The American Local Reviews

Took a friend here for her 40th birthday party. There were five of us, and the restaurant's small plates sharing-style menu was perfect. Every dish we had was excellent, but the standouts were the seafood. The albacore tuna poke, salmon tartar and salmon skewers were out of this world. The service was prompt and friendly. Our waiter was a charmer. The four ladies who I dined with all loved him.

A few restaurants in Portland OR has this different kind of taste. They have a very good selection of cocktails made with: Gin, vodka, scotch, rye, tequila, rum.... Their beer selection is plenty. Wine menu is not that bad at all. Even they have some organic drinks and Mexican Coke too. I understand their food menu change with the season, what is very good because you can come very often and try something different each time. Lovely place to have a great dinner. This is a small place. I really recommend you to make a reservation to be sure you are having a sit on the restaurant. No show ups with big groups. Maybe they can have sits available for one couple.

It's a good place but not sure what all the fuss is about - it's normal and the portions were small relative to the price and food was ok. I mean, I don't mind paying more for excellent food but this was something that didn't blow me away. Wanted to order more but then it got too late after the food came. Best thing was the pork belly. I think they're trying to do artisanal hipster type Southern Style food but... not quite there.

American Local is one of Portland locals. As one of the new kids on the SE Division St block American Local's menu is eclectic menagerie of small plates. We were a party of 8 so it was fun to try several dishes. Despite not being a big fan of brussel sprouts I enjoyed the fried brussel sprouts. Helpful Hint: Get a reservation

This is my 2nd trip to American Local and it was just as good this time. It's 'lick your plate clean' good...as a matter of fact. It's "I just wish I wasn't so full so that I could order more good" good. Try the Watermelon Radish salad. or the Brussel Sprouts. or the carrots. or the flank steak, chicken or scallops. The service is equally great. It's a bit loud in the restaurant, but that due to the enthusiastic diners experiencing amazing dishes!!!!

In Portland for business and stopped in here based on some online reviews I saw. It did not disappoint. One of the best and more interesting meals that I have had in a long time. Nice casual vibe. The format is shared courses, mostly small courses. We split four dishes but could easily have done five or six. They put together some interesting combinations but the flavor and textural combos are straightforward and delicious (not overdone). We had (1) Salmon tartar/crispy grit cakes/crème fraiche, (2) Oregon Dungeness crab toast/avocado/lemon/chive, (3) Butternut squash tostada/poblano crema/pumpkin seed relish/cotija, and (4)Pork belly skewer/sriracha/maple. All four were outstanding - the pork belly was out of this world. The four courses plus one beer each came to $47 before tip. Well done!

We had a late dinner here and were the last to leave. 3 of us shared 6 small plates and really enjoyed all of them. The beet salad and cucumber salad were delicious, the dungeness crab roll was amazing and the pork belly skewers great too! The street is a great one for wandering after dinner too.

The American Local. You're greeted with a beautiful smile by the hostess and an explanation of the items on the menu. We just wanted a beer and a snack so we got the beef stick to share. It was "the perfect bite". The following night we made a point of going for dinner. Some of the things we had were, heirloom tomatoes, pork belly, corn on the cob with feta, mac & cheese bites... Everything was wonderful! If we ever find ourselves in Portland again The American Local would be a must!

We visited American Local last weekend for the second time. Both times we arrived fairly early and by meal's end the place-which admittedly is on the small size-was completely packed. I would not have wanted to sit in the main dining area: close quarters and lots of families with kids. On weekend nights we are wanting an 'adult' experience. Sitting at the Chef's table gives you the proverbial bird's eye view into the front kitchen staff and how the food is cooked and assembled. Everything that comes out in very fresh and well-seasoned. For starters, we love the baby carrots and the raw tuna. The beets are excellent as well. Anything 'meat' is done perfectly, all with some lovely sauce. The only other observation was that the drinks took forever to arrive. We would definitely go back and plan on doing so,

Had dinner and drinks. This place has excellent food but smaller portions. Be prepared for a family style meal. Order many choices and everyone can have a taste. I would say if you are super hungry you may end up ordering many items. The staff is super friendly and helpful with the menu.

We were tired from a cross country flight and wanted an early dinner in the neighborhood where we were staying. We scored at American Local. They have inventive, tasty small plates and great service. My favorite was a butternut squash tostada that they worked some tasty magic on! They had great seafood entrees , good beer selection and good wine. Try this place out. i think you will enjoy it!

