restaurant AMA — Restaurant in Hillsboro

Restaurant AMA is refreshing, interesting and very well executed from the kitchen through to the staff. It's also more "refined dining" when compared to common brewpubs, food carts or other casual eateries. Don't get me wrong, AMA (which means "mother" in Spanish) is not stuffy or overly formal. It's just right for a nice dinner with a loved one, on a date or just something different and tasty.

In Spain, it is common to eat little plates of delicious food with a bit of wine or sherry. At AMA, you can order Pintxos (small plates), or Tapas (a little bigger small plates) or Segundo (which means "second course" and implies enough for a few people). Each item on the menu is a unique combination of flavors and textures in one bite. An example is the Gildas, which is a little bit of cured fish, a little bit of pepper and an olive. Eaten together, you get rich (fish), spicy (pepper) and briny (olive). Yum!

We tried most of the menu and enjoyed every dish. My wife ordered the "Grilled Vegetables" which I may not have chosen because it sounds so generic, but it was our favorite! Broccolini grilled and served with two tasty sauces, the combination was exceptional.

We didn't explore the very interesting cocktail menu but will do so next time. I can imagine sitting at the bar with a cocktail and 2 plates of food as an afternoon treat!

Pro tip #1: Let the helpful server staff guide your decisions. Don't be scared off by the menu.

Pro tip #2: The restaurant knows their wines very well and can recommend a wine. If you don't want to ask for help and want a yummy red wine, order a glass of the Rioja. You will not be disappointed.

Pro tip #3: Take your time and order a few small plates, then a few more until you are...

I know they've only been open for under 2 weeks, but a review is already in order. After half a dozen visits to this San Sebastian style haven steps across the street from our work and home, I can honestly say this team has brought something special to the downtown arts district of Hillsboro that we've been waiting a long time for! A taste of the old-world (Basque, Spain) in a NW style and comfort level. The service is stellar, the cocktails are delicious, concise, well thought out and ever changing wine list, and.... the food. Executive Chef Jeremy is clearly have FUN with his playful take on classics (papas bravas, gildas, tortilla Espanola, etc.) And 2 of us can have a drink and eat dinner and dessert for around $50-60 before gratuity. This is EXACTLY what we were hoping would join the other amazing new developments on 2nd Ave, just off of Main St.

We were hoping for the excellence that Jill's other nearby restaurant, Urban Decanter, here at restaurant AMA. And we were not disappointed....

Really great food and drinks! Felt like a top tier, curated dining experience, can't recommend enough! Awesome date night with great service. Plates came with enough for two to try. Recommend everything but mussels were REALLY special. We also had the octopus, pork belly, endives, papas, tiger prawns, queso, and broccolini. Didn't save room for dessert (huge bummer) so next time we come (and bring my brother in law who lived in Catalonia) we plan to go with the endives, broccolini, papas, queso, mussels, and try the aged beef... hopefully space out the meal so we have room for the Basque cheesecake ❤️.

We'd been all over the Portland Metro area looking for an authentic tapas place to match the amazing food we had when we went to Spain and just hadn't found it until Ama. The Basque influence on the flavors and ingredients is fabulous and was a real...