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    Ama

    4.5 (33 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Mussels
    Katie B.

    Ama is a fantastic addition to downtown Hillsboro. I've been in once every few months since they opened and every time walk away having had a great meal. The broccolini is simple but hands down probably the best item they have. The charred vegetable pairs so well with the white sauce. I also like the mussels, octopus and anything with olives - can't go wrong there! The cocktails are good and I do like the fun options on the HH menu that come with a bite sized snack garnish. Service has always been great and their rooftop bar is great in the summer.

    Gildas (Boqerones)
    Dan N.

    Last night was Friday Night Date Night, the night of the week where Wife N. and I practice the date night state-of-mind, even if it means staying home and cooking in. But tonight, we gave a second visit to Restaurant Ama, which at the moment is the west 'burbs closest legit tapas bar. This review is an amalgam of two visits; one about three weeks back, and last night. Both Friday nights. The cool thing about tapas bars is that each time you go (up to a point anyway) you get to sample a variety of different bite-size Pinxtos ("pinchos") and Tapas (small plate) dishes. It's also one of the problems: I keep wanting to order that delicious plate I had last time, instead of being focused on the goal of trying something new every time I visit. In the end, this second visit overlapped the first only in that Pork Belly, which won out over my ultimate goal. Delicious as it was last visit, the perfectly-seared pork belly was a delicious bite of an umami-bomb. The tangy salsa verde and the crunch of a crostini base augmented the meat while the baby shishito peppers lifted everything with their off-bitter bite. Gildas: bite-sized skewers of almost-creamy marinated sardine, green olive and two tiny banana peppers (think mild pepperoncini) all in one bite. It's two briny, creamy, fishy, tangy-yet-smooth bites of heaven. Papas Bravas: Delightfully-crisp fried potato wedges with a warmly-spiced bravas sauce, and a cooling beef fat aioli made for a lovely second. Grilled octopus: four bite-sized skewers with tenderly-grilled octopus cube, and roughly equal portions of confit potato and chorizo-stuffed green olive. Salsa verde. Wow. Queso Quemado: Baguette slices on which to spread the deeply-flavored and bitter-leaning salvitxada ("the orange colored sauce") and honey. Each element had a purpose, but the proportions were off-kilter. We felt there was way too much of the salvitxada, and not enough honey to balance it. The plate would have been better with half the sauce, but otherwise it was a good dish and the one dish we wished we'd eaten earlier in the course. The cheese, a half-inch-thick slice, hits the table hot and melty. 8 minutes (getting through the plates) later it's firm and doesn't spread and gets that "I used to be a hot cheese" cold cheese texture. Goes from a 4* dish to a 2* once it congeals. Best scarf down this one the moment it's brought to the table. Grilled Broccolini: great flavor combinations on this plate. It's a decent grilled veg to begin with, but then they add this ajo blanco (white, creamy sauce that tastes of almonds--think something along the lines of a soupy nutty Peruvian hummus), a quick drizzle of mild chili oil, and shaved garlic chips on top and this plate becomes a complex interweaving of flavors and textures. Grilled Endive: Nicely grilled, very flavorful, but could have used more restraint with the saucing. Half the amount would have been perfect. Rabas: think fried calamari rings. Great, good texture, but...probably about average. They were fine. Mussels: perfectly acceptable, great even, but nothing to write home about. Tastes just like white wine and chorizo mussels, which is what it is. Bone Marrow: west of the hill? Say whuuuuutt? As perfect as we'd hoped it would be. We shared the Txuleton (chu-le-tone) steak, rare. It came with fries, more of that salvitxada, and lemon wedges. The steak was flavorful, if a tad closer to mid-rare than rare (which wasn't really an issue, we were aiming for mid-rare anyway, but any time we order mid-rare we always get medium so we tend to order towards the rare side). Meat itself had been well-seasoned. We're not 100% sold on the salvitxada (though, traditionally, we do understand it's what one serves at a barbecue) but we found those lemon wedges brought the entire plate together. Get some lemon juice all over that orange sauce, and oddly, almost like miracle fruit, the bitterness of the salvitxada greatly diminishes and all the other flavors in the beef come alive as well. The lemon unlocks the flavors! Cocktails: * Flower Garden: much more floral than sweet herbal/floral drink. Delicious. * Birds of Paradise: Oh man I could not get enough of this drink (but alas, I was the driver, so one was enough, even though I'd otherwise want another). * Good Ol' Fashioned: Pretty typical, decent. Our overall cocktail impression: their in-house recipes are fabulous. Repeats of "every bar has one of these" are average to a tick above. You can get the same Old Fashioned everywhere--come here for the cool house recipes. Succumbed to the desire to cap it off with dessert. Had the Creme Catalina. Think "a creme brulee and orangy-citrus curd had a baby." Creamy not-quite custard interior, torch brulee on top. We've never had its equal. Guys, Ama nails it for anyone within a reasonable distance of downtown Hillsboro who has anything from the munchies on up and for whom tapas sounds good.

    Pilsner
    Courtny M.

