Reviews of Hola Arepa (Restaurant)

Joe Dancho

Have been meaning to get here for some time now. Started eating out of their truck Downtown back in the day and man, they have come a long way. Super delicious food, great drinks, great staff. Will mos def be back.

Jennifer

The food is amazing! Everything I tried was delicious. If I lived closer, I’d dine here often. The restaurant is a bit on the smaller side but the service is quick.

Randy Jackson

If you want some unusual but Mexican food more like you would get in Mexico, you've got to try Hola Arepa. You won't find this food in other Mexican restaurants in Minneapolis. All in our party had different items and all raved about the taste. I had the Shredded Beef and Plantain served between two house made cornmeal griddle cakes. It was exceptional and more than enough to eat. Another favorite was the large Hola Salad served with or with out chimichurri chicken. That's going to be my next order at Hola Arepa. The wait staff is excellent with someone always available to help without bothering your meal of conversation.

Shauna Valdez

Everything here is SO good!! The arepas, the cocktails, and of course the yucca fries! Come for their happy hour; you won’t be disappointed. Now I’m hungry just thinking about it. Sit on the patio when the weather’s nice.

Patherchia Thao

AN ABSOLUTE MUST when you are in Minneapolis. Amazing theme and food is out of this world. Highly recommend brunch.

Lela Goettl

Great server, Zeke! The bar tender with orange glasses was rude & snotty. Food was fantastic! However, I sat in the direct line of the sunsetting for about 45 minutes. I was blinded & though Zeke felt bad there was nothing he could do to help me. We made reservations so I don't understand why we were seated in an uncomfortable table.

Beth Gasser

Very good. Busy, but we got seated right away. Great flavors and unique menus. Loved as the sauces and chutneys. Corn cakes are delicious. Not much parking. We will be back!

Mpls MN

Amazing Food and service

Steve Gasser

Great food. It was very busy when I was there and service was fast and friendly. Interesting combination of flavours. Give them a try and you will not be disappointed.

Sheena Curry

Hola never disappoints. I ordered the Cuban arepa and my friend had the taco salad. Yum. The atmosphere is ways so upbeat and the service staff are always friendly. Parking is a bit of an issue at times as it is on the corner of 35th and Nicollet, but it is worth it.

Damien Mathew

Nice, casual restaurant with comfortable seating both indoors and on a patio.

Steph Lang

The food was okay. The drink that I got was quite strong, it was a little to loud for my liking, and we didnt really have the best server. Thankfully when we went we were able to get a parking spot in the parking lot. Their salsas are pretty amazing though. I had salsa verde and a chipotle one.

Anthony Garcia

Salsas were delicious except for the red, too much cumin. overall the cocktails will keep me coming back! Yum.

John Hayes

What a gem! I met my first Arepa here. It was my best! I'll never forget it. This place is busy for obvious reasons.

Steve Wrangham

Amazing food and tasty cocktails. Super popular so plan to go during off times... Or just wait it out cuz the food is worth it!

Kaleb Rumicho

Due to my former apt's proximity to Hola, I spent much more time here than I needed to - primarily because of those delicious slow-roasted pork and chimichurri chicken arepas. Mouthwatering.

ShivaKrishna Bujunoori

I loved it. Every bit of it. If you like old fashioned , looks things in artistic way. This is the right place. I love those fries - euka fries. Awesome. These are so amazing. No words to explain. Best fries of potato family... Attaching menu . Enjoy . Have a look.

Kacie Johnson

Huge fan of this place. Have to admit the service is usually better sitting at the bar. The food is always fresh & served in a decent time. Drinks are fun & delish. (On the sweeter side) We have yet to try Hai Hai and can’t wait to go!

Sasha Bennett

Staff was super friendly and fast! Food was tasty as well!

Anne Christians

This is my favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. There are no wrong choices, everything on the menu is excellent. I've never had a bad experience and I recommend Hola Arepa to other people all the time.

