    I went over there on recommendations from a friend of mine. This place is an amazing new limitless gem. The food and the service was great. I even lucked out to have a great weather in between rain storms to enjoy their patio! I had adobo chicken Arepa. It was a delicious sandwich. Also happy that the entire menu is gluten free. Their white sangria was a great complementary drink for arepas. I'll def be going back! Ps: long waiting to get a table during weekends, so good idea is to go there during week.

    (5)

  • Artie Bryan C.

    Even though Hola Arepa was busy, they got our party seated quickly. Started off with get a sangria with some chips and salsa. Our order came out quickly, and the slow roasted pork arepa was delicious. The bread had a nice crunch, and the pork was really tender. The yucca fries were hot and crisp, but I think I'd have liked them better if they were a bit thinner. Even though there were only about five of them, it was too much to finish them and the arepa. Service was great, too.

    (4)

  • Laura D.

    45 minute wait for two on the patio at 8:00 p.m. on a Thursday. We opted to eat inside and only had to wait about five minutes to be seated. I had the shredded beef & plantain arepa and my boyfriend had the roast pork & sweet potato arepa. The beef & plantain arepa blew the pork out of the water. The meat was perfectly juicy and the plantain added just the right amount of sweetness. The yucca fries were perfectly portioned (you get five fairly large fries) and both the aioli verde and the chimichurri sauce were great accompaniments. The food was just as good as I remembered from the food truck and service was friendly. I'd give this place 5 stars, but, as it's been said before, this place is nearly unbearably loud. After ten minutes of trying to have a conversation over the fairly small table, we finally opted to sit on the same side of the table in order to talk (yes, we were one of those couples), and we were not the only ones to do so. Tip: wait it out for the patio!

    (4)

  • Adam B.

    We visited on a Sunday late afternoon and immediate seating was available in and out. The flip up window bar seats are cool...nice way create an open-air effect. Overall vibe and decor is very Tulum. Definitely a bohemian influence. We each chose an arepa with yucca fries and both were better than we could have expected. High quality ingredients cooked to perfection. Portions may look small but this is heavy food. Without drinks, two people can walk out of here for $30 and a great food experience.

    (5)

  • Mark K.

    Do not want to repeat the reviews of others because they are accurate with regards to the phenomenal quality of this place. Sunday brunch is fantastic, everything from the cocktails to the food. Portions are the best I have ever seen in the Twin Cities and their prices are so reasonable. If you have out of town guests, take them here.

    (5)

  • Lisa E.

    When an adult contemplates licking the inside of the paper wrapper that their food came in like a kid chews on the cupcake wrapper, you know it's REALLY good! All the awesomeness that this food truck delivers, is the reason why I choose a food truck for lunch over the standard stuff and what other food trucks who are delivering mediocre should be trying to emulate. First , the Arepa is crisp on the outside with a soft and moist, nicely chewable texture inside that soaks up the yummy juiciness from the pork and the chive aioli. Second, the pork, is moist, tender and really flavorful! Third , the sweet potato, pickled onions and tomato are fresh, tasty and make a wonderful accompaniment to bring it all together in to one spectacular meal! Don't even ask, you can not have a bite of mine! Get your own!

    (5)

  • Heather W.

    Really liked this place! The wait was long but it was definitely worth it. The specialty drinks were quite delicious as well as were the appetizers. It was all so good I ate so much that I could barley finish my arepa. The atmosphere is fantastic and service was excellent. I will definitely be returning to this local gem.

    (4)

  • Joe E.

    This was my 2nd time at HA...first breakfast. The bloody M was very good, the service was prompt and very friendly and the place was a buzz on a Saturday mid-morning. The brunch menu made it tough to choose, but I went with the breakfast arepa and was not disappointed! Fresh, well prepared and a good portion...the arepa itself may be a bit thicker than it needs to be...just so it's not too filling, but I'm no expert on the proper arepa thickness either! Trust me-they are delicious and Hola is a nice change for breakfast/brunch. Can't wait to go back, especially in the summer when the patio opens up.

    (5)

  • Ruchir J.

    Awesome place! Came here for lunch and shared a meal with my wife. We ordered the vegan tostada and chimichura chicken. Between the two of us we shared those two items and we were stuffed! We really recommend this place. The food is awesome and staff is wonderful you will not be disappointed!

    (4)

  • E C.

    Kudos for good service, tasty food with fresh ingredients. Went for brunch it was cozy and busy. I was sad the food and the drinks at the restaurant location are much higher priced than at the food truck. If you are craving Arepas this is a great choice, if you are craving Mexican type flavors go to Miama or El Taco Riendo.

