A winner of The Oregonian’s Restaurant of the Year award, this chic American eatery with attached bar delivers outstanding service and delicious, locally sourced food in a vintage space.
TripAdvisor
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Intimate Setting, Delicious Meal, Incomparable Service
There are no words to describe how lovely and special it was to spend our birthdays dining at Thistle. The meal was beautifully prepared — we had delicious rabbit rillette, impeccably cooked quail, and a rich flavorful rockfish — and the food was genuinely the best we enjoyed during our time in Willamette Valley (and perhaps, anywhere), accompanied by tasty cocktails and a well-selected wine list. On top of the incomparable food, Patrick’s warmth, kindness, recommendations, and humor made the meal even more perfect. Unlike restaurants with endless choices, Thistle offers a short chalkboard menu, for the best — every item has been carefully perfected and you can’t choose wrong. If you’re lucky enough to find a spot in their dining room during your stay in Willamette Valley, we can’t recommend it highly enough.
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Excellent and unique options
Unique dining option. Friendly service. Recommend! Three ladies split appetizers, salad and entrees. Although portions are not large, everything was excellent!
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Sensational!
Maybe the best meal of my life! I've eaten in Michelin restaurants that were less memorable. Patrick, the manager, was a delight. The rockfish was mind-blowing and the gnocchi was like eating clouds full of love. Just divine!
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Dark, hot, and unfortunate.
As you walk into the dimly lit restaurant be prepared for a blast of warm air even on a relatively cool 73 degree evening. No air conditioning and no ventilation. Standing fans at each table. Waiter most unfriendly but then again I would be too if I had to stand at a table with sweat running down my face. Told to take a picture of the menu board upon entering as there is no QR code or paper menu. 6 appetizers and 4 mains. Normally, say on a cold winters night, I would order rabbit but in the dead of summer seems a bit heavy. Apparently there is no ice in the building either as water, served in chipped glasses, was room temperature and oysters missed a cool ice bed leaving them feeling the heat. The bread and fat was tasty. Salad, taking up a spot on the limited menu, needed more than 3 ingredients. Rockfish overcooked and needed salt. On a nice summer night no reason to eat here. Unfortunate.
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Great to return post-COVID
After a great meal here in 2020, we were excited to return, especially since the restaurant’s interior had re-opened. We had a very nice experience! The restaurant has a clean, simple interior with a ‘shabby chic’ quality. I think it fits with the vibe of the town of McMinnville and the region. Very ‘farm to fork’ feel, in-line with our first experience. Small, focused menu, written on a chalkboard. Some appetizers/salads, a small set of mains, with focus on pasta and fish. And a few desserts. Plates on the smaller side, but flavors spot-in. Simple and fresh, not overly complex. Each thing we had was well-prepared; the beet salad was especially delicious, as was a strawberry shortcake dessert. Fish was perfectly cooked and well-matched with accompaniments. Service was warm and welcoming—very casual approach. Great conversation.