Aaron Shaffer

The food at Hola Arepa is amazing - super flavorful and filling. Chimichurri sauce is my slice of heaven. Service is typically great as well. My one major complaint is with regard to their seating system. It's time to join 2019 and do a cell phone alert system. Last night we were essentially held in place, waiting in cold temperatures for a 30 minute wait that turned into an hour. Meanwhile, there's a bar across the street we could have been to with seats open. Please consider changing your system if you read this! If you don't want to accept reservations, please allow people a little bit more freedom to roam while waiting. Thank you.

Jeanine Nelson

If you want some unusual but Mexican food more like you would get in Mexico, you've got to try Hola Arepa. You won't find this food in other Mexican restaurants in Minneapolis. All in our party had different items and all raved about the taste. I had the Shredded Beef and Plantain served between two house made cornmeal griddle cakes. It was exceptional and more than enough to eat. Another favorite was the large Hola Salad served with or with out chimichurri chicken. That's going to be my next order at Hola Arepa. The wait staff is excellent with someone always available to help without bothering your meal of conversation.

Elizabeth Harber

Great food, love it! And fun atmosphere. Everyone should try it!

Anna Collins

Gluten free jackpot! Great service and great food. We have only gone for brunch and really enough the fried chicken and yucca fries. The portions are generous and the flavors unique and satisfying. They do get very busy so I suggest arriving 10-15 before they open if you are opposed to waiting. Good selection of drinks as well.

Robert Porte

This place was great! Great drinks, great food, and great servers. They were jam packed and we still got great friendly service!

Melanie Sherman

Everything we had was delicious: we ordered the shredded beef, chicken, black beans & sweet potatoes, the special Brazilian rice bowl, cocktails and the flan for dessert and it was just fantastic food. A little noisy, but very cozy and a great place to visit with friends! Loved everything about it, one of our favorites on our MN trip!

Paula Dellis

Excellent food, tasty drinks, fun place. Victoria was great server

Ryan C. Van Wyk

An awesome option in the Minneapolis food scene. The food is excellent; great flavors and unique food options. The cocktails are always great. This is a wonderful casual eating environment, great for groups, and in the realm of affordability. The arepas are great. The Arroz Verde bowl is a favorite.

Nathaniel Pitts

Unique menu with great options. Service and food was fantastic

yuri r

Great arepas. Good beer selection

Aaron Stine

Very tasty food. I've liked everything from Hola Arepa except the yucca fries...not a fan of yucca so this is a personal thing. Usually a fine tap list but can be limited. Staff is either incredibly friendly or oddly off-putting.

Vicki Bjorklund

Great atmosphere, food and drinks. Mock tail also really good. They didn’t take reservations for Fri so we had a 35min wait. Bartenders a little slow and snippy.

Mares Anderson-Duggan

Great place for food and amazing drinks! Vamos por arepas

Ellen Dean

Very good food, very good drinks. The service had its sides, but on average it was on the good side. The place fills up quickly, and in October half of the tables were under a tent, practically outside (heated, though), which seemed a little too extreme for us. The prices are not the cheapest, and the portions not the biggest, but they're both doable and get your stomach full just fine.

Kevin Rodriguez

Arrived at 11:35PM and the kitchen was closed. Drove 30min to try the arepas. People next to me ordered chips with no problem

Ana K

Very good food and quick service. Parking over there can get kind of tricky.

Jonathan Nelson

Great food, great service, fun drinks. Perfect patio for the summer

Yasmine Ghanem

I would definitely recommend Hola Arepa. The food is delicious, and I have yet to try something I don’t like. My only complaint is with the seating area inside. Last time I was there, my group of four had a table inside and it was impossible to see and really hard to hear. We were using our phones to read the menu and felt like we had to shout to be heard. Maybe it was just louder than usual but we all seemed to notice it and we’ve been there before multiple times.

Further Performance

Phenominal first experience tonight. Will for sure be back. Excellent service, great food and drinks, and amazing ambiance!