Celebrated my birthday there. The cocktails were fantastic, house made tonic was terrific!! Loved the delicata squash tostada, flank steak skewers seasoned to perfection, the fried chicken melted in our mouths, watermelon radish salad was tasty with a lovely tartness that made my taste buds soar. my dessert was the jarred banana cream with hazelnut crumbles that wasn't overly sweet but was pure perfection in every delectable bite. The staff are friendly, knowledgable and helpful with suggestions.

Portland offers many amazing dining experiences and The American Local is another example of the diversity and uniqueness of the dining scene. Warning: this restaurant is extremely noisy, but the food is excellent. Our party of four sampled the grit cakes with salmon, grilled oysters, skirt steak, flank steak, fried chicken, asparagus, and broccoli. Everything was very good and beautifully presented. Some of the dishes were generous, such as the broccoli and asparagus, but others, such as the flank steak, left you wanting more. Although the dishes were fairly priced, it is easy to run up a large tab. Our server was very attentive and brought our food out at a nice pace.

Why didn't we ever check across the street when we went to Bollywood on Division? A friend invited us to meet him and his family here, saying it was their favorite place when they visit Portland. And we see why -- unique and wonderfujl. Small plates-- unique small plates. We had the "carrot and avocado" plate. Amazing cumin-ized road carfrots. Kim chee fried rice, nice. Mushroom & Fregola (an Israeli couscous like pasta) with pork belly... yum. The cucumber salad wasn't bad but those dishes took the prize. Cool waitperson and staff. Only complaint was it's a bit noisy so we could'nt really converse over dinner -- but the other dishes the rest of our party got looked just as amazing.

This is our go-to spot (we live in Portland). We have to actively resist not going here more often just to get broader exposure. The entire American Local family consistently delivers top-notch service, food, and drinks. Their plates are as eclectic as you'll find in Portland with diverse flavors magically transformed into quixotic comfort food. Brett runs a cocktail program rivaling most in Portland and has the credit of creating my husband's all-time favorite cocktail - the Man on the Rum. His jovial disposition pours into every drink along with the spirits he so carefully selects. The American Local is by far the most underrated restaurant in Portland, catering to foodies and comfort seekers alike. We have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, they deserve every bit of recognition the food rags can dish out. On the one hand, it's often possible to walk in and snag a spot at the bar top without competing with the "restaurant of the year"-seekers and their ilk. Please Jenny, stay open forever.

We found this place off the Eater 38 list for Portland and were not disappointed. The restaurant is an American/Asian twist on a tapas bar. The small plates were all delicious and the atmosphere is nice and lively. Our waiter was excellent with both service and recommendations. It's also right down the street from Salt and Straw, arguably the best ice cream shop on the west coast.

Excellent food! My date and I went here on a Saturday night and we feasted like royalty plus had a couple of beers each and our bill was only $90. Many tapas plates to choose from and we had several. All were excellent. They mainly have family style seating with a few bar seats as well. The noise level was the only down side. It was extremely loud!

Went there with my girlfriend and her kids this past week. $11 for a 6 inch salmon or beef skewer. For the 4 of us we ordered small plates and shared them but after spending over $100 we still didn't really have enough food for what would be considered a meal. The food was actually very good but I could never recommend this for dinner.

We enjoyed the share menu here. The food was tasty and the prices were great. The service was wonderful. If you go to this neighborhood early enough, there are several shops near-by. It is a little noisy inside the restaurant; there are tables outside on the sidewalk.

Every plate and drink we had was amazing. We ordered several small plates for sharing and left very satisfied! Great service and cocktail menu!

A friend from Hawaii comes to Oregon periodically for extended business. My husband & I live in Salem and try to connect with him for dinner when he's in the area. This trip took him to Portland & we wanted to try something new. Having checked several reviews I am happy to say we landed at The American Local on a Sunday evening. The wait was about 30 minutes but we passed the time easily with cocktails before a table became available. The service was outstanding (Ting took great care of us)! Every item that we ordered was amazing too including the octopus, salmon tartar, beets/kale salad, roasted broccoli, brisket bao, pork belly and more. The shareable small plates provided ample opportunities to try a lot of different menu items while getting more than enough to feel satisfied. It's true that the noise level makes conversation difficult if you are seated inside however the trade off is the energetic vibe that creates a fun ambience. If you enjoy great food, exceptional service and this type of atmosphere The American Local is for you!

The food was really good, but the layout of the menu and way to order was a new experience for me and my 85 year old mother in law. All she wanted was a cheeseburger (which she did get), but she didn't understand how to order and how it was all set up. Our server was very patient with us and explained how it all worked, but after several different times that we had to stop her and ask questions, she appeared to be a little weary of those questions. I actually leaned over to the table next to us and asked those diners just how it all worked, which they were very nice to explain. The food was, as I said, very good, so no complaints there. I've recently just moved back to my hometown of Portland after 30 years in a much smaller community and we've been doing some exploring of all the new (and old) restaurants here. This is a very eclectic and avantgarde restaurant and I think it appeals more to the locals and others who like the true difference of this type of dining.

