Food was overpriced and the tasted average at best. Eric the Chef was very unprofessional and rude. Someone said he was up for or won a James Beard award. All I can day is he must have paid off someone. read more

The worst $100.00 my husband and I ever spent. The appetizers are extremely small for the price, 3 cabbage leaves, a sprinkle of cheese. The entrees are extremely small. The wooden tables are small and crammed together. When I spend that kind of money I don't expect tap water out of a mason jar. The lights bulbs don't have shades. I am not sure what look they are going for but it doesn't work. The entree was decent tasting but only a small piece of fish with 3 pieces of arugula on top and a small amount of succotash on the bottom, there aren't any side dishes. You will leave hungry and wondering why you paid that much to sit metal folding type chairs. read more

Dine at the bar with Patrick for excellent service. I arrived late for snacks and dessert. I had the oysters, cheese plate, and vanilla pannacotta. Everything was delicious with the recommended sparkling wine. I look forward to returning for a full meal. The atmosphere is also warm and welcoming. read more

Incredible atmosphere, delicious food, friendly staff and amazing cocktails from Patrick. As a New Yorker I am sad I wont get to go there more often. read more

Unlike the vast majority of fine restaurants everywhere, Thistle has discovered that vegetarian cuisine consists of more than *gasp* cheese and lettuce. My wife was able to choose from three appetizers and a main entree that was fully vegetarian. Servings were appropriately sized. The beet salad with fennel was nicely balanced, as was the turnip and capers. On the entree side, the gnocchi was for light and flavorful, complimented by the crisp morels and lava beans. The lamb was soft and delightful with the carrots and jus. Desert was fairly decent but nothing spectacular. With an ever-changing menu, Thistle is worth coming back to. read more

Not my favorite French cuidine!!! Mean and uncaring servant! My favourite French food is the Cuvee!!

This is the best meal that I have had in ages. The ingredients were fresh, food wasn't over-stated, and dishes were the appropriate portion size. My husband and I started with a salad that had chevre, mixed greens, hazelnuts and a preserved lemon dressing. He ordered the braised beef, potatoes, and dandelion greens, while I ordered the rockfish. Both were cooked to perfection. The ambiance and service are also warm. I suggest going early so that you don't risk the restaurant running out of items. All in all, if you're in the area, be sure to visit Thistle! read more

Lovely local spot. Small daily menu, carefully made. Good service. A little dark inside...romantic but tough to read the chalkboard menu.

ended up at Thistle for dinner for our anniversary night - and wow...what a treat. excellent service from a friendly staff. the cozniess of the bar is what lured us in, and the dining room was so intimate - just perfect. everything we ordered was top notch and we left extremely pleased. chalk board menu changes - so what we had might not be around next time. netarts bay oysters, green salad with preserved lemons and hazelnuts, nice portion easy to share, warm bread, gnocchi dish with pea tendrils - yum! and finally 2 deserts. yeah - superb...we'll definitely go back. read more

Place is a gem!! If you are in the area this is the place to go to! Get you butt in here! The staff, awesome. Emily couldn't have been a better host/server! Patrick is a master bartender. The food, so great! This is a special place. Oysters, gnocchi, wine, drinks...TOP NOTCH! read more

The only thing i remember about my dinner was how great the soup was. Fresh, delicious and ever so smooth. They have this crazy blender that purees soup so smooth it's like eating pure silk. Everyone should ask to see their blender when they go in. I've never seen anything like it. I meant to ask when i was in where they got the blender but i forgot. If anyone knows where they got "the amazing blender" they should post it on here so we can all know. read more

This place just plain sucks. My wife and I wanted a nice quiet meal and found ourselves in some elitest place signing loudly on the locally grown pedestal. There are wines from France first of all. Second of all, the service was lousy and our food was unworthy of the price. read more

First time at Thistle! OMG! The best meal ever ! I had the beet, fennel, pea shoot, citrus & chèvre salad. My wife had the albacore, tomato, celeriac, olive & capers salad. We shared. For dinner she had the gnocchi, pumpkin, rosemary, breadcrumbs and I had the steak, potatoes, celeriac, smokey blue cooked to medium. The gnocchi was a little crisp....perfect and not doughy! The steak was cooked perfectly and the smokey blue was awesome to coat it with. Yes, I'm a meat and potatoes guy! Sorry. For dessert, she had the cardamom bread pudding with caramel sauce and I had the frozen pistachio dessert! We couldn't leave anything on our plates....even though I'm miserable right now because I ate far too much! I'm in heaven! Emily, the owner, is a magician. Patrick, at the bar, is awesome! I didn't go meet the chefs and buy them a drink but I wish I had! Wow! Why did we wait so long to eat here? We live in Carlton and Thistle is only a stones throw away in McMinnville. Just think of all the good food we missed! We'll be back. Be sure to call for reservations. This place is small and cozy and high on quality! Don't miss it. read more

