Pono Brew Labs

Well, we've been waiting for this brewery to have their own place for a while. They did not disappoint. Everything on the menu is great, we've eaten it all by now. One of the best and most underrated Kolsch ever, strong stout game, and they got some pinball over looking the brewery, which is a nice touch. Learn more about this brewpub and many others on The Brew Happy Show weekly podcast.

I am always looking for places to remind me of home. I've been in craft beer in the past so I've always heard the Pono Brewing Name. I was excited to experience their brew pub. I came for the beer but truly stayed for the food. A small reminder of home. Not pictured but my entire party really loved the Island Style Fried Rice. But, the things to get are the Lumpia both the veggie and the beef. I had the Kalbi for dinner and it was awesome. My favorite thing about their entree is the sides option. I'm personally not a Mac Salad fan so it was nice to get something else.

So good! Beer is Fantastic. Food: everything we got was outstanding. Poke tacos on the happy hour menu are off the charts! Mai’s lumpia is the best I’ve ever had! Scott holding down the Bar made great drinks! Our server Dan did an awesome job taking care of us.

Brand new SPOT! I highly recommend this place. Beer is incredible, great food and excellent service. I ordered the shrimp and it was so good. The menu is Hawaiian inspired and perfectly curated to pair with the beer. Get a Pineapple Express or Mexican Lager and thank me later. Super fun place to take the family or watch a Timbers game. Don’t sleep on this one.

This space was first converted to a brewpub in 2001 when the Laurelwood Brew Pub opened at this location. They've since moved up Sandy Blvd. & 51st to a larger place, but we're glad to see that Pono moved in here and has kept the brew kettles cooking. Some really great beers, and the bar food menu is the perfect accompaniment.

Delicious beer - huge fans of the hazy and the unfiltered ipa. Food is also delish - the Korean fried chicken and kimchi was great. Service and vibe - A+. We’re so glad Pono joined the neighborhood!

So excited this place finally opened! Great experience all around! Food was delicious, beer was awesome and service was great and attentive. I’ll definitely be back!

Went for my mom's birthday dinner. Beer was great, they have a bunch of their own taps plus guest taps and a bar. Food was excellent. Philippine Hawaii fare which is a nice change from burgers and pizza at most breweries. Server was great, he was super great with the kids. Will be back!

I've not been happy with most of my meals, during the past days, (long story short), I've been getting sick with the foods, week after week (2x), both reputable restaurants, both seafood. We were here once, when it was not Pono Brew. I was not happy with that, too, and that was the last time we ate there. Today, we're out dining again, same location, but giving them a chance. Hubby ordered the Beef Bulgogi Cheese Steak. I ordered the Oven Smoked Kalua Pork. We both liked our dish! He said, was very good, and he cleaned his plate. I didn't enjoy the Steamed Spinach Salad, it is coated with 'too much garlic'! I'm Filipino, and my parents would steam the spinach, add chopped tomatoes, salt & pepper to taste. It's that simple! I HATE garlic, other than popcorn, olive oil with chopped garlic or garlic bread. Yum! I would order that again, just skip the spinach, next time! Friendly customer service, bathroom is clean.

A little lonely at my check in. Place seems familiar. I'm here for the food. On the menu is some pokey, kimchee , and what I picked was the Bulgoggi cheesesteak sandwich. Very generous with the fries. I tried the rice lager, and it tasted as I expected. Light and easy to drink. I had one of the IPA's, nothing too out of the ordinary. So the draw for me would be this Fillipino, Korean, Chinese fusion mixture of exciting dishes that they serve here. Three pinball machines stand alone against the wall. Place is huge. You can play racquetball in the men's room, it's ginormous ! This place needs some love and attention.

To all my Hawaii peeps. VISIT THIS PLACE. Stumbled upon this hidden gem tonight for some late night eats. And it did NOT disappoint. I'll speak for myself when I say it's hard to find the flavors from back home to really bring the true taste of hawaii. But damn. This place. Hands down. Made it to my top 3 instantly. Parking: street and a little parking lot next door. Service: AMAZING. Everyone is so welcoming. Definitely feeling the Aloha vibe in here. They suggest lots of their favorites and honestly, everything they service from drinks to dessert- is AMAZING. Food: I'm going to base this off their "late night menu". the mango Lilikoi habanero wings are packed with so much flavor. You can definitely get that tart Lilikoi with hint of mango sweetness and a bang from the habanero. Kimchi fried rice with spam was a bit on the saltier side but paired with their side Mac salad, *chefs kiss*. Now the star of the night: lechon kawali. Crunchy, flavorful, and just overall WOW. One of my favorite Filipino foods is lechon itself. And being pregnant, I've always been craving a good lechon kawali. But some places serve it soggy or just not to par. Beer: my husband did most of the beer tasting since I'm pregnant at the moment. But he really loved every suggestion from the bartender. El Garrote IPA and Pineapple Express were his top favorites. We ended up taking home a 6 pack of their Pineapple Express. We will definitely be coming back to try the rest of their menu.