Great small plates, the vegetable plates were the best, the meat plates were good to very good. You need to share, we were five and most portions worked well for us with some second portions. Lots of good beers and a decent selection of wines by the glass ( no bottles? ) and a full bar. Fun time with good service.

Our first night in town and we lucked out when we walked in the door of this eatery, all of our dishes were outstandingly unique and the flavours were exceptional, with so many great places to choose from we were tempted to spend our week in Portland dining at The American Local, check it out!

While it's a good idea to get a reservation, you can often get a seat without one at American Local, which is unusual on this stretch of Division's restaurant row. The cocktails are great, the atmosphere is cozy on a cold night, and on a warm night, the giant windows open up on to the street. While they have a couple of entree-sized meals, the fun of American Local is to share their eclectic dishes --whether raw seafood, the exquisite, perfectly seasoned vegetable dishes (my family's favorites: radishes, cumin roasted carrots, and the mushrooms with nettle pesto), the meat skewers, or the flatbread. Their banana pudding in a jar may be the best dessert in Portland. The dishes are well paced, the service friendly, and willing to give great advice for the best dishes of the evening. Never a disappointing experience.

With portions perfect for sharing, we had a wide range of creative treatments of fish meat and especially a very good selection of vegetarian dishes. It was also incredibly reasonable in terms of price given the very high quality of the food and we had teriffic service. Really deserves more attention in an area crammed full of excellent restaurants.

I went to American Local for the first time with three of my friends. We tried several dishes on the menu. The stars were the "veggie" dishes (not necessarily all vegetarian). I loved the brussel sprouts, which had a great combination of sweet and spicy with the jalapeños and orange additions. The potato hash and squash tostada were also wonderful. We also had some meat/seafood dishes, including the bacon beinget (highly recommended). To finish off the night, we had the ice cream sundae. It was plenty big for sharing and we loved the homemade ice cream and candy topping! Our waiter was great at helping us order the right amount of food (he helped us not over order) and providing recommendations. He also served up some delicious, strong cocktails. Definitely a winner in my book. I will be back!

We love American Local, we always have great, unique food and great service. The waiters are always friendly and helpful.

We were seated quickly at the bar and the bartender wasn't your typical too-busy-to-take-your-order bartender. He took the time to answer any questions about the menu and acted like a great attentive server while slinging tasty looking cocktails like a pro. I'm a huge fan of tapas since I get to try a variety of food and this place is the best. We had the grit cakes with salmon tartar first which had a complex mixture of textures and tasted fresh. The brussel sprouts with the pickled jalapeno, orange and aioli was amazing. The orange added just the right amount of sweetness and was the perfect compliment to the brussel sprouts. Next came the flank steak skewer with the horseradish and creme fraiche which was my husbands favorite dish of the night. Then came the scallop skewer with the kimchee which was my favorite although the scallops were a little small. Overall, I highly recommend this place and will be coming back to try some more of these yummy small plates.

This was so much fun! If you like the little plate thing, you'll love this restaurant. The staff is amazing, and the food is so creatively prepared. There were 6 of us on a Sunday night. We ordered plate after plate to share, and they were all delicious. Favorites were: Fish: Oregon albacore tuna tartare/sesame cone/spicy miso…14* Cured Coho salmon/zucchini/corn/rye cracker/labneh…10* Sticks: Pork belly skewer/sriracha/maple…9 (everyone's favorite) Snake River Farms wagyu flank steak skewer/horseradish cream/scallion…12* Veggies: Fregola/sweet corn/zucchini/roasted red pepper/basil pesto/ricotta…15 Szechuan summer beans/mushroom/shallot…10 We also liked the crispy fried chicken. There's something here for everyone (although this is NOT kid friendly), so if you're like me and don't eat fish - plenty to choose from. They also have great cocktails and tequilas - a great time! Be sure to make a reservation as this is not a large restaurant. There's also a great ice cream place across the street for dessert!

I met a friend here for dinner, the area is booming with great bars and restaurants. This is a fantastic place for adults! My 9 year old wasn't much a fan, but he did find a couple of things to eat. We had the brussels spouts and I loved the jalapeños that topped the dish - great touch. The dishes are great for sharing, and you get to try a little of each item. The octopus was very good too. The only con was that it is very loud. You get adjust to it after a bit, but when you first walk in the noise is a bit overwhelming. The drink selection is great too.