    Went on Saturday mor ing,they had brunch but I just wanted to sit in the patio and enjoy the sun. Had a few beers, and ordered the octopus app. Such a pleasant day.

    Best Cheesecake with Fig Jam
    David P.

    Our second visit was amazing! We really enjoyed the selections we made and shared. The wine was just right with the food. Dessert was a cheesecake with fig jam . I think it could win best cheesecake in Hillsboro! Great atmosphere, music was not too loud, attentive server. Service was very well organized. Very informative and helped us make informed choices.

    James D.

    Our son and his wife recommended this place. We met up with them, their children and his wife's parents. We came in with a large party, so we made reservations. Very nice, modern ,casual seating, friendly staff and a generally comfortable place to dine with a large adventurous group. Look, I love myself a tapas joint and it had been awhile. I didn't even pick up a menu, simply allowing everyone to pick for me. We received plate after plate of delicious, interesting and maybe a challenge or two dishes. A totally fun, tasty and satisfying experience. Worth a try...if only for a bite. I've included some but not all dishes we shared:)

    Stephanie S.

    Welcome to Downtown Hillsboro! Nice selection of drinks, wine and small tasting plates. (Tapas) Nice informative service. Upstairs roof seating where dogs are allowed. Great addition to the neighborhood. We will definitely be back.

    Katherine R.

    Such attentive service and great food! We wanted to try the whole menu (including the awesome wine list). We ended up finding our favorites of the Papas Bravas, Spanish Martini, and Mussels. I also came back a couple of days after our first time in and enjoyed a couple more Spanish Martinis on the patio. Such a nice view

    Menus and a little Aloe Fresco Cocktail.

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    1 year ago

    Amazing food, service, & atmosphere! Their portions and unique dishes are a treat! I highly highly recommend Ama!

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    Ask the Community - Ama

    Is there happy hour here?

    Yes!! 5-6pm and 8-9pm

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    Copper River Restaurant & Bar - Salt & Pepper Calamari

    Copper River Restaurant & Bar

    3.7(699 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    Went on a few blind dates here. Food was good. Love the California roll for an appetizer. For…read moreentree my favorite is the salmon w/ seasonal veggies. Service was attentive and friendly, though there were moments where things slowed down a bit during busy times. Still, the staff was accommodating and made sure we were taken care of.

    When you order three dishes and not one stands out as a good one, it's definitely a letdown…read more Sautéed Brussels Sprouts - didn't seem sautéed at all, they tasted more deep-fried. They were crispy but overly oily, and the creamy mayo-based sauce didn't pair well with them. This Appetizer took too long to come out. For the Ahi Poke Tuna - Glad I asked for the sauces on the side. Even with three sauce options, none really worked with the dish. One dark sauce tasted almost like molasses, overly sweet and not something you expect with poke. The chili sauce was also too sweet, while the soy-based sauce tasted excessively salty (fish sauce maybe added in it). I added malt vinegar myself just to balance the flavor. Also, it would be nice if the fish was seasoned with salt(or something) to alter the fishy flavor. The Fish & Chips was average at best. The batter was uneven, with some parts way too thick, though the fries were okay. Experience was not horrible, server was nice and ambiance inside is pretty. I just think the kitchen needs real work.

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    Copper River Restaurant & Bar - Ambiance

    Ambiance

    Copper River Restaurant & Bar - Lobster fettuccine Alfredo

    Lobster fettuccine Alfredo

    Copper River Restaurant & Bar

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    The Vintage Room Restaurant & Bar - Matcha Tiramisu and Cheesecake of the Moment

    The Vintage Room Restaurant & Bar

    3.8(55 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    I may be biased because The Reserve was my wedding venue and retuning back 6 years later had got me…read morein my feels. First, you can't beat the view, the vast parking lot, and the attentive service. We were a big group and were seated outside, but when it started raining outside the lovely servers helped us all move inside and were so helpful throughout the whole dining experience. The kitchen closes at 7pm but we were able to hang out and chat until 8pm. I was mostly there for the drinks and dessert but everyone's food looked great. The Matcha Tiramisu was not too sweet and very creamy. The house-made cheesecake was rich and decadent and worth every calorie! The fries shared with me were seasoned and crispy with the perfect chipotle dipping sauce on the side. The prices were reasonable and the food is freshly made and tasty. Planning to return for the happy hour deals!

    So glad they are open again! Limited menu for the time being, but better than them being closed…read more I had the fish and chips. Excellent! From the lemon slaw, to the rosemary parmeson fries, to perfectly fried halibut, there was nothing I did not like! My wife had the steak salad and loved it too. We had the VR Bread as an appetizer. So not a good idea for two people...unless you are really hungry. You will not leave any left. I think it may be better than Stanfords cheese bread. To full for dessert. The peanut butter milkshake and raspberry lemon cheesecake looked really good on the menu. Great job!

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    The Vintage Room Restaurant & Bar
    The Vintage Room Restaurant & Bar - Jalapeño poppers

    Jalapeño poppers

    The Vintage Room Restaurant & Bar - The view from the balcony

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    The view from the balcony

    Ama - tapas - Updated May 2026

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