Hollie Parsons

Hoppin place! Great Latin food with super service! And Celiac friendly!

Robin Thomas

We live within walking distance of Hola Arepa, and are so lucky! Everything I've had here has been delicious. Their cocktails are really fantastic, and I could eat their chips and salsa/guac all day long. My only advice would be to get something other than their yucca fries: they're good, but basically taste like french fries, so be adventurous and get something else!

Sophia Lowe

I am in love with their food. Buuuut so disappointed that their drinks are so tiny, it’s $10 for a low ball glass.

David D

Fantastic gluten free dining experience. A fun atmosphere with great service.

Chase Nelson

Finally got a chance to stop into Hola Arepa for brunch today. It was delicious. Everything we had was fresh and bursting with flavor. The staff was also very friendly. If you're planning on stopping in I would recommend a reservation.

Tim Szeliga

Good food, fast service

Raddie Ruple

The best part was my “mocktail”. The arepa was good but perhaps a bit on the flavorless side. I’d take want it too spicy, and it wasn’t but then there is flavor. My partner had a great dessert though. He chimichurra sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and dipped in chocolate sauce.

Nathan Chow

Great cheery place with patio seating for solid South American food.

Josh Czech

We were seating right away the atmosphere was great, the staff was friendly and quick. The food was delicious! Wasn’t as crazy about the drinks.

Katie McGinnis

Neighborhood favorite. Arepas and appetizers are tasty along with their selection of beverages. Their seasonal lavender lemonade was delicious! Great location for outdoor eating as well.

Jon Reek

Lots of gluten free options. Fast service

Amanda Steward

Most interesting fusion in the city. Their arepas are huge and good for two meals, and their yuca fries have turned me off of regular french fries forever.

Jennilee Ostman

This was my first visit and I reccomend making a reservation for busy times. The food was really tasty, the staff is knowledgeable and friendly.

Pouria Niknam Vazifeh

The food and service are both good. I also like the parties they have during summer.

Randi McDonald

Arepas were amazing and plentiful with very tender meat. Delicious drinks. Loved the atmosphere. Awesome bartender who had great recommendations. Can’t wait to come back here!!

Christina K

Arepas are always deliciously done, and those yucca fries.. yum! The arepas are so flavorful without being heavy, super tender too. Plus any chef that can properly cook an egg is worth his weight in gold. See picture for proof.

Brogan Berg

Such wonderful service, awesome variety of foods and a great place to go if you happen to be gluten free! There is a small parking lot but many places to park on the streets nearby!

Renee Jones

Delicious! Everything was well seasoned and cooked appropriately. I ate things I don't usually eat & enjoyed it. I liked the mock-tails, definitely worth a try. Prices are average for a sit down restaurant. Don't expect huge portions but I left full & satisfied.

Caleb Nicholson

Hola Arepa has a smaller menu, but they execute flawlessly in my experience. It is always busy, but once you're seated the food comes fast. The yucca fries are done to perfection and the ingredients balance well in the Arepas. Because of it being so busy, the atmosphere always feel lively, but not overwhelmingly loud.

Mandy Griffin

Fun atmosphere, good cocktail options, great chips and salsa. My husband and I both tried different arepas and liked them both, and they were reasonably priced. Happy hour menu looked good too although we weren't there at that time. It was very busy on a Friday night and felt a little cramped, but the service was still very attentive and fast.

Danger Darth

Great spot for brunch. Fun food and drinks. All their food is gluten free, and their sandwiches are fun and original. Always busy, but always worth it.

Samantha Plante

Delicious food! Love that they allow dogs on the patio

Denise King

7 stars actually!. This place was phenomel. The food and service were incredible. My husband and I thought the food was unique, tastes were exquisite and everything well prepared. And everything was gluten free. I was in heaven!!!

Angela Weeldreyer

I liked the rice bowl and the food came out fast. Wasn’t impressed otherwise, small menu and overpriced. I think this place is very good for instagram and that’s about it.