We stopped for drinks on Saturday evening and the staff was wonderful, friendly and over the top with service. While cooling off over drinks on a very warm night, we checked out the menu and immediately decided to have dinner. We are glad we did! The salads were all fresh and creative. The skewers really made the meal.

In a town full of great food, this is excellent food. Perfect vibe, perfect service, and food to make you smile. Effortless but really good service is the hallmark of a place run by people who know their craft. Do yourself a favour and check it out. Thanks for the sake!

This was the best meal in recent memory. Eight family members convening from all over. We were headed to Bollywood across the street but it was too crowded. Serendipity to cross the street to American Local. We all ordered and everything was just exceptional. We had chicken, flank steak, black cod, and squid skewers. Everything was cooked to perfection; moist and well seasoned. The steak was melt in your mouth. We had three or four vegetable dishes which were all delicious. We gobbled up the deserts - pound cake and basil ice cream with strawberry compote, banana cake served ion layers with whipped cream. Corn flake and cream ice cream! The service was friendly and helpful. Nothing left on any plate! Such a pleasure.

The American Local is a small plates restaurant that serves fish, veggies, and meat. 4-6 small plates should be enough for a party of 2. The plates are very creative and combine unique flavors that you cannot find anywhere else! My favorites were the beet salad and the pork belly. The restaurant is in a very lively part of town right on the corner with great outdoor seating. I would definitely return!

We wandererd in here at the suggestion of someone walking by. It was nothing like anything we ever had. It is described as an American izakaya. It's a fun casual atmosphere and the food is tasty and creative. We probably ordered half the things on the menu and each dish was diverse and delicious!

The food was unique as well as tasty. Went with a friend who loves the food. We had carrots with cumin, a roasted beet salad with hazelnuts, delicata squash with cotija cheese and pepitos, which were familiar enough to invite our interest, but prepared in ways different enough to be a treat without being alienating. Neither of us were fans of the wild mushrooms with daikon (too salty/fishy, and the noodles were like fat, rubberized licorice strands). The wines were overpriced (really, Portland, $13 for a glass of wine that sells for almost that a bottle at retail?). Order the white blend for $8, it's reasonable and extremely tasty. But the VOLUME of this place is UNBEARABLE. We went on a Wednesday night. It wasn't even full. We sat at a small table directly across from one another. And we had to SHOUT to be heard. By the time we got out of there our ears were ringing, and welcomed the relative silence of street noise. It's a common problem with the way a lot of restaurants today are designed, but this was truly the worst I have ever experienced. Even my dining companion, a long time fan agreed never to go back unless it's absolutely empty, because in a town with as many good restaurants as Portland, it is not worth it.

Had the most incredible dinner w/ friends at this new restaurant in the Division St food district of Portland. The American Local offered an awesome selection of small plate items excellently prepared and so very tasty. There were 6 of us so we each took turns ordering an item or two which looked inviting. Our genuinely friendly server offered suggestions for pairings and explained menu items which made our choices all the more exciting. Our food arrived in a timely fashion and the format encourages sharing so everyone got to sample all the selected choices. Everything was Sooooooooo good some of our friends had trouble "sharing"! That was ok because we simply ordered more. They have a full bar…and compliment the usual cocktails w/ house speciality drinks...and they also offer a nice selection of wine and handcrafted beers. The place is spotless clean and the decor is subtle and cute. Pretty much everything is locally sourced…the food, wine, beer…comes from the "local" area. There wasn't anything on the menu we tried we didn't like but some of our favorites were…Bacon Beignets, the meat platter (amazing choices), pork belly skewers w/ sriracha, Brussels sprouts (yum), cured mackerel w/ blood orange/avocado…and the double burger. There's lots of good places to eat in Portland…but this may well become our favorite!

This was our second visit to The American Local restaurant which opened in January of this year. They serve small plate izakaya style and offer a great variety of choices. Their unique menu blends flavors from many different cultures…always perfectly subtle and never of over powering. I think I would describe it as American "comfortable" food which pairs excellently w/ their libation/drink menu. The have a nice selection of house specialty cocktails, hand made non alcoholic sodas plus a very nice selection of wines they sought out specifically to complement their dishes. The food is truly awesome but the service is exceptional. We dined on a packed Friday night, sitting at the bar for less than 15 minutes enjoying a cocktail while our table became ready. Once seated our server provided the right amount of attention, menu information and recommendations w/out making us feel rushed. The hostess, who is the co-owner, really has things running like clockwork and always has time to check with the customers to insure our dinning experience was perfect. There are numerous "tapas" style restaurants but American Local's small plates leave the others in the dust. This IS my favorite Portland restaurant…bar none!