Good beers, lots of space for seating. My only thing was the price for food. Good food, but overpriced.

I had the chance to stop by Pono Brew Labs' soft opening, so I can say with confidence that if you love beer and Hawaiian food, you should stop by after their grand opening today! This location in Hollywood has hosted a couple other breweries in the past, but it's an awesome opportunity for Pono Brewing because it is their first restaurant. Their chef is from Hawaii and is whipping up all sorts of delicious food, from Korean fried chicken to teriyaki to ahi to loco mocos to kimchi fried rice and more. They've got all the beers you know and love that Pono has already been making, and they will continue to use their other brew space to produce them. But the brew equipment in the basement here (which you can see from the restaurant) is going to be used for more experimental and small batch brews, which is really exciting. I can't wait to see what they come up with. The mission of this business and the family style approach they take with their customers makes it a winner for me. Delicious food helps! I'm happy to welcome them to the Hollywood neighborhood!

I'm born and raised in Hawaii, so am always a little nervous about trying a new Hawaiian style place. I will say that they do a good job of representing a variety of Hawaii food (lumpia, kim chi, lechon kawili).The pumpia was good, but the sauce was a little weak. Kalua pig was solid. They had Korean fried chicken, but lately I've noticed that these (at a bunch of restaurants) tends to stray away from the corn/potato starch coated wings with sticky garlicky spicy sweet sauce I grew up with is seems to be more sriracha/red based. They still tasted really good. I would eat here again, as it was good enough.

We were looking to try a new place to eat today and saw Pono Brew Labs was one of the top rated restaurants in Portland. It did not disappoint! We had the... - Garlic Soy Sticky Wings - Loco Moco - Beef Bulgogi Cheesesteak - Island Style Fried Rice with Spam - Pineapple Express Kölsch style Ale Every single dish was delicious. We invited one of our best friends who is from Hawaii and he loved it too. The owners, chefs and employees were amazing. And we finished it out on the pinball and Pac-Man machines. Grateful for an amazing afternoon full of delicious food, amazing people and lots of laughs! We will definitely be back!

Stopped in while my car was getting worked on down the street to have lunch and a drink. I got the Korean Fried Chicken with Cabbage Slaw in sesame dressing with their hazy IPA to drink. The chicken had good spice and flavor without being overpowering on spice. While the chicken was good, I think the slaw may have been the star of the plate for me. It comes with the dressing in a cup on the side. I ended up dunking the slaw and it was great. Beer was good too. Overall vide was good and on a Friday at 2 there's plenty of seating.

Brought the family on a Saturday around 1:30pm. It wasn't packed but a good amount of tables and only one server for a long time. Shout out to Shannon! She really took care of us even while being understaffed. The Duck game was on. Beers were on point. Food was a little too greasy for me but maybe it was an off day as I'm reading all the other rave reviews. We would come back for the atmosphere and beers. The kids had a good time :)

Well, we've been waiting for this brewery to have their own place for a while. They did not disappoint. Everything on the menu is great, we've eaten it all by now. One of the best and most underrated Kolsch ever, strong stout game, and they got some pinball over looking the brewery, which is a nice touch. Learn more about this brewpub and many others on The Brew Happy Show weekly podcast.

I'm REALLY excited to see this place develop and find it's footing. I bellied up to the bar with a friend on a week night, so not super busy. The service was nice and helpful. Had a couple of beers. Was sad the hazy wasn't on, but the 2 I had were decent. A little on the sweet side, but good. The Kolsch was the best beer I tasted that night. Creative styles, I'm excited to try more. The FOOD is where they're off to a really strong start. I really enjoyed the bulgogi cheesesteak & fries. It needed more cheese, but I slathered it in aardvark and enjoyed it quite a bit. My friend got the Korean chicken and it was GREAT. Will be back to dive deeper in to the menu, it all sounded good. Overall the decor is a lot like a frat house. It's colorful and mismatched and seems to be leaning sports bar with the TV and games, but doesn't quite commit. Would LOVE this place to be a drop in to watch sports, this town is miserably short on that. Also plan to hit that buck hunter game next time around. Still feels very new, but I really like where they appear to be headed. I'll be back!