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

Dinner for 4 at this wonderful locally-sourced restaurant. We were all completely satisfied. For starters we enjoyed the rillettes and the terrine (both pork). The rillettes were not overly salty and just the right amount of fat to add flavor and make it spreadable. Entrees included rock fish, lamb, and pork. Each prepared uniquely with an array of locally grown vegetables and spices. We were all pleasantly surprised to find such a sophisticated culinary experience in this quaint little town. We will definitely return the next time our wine-tasting excursions take us back to Oregon. read more

Order whatever sounds good to you, chase it with a few cocktails, eat desert. Then do it all again. Eat, enjoy, repeat. It's easy

Excellent restaurant. Patrick the bartender was knowledge and entertaining while a bit scattered in a fun and very human way. The waitress was helpful and descriptive with the wine and food choices. The entre presentation was five star and the combinations fresh and creative. Both sauces were a bit salty(but not inedibly). Dessert (chocolate salted caramel torte) was spectacular. Best restaurant I've eaten at in McMinnville. read more

Went here on many peoples recommendations and it lived up to all the reviews. The mood is relaxed and the decor is all old found objects and mismatched plate and silverware (really well done) The food was great (Chicken Liver Parfait and Bread w/ Fat), service was also outstanding from the hostess and the bartender. Cool to see all the different farms that they buy from listed on the chalkboard menu. The menu changes daily with many options. Been there twice now and we will be back for sure! read more

The menu is contained entirely on one blackboard - driven by local ingredients. The kind of funky place that uses retro-looking tableware and decor, with an open kitchen - you can watch the chefs if you sit at the bar. Dishes are simple, but very well executed and highlight the ingredients themselves. Very extensive spirits list. Would recommend if you want an uber-local feel. read more

Delicious! We ordered the Chef's Whim and we're able to try most of the menu. We enjoyed everything and thought it was a really great value. Also loved the decor and ambience. Will definitely come back if we are in town again. read more

Small inadequate portions, bad attitude from chef (we sat at counter), inconsistent service (had to ask for silverware three times), overpriced, long drive not worth it. Many more great restaurants in wine country to go to. read more

Great food but service was awful. Dropped off our food and disappeared. Needed more bread and wine and by the time they stopped by again, we were finished. Waitress was more interested in what was going on outside. Distracted by friends outside while taking our order, not a big deal. However, she would look right past us when we were trying to get here attention for a second glass of wine. I guess we should not have taken a seat near window. Again, the food was very good. Portions are small but we like that. Would have given 4 stars if not for the service. read more

Have you ever thought about which restaurants you would really REALLY miss if they weren't there anymore? Well, Thistle would be mine. It was my birthday choice tonight and did not disappoint. Everything was perfect--the Brooklyn #2 cocktail, the Netarts Bay oysters, the bread with truffle butter, the steak, and Patrick's Jackie Brown to finish. Sigh. Thank you for the perfect B-day dinner. read more

Amazing food and amazing service! We went here for my husbands birthday and had two starters, two entrees, and two different desserts. Everything we ordered was so delicious and the service at this restaurant is impressive. There are only five people who work here--one waitress, a bartender, the busboy, chef and sous chef and their teamwork was amazing. Our dishes came out perfectly in time, our water and wine glasses were never empty and as I said, the food was delicious. I would come back to McMinnville just to experience this lovely little restaurant again! read more

A true test of a restaurant is how they handle less than optimal performance. In this case, the steak was not cooked as requested (not even close) and when pointed out to the server, there was an immediate apology, the item was removed form the bill and she presented us with a complimentary dessert. If not for that smooth move, our rating would have been much lower and desire to return, nonexistent. The appetizers were great and the wine list is well balanced in terms of choices and price-points. It is worth the trip and be sure to make a reservation. If a hot day, be prepared for no air conditioning. read more

I went here first when I was pregnant which was a silly idea because I wasn't feeling well just wanted to eat saltene crackers. Even so, the bartender asked me what type of flavors I usually like and made me some non-alchoholic drinks that were so amazing, I still dream about them. My husband loved his food and even though the portions are small, getting a few different items makes a wonderful meal. read more

One of THE BEST meals/experiences as of late!! The oysters are awesome, field greens and beets w/arugula were amazing and the rabbit (main) and gnocchi were TO DIE FOR!!!! read more

The barkeep Patrick is reason enough to come back twice in a weekend. He's more than happy to listen attentively on a custom drink order, or to knowingly prescribe one of a litany of creatively named, original cocktails he's honed over the years. read more

This place was very unique and a perfect place for a romantic quiet evening with my husband. The server was phenomenal in her suggestions. I couldn't say more about how much we loved this place! read more

Farm-to-table, in-season, local and delicious. Everything we had was amazing. Great service and a very talented bartender. What more could you want? read more

The only thing better than the locally sourced inventive lovely food is the bartender and owner, Patrick and Emily. Thistle is a gem.

