Had a lovely meal on a Friday evening at Thistle. They pack 'em in tight at this tiny space, and their staff is tiny, but the focus at the restaurant is on the food: local, fresh, and delicious. They partner with local farms to get great stuff, and they serve it up to showcase the quality. We had a delightful meal of raw oysters, pork terrine, lamb tartare, and fish. The cocktail bar is worth a separate visit (or, in our case, a mandatory visit -- the table wasn't ready when we arrived). Great vibe: dark, wooded, and taxidermied. Filled with quirky charm -- the bathroom was wallpapered with pages of an old French encyclopedia. Cocktails themselves are the classics made well. read more

Beautiful example of farm to table restaurant. Lovely service, amazing wine list with a plethora of local vineyards, and an ever-changing menu to highlight seasonal and local ingredients in a straight forward, refined way. Highly recommended!! read more

Thistle - Chard vichyssoise - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

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Unusual and delicious. The owner and her outstanding staff have created a unique experience in a cool setting. The love and care for this establishment is evident in every detail, from the reclaimed floors, furniture and fixtures to the mismatched dishes. Nothing is out of place nor is it boring or ordinary. The food further highlights how devoted the staff is to their craft. No plastic coated menus with pictures-sorry folks. This is a restaurant for people who appreciate farm to fork, creative cuisine made from fresh local ingredients. I had the rillettes and gnocchi with rapini and it was outstanding. This was my second visit and it exceeded expectations as did the first visit a year ago. Excellent wine list and caring unobtrusive service too. Go as you are and enjoy the experience. read more

We were skeptics going into this restaurant - could it live up to all of the hype? We were believers coming out. Fabulous! Wonderful service, from bartender to super-hero-hostess. Amazing flavors and textures, wonderful atmosphere, all simple yet refined. And, best of all, a perfectly paced meal - a rare find in the U.S.A.. We will be back for "Emily's Whim." Ask for this if you are not quite brave enough for the "Chef's Whim" or if you have food restrictions, and Emily will accommodate you. read more

Thistle definitely lives up to the hype! We were very lucky (according to most of the locals) to call on a Friday afternoon and get reservations for that evening at 7:45pm. When we arrived, our table wasn't ready because some patrons were overstaying their welcome. The Thistle staff members were extremely helpful, getting us set up in the bar and apologizing for not having a spot at our reservation time. While waiting (about 15-20 min) we had great service and delicious drinks from the bartender. I enjoyed their pinot noir choices, which the barkeep allowed me to taste so that I could make a choice. Jim asked the bartender for a drink recommendation and found himself with an excellently-made Old Fashioned. We were warned by the staff that portion sizes are not large, which has also been mentioned in other Yelp reviews. Those with bigger appetites might want to make sure to order an appetizer and an entree. However, for me, that was more than enough food. As for the food, it was EXQUISITE. The duck eggs with truffle blew my mind. My ling cod was flavorful and perfectly paired with sunchokes and a light sauce. Jim had an interesting and tasty beet/blue cheese salad and the pork (to die for). We were both far too full for dessert, so maybe next time! The service was top-notch the entire time. Our table server clearly had high-end restaurant training and new how to expertly time the service. Total price for 2 hors d'oeuvres, 2 entrees, 2 glasses of wine and 2-3 cocktails was $90 before tip. Can't wait to go back someday! read more

The pork ribs with honey and herbes de Provence and side of sautéed vegetables was ridiculously good, as was the bread and fat (butter and seasoned pork fat) and panna cotta with blueberries, hazelnuts and rose water. No pics because nothing lasted long enough. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant, especially the atmosphere and service. Very rustic and intimate, and loved the bar we had to wait in. The bartender was so awesome and fun and suggested some great cocktails. The server/owner gave us great service at the table and very helpful with menu. Portions on the small side but seems to be the way with most Portland foodie places these days (along with pickled jars lining the walls!) Would not recommend the bread & fat - it just tasted like grease. Eclectic and fresh - would definitely go back. read more