Food is over-priced for what you get. Beer selection is limited and misdirected. Never have to worry about finding a table...

It's so great to see the restaurant scene in the Hollywood neighborhood come back to life. Pono Brew Labs just opened in the area and we went to check it out. The space is open and full of light, with good music and a comfortable, laid-back vibe. I grew up in Hawaii and really miss local food. The Pono Brew Labs menu has all my favorites. Kalua pork, kalbi ribs, loco moco, poke- it was hard to decide. I went with the North Shore Garlic Shrimp and it was ono! Crispy, crunchy, garlicky goodness. For the 'haoles', you can eat the shells too, that's where the flavor is! It paired perfectly with an ice cold Pineapple Express Kolsch. Husband got the Kalbi ribs. The meat was tender with the right balance of savory and sweet. The entrees come with rice and a side of your choice. The mac salad is legit (the true measure of a local style joint). Also had several Korean ban chan options to choose from. I really liked the spinach with light sesame sauce & kim chi. Of course, we had to sample the beers and they have beers for every taste- lager, kolsch, IPAs, stout. They are opening the on-site brew house in Sept/Oct and will brew experimental beers, which will be fun to try. If beer isn't your thing, they have a full bar too. This might be my favorite new spot to hang out with friends and eat some ono kine grinds. Looking forward to coming back!

My husband and I moved to Portland from Maui in April of 2022. We have been missing island food and that feeling of aloha for almost a year. Well, you can find it at Pono. The food was the best Hawai'an food we've had since living in Oregon. It was also the friendliest service and chill atmosphere. Honestly probably our new favorite place to go! Mahalo to Larry, Byron, and Christian for an amazing time!

Fun establishment, yummy food and a fantastic location for our holiday party! The fries with bulgogi beef are choice Thanks for a wonderful night Eric and wait staff.

OMG.... yummy good food and exceptional service. We ordered take out and some of the items that we wanted were not on the lunch menu, but they made them for us anyway, thanks. Everything was fresh and very tasty. Some people have complained about the prices, but for what you get, I feel that the prices are very reasonable. I'd add pictures, but we ate it all up. Kudos to all.

As a Filipino, the lechon kawali did not disappoint. Very nice and crispy, the macaroni salad and large portion of rice was really great in the meal as well as the portion of meat was a lot! Definitely a single plate of the lechon kawali is enough to get two people full. My boyfriend and I also got the kalua pork fries which was crispy and had a single layer of toppings. The fries could have been less crispier to better suite and soak up the toppings it had. The meat in the fries were also quite salty. Service was straightforward and the place was pretty empty as we had went pretty late where half the place was closed up. Still had a good time.

Reading the menu online I really wanted to like this place, but sadly don't think we will be back. We ordered the crab Rangoons, which were tasty and the best thing we ate, only 4 very small Rangoons come for $9. I know real crab is pricy, but they were so small it just isn't worth the cost. Food came out quickly but servers didn't come around to check until we were done even though we needed ketchup and napkins. Service seemed a little lost the entire time. My wife had the loco moco and some of the egg white was raw and flavor seemed off so she didn't even finish half. I had the bulgogi cheese steak and it was overtly salty making it hard to eat. Kids meals are on the pricy side and the menu makes it look like the lemonade or drink is included but it is not and was an extra $2. Overall just disappointed on all fronts and probably won't be back.

Not memorable..tried to order wings for Super Bowl as I live close by and they acted like I was bothering them...never returned. I see they closed permanently now.

So good! Beer is Fantastic. Food: everything we got was outstanding. Poke tacos on the happy hour menu are off the charts! Mai's lumpia is the best I've ever had! Scott holding down the Bar made great drinks! Our Dan did an awesome job taking care of us.

Looked up a bar/brewery to enjoy the long weekend. Food and drinks were good. Greeted by a grumpy gentleman and wasn't that friendly. Place was empty so had a drink a left. Overall, cool if you want a decent quiet restaurant.

I would come for the Hawaiian food moreso than the beer. Really good plate lunches, Korean fried chicken and kalua pork were really good. Large portions. Mac salad was pretty spot on, unlike many places on the mainland. We'll make our way through the rest of the menu for sure. Beer is so-so. Still want to support them and keep them going, but don't go in with super high expectations. Pineapple Kolsch was better this time, Zoltar Speaks was dry and kind of tasteless for a hazy, and we've had a variety of their beers around town and at beer festivals going back to a nanofest and they are generally average. We'll keep working through their taplist to find a winner, though. Service is decent. Surroundings are basically Columbia River with a few island touches. Lots of street parking in the area.