    (3)

  • Todd R.

    THe only reason I give 1 star is we actually never got to eat. We were sat, but after 15 minutes of not being served we headed across the street to Pat's Tap. Now, I could have done the server or hostess a solid but I love Pat's Tap and as we waited, it was in our line of sight. The employees at Pat's Tap were much more interested in our presence and on top of things.

    (1)

  • Megan G.

    This place was great. I have never had an arepa, so I have nothing to compare it to. I did enjoy my meal and I will be back again. They have outdoor seating, which is a plus. It only took 10 minutes to be seated during HH outside on one of Minnesota's first spring days. Our food also came out promptly as well as our drinks. I had a chicken arepa and my friend had a vegetarian one. We both really enjoyed our meals. The margaritas were great. I am not a fan of sugary margaritas. This was tart and superb. Great spot to sit outside with friends!

    (4)

  • j e.

    Sometimes I feel like I'm doing myself a disservice by writing a review like this but this place is unbelievable. Drinks, happy. Food, happy. We got extra sauces and extra pickled onions for a small extra charge and totally worth it. de.li .cious.

    (5)

  • Dominic A.

    If you hate hola arepa, you hate puppies and everything awesome. If you want good food and good times come here, otherwise just go to Applebee's and get a domestic tap.

    (5)

  • Chris M.

    I'm not sure which came first, the food truck or the arepa, but the combination of the two make a solid pair when hungry and roaming the streets of Mpls or St. Paul. I have been pleased with the various arepas Hola has slung my way, but the standout in my mind has to be the Cuban (though I'm a sucker for any variation of a Cuban sandwich as it is). The pork they use is locally sourced, well prepared and pairs well with the homemade pickles and coarse mustard. Arepas can be paired with chips and/or guac for a few extra bones, and make sure to load up on their homemade salsas (especially the verde hot salsa). The folks running the show have always been friendly, it's nice to see that Hola is hitting the streets regularly in both cities (and at Fulton Brewery and other events on occasion) and food is always ready quickly - no complaints here.

    (4)

  • Lori M.

    We went to Hola for lunch/brunch on Saturday. Great food, great people and excellent cocktails! Specifically, try the Third World Man.

    (4)

  • Bubbles LaTour L.

    What a treat! My companion had the slow-roasted pork arepa, I had the chimichurri chicken arepa from the happy hour menu. Full size arepa, no sides, and a bargain at $6 each vs $11.50 outside happy hour. I sure didn't miss the sides. A side order of chips with salsas and guac was great, too. I prefer my guac without corn kernels in it, but it was not offputting. Both arepas were tasty and flavorful and I loved the crispiness of the outside of the arepas. I can't wait to go back! ¡Muchas gracias, señores y señoras! Twenty bucks for two peoples (plus tip) -- you won't hear me complain. Can't wait to try the chorizo sausage arepa next time. Hoo hoo hooooo.

    (5)

  • Joe P.

    Incredible. A nifty hand-held, but sizable shredded pork arepa; crisp and stringy where important--and most importantly here, cheap and filling. For food done conveniently fast, it was well cooked, tasty, and friendly-delivered. For nomination in the high-expectation food-truck world, a strangely unique South American delight--5 stars. !Arepa! (an extra star for parking in brewery parking lots)

    (5)

  • Ashley F.

    It should be illegal to park the Hola Arepa truck and the Smack Shack next to each other. I had to stand there like an idiot choosing between two great food trucks. Wasted a whole quarter on my meter. For the price, this has to be one of the best lunches you can have in Minneapolis. There is only one downside. They really need to include a bib. When the pulled pork arepa is like, the juiciest pork in the world, not including a bib is like intentional outfit sabotage. For $10 I had a pulled pork arepa, chips & guac and a Arnie Palmer. Everything was really good, but I think the Arnie Palmer could use just a touch of sweetness. But it was still really good. Also, cutest branding ever. I will admit that I was initially attracted due to the super cute logo.

    (5)

  • M H.

    I had been waiting to try this place since I first read the rave reviews months ago. I was lucky to find them at the Midtown market today and was not disappointed. We tried the breakfast arepa and it was very very good. Felt like I was in Caracas - que delicioso! Texture and taste were both very well executed, will definitely return.

    (5)

  • Ellen R.

    Hola Arepa, Thank you for feeding me with your porky goodness. Love, Mouth

    (5)

  • sallie w.