Brooke Schafer

I've really enjoyed this place every time I've gone! It has a fun atmosphere, great food, and just an overall great experience!!

Aaron Chmelik

Absolutely delicious, and a unique vibe and environment. Definitely a must stop.

Tim MacMurdo

Great food, flavors that bring the cuisine to life. Our party of 6 each had different entrees and there were zero complaints and unanimous votes to return often.

Mathias Rechtzigel

Great food, wonderful experience, and prompt staff.

Eric Ellefson

We go here all the time. The arepas, corn pancake sandwiches, are fantastic. Pork and sweet potato, delightful. Pair that with beer or one of their fancy mixed drinks and you've got yourself a meal.

Norman E. Kimball Jr.

The food, drinks and atmosphere makes this place is a great escape from the doldrums of city life!

Prop Tart

A great place to go when you're looking for gluten-free options! Delicious.

Stephan Verdeyen

Food was great. Bloody Mary was spicy! Amazing patio.

Michael Smith

Excellent atmosphere. Incredible food. If you've never had Venezuelan arepas before, they're worth a visit.

ariel smith

Great place for someone who is gluten free! Loved the patio and they server was friendly and knowledgeable.

Matt Mauer

My wife and I have gone here several times and have always enjoyed our experience. The food is amazing, and the prices are decent overall! I highly recommend this place and will be back again soon! If you are uncertain, try to go during their happy hour, as they have great deals then!

Therese Linderholm

Waited a long time to get into this place. Stopped in with friends after seeing a play. We shared the food. Everything was perfect. The wait staff helped us decide and the drinks were wonderful.

Tyler Weber

Service is always friendly, drinks are good, and I find the food to be good. Portions are modest. The outdoor seating during the warm months is great

Ann Zed

Delicious :) and fast service. There is usually a bit of a wait but the food is worth it

ivan0030 University of Minnesota

The staff tend to go above and beyond the call of duty in an almost superhuman way (it’s always absurdly busy and somehow they manage to provide top notch service, anticipating your needs even, despite being slammed). Everything is delicious and comes out unbelievably fast. One thing is that the tables are crammed really close together which kind of makes the dining experience suck a little as you WILL elbow your neighbor if either of you is larger than the average kindergartener. I hope they move to a bigger location soon. However, that’s the only downside, and there are many upsides, including the fact that almost everything there is gluten free and they’re super intentional about making sure it’s safe for those with celiac or a gluten allergy!

Chris Mattson

Visiting from Omaha, my daughter needs to be Gluten free. Their menu is 99% GF, and amazing food. My kids enjoyed every thing & cleared their plates. Would make the 6hr drive to eat here again.

David Nelson

The atmosphere was very lively and we enjoyed that. The service was good along with the innovative drink selection. My wife loved her arepa although mine wasn't overly flavorful (slow-roasted pork). The portions were decent sized and we left very full. Also, you can't go wrong with the yuca fries.

Allie Winjum

Hola Arepa is one of my favorite places in Minneapolis to eat! The happy hour is pretty good, but even if I'm paying full price, I don't mind because the cocktails and the food are amazing. Love the atmosphere too, especially in the winter, because it feels so tropical :)

Maureen McKamey

One of my favorite restaurants in the city! Amazing food and creative cocktails in a vibrant, fun setting with indoor and outdoor seating.

Mairead Vanni

The wait time can be pretty hefty but it's definitely worth it! The arepas are great and the servers are really nice and know their menu well.

Jessica Cheun

Busy place for brunch. Great service, but I would say the food and drinks are hit or miss. Everything was beautifully presented, but I thought the Michelada seasoning was missing something. Ambiance and decor were very nice and I would revisit to try other items at a later time, as it's a good hangout spot.

Manju Parikh

Nice atmosphere, bit loud music, creative food (but a bit too much oil). Chimichuri is an interesting flavored sauce but lacks the bite or umph of salsas and sauces made with chillies.