Delicious and spacious! I just got take out but plan on coming back soon to try the ube beer. Can't wait to come here with a group of friends soon :)

What a great new place to try! As a local its always fun to find a place that kind of reminds me of home. The beer was great! Nice and refreshing for a summer day! I believe it was the Kolsch? But the food is really what stood out to me! The Lumpia was really good. Had to try both the veggie and beef! But my entree the Kalbi was pretty awesome. I really liked the choose a side method. I'm not the biggest fan of Mac salad but I was able to have options I went for the Bok Choy.

Menu isn't that great...not a great selection. Food is aight for those desperate for island food

Very tasty food and great atmosphere - especially if you are a KC Chiefs fan. I've tried several wing flavors and the kalua pork. All delicious. Look forward to more visits.

Stopped in for a beer on the way to a Blazers game and was extremely impressed with this under-discovered brewery/lounge/restaurant. Their happy hour deals are fantastic, the food is great, and this is on top of the fact that Pono produces some of the best beers around. If you're taking the Max to Moda from the east, it's easy to stop off at Hollywood Station on the way to a game. This is a better pre-game choice than anything walkable from Moda.

We had the best experience here! Waiter was super nice and attentive, food was delicious and came out quickly and of course the beer was so refreshing! We ordered the crab rangoons and the Korean fried chicken, both were extremely delicious! I also love that you can pick your own side to go with the main entree, which I picked the very yummy Mac salad. All around a great spot and we will be back! Bonus is they have arcade games to play and a few tvs around!

Great beer, fantastic food, cool atmosphere and excellent staff. Joel and Malina were both personable and fun and while very busy they still made time to chat with us as we sat at the bar. The oven smoked Kalua pork was the best pulled pork I've ever had and the cabbage slaw in sesame dressing was delicious. I'm thrilled that this great brewery/bar/restaurant is in the neighborhood.

The food was phenomenal and service outstanding we had the Kalua pork and the Kim chee fried rice which where both remarkable, the pineapple beer was surprisingly refreshing and the pineapple not overpowering. We live an hour away but we are so glad we made the trip to celebrate my husband's birthday so worth it!!

I had heard great things about Pono Brewing and decided to try it today. I was not disappointed. From the time I entered to the time I walked out the door (Belly full) I can't say great enough things about this hidden jewel. Service was great and the food was beyond delicious! I had the spare ribs, Mac salad, kimchi and chicken wings. My goodness the portions were large and lip smacking delicious! The owners came over and chatted with us. They were not at all pretentious but very friendly and had us laughing. We will be back to try the other items on the menu along with the delicious beer that was cold and refreshing. If you want great food, delicious beer please try this place! You won't regret it! Cheers!

What a great new addition to the Hollywood district. Pono has a clean and fun atmosphere and you can see right into their brewing operation from the bar/seating area. The beer and food are fire! Don't snooze on this spot!

So, this is the location of the previously owned space by Laurelwood Brewing which was primarily a pizza joint. Very busy and popular in 2009-ish. It was then taken over by Columbia Brewing which was massively unsuccessful with not great food and mediocre beer during the pinnacle of beer consumption and demand in Portland. Didn't last long. Several years later, it is now occupied by Pono. Not much has changed with the interior...looks pretty much the same aside from some specific PONO marketing. So, for the specifics. Beer is good. I had a pilsner and a Hazy which were both nicely drinkable. Not great beers but solid. The food is great (if you like Island food...which I do). I had the kim chee fried rice which was very good. The rice was cooked perfectly. The flavor was great with good spice ratios and adequate kim chee. Could have been a touch spicier. The portion size was quite large which was good if you wanted to snack on it later at home. It was pretty empty on a Sunday night and I hope it gets more popular. The space is very large and not overly "cozy". It would be great maybe to see a pool table or a dart board area in one of the sections to offset the "big space" look. Overall, it was good and I will go back specifically for the food! Beer is a bonus.

Much welcomed pub in the Hollywood neighborhood. Menu is unique. More then just typical bar food. Happy hour and kid friendly to boot. Multiple tvs for you viewing needs. Lots of beer on tap and a full bar. They have wine on tap as well. Definitely support this family owned business.

What a fun and welcoming place with tasty beer! I visited on a Sunday and was able to grab a spot at the bar. Lots of TV's for football and an attentive staff that was ready to help me find the perfect beer. I enjoyed the Rice lager, which was light and refreshing, the IPA which was traditional and balanced and the Hazy which had some nice citrus notes. Will definitely be back! It's a great place to catch a game or grab a mid-day beer!

