Amaro’s Table Castle Rock — Restaurant in Castle Rock

My spouse and I dined here at the recommendation of a friend and local restaurateur.

The experience began well with the wonderful hostess that greeted us. Dialog was professional and courteous, but also light and friendly. I requested menu recommendations and was provided with sincere answers and quick beverages.

Our server was a delight. Our hopes for service and warm-yet-professional interaction were exceeded. The manager stopped by the table to offer an introduction and further improved the already splendid experience.

We ordered an Italian red, the Feudo Montoio nero d’avola, with a shared concession that we’d adjust the rest of our appetites to pair with the wine. Soon after the lovely bottle service, a neatly plated starter of ricotta, fig, and toast arrives. And we’re off!

The appetizer was delicious. We realized, as we paired it with the Sicilian wine, that the flavor was a bit too subtle. The manager noticed our chat and stopped by to check in, offering whatever we needed to further delight; which was wonderful. However, I was enthused to try everything as the chef suggested in this, my first trip. So, I resisted the temptation to triple-up on the balsamic vinegar. Having accepted our commitment to big flavors, the menu filet and season ribs were selected as tribute.

For my part, the ribs were scrumptious. When I prepare them myself, I braise them until the meat and bones could at most be thought of as ‘cuddling’. Their generous portion of ribs were, texturally, better. Every bit as tender as my robust braising approach, but with just enough tension to barely stick to the bone. I do think there was room on the palate for additional seasoning in the glaze. While delicious, it had a chain-store-bought BBQ sauce aesthetic. Still, I loved them because I’m not crazy.

Before I speak of my spouse’s perfect filet and absurdly delicious potatoes, let us talk of mac & cheese. Dear lord their mac & cheese should be under FDA restrictions. The pasta was cooked to ever-so-slightly al dente perfection. That perfect texture with the cheese flavors was the belle of the ball. Everything was good! Don’t get me wrong. But the mac & cheese was undefeated. Stay away if you have any history of addiction to awesome things.

As alluded to, the filet was fantastic. We can prepare a mean filet at home, but I confess… theirs was better. The potatoes preparation is a perfect pairing. The green beans, for me, were the least impressive part of the meal. (We were trying each other’s foods, as one does.) They were over salted and too soft. My other half enjoyed them as a compliment to the filet, but admitted they were the least impressive item. Which reminds me, the coleslaw was – in its way – a hero. It was the most precise, simple, boring coleslaw I’ve had in ages. Which was the perfect southern-side-salad complement to the otherwise interesting set of flavors.

The servings are sized with a nod towards the traditional, local grills and eateries. We packed up most of the foods for take home. Pushing onto dessert with a dark and smooth decaf, the sparse remaining space in our stomachs squared off against the house favorite doughnuts and crème brûlée. Both were excellent. The latter was a textbook example of its kind. The former was interesting. And made more so by the coffee pairing. The integrated ricotta is apparent in the doughnut’s texture, but I could only detect the flavor with the coffee pairing. (It’s there, right at the end of the bite. Trust me.) They were proffered with caramel, which is not typically my preference. And I respect that pairing. But the three I took home I tried with every dessert condiment I had laying around. For me, the correct answer is not liquid, but a heavy dusting of Turkish spice blends.

In closing, go here. It’s expensive but you know where the money is going. And it’s worth it. Take your date, partner, spouse, family, or team here to memorably connect. Take your time. Talk to the people who are helping you, listen to their advice, and tip them well. It’s worth...

I’ve heard great things about this place on Castle Rock, and I appreciate the effort to bring a quality restaurant to smaller communities north of Ridgefield. We desperately need more establishments like this, offering a refreshing alternative to typical options. The décor is stunning, the atmosphere inviting, and the service was friendly and accommodating, which was a great start.

We were seated around 6:45 and began our experience in the back near the bar. The bar area was beautifully designed and lively, with over half the space filled with customers. However, as time passed and we waited for our food, the crowd thinned out, and eventually, we were the only ones left in that area. This made the space feel less vibrant, and the energy we initially enjoyed was gone. Thankfully, our server was understanding and allowed us to move to the front, which was more comfortable and helped improve the experience.

The biggest drawback was the long wait for our food, which took over an hour to arrive. When it did, it unfortunately did not meet expectations. The menu offers familiar staples like burgers, salads, salmon, fried chicken, and steak, but the options lacked creativity or a sense of uniqueness. I ordered the steak sandwich, which sounded promising but was disappointing in execution. It included a small beef tenderloin cut in half, Swiss cheese, chimichurri aioli, arugula, and spicy cherry peppers on ciabatta bread. The steak itself was tough, with strands of muscle and fat that made it difficult to enjoy. The chimichurri aioli caused the sandwich to become soggy, and the spicy cherry peppers left an overpowering aftertaste that didn’t complement the other ingredients. Additionally, the portions of steak were too small for the bread, leaving about a third of the sandwich as just bread.

My wife ordered the risotto special along with a non-alcoholic drink. While her meal was decent, it didn’t stand out enough to justify the price. For the two meals and drinks, the total came to $87, including tip, which felt steep given the overall experience.

While I appreciate the concept and the effort to create an upscale dining option in this area, the long wait time, underwhelming food, and high cost leave me hesitant to return. I hope the restaurant considers refining its menu and service to align more with the potential it...

Vary great place to go to eat we have been 2 times this week and both times have had exceptional service it would be a great place for a date or family time haven't tried other times yet but from 8:30 pm to closing time at 10 pm happy hour great food the flavor in the food is great the best I have had in a long time a high class but a blue collar place to eat it mixes both vary well with the higher class and blue collar I will definitely keep going back drinks are always delivered as soon as you finish one they bring you more appetizers are amazing the food is amazing I don't think there is anything on there menu that is bad i couldn't find one thang with there menu couldn't finish all of it even though I wanted to but couldn't with the appetizers salads and main course this is a place you will want to go back to many times you will walk out full just be hungry when you go they will not disappoint on all levels I can't give any more stars I would give way more stares if I could just be ready to spend a little more but with exceptional service and exceptional food it's more then worth it and then when you get your bill stop and really look what you get in the whole thang it's clean the service the food all the above and ask your self look around what are you willing to give to keep them around this area when we don't get places like this in and around this area with great tasting food the service and all the above restaurant you can also reserve a table online to on their website a so I can only give a 15 🌟 but im going to give them a another 15 🌟s and to me they are a 30 🌟 place for around this area PLEASE KEEP THEM IN THE COWLITZ COUNTY AREA GO SUPPORT THEM WE DON'T GET THESE KINDS OF...