WOW!!!! We were in the McMinnville area and decided to stop and have dinner. Saw all the 5 star reviews so checked it out...so glad that we did. Small place with a bar very much fits in the old town McMinnville scene. Chalkboard menu that definitely enticed us in. Service was great, everyone friendly and patient. We split the excellent field greens, preserve lemon, filberts and cheese salad. Our entrees were rock fish with wild fennel, carrots and lemongrass and the rare steak over fingerling potatoes topped with duck egg and a red wine sauce. They both were fabulous and could not recommend them higher! We will definitely go back whenever we have an excuse to be in the area. For non-Oregonians, McMinnville is close to all the northern Willamette Valley wineries. It is small so during summer and other wine tasting weekends you are very likely to need reservations. read more

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This place deserves 10 stars! The host was very gracious and was able to fit us in when we called the same day for reservations. This is not typical, much better to make them ahead of time. One of the few places to have a Boulevardier on the cocktail menu which I loved, camparis not for everyone though. The wines paired well with the menu and included local options. For an appetizer we ordered the oysters. They were presented so carefully, cute, and outstanding! I saw a few orders of the steak tartare. I just didn't have to desire to dig into it at the time. They had beautiful yolks and the host was very helpful for those less familiar with the dish. We a wonderful rock fish dish and an even better pork belly meal. So good. So fun. Just the best of what the area strives for, local, high quality, one of a kind. read more

Wonderful dining experience! This place is tiny and the menu is limited (literally, handwritten on a chalkboard limited!) As a fairly picky person, this might have scared me off but boy would I have missed out! Every single dish was amazing - on the night we went, there were three entrees (a pork dish, a rockfish dish an a gnocchi) and we shared them between our group. They were all amazing! Would definitely recommend this restaurant - can't wait to go back next time we're in McMinnville and see what they have then. read more

At first glance the interior makes you question your choice. The menu is limited but well thought out. Our party of 4 were all more than satisfied. The rabbit, Rockfish and Tagliatelle were all superb! A must experience... don't think twice. Our waiter was a rockstar... calmly handling all the tables. read more

Thistle never disappoints. On a cold, rainy Thursday evening we were welcomed. We chose salad and a pork entree from the chalkboard menu, and were seated at a Cody table for two. Patrick recommended a very fine Pinot Noir to go with our meal. The food was excellent in taste and in presentation. We enjoyed chatting with folks seated nearby as well. This is, after all, part of the small town, small venue charm. A crème brûlée with juniper berries was a delightful dessert. read more

Imagine being in a small town in Oregon's Willamette Valley but after passing through a doorway you are transported, if briefly, to a bouchon in Lyon, France. It is magical. Some folks will leave pig-headed reviews about the endroît due to misconception and ignorance, never even having dined. Tant pis. But, tant mieux for the rest of us. Thistle is a treasure that I want to keep just for myself, like a coveted ring. Patrick et l'équipe are great hosts, cooks, and revelers. Enjoy their service and craft and tell your closest confidants that get it, but not everyone. Oh, and you must try a cocktail to start the evening, or to finish it! C'est un plaisir! read more

Fresh organic ingredients! Everything is always delicious and food presentation stunning. Beyond accommodating and friendly staff. thistle never fails to disappoint! read more

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Traveling from Philly, we booked a hotel in McMinnville specifically to dine at Thistle. Made the reservation 2 months in advance. Was just notified late in the afternoon that they are cancelling dinner for the night. Needless to say - very disappointing. read more

Exceeds my expectations each time I visit. Chicory salad, delightful; rabbit rillettes, light and savory; rockfish, so fresh; steak, prepared to perfection; not to mention the unlisted deserts!!! Quality ingredients, even better team running the show!! Thank you for your wonderful hospitality, Emily & crew!!! read more

Thistle - Winter menu 2018 - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

Visited Thistle twice while up in the area on business and it was spectacular both times. The pork tenderloin was the best I've ever had, the potatoes were delicious, the rabbit rillette is to die for, the pannacotta was perfect, and Patrick is hands down the best bartender in the Willamette valley. Also, if you like steak tartar...order it. read more

Small in stature, Spartan in design, but Unforgettable, this is a great restaurant. We got a delightful window box table,one of only seven in the place I think. Not counting bar, that is. As far as I can tell, there is only one menu in the place and it is a chalkboard on the wall. That is actually pretty cool, because you can see it from almost anywhere. The service is friendly and prompt. The food was delicious, and really truly special. Who knew that rabbit liver was so good? It makes a remarkable pate. You can look at my pictures and see the rest, it was all damn good. If you are in downtown McMinnville, I recommend this place with every recommending fiber in my body. It is fine dining, so it's not cheap, but you will not forget this meal. Two enthusiastic thumbs up. read more