Thistle - Great bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

Had a blast at Bingo last night! Starts at 6:30 (or when everyone is ready). Patrick is such a fun bartender/mixologist and, I mist say, The half-bottle list is quite nice!! We had 3! Gonna try to make it to bingo night as often as possible! read more

This place is small and cozy with a very limited menu and you're gonna pay premium prices. You don't go to Thistle because you're looking for a nice dinner out with friends. You go here because you've heard about the wonders of unique, locally sourced food that is expertly prepared and you're willing to sit, wait and enjoy. Reservations in advance are recommended. My husband I went here for a last night out before our first baby was born. As I couldn't drink alcohol, they offered to make me a fancy feeling mocktail and they delivered! The food was just as delicious as we'd hoped. We won't go here often because of the prices but it's a great option for special occasions when I want to enjoy big-city cuisine in a small-town atmosphere. read more

Really loved having Emily, one of the owners and a McMinnville native who's come back to her hometown, serve us. We collect wine and I have never seen ANYONE open a bottle of wine more quickly or expertly. (Now there's an idea for some type of reality show competition among sommeliers or restauranteurs.). My husband enjoyed discussing bottle options with her. She was patient and kind, trying to make menu items work for me, a girl with celiac disease. I opted for the salad dressed in lemon and the pork. Both were divine. Best ever elegant green salad, piled high and beautifully presented, with simplicity. My pork was yummier than my husband's rabbit, but I told him it was because the bunnies outside our hotel in Cannon Beach put a hex on his meal, in protest. Patrick served us great digestifs....a Madeira and a Calvados. And we had the pleasure of talking up Fritz, the chef who hails from Portland, when he stopped in the bar and we called him over to talk about all things Thistle. Great time. Cozy atmosphere. Recommended. read more

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Great drinks in their bar. "Pre-Prohibition cocktails" as they say. The atmosphere is really great and the wine list was amazing. The food was a solid 4 stars but I wouldn't call it 5. Also, the service was good but definitely felt rushed. They didn't take the time to explain things and didn't really check in with us. Also, only 1 option for desert. Seriously? Lame. read more

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The rooms at Thistle are great - fantastically cute tiny bar, intimate roomlike space housing the largest table, rough counter dividing kitchen and the rest of the restaurant. (Sitting at the counter and talking to the chefs is fun and recommended if you like to cook.) Very effective low budget approach to decor, and definitely an open space; you can have a conversation with anyone in the place from just about anywhere except the bar. The owners and the staff are great people. I've been a couple of times, my wife has been a few more. The food can be hit or miss, although it *always* looks like it will be wonderful when it is presented on the chalkboard menu. Most of the issues that I've encountered are with spicing: on my most recent visit, the appetizer courses were fantastic (steak tartare, crab salad, oysters, rabbit pate) but one of the main courses, the rabbit stew, was watery and oversalted. (The other, lamb, was perfectly cooked.) The wine list is one of the best that I know of - we had several delicious bottles of hard-to-find french wine, as well as the "usual" high end Oregon pinots. read more

Loved the quirky, vintage decor and the fact that the menu is always changing and uses local ingredients. Lovely selections of salads and opening courses. Portions are on the smaller side, but I personally liked that. I left feeling satisfied, not stuffed. Husband had a lamb dish, and I had tuna. I felt my tuna was a bit overcooked, but it was still a very good entree. Lamb was spot-on and delicious. There was one option for dessert - a cherry clafoutis. I didn't love it, but given cherries were plentiful and in season, it made sense and was nicely executed. Service was great - attentive, responsive, but still laid-back enough to "fit" with the vibe of the restaurant. We were seated near the kitchen, however, and it got a bit hot as the evening went on. Not a huge fan of sweating while I'm eating indoors, and I was eager to get outside. With that said - definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, as the menu is fantastic, interesting, and nicely done. read more

