REVIEW: Ohana Bros. - Concord, CA

I can probably venture off and guess what you could be thinking after reading the name of this next place that I’m going to be talking about…”Do they have good poi?”, “Do they sell Spam Masubi?”, “How good is their BBQ Mix Plate?”…all valid questions, unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to answer ANY of them haha. Ohana Bros., in Concord, CA, has a few different, yet typical things, on their menu. “What could they possibly sell?”, you might ask…well, read on to find out and I guarantee you’ll want to, at least, visit! THIS is, Ohana Bros...

The Place –

Ohana Bros. is a brand new, startup snack shop that recently opened in Contra Costa County. It’s located INSIDE the Sun Valley Mall in Concord, CA. There are plenty of restaurants and food places to eat at around the area; however, seeing a new snack shop that offers delectable goodies is always welcoming. Being located inside the mall, the real estate is fairly typical for shops and food places found inside such an establishment, but there’s enough room for a line to form, enough tables to accommodate a small crowd, and more than enough food to fill the bellies of all the shoppers. Ohana Bros., obviously, carries a Hawaiian theme with it and does it fairly well. The walls are decorated with wood paneling as well as surf boards and other various “Island” themed knickknacks. While walking through the mall, seeing Ohana Bros. is warm and inviting and can’t help but think of the Islands when you walk by it. The place carries the theme well and accentuates it even further by surrounding people with Island jams playing throughout the place…it really makes for a comfortable, and laid back place to be in. Maybe it’s just me, but you can’t help but smile when you’re in there.

The Service –

Even though Ohana Bros. doesn’t feature a wait staff (it’s a snack shop in the mall, obviously), that doesn’t mean good customer service can’t be mentioned  and Ohana Bros definitely delivers. Previously, I mentioned the “Island” feel is present throughout the theme and snack shop; however, it’s even more visible with the people that work there. I came to Ohana Bros. fairly early in the morning during the holiday season where people were barely filing into the mall. I had the pleasure of meeting the General Manager (not the Owner), Greg, and he definitely embodied the Hawaiian attitude. Very laid back, very relaxed, and very chill, he kindly helped me out, answered all my questions, and even chatted with me for a bit about the place, their vision, and the food they offer. Since it was early in the morning during the holiday season, there weren’t too many employees that I encountered; however, it’s hard for me to imagine that all of the other employees wouldn’t have the same attitude and demeanor when interacting with customers. Thanks, Ohana Bros.! 

The Food –

Now, on to the good stuff…their food and the things they offer. Like I mentioned in the introduction, they don’t offer BBQ Mix Plates, Spam Masubi, Chicken Katsu, or Loco Mocos. Instead, they offer various flavors of shaved ice, kettle corn, and kettle-cooked chips made on-site, fresh, right there inside the shop. In addition to that, they give you the option of putting a different spin on them as well such as putting delicious toppings on top of the kettle-cooked chips or, drizzling multiple sauces on their kettle corn, all of which, really intrigued me. For my first visit, and being a BIG fan of kettle-cooked chips, I decided to go with their “Loaded Potato Chips”. This delicious treat is a serving of any of their savory flavors of kettle-cooked chips, served in a “FroYo” type of a bowl topped with cheese sauce, bacon, sour cream, green onions, and tomatoes. I didn’t quite know what was the more popular flavor that people were choosing to go with for their “Loaded Potato Chips” so Greg kindly suggested that the BBQ kettle-cooked chips seemed to be pretty popular for that particular combo. I took his advice and was glad I did. The crunch of the chip was exactly as I expected with kettle-cooked items and the BBQ seasoning was both tangy and sweet as one would expect anything BBQ flavored to be. It was kind of odd eating such a dish in the morning, but halfway through eating the serving I was given, I didn’t care not one bit what time it was haha. One thing I NEED to mention about their Kettle Chip creations is that they include these miniature tongs that you can use to pick up the chips and put them in your mouth rather than dirtying your fingers and getting toppings and sauce all over yourself! Literally the BEST invention I’ve ever came across haha! The other ingredients were nothing special, but made for a TERRIFIC compliment to tasty chips. The bacon is served finely chopped, cooked, but held cold, which isn’t bad at all because it gives a nice contrast to the crunchiness of the chip…not to mention, it’s bacon, and you can never really go wrong with bacon on anything! The cheese sauce could have been heated a little more, but all in all it was a great first experience to have at Ohana Bros. Great, great job guys!

Overall –

Let’s face it, this place isn’t a gourmet restaurant or a posh, trend-setting eatery, but it gives people that comfort food they can snack on and need from time to time. I’m glad a spot like this has opened up so close to home. Although I have to drive over to Contra Costa county to satisfy my Ohana Bros. craving, that isn’t really too much of a big deal as I’m usually in that area on my free time anyways. Ohana Bros., is a breath of fresh air of encompassing the “Island” theme, spirit, and truly providing people with the definition of “Ohana”. The fact that they offer delicious goodies and treats is just an added benefit. I look forward to visiting frequently and trying out more of the things they offer, but I just wanted to wrap this up by saying, “You made me a big fan, Ohana Bros.!” Mahalo!