Awesome food, Great beer! Perfect place for kids (with PAC-Man) Friendly service. Definitely will be coming back. Thanks guys!

The beer was amazing and the food was perfect! We had island fried rice with spam and Korean fried chicken and rice. The perfect textures consistencies and spiciness. Definitely coming back soon!

Maybe we would have been happier if we had several beers before trying our meal...the food was really meh. My husband described it as "institutional" and I would have to agree. Nothing is right and nothing is wrong - not bad enough to send back to the kitchen, not good enough to eat here again. It's really disappointing as it is a great space for families and the pinball is fun.

If you want the worlds best bibimpap look no further than Pono and they've got soo many great styles of beer to pair with your food. Pono for great grinds and craft beer!!

We found this place through yelp. This was a pleasant surprise serving Filipino, Hawaiian and Korean Food. I ordered lechon kawali and my husband got the Moco Loco. My husband said his food was the best since we arrived a week ago. The food were excellent with good amount of serving. The ambiance great too. Met the owners who were gracious and welcoming. Will come back if we are in the area again.

Our first time there to try the atmosphere, food and brews... wow, the food was top shelf, with big portions and beer was excellent. Service matched it all!

Dang! The Bulgogi fries with several Aloha Mr Hands hit the spot! Glad to find this place randomly on my maps when searching Bulgogi- Will have to go back w some friends!

Could have been a great brewery, except the way they treat their customers LOL Beer was honestly pretty good, pineapple beer was delicious. Food was something my past college self could have whipped up on a drunken night out.. maybe even blind folded with one hand tied behind my back. However, I'd be willing to overlook all that had they treated their brown patrons with as much respect as they treat the culture they desire to make money off of. Google tells me that's cultural appropriation, skeptics can look it up themselves. You can market and advertise you are for the Hawaiian life all you want but when your patrons are of such and then deem them loud and disrespectful for enjoying themselves...now tell me are you for the bottom dollar or the culture itself? Ironically, our couple of friends who weren't islander felt the disrespect on their end as well. We were having a blast for our friend's birthday and ready to tell our friends "Hey, this new Hawaiian bar was the spot" but ...simply put NAH BRAH. Do us and this business a favor and do not represent us. If I could give you negative stars I would. Pono brewery with my and my island friends are now called "OhNo brewery" Middle aged female server was pleasant and we tipped her accordingly. She was actually a doll. Sadly (but more advantageous to us) we will not be coming back nor anyone else I know. Y'all are cancelled. But even if we weren't islander, what is the harm in having a great time at your restaurant? Why shame us for enjoying ourselves at the place it is meant for ? I mean since y'all are islander and all that why turn away your so called brown brothers and sisters? Shame on you for wanting it for some and not others. Disappointed I gave this business my money.

Stopped in today for the first time. The place looks great! The staff was super friendly- the bartender was great. I had the John the kiwi beer and passion fruit/habanero wings! Both were excellent and tasted great together! Will be returning for sure! Thank you!

Just ordered from door dash. My residence is .5 miles away. Good arrived like warm. Mac salad was room temp and not even chilled. Tasted like they just used a glob of mayo as dressing. Gross. For someone who lived in the South Pacific it's obvious this food lacks authenticity lot care for that matter In preparation.

The vibe is so chill and the food is amazing! Everyone is friendly and the prices are reasonable. They put the "sauce" on the side of the cole slaw so you can put as much or little as you want. 10/10 would recommend!

New to having a brick and mortar they are working some kinks out but they have great been, quick and helpful wait staff and good food. The Hollywood District has needed a new place to hang out with good food for awile! Glad to see this new business

Great visit to Pono Brewing on a Friday night in December. Food was excellent-. We had the Korean BBQ chicken with Kimchi and the Ahi Tuna Poke starter, both dishes were fresh and flavorful. Fun times with a great layout for a large group-staff was incredibly accommodating. The arcade added an element of fun and an opportunity for us to mingle and drink a few more beers after our dinner was done. Will definitely go back.

Super tasty food & brews here. Wolfed down the lumpia, poké & bulgogi and a few post-hike victory beers and couldn't have been happier. Great chill space too. Could definitely see myself spending a few game days here. Will be back to try more of the menu soon

Delicious food and beer! Look forward to trying so much more of the menu as it's hard to choose with all the tempting options. Bonus points for the good vibes and handful of pinball machines!