Crazy good. The beef steak tartar is really frickin' good and the cocktails were even better! This place seems to be a little out of step with the rest of the town. We were warned of small portions by the hostess before we even sat down. They must have received a few complaints previously. The portions seemed very normal for this kind of restaurant. In fact, after sharing two appetizers and two entrees I was completely full (it was pretty rich food). Make sure to plate out your meal if you are sharing. read more

Have eaten at just about every restaurant in this area. Thistle definitely sets the bar for creative dining, in a quaint atmosphere, with great service! Highly recommend reservations, and planning ahead for busy weekends! read more

I would recommend this establishment to anyone. The best food we have tasted I'm all of Oregon so far. The staff was professional and friendly with superb attentiveness and presentation. Visit this place if you desire unique and exceptional food. read more

Emily is amazing with the front of the house. So attentive and she makes you feel like you're truly a embarking on something to be savored. (And you are!) I loved this place from the minute I peeped it on google. Then I walked in and fell in love. It's quaint and little and sparsely decorated. That makes it charming to a big city eater. It was almost 105 the day we went in and without AC I was thinking "man this better be amazing." It was beyond that. The presentation of the food, the taste, the aroma, the wine pairing suggestions.... amazing, home run, A+. I've never had rabbit saddle but I tried it here. I went home with a craving for it. I googled ranches in Wyoming for the best rabbit saddle I could find. They introduced a food to my palate that it's now in love with. The picked beet eggs? To die for. Black cod and fennel. Heaven. This place was unreal and I fantasize about coming back it. I hope it's open forever so I can take more people I know. read more

The place is amazing! Everything we have ordered here has been delicious. Small plates so order an app and an entree. great cocktails! read more

Thistle - Pavlova with lemon curd and chocolate cake - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

Had a flawless experience here in every way. The cocktails are made in the pre-prohibition style, and being there felt like we were in early 20th century America the whole time. The cocktails were very good and very strong, I'd recommend the Martinez for gin fans. The razor clam ceviche was delicious and refreshing. Had the steak with hedgehog mushrooms and potatoes for the main course. The steak was cooked exactly how I expected for medium-rare with a perfect char and juicy interior. Dessert consisted of wild ginger pannacotta with rhubarb compote: amazing. I've never tasted anything like it. The service was great too, not pretentious and didn't rush us. Very accommodating waitress and bartender. No wonder this was Oregon's Restaurant of the Year. Highly recommended! read more

We spent pretty much our whole dinner with a very rude server...we were a little undecided on what wine we wanted, and instead of helping us decide, she snappily said, "I'll come back later when we you figure it out". Every dish that came was rudely and quickly described and then she turned and walked away. The food was good, but not so good that we would need to go back, and with the bad service, we'll never go back. read more

Best restaurant in Mac Hands down. Not another Chef bringing anything close to what Fritz brings to the plate. Patrick is an More than just a great bartender he is a personality. read more

Thistle - Fritz in the kitchen - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

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Tiny place, great restaurant and bar. Tried last minute to get one of their seven tables, they just laughed. So we had apps and a drink at their (equally tiny) bar, before heading off to a tapas dinner at La Rambla, an old favorite. Had a couple of fun cocktails from their extensive interesting list. Prepared by Patrick, the knowledgable and dryly amusing bartender, who suggested the rabbit rillette (5 star, best I've had in years). Fun mix of tourists and locals to yak with, we were sad to leave and eager to return. read more

From the moment we walked into the charming bar entrance of this little establishment specializing in "pre-prohibition" craft cocktails I was smitten. It was clearly the owner's lovingly created space I initially became enamored of, but it wasn't long before the food and drinks captured my heart as well. Lovely salads with local goat cheese and filberts to die for, fluffy gnocchi with arugula pesto, , pork with salsa verde, potatoes and fava greens, brined rabbit atop barley -- all delicious elements of their summer menu. Don't think twice about visiting this place -- just go. You won't be disappointed. read more

