The High Ground

We visited our in-laws who happen to live nearby, and they introduced us to this place. We arrived at an odd time, too late for lunch but too early for dinner, so it wasn't too crowded. The service was neither particularly friendly nor unfriendly. We had to go to the bar to order food, which was odd because they served us water when we sat down. The decoration is interesting, though I'm not sure if I liked it; the eclectic mix of cool lights didn't seem to fit together. The food was good but not exceptional, and the drinks were enjoyable. Overall, it's not a bad spot for a casual hangout, but it's not great for a date night. The prices were pretty reasonable.

Best restaurant in downtown Hillsboro!! The atmosphere is super fun & inviting, it was the perfect balance between a vibey bar and a restaurant. The food was so amazing!! I ordered the fish taco, beef barbacoa taco, and the caesar salad. You can tell the chef knows what they are doing and makes their food with love. Great experience!

Amazing food! And I do mean truly amazing. In addition to my food, everything else I saw come out of the kitchen, looked great. Also, lots of gluten free options, and the bartender/server was quite knowledgeable about the options and substitutions. 💪🏼👍🏼 One complaint I have, is that the bar seats are quite possibly the most uncomfortable chair I have sat in, in my entire life. But I'm not knocking off any stars for that because the food was amazing. I guess they just don't want anyone staying for another round. 😉 And they have Malort! 🤣 Go Pack! 💚💛

Nice establishment. Very cute inside bar and a rooftop bar which we love to see. Drinks were on point. Huge tequila selection. Tacos were very yummy - carne asada was my favorite. $6 was a little steep per taco, but they are bigger than your average street taco.

New bar in downtown Hillsboro with a lot of promise. I really enjoyed their chips and queso, the tacos were yummy. Their cocktails were hit or miss, a few being way too acidic and not balanced, but I enjoyed the spirit heavy cocktails. Their ordering system is a little annoying, but they just opened, so hopefully next time everything runs a little smoother. Will definitely be going back.

How can you beat $5 tacos and $5 tequila shots? The food was fantastic and flavorful, perfectly seasoned, high-quality fish and chicken and skirt steak. I have never had Spanish rice that is so delicious. And the tequila and mezcal shots were fun...such an interesting variety of flavors. Really friendly staff, great service with a high knowledge of mezcal. Highly recommended. Very nicely decorated bar. And check out my boot shaped shot glass : )

Ecstatic to finally have something in this space which is long overdue. And I think it's the perfect fit for what we need in downtown Hillsboro. I'd normally wait more than 3 days after a place opens, but I feel they have very few improvements to be made. I'm shocked that even before a permanent decal is on the front door, they are already turning out better tortillas than the surrounding legit Mexican restaurants (not expected!). And the fillings are high-quality, well-seasoned, packed with flavor and great textures, niecly presented. If only $5 for LOADED large tacos is a "complaint" (because they're almost too much food to pick up and eat), than I'll live with it. LOL The drinks are the highlight (and 2/3rds of the menu) as this is a BAR (not a restaurant). The classics are flawless. There is no "well" brand options. Everything is super high-quality, gorgeously presented, good ice and garnishes, etc. And at $10-12 I'm again stymied by how they'll pay their rent. These would easily be $18-22 at any equal Portland bar. The staff is over-the-top kind and helpful. Soundtrack is well curated. Made us want to stay longer, which we did. Speaking of which, we (2 of us) ate 6 massive tacos, a full order of soup, a full order of freshly fried tortilla chips and housemade queso (real stuff, not orage), 5 cocktails, and BARELY broke $100 before tip. Incredible! I saw another review in which, bless their hearts, a couple tried to make the place be what they expected it to be. Some sort of seated restaurant with full table service, etc. I don't know how much more clearly the owners could send the message that they're a bar. It's in the URL name, it's announced and explained everywhere you turn upon arrival, including the literal verbal info that "when you're ready, just order at the bar". Karen's gonna hate I guess. (and they don't tip) ;-P I know we Hillsboroans WANT more restaurants, but we NEED more bars and nightlife. Nice Stuff! Highlights so far: Smoked Cochinita Pibil: Smoked Pork Butt with a Yucatec style rub of anato, orange juice, onions, garlic, and spices wrapped in banana leaves and slow braised until tender, and served with pickled onions, habanero salsa, on a fresh blue corn tortilla. Beef Barbacoa Taco: Beef Chuck, and Beef Cheek slow braised with dried chilis, and spices served with sliced red onion, cilantro micro greens, quick pickled radish, and salsa verde. DRINKS: AuntBeezy: Mezcal, Becherovka, Banana, Guanabana, Soda In Bloom: Blanco Tequila, Aloe, Guava, Orange Blossom, Lime