I loved the simplicity and the execution...and the drinks! This place has a great vibe. The panna cotta dessert rocks (this from a typically non-dessert-eater)! read more

If you want amazing cocktails at the bar, an amazing ever changing menu with incredible food, service and ambience-go to Thistle and you've found home. My husband and I travel to McMinville a couple times a year with dinner at Thistle the highlight of every trip. read more

This is an absolutely perfect little restaurant, with delicious food, amazing cocktails and a great, affordable wine list. The menu is limited to a group of appetizers and a handful of entrees, depending on what is fresh and in season, and ensures that everything on the menu is delicious. We had a duck egg appetizer on delicious greens, a fresh and perfect field green salad with hazelnuts, and the gnocchi, which was like heaven - delicious and light with fresh vegetables and herbs. And both desserts, because we couldn't decide. The wine list has a huge selection of local Willamette wines, as well as some French, across price points but all well-priced. If you appreciate food prepared with fresh ingredients and care taken to all details, this is the place. The portions are not enormous, but quite enough for a hungry person to eat, without feeling overstuffed and with enough room for a few bites of dessert (though we did finish them). read more

Thistle was outstanding! We visited from New York and had called Emily during the week to make a reservation. She was happy to do so, but so kindly warned that Oregon was expecting a heat wave that weekend, and the building had no air conditioning. We ended up holding off on reserving; however, after going out to some tasting rooms in town, we met a couple who insisted we not only stop by Thistle to get a cocktail made by Patrick, the bartender, but try to remake or reservation. So, we came, had an amazing champagne cocktail by Patrick, and made a res for the following night. Emily, who greeted us made sure we got a reservation and we came back the next night to an amazing feast. We had oysters, bread with awesome "fats", salad. Pork rilletes, rabbit, and the most delicious, light gnocchi. You will not regret this trip! read more

The restaurant is pricey but good value for the money. The bar is a moderately priced and a great value. Seating is limited, but once you are in the Prohibition Era cocktails are impressive and Patrick the bartender crafts each to perfection. Good wine selection as well. read more

The proprietors (Eric - chef; Emily - warm host) are both talented, warm and creative. The food is outstanding. Their menu changes daily and is driven by what is fresh at the time from their 6 local, sustainably operated farm suppliers. The duck liver parfait was phenomenal. The cucumber romaine gazpacho was wonderful and the albacore was perfect. When in Oregon Wine Country please go here if you want to be certain you had the best meal available to you made from local ingredients by sharp folks. read more

We go to a lot of gourmet restaurants, this one tries way too hard and misses the mark. The moment you walk in you have to read the only menu on a chalk board and decide what you're going to have, before seating. They say this is to "save a tree". The items on the menu are diffcult to understand like "bread & fat" translates to bread and butter. The service was a bit surly and self-righteous,. The food portions are very small. Our party of four left hungry after having bread & fat and an entree each. The bill came to $125. Expensive for poor service, strange food and small portions. No one should go here.. read more