    Hola Arepa - Once I got over the fact that I was totally mad at it and myself, I fell in love with this adorable turquoise truck... - let me explain: a couple months ago in NYC, Mr. B and I 'discovered' arepas at a Venezuelan restaurant called Caracas. We freaked out over these savory pastries/sandwich type goodies. When we saw this new food truck we were totally kicking ourselves for not thinking of it first!!! Alas, Christine Nguyen (Design Collective founder) and her boyfriend, Birk Stefen Grundem (Bradstreet bartender) totally beat us to it with what sounds like a similar story of discovering this South American dish while in the Big Apple. I seriously had about 4 attempts involving waiting in line and ultimately giving up before I finally was able to partake! Here's the scoop: It's worth the wait. Arepas are $5-6. The style here is more like a sandwich then a hot pocket (like we had at Caracas). I had the bean/queso fresco arepa which was great but I liked Mr. B's chicken avocado salad one slightly better - it's like chicken salad meets guacamole... Yum! The lemonade is a must. We split a minty lemonade and I think they had a ginger flavor too. Also get the chips and salsa/guac ($1). Load it up with the extra pickled onions (for free at the counter) - it comes with some on it but I thought it could use more and more hot sauce too. You can find them downtown Minneapolis most weekdays and Sundays at the Uptown Market.

    (4)

  • D L.

    Chose this truck based on its nice condition and the relatively long line at 11:40am. The $6 pork arepa sandwich was very good. It looks small, but actually is quite filling, and the seasoning is perfect. Be sure to take advantage of one of the salsas.

    (4)

  • Amanda A.

    This arepa sandwich was seriously one of the best things I ate this summer. Holy cow, the flavors were strong and complementary to each other. I just wish I'd grabbed a fork; yummy things fell out the back end and it was very difficult to eat them without a utensil. The lemonade of the day was also pretty tasty!

    (5)

  • Ronnie G.

    Seriously Amazing. One star for the awesome Chicken Salad Arepa. Sounds slightly tragic but was to die for. We added some guac and pickled onions and it was super filling (despite it's quaint size) and the corn meal arepa had the perfect crunch. Two stars for having cucumber lemonade. Seriously? What fantastic timing. We were roasting at Cantarbury Park and it was the perfect drink to quench our dried tongues. Three Stars for quick service. Super fast and I liked the playing card system for getting your order. Four Stars for the service. Very friendly despite the chaos. Five Stars for the uber awesome truck design. WSK, Smack...take notes. Looked like Vera couldn't have designed a better truck. Nicely played Arepa Truck. You've earned a return visit and loyalty from a fan.

    (5)

  • Theresa C.

    Very good arepas here - I had the slow cooked pork and my sister had the chicken avocado salad, all are $5. Chips and salsa are $2 - the chips were good, and the salsa had decent heat. Only problem is that the line moved very slow, and they ran out before 1:00, so there were probably 10-12 people in line behind us who did not get to order. I think new food trucks should take a page from some of the existing trucks and have a good name or number system of retrieving orders, and have someone outside the truck taking orders and others inside filling them and calling them out. Then the person outside the truck can direct the line to a good location and help keep things moving. I would definitely eat here again, but I'd like to do it on a day where the line doesn't take up my entire 1 hour lunch break. PS today they were at Marquette between 6th & 7th. Check twitter for locations.

    (4)

  • Margie D.

    Look out for the Vigorón on the menu, it's not on the menu everday, but it was swoon-inducing. Delicious shredded pork on cabbage slaw with chiccarons and yucca. I would eat this everyday, it remind me of home-cooking.

    (5)

  • Buck D.

    Coming from Miami .... AMAZING! And crazy, over the top friendly staff.

    (5)

  • Aaron W.

    Awesome! Had the chicken & co-worker had pork arepa. Great flavors, suggest adding some of the pickled onions and tangy sauces. Also had Arnie Palmer, comes in refreshing and not sweet. Going back again this week!

    (5)

  • Jillian C.

    I'm so obsessed with Hola Arepa that I can't stop reviewing it...I have now had enough delicious lunches here to count on two hands and am hoping to have to use my toes too before the end of the season. I always get the vegetarian option - black beans & queso fresco - and it never disappoints. I'm lucky if I find a place to sit down before I start nosediving into the goods. If you have not been here yet and have the opportunity and/or means to do so, do yourself a (Huge) favor and check Twitter to see where they will be tomorrow!!

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Tue

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Very Loud
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Hola Arepa

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