The carne asada tacos were absolutely bussin. Best thing i’ve ever tasted. The drinks were amazing, Ive been excited about the slushie machine and it was well worth the wait. The views are beautiful. What an amazing addition to Downtown Hillsboro. Me and the girlies give this place a major 10/10

Less than a month later, The High Ground is back with some hard lessons learned. In many ways, it's still very much what Hillsboro needed: A curated cocktail bar with a 20th Century cowboy/western/borderland theme that's uniquely at home in a city clinging to agrarian roots, but being pulled begrudgingly into an urban future. The fact that it was closed because of Hillsboro's steadfast refusal to order at the bar meant that there were going to be changes to accommodate table service, and I'm unsurprised by what those changes were. The food menu was never meant to be the focus here, and it's going to be less so from now on. An already spare taco menu realized its cochinita pibil (one of the founding chef's core items) was already being made regularly and in more familiar form two blocks down at Amelia's. Beef barbacoa is not only ubiquitously available in Hillsboro, but a weekend staple. Chicken al pastor? Seriously... in two different spots two doors down. Those items are gone now, replaced with simplified shrimp and pork carnitas offerings to complement the remaining carne asada, soy curls al pastor, chicken adobada and baja fish tacos. Two vegan offerings were pared to one, with jackfruit getting the boot. Salads? Gone. Desserts? Gone. Rice and beans? Not here, bub. Hillsboro had a really hard time using this place as a bar, so the High Ground is rewarding those who did by keeping offerings to simple bar food. The taquitos, chips and queso and nachos all stay. Soup is subbed out for loaded plates of fries... or just a simple fry basket. I feel badly for the founding chef, who clearly felt he was bringing something of value to the culinary discussion here in Hillsboro--but failed to account for the decades of Michoacan and Oaxacan dining experience here that predated his trip to the Yucatan. I feel badly for the vegans here who actually had a menu that catered to them and--as has been the case several times over with this family of bars--were among the first to have their menu items shown the door when things got tough. Most of all, I feel badly for the people who got it: Who'd gone to enough bars in Portland and elsewhere to know how to order at a bar and how to deal with counter service in general. They continue to bear the brunt of Washington County's resistance to encroaching cosmopolitan drinking and dining options--as well as any attempt by locals to better both themselves and the establishments they own. But I am ultimately glad The High Ground is back. The drink menu remains the best--if still only--in Hillsboro and the staff (both newcomers and hardened lifers) are better than this place currently deserves. If a little less barbacoa is what's needed to preserve the indie and hip-hop soundtracks and seasoned bartenders, so be it.

I wasn't sure what to expect from a rooftop bar in downtown Hillsboro, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice and busy it was (at least at the brewery next door, which shares rooftop space with this restaurant). We walked up the stairs and promptly picked a seat in full sun because most of the fully shaded tables were taken. We were promptly greeted with menus and we ordered soon after - tacos, taquitos, rice, beans, chips & salsa. The food was surprisingly good, albeit expensive, but good. One order of rice and beans is plenty for 2 people to share. We each had a draft cocktail which were both refreshing and delicious.

Hillsboro has been in dire need of a good cocktail bar and The High Ground fills this void perfectly, while also serving up some delicious fancy tacos. They are first and foremost a tequila/mezcal and cocktail bar. Their concoctions are interesting, fun and tasty, with multiple layers to the flavors - simply put, they make drinks that I wouldn't make at home, such as the High Ground, a margarita variant with a vanilla foam. The Jamaica spritz, a low ABC option with hibiscus and aperol, is a nice way to start off the night. The AuntBeezy is sweet and sour and smokey - delightful. Tacos are packed with flavors as well - the carne asada in particular lingers in my memory. They're fairly large and a plate with rice and beans and two tacos will fill you up. I was surprised how good the tacos were since there is quite a lot of competition, but they fill a different market here. The chocolate cake is large and delicious. I'd skip the cheesecake. Both times I've been here, it's been pretty quiet as I've picked weekdays. I hope they get busier but selfishly hope they don't get too busy. Service has been friendly and fairly quick. You order at the bar. I look forward to their rooftop bar opening for the summer.