This restaurant takes me to my happy place. It's literally the best food I've ever eaten in my life. My uncle's a McMinnville local and decided to take me here as our last place to eat before I flew back to CA where I live. He said it's his favorite place to dine at and him and my aunt eat there often. We were welcomed by the charismatic Emily and quickly sat at a beautiful table with a nice big window. First was bread with fat and truffle butter. The bread was crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside, truffle butter was FANTASTIC. Appetizer: winter squash soup-- AMAZING. There were little fried bits of rosemary on the top that had a crunch and packed flavor, perfect with the soup. There was also a sprinkling of some sort of sauce that fit perfectly with the taste of the creamy soup. Entree: beef with potatoes and bleu cheese, best dish I've ever eaten. Meat was incredibly tender and perfectly cooked, with little shavings of truffles around it and a red wine reduction sauce. *drooling* My uncle and sister had the pork with polenta which was equally divine. Dessert: panna cotta with berries and cake with whipped cream on top, we devoured it within a minute or so. The cake was very moist and whipped cream was obviously freshly whipped. The panna cotta was thick, creamy, and just enough flavor with crunchy caramelized nuts. The decor is beautiful, every bit of silverware, cups, plates, etc. are different and have wonderful antique artwork on them. Lighting was perfect, dim, and music was warm and welcoming. I'll obviously be back when I visit Mcminnville again. If you love quality food and incredibly welcoming service, eat here, you will absolutely love it. read more

Thistle - This was the beef with potatoes and bleu cheese, absolutely amazing. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

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Excellent is the only way to describe my first time dining experience at Thistle! You must plan accordingly and I would advise against going with a group. There seems to be seating for about 15 in total, but the ambiance is great for a date or meal with a friend. I had the oysters and and the Beef Hangar was cooked to perfection. The owners and staff are quite pleasant and accommodating. I will definitely visit again while in McMinnville, Oregon. read more

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Was in town from San Diego visiting friends and had the opportunity to dine and drink here. One of the best spots I've been to.....anywhere! The food was fantastic and the service was equally as good. Great vibe, super group and owner! Can't wait to go back. read more

We really loved Thistle! The servers were so nice and helpful, the ambiance is great, and the food and drinks are even better! We had two cocktails, two apps, and two entrees and all of them were great. We can't wait to go back. read more

This was the best meal we've ever had in dining out at Portland area restaurants over the last 20 years. Incredible flavors and ingredients, each course was perfectly prepared. I've never experienced this level of ultra fresh produce and ingredients, coupled with this kind of creativity and execution. We had the cucumber gazpacho, smoked fish, and pole beans with tomatoes as an appetizer. Every dish was excellent. We then had the steak and gnocchi for the main course. We couldn't decide which was better. Desert was also well done, as were the cocktails. Staff was on top of everything, very friendly, they run a tight ship. It's hard to put my finger on what it is they are doing at this restaurant to make the food and experience so incredible. This place is small, unpretentious and interesting, and unlike many Portland restaurants, and isn't trying to be trendy or over the top hip. It is truly authentic and impeccable. If you are heading to wine country, go here. Even if you aren't heading to wine country, go here anyway. read more

