UPDATE: New Opening Date Announced for Hula Girl Restaurant in Shirlington

UPDATE Tuesday, Nov. 17: There’s a new opening date for Hula Girl Bar & Grill in Shirlington, the restaurant has announced:

Aloha Hulas!!! So- just a quick update - since we are getting so close to opening the doors up!! We are needing to move our opening date to Nov. 23rd due to some minor construction details that need to get finished...so - again - we will be OPEN ON NOV. 23rd (not 11/19). Please just come on in then - we are not taking reservations....mahalo!!!

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Original post:

The much-anticipated Hula Girl Bar & Grill opening in Shirlington has an opening date.

Mikala Brennan, the owner and operator of the popular Hula Girl food truck, announced Tuesday afternoon that her first brick and mortar space in the Washington area will open Thursday, Nov. 19 at 4044 Campbell Ave. in Shirlington Village.

Guests can enjoy their favorite Hula Girl truck dishes in the 3,600 square foot space created by the local design firm Hapstak Demetriou. The space will have a retro vibe with seating for 100 guests, as well as an outdoor patio with seating for 25.

Brennan’s goal is to create a warm and whimsical space, welcoming to everyone, including the family dog, who can join the fun on the patio.

The restaurant will offer Hula Girl food truck’s classic Hawaiian fare such as teriyaki, plate lunches and Spam Musubi, as well as traditional chef-driven dishes like Poke – a traditional raw tuna dish with sesame, shoyu, ginger & green onion.

Fans of the Hula Girl food truck will now have the option to enjoy Brennan’s take on Hawaiian cocktails, as well as a mix of local and Hawaiian beers. To perfect her menu, Brennan spent time in Hawaii this summer, researching the culinary scene around the island to develop new concepts and dishes for the restaurant.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Brennan wanted to bring the Aloha spirit of her youth to DC. Decked out like a 1960s Woody, her Hula Girl truck launched in 2011, serving up authentic and grilled to order teriyaki steak, chicken and tofu and authentic tastes of Hawaii to eager Washingtonians.

Featured on the Travel Channel twice – on Andrew Zimmerman’s Bizarre Foods American (one of Andrew’s top 5 picks) and Street Eats – the Hula Girl Truck has gained enormous momentum in DC. Hitting up the local scene through social media, Brennan has also been published in the Washington DC – Chef’s Table cookbook and more recently in Behind the Food Carts. She was also on the Food Network competing on ReWrapped in 2014 – where she beat two contestants for the win.

Brennan is no stranger to the restaurant scene. She opened her first restaurant in 1998 in San Diego, becoming one of the market leaders in a small group of women chefs and restaurateurs in the area. She sold the venture to a business partner in Canada and was tapped by Marriott International to lead their new food and beverage department, bringing her hands-on, from-scratch cooking approach into the hotel giant’s corporate structure.

Then in 2001, she struck out again on her own to create Evolve Consultants. Under this company, Brennan created, designed and opened more than 40 concepts both domestically and internationally.

A member of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, Brennan is a tireless supporter of Habitat for Humanity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Ovarian Cancer, My Sister’s Place, the American Heart Association and The American Stroke Association, Wounded Warriors, and Red Cross.

Hula Girl Bar & Grill will open for both lunch and dinner. For more information visit http://hulagirlbarandgrill.com, follow Hula Girl Bar and Grill on Twitter at @HulaGirlBG; on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hulagirlbarandgrill and Instagram at Hula Girl Bar and Grill .