Have you ever gone to a restaurant with with low expectations which go even lower than you could ever imagine Well, I just got finished with dinner at this establishment. Will I ever go back. Not if someone paid me a thousand bucks would I ever walk through those doors. Was it the food. Not actually.... the food was above board ( I am a foody) and I really liked the locally grown vegetables and concept of this restaurant. I bet you asking why then a complaint. First, to serve food that tastes great is an accomplishment in itself, however, there are other things other than decent food when dining that make a meal a memorable experience. On this occasion, I have to say never and I mean ever have I been treated as rudely and unprofessional when dining. Let's start at the beginning. I made reservations and showed up when I was supposed to. I was given the choice of waiting for my table which was not ready and was offered to wait in the bar/lounge or sit immediately at the front chefs bar seated directly in front of the chef. Well, I wanted to sit at a table, so I decided to sit in the lounge/bar which has many unsual drinks, the type you might expect to find in the early 20's or 30's during prohibition. The bartender was polite and suggested a drink while I waited for my table. Great drink and was enjoying the experience. That's not the issue at all. When I realized I would be waiting a little longer, I remembered the hostess mentioning that I could eat immediately at the Chef's front bar. Well, maybe I should have waited for my table because when I went to sit at the chefs bar is where my complaint lies. From the start, I was excited and happy to be seated in the thick of the food. The food smelled great and I was looking forward to a well deserverd meal. That's where everything fell apart. I started with some great oysters on a half shell that were very pleasing. So far so good, however, I was asking questions about local grown vegtables that they were touting were within 45 miles and it seemed the person who was preparing my food was answering my questions grudgingly (questions were asked nicely because I wanted to understand with all the rain what will and will not grow seasonally up here)). Yes, we all have bad days, however, being rude is a whole different matter. Well, it gets better, by the 2nd course he served me a salad with a local version of radiccio( I forget the name) and hazelnuts, etc which was pretty good, no complaints and we moved on to the 3rd course which was a Gnocchi not smothered in the normal vodka pasta sauce which had great veggies and a nice crunch to all that soft That was the best dish of the night. The whole time during this, the chef was not personable or gregarious as a person who has people seating in front of him should be. .When I got to the 4th dish and keep in mind these are small portions like tapas, he served a egg dish with black truffles with very little seasoning added. When he asked how was the dish was ( every dish prior I told him was excellent), I mentioned that it was a little plain for me and needed a little more spice to it. That's when he immediately said he was not going to serve me anymore food and that I was wasting food because I did not finish it. I said to him all I left was some of the eggs (which are very cheap btw) and did not understand why he was acting this way. I mentioned I am sorry you are offended, but first of all you asked for my opinion and I gave it(nicely) and that I really did not like eggs that well.( or at least to myself I was thinking I really did not like eggs that tasted just like eggs in a supposedly award winning restaurant). It was at this point where I realized this man does not get it. Just because I did not like one of his dishes, he could not take criticism that he asked for. He should realize not every dish is going to be liked by everyone. At this point the damage was done and I cashed out. You think that was the end, NOOOO... he came back and told me I would not cut it up here if I was to move here (I have family here) and that I should go back to Temecula where I do not even live (Where that came from I do not know). I have never been talked to that way. I never wish ill will on anybody, but this man needs to learn that people have an opinion and if you ask for one you better be prepared for one whether it be good or bad. By the way, this mans name is Eric and he is the owner of the restaurant. All I can say is Caveat Emptor. read more

On the longest, darkest night of the year we had a little trouble finding this poorly lighted restaurant until we got out of the car and walked. The lighting level inside was pretty dim for that matter. I had trouble reading the chalk board menu and I was sitting 15 feet away. First, the service was extremely good - pleasant and efficient. Kudos! The menu is quite limited. The night we were there, just four main courses. Gnocchi, rock fish, rabbit, and lamb. They warn you that the portions are small and they were so most will want the appetizer. I enjoyed the oysters- excellent. My spouse had the beet salad that she said was small but satisfactory. Where the rub came was with the gnocchi. Imagine mashed potatoes balls fried. Mushy. There was too little binder to give them bite. Also the soft, loose texture seemed to absorb the scant sauce leaving the gnocchi dry and us disappointed. And, I must say, that was the SMALLEST bowl of pasta I've ever seen served in a restaurant. On the brighter side, I enjoyed the rabbit served with chard and wheat berries and bacon. Some might find the dish over salted but I was fine with it. One of the biggest knocks was serving the salad on a badly chipped plate. Big chips (5) made us wonder about the cleanliness. Over all, we found the value to be an issue too. For two, we didn't feel we got our $100 worth (without wine or liquor). We've had far better meals for that money in a nice environment and served on nice plates to boot. Small sized dinner salad appetizer of beets and lettuce and SMALL cereal bowl of gnocchi (not enough for most people to have alone) and you are already $40+ if you tip that good service. read more

Bohemian with a fusion of jelly jar water glasses, antique crystal cocktail glasses and seating at tables made from reclaimed bowling alley lanes, Thistle is both unique and almost a caricature of the New Oregon style. Disarmingly casual in setting, Thistle defiantly has it where it counts - the food, backed by a bartender that knows his way around both current and an 1890's bar menu. My only real suggestion is that you go with the chef's menu and relax. There is a focus on seasonal and local ingredients. If you go with what you know you might miss things like caul fat wrapped loin or many of the other items that do not translate from mere words to their culinary interpretation. And the same with the cocktails, tell them what you like and let them then make you what you want. Let these people do their jobs with minimal intervention and you will not be disappointed. And while nice and intimate for a couple, we went with a larger group and enjoyed a family style meal that was world class. read more