O.H.M.S. Cafe & Bar — Restaurant in Amarillo

We absolutely loved our dinner at OHMS. We were visiting Amarillo for a couple of days and staying at the Barfield downtown. I researched dinner spots and this place seemed to be the best choice. It was exactly the right choice. I called about two weeks ahead and was able to get reservations at the time we wanted.

We started with cocktails. They were both good but the bourbon old fashioned was better than the gin cocktail. And the old fashioned here was better than a similar drink at the Paramount Recreation Club next door, the Speakeasy in the basement of the Barfield that you gain entry by "buying" Paramount cigarettes from an antique machine (suddenly the door behind you opens and voila you're in). Back to the main story...

For appetizer we shared a special of the night, the crab cakes. They were perfectly seared and they were bursting with crabmeat. Spiced just right. And the accompanying sauce, we wanted to lick the plate clean. They were really good.

For the mains, one of us had Elk and the other had Chicken. The Elk, recommended medium rare, was oh so tender and moist. The local mushrooms that accompanied were worthy of their own dish. The risotto at the bottom was also good. Unfortunately the photo doesn't show a dish as delicious as it was. We were surprised a little that the Elk wasn't more gamey tasting. It's not a bad thing, just was a surprise.

The chicken was also outstanding. Crunchy and moist. The asparagus was firm but tender, and the mashed potatoes were excellent. I must say it could have used a little more gravy as all that gravy was gone a bit before the chicken was. But then i am a sauce guy.

No room for dessert. Would love to visit for...

1. Decor - so so .
2. Atmosphere : modern with a touch of charm. Loud. It’s definitely a happening restaurant at 6 pm
3. 1st plates: fruit & cheese plate : Gouda (3/5), blue cheese (4/5), cows milk soaked in wine (4/5) , Brie (3/5), unleavened flat bread , blueberries , grapes , apples. local mushroom crostini : my girlfriend really liked it, I thought it was ok.

Main plates

1. elk tenderloin (3/5) - it was suppose to be medium rare but was much closer to medium well. Definitely more cooked then medium . It was still tender though. 6 ounce or so portion of tenderloin over a bed of risotto which was al dente . Both were too salty .
2. salmon (3/5) : ordered medium and it was well done . Also salty . Brussels were on the crispy side . Beautifully presented .
3. 2 orders of red snapper special : one of the diners said it was too cooked and both stated it was bland . Beautifully presented though .

We had a sparkling brut which was closer to semi dry. They poured it all out at once where it would have been better chilled as the sour notes came out as the brut became warmer . It was a 40 dollar bottle.

My girlfriend also had a spicy cocktail which wasn’t spicy at all so she was a little sad by it .

I think if it was not presented well I would have given it only a 2 star as the value was not worth it for the price . I am surprised it is so highly rated . Maybe it was an off day but at this price point it should be consistent . I would have tipped more if the food was better. Service was ok. Price if you were guessing was 275.00 without dessert after a ~ 15...

😡😡DON'T RECOMMEND!😡😡 I went for my dad's birthday, It was the 1st time we have ever ben to this restaurant and it will definitely be my last.. It was a terrible experience.. 1st of all we walked through the door and we didn't know where to go, It was very confusing especially when the host isn't there to greet you. The real big issue with me was there was NO VEGAN OPTIONS!😡😡 I looked over the menu and was very upset that there was NOT A MEAL FOR ME!😡 I literally had to order a side salad with nothing on it so it was just lettuce.. It was so upsetting watching my family eat while I was eating lettuce!!😡😡 After eating I was STARVING!! I literally had to GO HOME AND COOK ME MY OWN MEAL AT HOME!! What a huge DISAPPOINTMENT LEAVING A RESTAURANT STARVING!! Who wants to go to a restaurant with their family and not have options for everybody in the family! It's more than disappointing that a chef can even prepare a meal for all of his or her guests!😡 Update- After everybody was done eating and we had paid for the meal. I was informed that if I would have read the small print at the bottom of the menu I would have seen that there was a vegan option. This makes me even more frustrated I looked at the menu again. It doesn't even have a vegan option it just says ask your server about vegan options..😤😡 it makes me so upset that there's not one meal on the menu in the entrees where a customer could see what they're ordering!!😡 It makes me feel like this restaurant sees me as fine print on a bottom of a menu do...