Thistle Only Has Six Burners. We foodies booked Thistle in anticipation of the interesting, if not slightly bizarre menu. Food was offbeat but delivered unusual tastes as advertised. The experience however was not a good one. Walked in to a full restaurant early Tuesday evening....one server working whole place and she was overwhelmed. She said we could not order until 6 pm because "Thistle only has six burners".... no problem--our goal was an out-of-the-ordinary, leisurely dinner. Seated at table, long time before pre-dinner drinks orders taken. I had asked, since the restaurant touted mixology, what gin spirits they had. She named some grocery store low-shelf brands and then said "but we have a bunch of local brands form Portland." However, no one was available to recommend one or answer any of our questions about wine so we just ordered run-of-the-mill. We finally ordered appetizers and the server said it might be a wait since "Thistle has only six burners." Appetizers came not late but before our drinks! Then she said we should order entrees since "we only have six burners." We reiterated that we wanted a leisurely dinner and she said that was fine but she wanted to have the entrée orders at least written down so she would have them at hand. We were half way through our appetizers and entrees came! Plates, glasses, food, silverware, wine on a very small table. What a mess. We gave our wham bam experience two stars but not because "Thistle only has six burners." Overrated place. read more

Watermelon gazpacho, bread & fat, rockfish, steak, raspberry pound cake & penna - yummy & delish - Husband and I swooned over every amazing bite! So thrilled to have stumbled upon this amazing gem in McMinnville. Emily's warm welcome enticed us to stay and she was a rockstar every step of the way. So much fun! The depth of flavors within each and every bite was incredible and frankly, unexpected from most places we've eaten. Everything is so fresh. This place is fun. The portions are small, but there's no shortage of beauty in presentation, flavor, personality, eclectic charm, or gluten-free options. Make a reservation, try something new, be prepared to spend time and money enjoying good company and an outstanding meal. Treat yourself! read more

Omg The food is great. I had the rabbit and I was worried about that. But it was delicious!!! Will be back Be aware there is no air conditioning read more

I think fussy would be a good word to describe the whole experience, followed by pretentious. The single menu on a chalkboard left a crook in the neck, the tiny portions left stomachs unsatisfied, the prices left wallets empty, and the employees' attitudes left a sour taste in the mouth. Sure the food was good, but not good enough to overcome all the shortcomings. We get it, you use local ingredients. I'm sure people appreciate that, but you don't have to rub it in our faces. The atmosphere was just a little too hipster. I don't know, I was totally underwhelmed, and this place just did not live up to the hype for me. It's as if all the other reviewers enjoy this hoity-toity style. Sorry not for me, I guess I'm the wrong demographic, the kind that goes out to restaurants. Too bad. read more

Did not live up to our expectations. Server was unfriendly and inflexible. A number of appies were no longer available at 7:30?! That suggests poor planning. One appie the server suggested was really an accompaniment for one of the mains. So by the time we added up that plus the ones that were sold out it left a much diminished selection. Asked for the fish dish w/o one vegetable and told not possible, no substitutions and the vegetables were cooked together. When dinner arrived the vegetables were separate. So what was the problem dropping one veg? Really annoying; they converted the bill to Canadian dollars at way over the existing exchange rate. Can we say rip off? Would definitely not recommend this place. Big disappointment. Obviously they pigeon hole out of towners as a once only and treat us accordingly. Food was only okay nothing special. read more