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Like the small space and comfortable feel. Great cocktails. Food was really good. My wife and I both also loved the Panna Cotta with the candied hazelnut top. Yes please on more of that. Nice wine recommendation with the Violin Pinot. We may try to visit them in person. read more

Had an great dinner at thistle. We are still talking about their beet salad. Super yummy!! Would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Extremely disappointed!!! We booked months ago - traveled from California and this was supposed to be our first meal on our trip . We arrived at the restaurant for our 8 pm reservation- door locked - small note stating closed tonight due to extreme heat . Very odd , yes a warm day many other restaurants open ... the restaurant had no respect or common curiosity to inform us that they would be closed . We had to scramble to find a restaurant to feed our group! Appears from other reviews they have a habit of shutting their doors ! Warning .... Dine elsewhere In McMinnville.... read more

I have been super excited to try Thistle for a long time. Recently I tried to get reservations on 3 occasions and being booked the first two times I tried, the third time we got in without a problem, great. The restaurant is gorgeous! It is like Schoolhouse Electric and trendy thrift store had a baby, and this was the result. It is clear how carefully the decor was curated, hats off to them. The service was good, brisk and no nonsense, as expected. I had a great craft cocktail. The bread and fat was good. The raw oysters were great, I liked the mignonette a lot. That is where the meal took a weird turn. The steak tartare did not taste good, it was under seasoned and mushy, we ate less than half. My husband found it to be unpalatable. He had the fish of the night, the portion was tiny, like comically so, it was nothing special, lots of places cook a good piece of fish. I had the flat iron steak and was not a fan of the sauce, it just did not work for me. There was too much going on, and the meat was tough, again a small portion. We opted to skip dessert. We were in and out in 45 minutes. Honestly I am happy to pay for great food with small portions, but it just did not work for me. My husband had a less favorable opinion than I did, I'm sure glad we did not go for the first time on our recommendation with friends, I would have been embarrassed. I so desperately wanted to love this place and I appreciate what they seem to be all about. Ultimately I wish them the best and am happy they have a following, but I won't be back. I woke up the next day and was still disappointed. read more

Remarkable dinner. Came in here for a birthday dinner for 3. We had heard from a number of the locals that Patrick was the man for great cocktails. We got here a bit early to sit in the bar area and test Patrick's mad skills. Just tell him what you like and he will sculpt a cocktail for you if the cocktail menu does not excite you. I told him I like bourbon and he created one of the best bourbon drinks I've ever had. He is a fantastic bar man, mixologist, bartender, whatever you want to call it. The 4 of us loved his skill. Dinner was flat out fantastic. All local, all fresh, all in season. There is a menu on the walls and just pick from there. Everything we ordered was knee shaking good. If I had to hit the electric chair tomorrow, my last dinner may come from Thistle. If you are in McMinnville you have to come here. This place is so deserving of the accolades they have received. Keep up the strong work Thistle cause you all are awesome. Amazing experience! read more

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My husband and I came for a light dinner on a night when virtually nothing else was open. The server was extremely nice - funny, attentive, chatty. My review is based solely on the cheese plate. Sadly, I didn't take a photo, but there is another one of the same cheese plate (with a more generous portion) is another review. We actually laughed out loud when the server left after setting the cheese plate in front of us with our glasses of Pinot Noir. For $18, this is what you get on your cheese plate: about 1/2 teaspoon of a few condiments, about a tablespoon of pickled onion, and a TOTAL of roughly an ounce of a few different cheeses. It was actually quite hilarious to look at, but holy smokes...$18 for that??? I am not exaggerating at all with the amounts of the items listed. The rest of the food we can't speak to, as this is all we had. Thanks for the good laugh, Thistle, but this was a one and done. read more

We'd heard about this place from a variety of sources. Two of my dearest friends raved about it and I'd read the Oregonian's review claiming it was one of the best restaurants in the area, but I'd never been in, until this past Friday. It's a nice place. When you look through the windows on the street, you always think to yourself, one day I'll go there and when that one day comes, it's bound to be perfect. The menu is on a chalkboard in the front room. The hostess (business owner) greets you and suggests that you order an appetizer and a main dish per person since the portions are not that huge. You do this and when you get the food, you'll be surprised and delighted by the quality of the local food. We ordered a variety of the appetizers, figuring that if we were spending the big bucks on dinner, we might as well try a variety. Each dish was phenomenal. The highlights for me were the beef tartare (who knew eating raw beef could be such a wonderful experience) and the pork, broccoli, carrots, and chimi churri dish. The hostess (owner) will gladly talk to you about the menu and what dish you might appreciate the most. And she'll help you pick out a drink to go with your dining experience. Thistle is a real treasure here in downtown McMinnville. Don't wear your Carharts when you go, but definitely eat here. It's a place you'll love for sure. read more

