Chef Christina Nguyen and her partner Birk Grudem started Hola Arepa as a food truck in 2011, serving their take on Latin street food around Minneapolis. The truck went mostly dormant once they opened a permanent restaurant on Nicollet Avenue in 2014, a space shaped by their travels to beach towns and old cafes in South America, Central America, and Mexico.
Arepas are made from scratch daily — cornmeal dough patted by hand, griddled until golden, then split open and stuffed with meats, vegetables, cheeses, and house-made salsas. Arepas and most of the rest of the menu are gluten-free. Beyond the arepas, the kitchen serves Latin American-influenced small plates alongside a list of tropical craft cocktails.
Brussels sprouts and the arepas themselves are the dishes regulars mention most.
Arepas are made from scratch daily — cornmeal dough patted by hand, griddled until golden, then split open and stuffed with meats, vegetables, cheeses, and house-made salsas. Arepas and most of the rest of the menu are gluten-free. Beyond the arepas, the kitchen serves Latin American-influenced small plates alongside a list of tropical craft cocktails.
Brussels sprouts and the arepas themselves are the dishes regulars mention most.