In my top 3 meals ever. So this review is going to be lengthy. Get comfy: We were in McMinnville for a 2-day wine tasting excursion. The first night, we had reservations at Nick's, but were walking around and came upon Thistle. We wanted to go in and take a peak, since we'd heard a lot about the owner (two different people retold a story about him that day). The second we opened the door, I nearly swooned it smelled so good. The place is tiny. I think there were 3 tables in the "main dining room" and 3 in the side room, and then 4 spots at the kitchen bar. That night, there was a couple at the bar who just started talking to us and told us how we had to eat there, right that second. They told us that if you sit at the bar, you don't order off the menu...the chefs (Eric and Kyle) just keep feeding you until you say "enough!". After smelling the food and talking to this couple, we booked a reservation for our second night there, and went over to Nick's for dinner. So next night came, and we were so anxious to go to Thistle. We paced ourselves wine tasting all day, making sure to not get drunk because we didn't want anything to mess with our enjoyment of the meal and flavors. The space is so cool. Totally rustic, menu on a chalkboard, old furniture being used as the wait station, old-ass amazing stove, large black thistle motif on the spare walls....just perfect. We got there and sat at the bar. Eric (owner) reaffirmed that we get whatever he wants to give us, until we say stop. He suggested we got a half bottle of white and half bottle of red, and we got a great Adelsheim Pinot Gris and a bottle of Syrah (we were Pinot'ed out). Started off with a dozen Tillamook Bay oysters with Mignonette. They. were. perfect. so small, but flavorful and burst in your mouth. Then we got his salad with shaved turnips, radishes, and THE BEST Green Goddess dressing I have ever tasted. This dressing was crack cocaine. Straight out. So good. Then we got the classic beef tartare, which was served with the egg yolk in the cracked shell atop the beef. It was perfect. Steak tartare with runny egg is definitely my last meal, and this version of it is high up there on my list of ones I'd want. The bread they served was crispy, and perfect. Then we got the rabbit liver pate with sherry julee and pickled rhubarb and pickled green strawberries. Have you ever even heard of pickled green strawberries?!? So good! They kind of tasted like caper berries, but different. Then we got the asparagus soup with nettles and fresh yogurt and dried Basque chili flakes. This was the darkest, creamiest, greenest, nettliest soup ever! So good! I've never had anything that tasted anything like this...and I am saddened by that. This soup was awesome. Then we got the salmon collar, which might've been my favorite. It was a "special treat" according to Scott and wasn't on the menu. He must've just happened to fall into some salmon collar or something...and we wound up lucking out. It was served with an egg lemon sauce, perfectly crispy and oily and meaty. He told us to feel free to use our hands, so E sure did. He picked that collar dry. Man it was good. Then we got the soft-cooked eggs with rabbit ragout and snow morrels and white oregon truffle. This was the best thing we ate. It was ridiculously good, ridiculously unique, and ridiculously ridiculous. Everything went together so perfectly. Then we got the gnocchi with porcinis, spring onions cooked in bone marrow butter, hazelnuts. This dish was good, and the pornicis were so carmelized and perfect. However, it lacked salt. It needed it, badly. Sigh. I think this might've been a candidate for a favorite dish, but it just had no salt. So sad. At this point, we had to sadly say "enough". I wish we could've eaten forever and ever. It was paced perfectly, sized perfectly. I know it sounds like we ate a lot, but the portions were really quite small. It was like small tapas portions...and we were able to share everything and taste a wide variety of his amazing concoctions. For dessert, we had the only thing they serve: Parsnip Hazelnut Torte with Fresh Cream. It was perfect. Savory, for sure, but so delicious and actually felt rather light. One of the best parts of the meal was watching every single move of these two talented chefs. Everything they made, I found myself praying would be going to us, and being jealous went it went out to the dining room. They were very friendly, and talked with us and just really made it a special night. If this restaurant were in LA, I would be broke and 600 pounds. And I find myself crying that it isn't here....even still. read more