Super cool vibe and a must try if in area....Downtown Hillsboro!!! Amazing cocktails, delicious food and super friendly accommodating staff!!! Definitely a great great water hole and highly recommended!!

This place is very cute. one of the few rooftop bars in Hillsboro. Street parking only. The tacos were expensive, but tasty. What really disappointed me was all the drinks are pre-made on tap, in a slushy machine, or a pitcher that the tender grabbed from the fridge and did not mix or stir before serving. I enjoy mixed cocktails made by a bartender, but this was not it.

Wonderful ambiance - these people know mood lighting! Great decor. Love the wagon wheel lights. Always excellent and friendly service. Now to the best part- the food! I can confidently say that the tacos are the best in Washington County, though to be honest they might be the best in the state. I especially recommend the soy curl all pastor, the soyrizo, and the mushroom taco. All vegan and absolutely incredibly flavored. They have great French fries too. Drinks are top notch. I literally have nothing bad to say about this place. Go try it for yourself.

Such a great place! Fabulous tacos and really creative cocktail choices. Service was excellent and the place has a very cool vibe. Will definitely be back.

Gourmet tacos! I love the minimal food menu, as it let's them focus on their items. With all the taco places around, why here? Location is great, vibe is great. More of a date night place than family taco night. Two tacos from here is pretty filling. Add a side of beans and you're set. The staff is bubbly and knowledgeable about their tequila and mezcal. They are also open to 10pm, which is rare for downtown Hillsboro. What more can you ask for? Thank you for providing another evening option in this town!

What brought me here was the rooftop patio. It's a cool vibe but definitely HOT when the sun is blaring down on you. There really isn't shade up there. The drinks were fantastic, service was good, food tasted so delicious! The only negative was that the rooftop bar closes early, last call is 8:15pm. The downstairs is open later but it was packed. Great place for margaritas and pulled pork nachos!!!! We will be back to try more food and drinks!

the food is just incredible and the cocktails luscious and flavorful. we had a wonderful girls night here a few months ago and will definitely be back. the staff is so nice and the service is quick!

Delishiousness. I ordered the Carne Asada taco and Baja fish taco. Great portions packed with flavor. My friend insisted I taste her rice & beans. To my surprise, they were better than I have ever tasted. Great service & bar vibe ambiance.

So sad to learn that they are temporarily closed due to staffing issues. It's been a great new place for happy hour tacos and drinks.

Really yummy tacos- fall off the bone meats. We had the queso and chips- the chips were the star of the dish, so crunchy and perfectly salted. The must try is the restaurant's signature drink. Trevor behind the bar, makes the vanilla froth every morning... and when it's gone, it's gone! The aroma from the vanilla paired with tequila--- had no idea what I was missing. Pricey but worth it. **FYI this place was recommended by a coworker and of course, did not disappoint!

Very limited menu. Small portions but food is tasty. Drinks are great. Expensive for what you get.

LOVE the addition of table service! The food and cocktails here are great. Very reasonable prices and great atmosphere. My wife and I have been back 3 times already.

The food was very good. The service was excellent and it's really a cute place for lunch or an after work snack and drink.

So first of all, the food and drinks were top notch. No complaints whatsoever there. I have been and continue to be a big fan. But let's talk about the table service. They're trying, they're really are, but family style? They're...tacos. It's not a dish that lends itself to sharing. They all came out on individual plates and it wasn't clear what was what. The server was confused and described what we ultimately determined (by process of elimination) was cochinita piblil as soy curls, which none of us had ordered. Our poor waitress was run ragged between waiting on the rooftop and the main dining room. I can't even imagine how taxing those stairs are by the end of the night. Really, I was just fine ordering at the bar; at this point the table service isn't adding value to the experience.

The drinks were tasty, but the food was awful. The cheese dip was runny and when we commented we were told that there would be a replacement which never happened. We ordered the nachos and they had the same runny cheese liquid so most of the chips were soggy. The poor server was running like crazy because obviously they were understaffed. We will probably not go back or recommend this restaurant.

Love the tacos and ambiance! Cute decor and great service. I'm enjoying trying all the drinks here, I have a ways to go