This was one of the top 3 meals of my life. I am a seasoned foodie and cook and don't throw out 5 star reviews lightly. I am very critical of the quality of ingredients, the technique with which they are prepared, the ingenuity and creativity exhibited in the composition, etc. This is the real deal. I don't have time to go into the details of all the dishes we enjoyed, but basically we ate the entire menu. I posted a photo here entitled "Laurellyn's 40th birthday." There were 8 of us and so it was not easy for a chef at a small place like this to get all the food out so quickly but somehow he pulled it off, and the execution was flawless. The bartender helped out as well with both some of the food and pouring duties. We brought some wine and bought some too and weren't charged any corkage. They knew this was for my wife's birthday and made it very special for her. In the end the charge per person was about $70 for the food. What they did was basically make a platter of each dish on the menu that would serve 8. And they did not skimp. Typically for a group meal you end up sharing each plate and only get a bite or two but they were very generous. We ended up taking some food home with us. The owner was very kind and knowledgeable and completely hit this one out of the park. The others in my party were similarly impressed. Be sure to come early and enjoy some of the well made cocktails, too. The wine list was excellent and fairly priced. A+ read more

Thistle - 7/13/12 Laurellyn's 40th Birthday Meal - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

Without a doubt, the best meal of 2009. Road tripping through Oregon brought us to the cool-ness of McMinnville in the Willamette valley. Pure chance brought us to Thistle. Ok. We might have been stalking the place from the get-go. Saw a guy making food in the window in the afternoon. Thought "looks like he's making gnocchi." Wandered by a couple of hours later and looked at the menu through the window. Gnocchi indeed. Brought hubby to the window a bit later to see the menu. Wasn't open yet. Hubby went by in during the 5:00 hour and made reservations. Sorry to the kind staff inside we may have frightened during the course of the afternoon! Arrived for dinner. Read the menu board and sat at our well-appointed table. Loved the vintage-pretty-meets-industrial vibe. Lovely graphic wallpaper and mismatched silverware and dishes. Truly charming and inspired. Refined without feeling too precious. Ordered up a bottle of Willamette valley wine (Love & Squalor, Pinot), salad, gnocchi (bien sur!), and flat iron steak. Everything was beyond delicious and well portioned. Presentation was perfect. Service was gracious and friendly. Quality people here. Restaurant only seats about 20 which lends to its intimate feeling. Group of 6 behind us had enough people to order "one of each of the entrees". Good idea. I was very tempted to crash their table! Enjoyed the carrot torte and some dessert wine as well. All in all it was the finest meal of all the fine meals we have eaten this year. I would certainly go through McMinnville again just to go here. You should too. read more

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Delightful. Outstanding. Wonderful experience. We ordered the entire menu and found everything to be outstanding. read more

Wonderful small farm to table, eclectic restaurant. The menu changes often. Try the steak tartar as a starter - it is a delight. The entrees are small but just right with very nice presentations. Nice wine list with many local wines. Unique old cocktails from the 1800s. Service was good. read more

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What a charming and eclectic restaurant! The bartender was very attentive, and offered a wide variety of interesting cocktails or wine. We enjoyed a cocktail at the bar before our table was ready, and our little corner at the bar was very cozy. The menu is a little daunting, so our group had a lot of questions for our server. There are a lot of inventive food pairings, both in the appetizer options and the entrees. All their food is locally sourced, and our server was well versed in the back story of the farms. For appetizers, we tried several excellent salads and the "bread and fat" option (which was tremendous!). For entrees, I had the steak and kale, and my companions ordered the gnocchi. Both were very good! I was afraid to see our bill at the end of the meal, but it was really quite reasonable. We ordered a lot of cocktails and food, so I was pleasantly surprised. We may go back to Thistle tonight! read more

Thistle - Tonight's menu - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - McMinnville, Oregon

Never actually got a chance to try this place because I made a reservation for a Tuesday night (while on vacation), they called me to confirm the reservation, then when I went to the restaurant they were closed. Never called to tell me they were closed. I never leave bad reviews but this is terrible customer service. The worst part is this was the restaurant I was most excited to go to on our visit to the Willamette Valley. read more

Tiny portions, food is pretty good but not amazing and definitely does not justify the cost.