Part 1, anticipation + drink I anticipated going to this restaurant for some time since I had scouted a place for 4 out-of-towners visiting wine country. The reviews and food pictures looked wonderful, I liked the farm to table philosophy surrounding the restaurant and thought the website to be fanciful & different. With MUCH excitement, we arrived and waited about 10 minutes for our table at the bar. The drinks we had at the bar were delicious and crafted with care. I explained what kind of drink I was after and the skilled bartender created me something I loved (and with gin, no less - I've never been a big fan of gin but may soon become one). Part 2, starter The menu was quite small, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It was explained to us by the waitress that most people get an entree and an appetizer as the portions are on the smaller side. That's fine and all.....so long as the food is spectacular and prices reasonable. I did not find that to be entirely the case with our meal. Taking advisement, we each ordered a starter and an entree. The rilette of cooked down pork was just ok. I felt like I could have easily bought some pork butt or shoulder, thrown it into a crockpot with s&p, let cool down, packed into a cutesy ball jar and voila!, provided the same thing. It just didn't impress. I tried the rabbit liver parfait. It was fairly strong and funk, as livers can be, but I enjoyed it for the most part, even if I found it to be a tad overwhelming. The bread & fat is worth getting (it's only 2 bucks). Part 3, dinner The sturgeon was prepared very simply and it was a meatier fish than I expected (I sneaked a bite of my S.O.'s). He thought it was good, but nothing to write home about. The portions were indeed small. My brother in law ordered the steak. I was surprised to see that it came pre-sliced and then sort of layered into a mound atop the starch. The meat was cooked to perfection and the serving size would have been ample enough for me. I ordered the gnocchi and this is where I feel the dinner just nose-dived for me. A small pile of gnocchi arrived tossed lightly in a lemon vinaigrette. There was some nicely charred broccolini mixed in. At first bite of the gnocchi, I just felt disappointed, The large potato dough stuck to the top of my mouth. Can something be both chewy moist AND dry? if so, this gnocchi was it. The flavor just wasn't there, the vinaigrette perhaps just too light. Loved the broccolini, but that does not constitute a dinner. finale Perhaps the thing that got under my skin in the end was how different this place tries to be in its food and dining approach and in that, perhaps relies on it's uniqueness to override noticing the high prices and small portions of only decent, not spectacular, food. The crazy dim lighting with a single chalkboard menu, the varied china dinnerware, the prohibition era bar, and quirky waitress - yes - that's all dandy - but it isn't a truly amazing experience without everything else falling into place. read more

I had out of town guests who wanted to take me out for dinner after a wine tasting tour of the area. We were hungry after our 5 hours out and about and two of us started with a luscious sweet potato soup while the other 2 had nice but smallish salads. Two of us ordered the black cod which was very tasty but unfortunately the portion was about 3-4 forkfuls which left us very hungry and craving more. The other diner had the gnocchi which again was a small portion, while the other was satisfied with her venison dinner which was more substantial. However, much to my embarrassment, we ended up across the street at another restaurant to share a small pasta dish to tide us over on our drive back to PDX. The 2 stars reflect the "craving for more" and 3 of us leaving a restaurant hungry! read more

Was I at the same restaurant as all of the other reviewers? High prices. Small portions. PRETENTIOUS attitudes. Especially the hostess/waitress. She apparently decided that we "were not worthy" as soon as we walked in the door. Made no effort to connect - in fact she barely gave us the time of day. The food is over-priced and overly fussy. The service is dismissive. I will not go back. The one positive is the atmosphere of the restaurant itself - a very cool space. read more

I was going to talk about the mediocre and over-priced food, inept and condescending wait staff, and the stupid "the chalkboard above our table is the menu" causing both us having to crane our necks to read it, and having the entire restaurant hovering over our shoulders. Then I read Mills M.'s and Erika H.'s reviews - they are exactly right on the money. This chef's ego is writing checks that his talent and front-of-the-house can't cash. read more

Philosophy dining at its best. This is a tasting restaurant. Don't expect to get a belly full of food coma. Expect tastes to savor and linger over. Most of the dishes are ideal for passing around a table and talking over with a good bottle or two. David Sarasohn had a good review of Thistle this morning in the A & E section of the Oregonian. Every word is true. This is the place for fresh, local, plain speaking and elegant food. My suggestion? Eat a nice adequate lunch and make this an evening dining destination to savor. read more

Walked in, got seated by door and nearly froze. Friendly waitress had us check the chalkboard for food choices. I had a small bowl of gnocchi that tasted exactly like my Thanksgiving stuffing and a glass of wine, and my partner had a similar amount. We got a nearly $100 bill for that - both the wine and the food were grossly overpriced and the service consisted of next to nothing. That is the last time I set foot in Thistle - the value is nonexistent and there are far better choices all over the area. I can't help but notice so many of the other reviews are from people out of state. We locals know other spots to visit, I guess. read more