Restaurant AMA Will Enclose Their Rooftop Deck in Hillsboro

The roofdeck at Restaurant AMA. — The roof deck as it has been. Photo credit: Restaurant AMA.

While putting together our Valentine’s Day 2026 roundup, I learned about Restaurant AMA in Hillsboro and their sister restaurant Urban Decanter in Forest Grove. At Restaurant AMA, they’ve decided to enclose their rooftop deck and run a tiki bar of sorts up there until summer. I was curious and intrigued by this, so I connected with Jill Craig, who owns both restaurants, to learn more.

About Restaurant AMA

Restaurant AMA (“AMA” sounds like “MAMA” without the M) is the second restaurant from Jill Craig, with Urban Decanter having opened first.

A Bit About Urban Decanter

Urban Decanter originally opened in 2007, with Jill purchasing the business in 2017 after having a career in sales and international medical device R&D. Since then, they’ve expanded their beverage options, including a menu of cocktails and mocktails. In September 2020 they moved to their current location and added a wood fired oven.

Now Back to Restaurant AMA

She opened Restaurant AMA on Friday, May 2, 2025 with Jeremy Lees as the executive chef (he ran the kitchen at Urban Decanter for several years). They offer a Basque-inspired menu of small dishes, tapas, entreés, and dessert.

Jill described the restaurant to me as, “A Spanish-inspired, European small plates/tapas restaurant in Downtown Hillsboro.”

She also explained how the restaurant came to be. “My mother passed away in December 2024, and I used the inheritance money to open the space,” she said. “It’s a bit of tribute to her—the blue walls were a favorite color. Tulips were her favorite flower, and they are on the tables in the spring and summer.”

She added, “The idea of leisurely sharing food over conversation made her happy.”

At the end of 2025 Restaurant AMA garnered Hillsboro’s Best New Restaurant of 2025 award by the Hillsboro News Times.

The Restaurant AMA Menu

Txuleton with fries. — Txuleton. Photo credit: Restaurant AMA.

When I looked at the menu, I was excited to see the first two sections are pintxos and tapas. I noticed right off the first pintxos: Gilda, which I had enjoyed at Urdaneta last year. Their version is made with boquerones (anchoivies), gordal olive (big fat olives), and piparra pepper (a mild pepper). Call me basic, but I love a good Tortilla Española.

Their Entrees section features paella—including a vegan version, as well as a land & sea version. You’ll also find a menu of bocadillos—sandwiches served on a baguette, with fries and salad.

Cocktails and mocktails. — Photo credit: Restaurant AMA.

They also have a cocktail menu with their takes on a martini, Sangria, Old Fashioned, and a bourbon sour. They also have created some of their own cocktails, like the Aloe Fresca (Chareau, Effen cucumber vodka, triple sec, lime, and soda).

You can see the rest of the dinner menu on their website.

Brunch, and More

Their brunch is Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. You’ll find benedicts, Spanish Tortilla, “Spanish Toast” (brioche with sherry-honey syrup, topped with shaved Iberico ham or berries), and breakfast paella, which is brilliant. It’s paella rice topped with two eggs, txistorra sausage (vegan option available).

They also run an early happy hour from 5pm to 6pm; late happy hour starts at 8pm. This includes beer, wine, and sangria. A kind of “bridge” between drinks and food are their “SNACKtails”—think a Spanish Martini and a Gilda skewer, or their Fall Sangria and a pumpkin cheescake bite. Full-on food are tapas like Iberico ham, conservas (tinned fish), paella cups, and more.

The bar at Restaurant AMA. — Photo credit: Restaurant AMA.

Upcoming Changes to the Space

They have about 50 seats in their downstairs space and about 70 on their rooftop deck, which has been closed since late September. The deck has been unenclosed, which is not practical to use during the cooler seasons. So, she has decided to convert the space into a place they can use year-round. They’ll be calling it “AMA Upstairs.”

“I am biting the bullet and enclosing the space,” said Jill. “We have decided to make AMA Upstairs available for private events during the week. It will be a pop-up “Tik-Easy” (think Tiki bar and speakeasy) on the weekends until summer.”

They expect to complete the enclosure by Monday, February 9. During their opening weekend of this newly altered space, they will hold a private party on Friday February 13. After that, it’s Valentine’s Day for everyone!

Valentine’s Day

“Downstairs we will offer our regular menu, as well as a ‘Lovers Paella,'” said Jill “It will have a split lobster tail, scallops and an optional beef add-on. Basically a surf and turf paella Upstairs will be a Tiki celebration where everyone will be introduced to our Tiki-inspired drinks, small bites and ‘Get Lei’d’ for Valentine’s Day.”

I appreciate Jill making this thoughtful effort to expand their space to accommodate more guests and celebrations at the restaurant. Wishing her and her team all the best as they get AMA Upstairs ready, and for their Tiki bar adventures. I look forward to stopping in soon to check it out.

Restaurant AMA: AMA Upstairs [opening February 14, 2026]
112 SE 2nd Avenue, Hillsboro
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