This is part of an ongoing series highlighting Signature Dishes at locally owned restaurants in the region. See Trib Total Media’s new online directory of restaurants, Dine Local, at dinelocal.triblive.com.

Hula Bar and Grill in Verona is best known for its wings and variety of sauces.

Sherry and Randy Satz of Shaler have owned and operated the restaurant at the corner of South and East Railroad avenues for the past 16 years.

Randy Satz is from Buffalo, the birthplace of spicy chicken wings, and he created many of the more than 30 wing sauces.

“It’s all fresh ingredients,” Sherry Satz said. “We make the base, and that’s where most of our homemade hot sauces came from. We have the buffalo mild, buffalo medium and regular hot sauce — and our volcano sauce.”

Hula sells between 400 and 600 pounds of wings each week, with a bulk of sales on Thursdays — wing night.

The newest concoction is spicy mango, made with mango chutney, honey and hot sauce.

It is one of several items on Hula’s new post-pandemic menu. As dine-in restrictions start to ease, the family plans to push another classic comfort food — burgers. Sauces from the wings will be applied as a crossover.

Burgers are cooked to order with a variety of toppings, such as bacon, fried eggs, Jamaican spices, Cajun seasonings, sauteed mushrooms, green and jalapeno peppers.

They are half pound each and homemade with house-ground steak. Customers can also add any of the sauces and different cheeses on their sandwich.

Burgers are served with sour cream and chive fries or with curly fries or tater tots for a small upcharge.

Another new menu item is the charcuterie board ($19). It features several cheeses such as a French brie, smoked cheddar, feta and pepper jack accompanied by salami, prosciutto, capicola, smoked kielbasa, a spinach dip with pretzels and select dry fruits.

In addition, Hula recently invested in a new tap system to provide 30 draft beers.

Hula’s ambiance is that of a Hawaiian vacation. A mural along the back wall features sharks playing pool and other animals playing a piano and having drinks.

They recently added some palm trees, lighting and raffia to go along with new tables and chairs for outdoor seating.

“We’re always reinventing ourselves,” said Sherry Satz. “Throughout the pandemic, nobody can go anywhere and a lot people are stuck. I wanted to create an atmosphere where they could be on vacation especially since we couldn’t go anywhere. I don’t want them to feel like they’re sitting in the middle of town. You walk into the Hula Bar and it looks like you’re going to a place while you’re on vacation instead of Pittsburgh.”

Sixteen years ago, the Satzes purchased what was then called the Cafe Carousel, and imagined a makeover. Sherry Satz said they saw a painting with the words “Hula Moon Lounge” and thought a slight variation would make a good name for their business. The couple traveled to Hawaii and picked out some decor and researched the look for the restaurant.

The mural in the back was inspired by a painting done by a Hawaiian artist. The 6-foot warrior mask in the bar was also done by a Hawaiian artist.

Satz expects that the upgraded look, outdoor dining and new food selection will help bring in more people and give regular customers a new experience. Along with the standard pandemic features for public health (plastic barriers at the bar, more space between tables), Hula Bar has also become smoke-free inside.

“We are a small family-owned business,” Satz said. “We finally are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. It hasn’t been an easy year for anybody, but we’re ready to serve our community.”

The Hula Bar and Grill (759 E. Railroad Ave. in Verona, 412-828-6919) is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Thursdays through Saturday from 3 p.m to 2 a.m. It’s closed Mondays for private gatherings.

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