Yes yes yes! Amazing food. Great service. Lovely for a nice elevated lunch or a romantic dinner. Farm fresh food with lots of love and French influence and imports. read more

Just coming out of Covid-19, the restaurant has all tiny tables outside with a limited menu. We ordered a pork rib and a rabbit rillette. Good technique, tasty but tiny portion. Will wait until they have full service and re-review. Price point is high for the amount of food. read more

A small time-space portal off a quiet McMinnville side street leads to a French farmhouse where Grandmère stuffs you full of delicious things. read more

I have been to both thistle and Albatross and both are phenomenal. I love the food, service and originality. We went yesterday and Emily went above and beyond helping us. The food was fresh and different. We ordered many different plates and shared. My favorite includes the Pork Liver mouse with Pear jam, and the wonderful panna cotta frozen dessert. I will come back on my next wine visit to McMinnville. read more

I had made a reservation a month in advance then they decided to close the restaurant and not tell us. We showed up and we're quite surprised to find it wasn't open. read more

Just counting down the months til I'm back in Oregon and can have another meal at Thistle. Had heard about Thistle for a while and finally got to check it out on a recent trip to McMinnville (cutest main street in America) and was impressed on every level. Went with a foodie friend and she was blown away as well. The ambience is pretty perfect - definitely an intimate space with low lighting but also very comfortable and not pretentious. Service was great and I felt like our server was there just for us. Now onto the food... every single bite was perfection. Had a beet salad of some kind to start and beet salads are always good but this one was just extra fresh with great flavoring. Of course you can't go wrong with anything called "bread and fat". I had the beef cheeks which I definitely chewed with my eyes closed for half the meal b/c it was that good - incredibly tender and flavorful. My friend had the same experience with her gnocchi which I was coveting - she let me have a bite and I had to stop myself from going in for more. Of course this being in Willamette, the wine was really good - we both took pictures of the bottle for later. All in all, one of the best dining experiences I've had this year and it was totally unexpected. It actually reminded me of some unforgettable meals that I've had in Paris - same warm ambience, service and care given to the food. Definitely a must-visit when in the area! read more

OMG you have to eat here!!! Every plate was spot on, cooked perfect with great flavor. Best tar tar ever! Rabbit was cooked tender with crisp crust, prepared as it should be. Then there was the friendly flawless service and a great wine selection. read more

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I've been wanting to go to McMinnville to try out some of their restaurants, so we went tonight for my husband's birthday. Wow! It was delicious! We shared the bread, oysters, and butter lettuce salad for our appetizers and they were wonderful! The presentation is beautiful and everything tastes incredible! For dinner we had the steak and the rockfish entrees. Both were outstanding! For dessert we shared the clafoutti and also a custard/ raspberry sorbet dish. Both were tremendous, but we agreed that the clafoutti stood above the sorbet/ custard dish, but that was really a tough judgment! Both were incredibly delicious! Our server was so friendly and helpful and the bartender was great too! We had a great experience and will definitely go back! Highly recommend this place, even if you have to drive there from Portland! It's worth the drive! read more

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We had a wonderful dining experience at Thistle! After living 20 years in Europe we were in despair at finding sensational dining in the States. Thistle was everything promised! We started with a lovely crisp white wine from the Basque region. On to French bread with lard (which was flavorful and home made). We enjoyed a field green salad very lightly dressed with a lemon vinaigrette). Fresh field greens crisp with an added bit of hazelnuts. Our entree was pork tenderloin with a drizzle of mint sauce and crisp fresh vegetable medley. Both were cooked to perfection. The tenderloin was delicate and easy to cut with ones fork. The dessert was a lovely panda cotta with fresh peaches and herbs. The server owner was a caring, helpful, personable gentleman. We will look forward to our next dining experience at Thistle! read more

Amaze!!! My friend Rob recommended Thistle, its a nice, casual, very high quality place to relax. With an amazing ever changing menu. Always in my tops for MAC! read more

The food was amazing! We did the chef'a choice for the night and it didn't disappoint! It was a fun way to explore the menu. All of the courses were amazing! Drinks were good as well. Would highly recommend! read more

Superb. Great atmosphere. Perfect service. Every dish ordered was fantastic. Special shout out to the gnocchi.

Thistle provides a delicious dining experience. The menu is limited but the food is fresh, mindfully flavored and harmoniously balanced. You should be prepared for a casual experience at a pace that you can enjoy every morsel. They may not have air conditioning so if you can't handle the heat, get outta the kitchen. read more

Hands down, five stars. The service was superb and the food was unbelievable. I had the rabbit with black-eyed peas, my husband had the rock fish, and both were so ridiculously good. Our water glasses never fell below half-full and the bartender brought us custom drinks based on our choice of alcohol. Trust me, just tell him what you like and he'll make you something that you will like. The best part? For dessert they had TWO gluten-free options: I had the flourless chocolate cake that was divine, hubby had the pot de creme, and the decaf was piping hot. My son and daughter-in-law are moving to McMinville later this month and I am delighted because it will mean future opportunities to eat at this amazing restaurant. Be brave, try something new, you will NOT be disappointed! read more

We ate at this restaurant in the past and it was very good. We made reservations over a month ago for seven of us. We flew in from California and were looking forward to our 8:00 seating. We walked over and were surprised to find it dark, with a note on the door saying it was closed due to heat. It was not hot at 8:00. We never received a call nor an email from the restaurant. Unprofessional and quite frankly,appalling. Thanks a lot Thistle for ruining our first night in McMinnville. read more