We came here on a Saturday night before 7 and were immediately seated - shortly after people started lining up. Service was fast & friendly but what really makes this location stand out is the food: absolutely deliciously and skillfully prepared, it was a mind blowing experience for our taste buds! This was probably the tastiest dinner we ever had on the west coast! An excellent choice for both vegetarians and carnivores - there are plenty of options for everyone. On top, the place is in a great neighborhood, there's plenty of bars and cute shops around. We will be back!

While in Portland for a wedding, our daughter was advised by a co-worker to eat here. My wife and I enjoy small plates and we really found everything very tasty. My favorites were the pear salad, squash, and the brussel sprouts. The chicken was also good. A nice assortment of craft cocktails that we all found delicious along with a nice assortment of beer and wine. This is a "Must Return Spot" when we get back to Portland.

I was given a send off party by my office colleagues who became real good friends to me when i visited our vancouver office. The place serves very good american dishes. The bet veg dish was rally good. We had a lot veggie and non veg stuff. Since i was a veggie in the gang, they ordered a lot of veggie appetisers for me. The restaurant has a wide variety of veggie appetisers, cocktails, mocktails and beers! What i like: - Variety of food - Very different dishes - Good for small gathering like ours or like birthdays, meetups or breakups - Very good hospitality What i dint like: - The place is kind a very small and packed a lot of tables - very noisy, since we hav lot of people packed in a small hall - The time taken to serve is very long

Met a friend there last week. Didn't have any expectations, but wow what a surprise. Service was spot on but the food was fantastic. I'm not a veggie and salad guy but my friend ordered the heirloom tomato and it was amazing. Also ordered Pork Belly and Steak "Stick"...the amazing continued. It was so good. Also had the fried Mac and Cheese and the Fried Chicken...also great. I think we would have continued if we'd been able to. I've already told anyone who likes food that they need to try this place...I highly recommend you do as well.

Went after hearing some hype and was a little skeptical, was pleasantly surprised with tasty creative plates and sticks (yes literally food on sticks) Definitely a place to go with friends and taste and try everything you can manage. Oysters to smoked chicken wings and loads of veggies. Menu changes and the drinks are great too. Good service and food.

The food here is served family style (if you want) - being that there were three of us we tried a number of things - some from each category. Everything was wonderful. This is a city full of restaurants and this one is worth going to. We did not have a reservation but went early and had no problem getting a seat.

We live very close to Division Street, the site of many excellent places to eat in SE Portland but hadn't eaten at The American Local. We are so glad we decided to give it a try. We ate outside on one of their sidewalk tables which, while on a busy street, provided a prime people watching location. Our server, Erika, was great offering friendly, personal yet professional service. She answered our questions and made good suggestions and in general took good care of us without being over attentive. Their beverage list included saki among the more common wine, beer and liquor offerings. Their cocktail list was creative and I enjoyed a saki, gin, and lemon cocktail that was quite refreshing. Their menu offerings are meant to share, almost like tapas. The vegetable items we enjoyed included the Fregola and the Tomato Tostada both of which were generous and delicious. We shared one of their "Sticks" which was a wagyu flank steak skewer with a horseradish sauce. Quite tasty! As there were many other tempting menu items that we were eager to try, and with the additional combination of the great service and location, we will be back.

We found this restaurant quite by chance as we were bumbling round Division & got chatting to some local people who also recommended it highly. We were not disappointed at all and in fact ended up with the culinary highlight of our 3 week USA holiday. We LOVE good food and love to find special places to eat - it's always worth seeking out local people wherever possible & asking for recommendations & this proved yet again a recipe for success! Staff were super super friendly and kind, gave perfect recommendations on how much to order (did not trick us into too much - they easily could have!) & everything they recommended tasted fantastic. The belly of pork melted in the mouth, the ceviche was like poetry on a plate and even the dish that was recommended for our 9 year old (macaroni cheese - fried in breadcrumb coated cubes) was a huge hit! The drinks were great, cocktails are on offer as are lovely craft beers etc. - something for everyone.... We were extremely happy with our evening at the American Local & also loved the atmosphere. What a fabulous place!!! Only thing stopping us from having another meal here the next day was that it is shut on Sundays unfortunately. Many thanks for a fab evening!!!

If small plates are your thing, this is the place. Communal tables make for a fun but noisy ambiance. A great many fun combinations of ingredients allow you to be a little adventurous but not get too risky.. Drink recipes are original and tasty, if a tad expensive. At being on Division, you get the thrill of walking off your meal and get in some great people watching.