Maja Radovanlija

great place, friendly stuff good food!

Danny S

Good Mexican food and beer here. Cant go wrong

Vinny Lamovec

You can taste the freshness in their salsas, and their sandwiches are a fun treat that you will not find anywhere else! The patio is a wonderful place to hang out during a summer day.

Carl McBurney

Great food and atmosphere. The wait is usually excessive.

Jan Griffin

If you want some unusual but Mexican food more like you would get in Mexico, you've got to try Hola Arepa. You won't find this food in other Mexican restaurants in Minneapolis. All in our party had different items and all raved about the taste. I had the Shredded Beef and Plantain served between two house made cornmeal griddle cakes. It was exceptional and more than enough to eat. Another favorite was the large Hola Salad served with or with out chimichurri chicken. That's going to be my next order at Hola Arepa. The wait staff is excellent with someone always available to help without bothering your meal of conversation.

Kelli Rorem

Amazing food and gluten free offerings! Parking is limited, so plan to walk a bit from your car. We had a 40 minute wait for a party of 4 on a Friday night - pretty typical for them but worth the wait!!!

IBe Kaba

I love everything about this restuarant! From the fried yuca to the beef and sweet plantains arepa to the background music, everything!

Laura Walker

Always delicious. The decor is great, comfortable shaded patio.

Tony Veigel

Good gluten free options, pretty much the whole menu. Food is delicious.

Hanam Pham

Excellent choice for gluten free folk. My favorite at Hola: the fried chicken and chapatas on the brunch menu. Be prepared for a corn heavy meal.

hansoo

Almost all GF great food and service!

Tom Keller

Awesome experience! Great, comfortable atmosphere and the arepas were amazing. Definitely want another visit to try more.

Brandi Patrick

Super cute vibes, tasty food, good drinks, and reasonable prices. Would definitely go again. If you like tequila, split the cazuela with a friend!

Jessie Russell

If you want some unusual but Mexican food more like you would get in Mexico, you've got to try Hola Arepa. You won't find this food in other Mexican restaurants in Minneapolis. All in our party had different items and all raved about the taste. I had the Shredded Beef and Plantain served between two house made cornmeal griddle cakes. It was exceptional and more than enough to eat. Another favorite was the large Hola Salad served with or with out chimichurri chicken. That's going to be my next order at Hola Arepa. The wait staff is excellent with someone always available to help without bothering your meal of conversation.

Troy TJ Machoka

Well I think I found the best hidden Latin secret. Go see.

Neal Lewandowski

Flan was not to rave about, not it's presentation. Dried pineapple didn't make sense in the flan. The arepa was good, tasty. Yuca fries with aioli was good. Drinks at $10 was silly. Hortchata was not simple, tropical, divergent, not my thing. You may like it. Oh, the temp inside was freezing. Also the crew cleaned an overhead vent while having dinner service. Makes you guess at what else they do that is not appropriate. You make like it.

Manniksimka Ykrainec

Good place to eat, friendly staff. So hot inside.

Marina Duchesneau

I love this place! The food, atmosphere and service are all 5 stars! Always a good time. The arepas are outstanding and I’m in love with their horchata. This drink transports me to a tropical place, which is much needed after a Minnesota winter!

Brennan Wallace

Legendary spot, very well experienced fast pace restaurant with some of the most bitchin' food on the south side. Tasteful music. I've literally been here 100 times and have never been dissatisfied.

Heather Kooren

Fantastic and flavorful food/cocktails, great service, fun casual atmosphere. Can't wait to go back!

Francisco O

Good food in a nice outside seating area.

Shane Oborn

We had a very enjoyable second visit! The arepas are legit, with numerous options to entice return visits down the road. Wait staff was attentive and friendly.

Essie Anawalt

This was the first time I have had arepas and they did not disappoint (slow-roasted pork). Absolutely amazing. It was also snowy out (March?) and they had the most amazing chocolate cocktail that was just perfect.