I don't even know where to start. Seriously. I enjoy writing a lovely 5-star review but this one deserves 500/5 stars! Seriously, one of my favorite restaurant experiences in YEARS!
Yesterday took us to McMinnville for the Wonderland Brew Fest... after the festival, we decided to do a progressive dinner. Stop at every interesting restaurant on / near 3rd Street and eat until we were satisfied... Thistle threw a big ole wrench in our plans, and we are DELIHTED they did!
After a not so great first restaurant experience, we happened upon Thistle at the recommendation of a friend. We decided to stop in for an appetizer and a drink.
We were immediately greeted by a lovely man named Patrick who was so friendly and accommodated us at a lovely table in the center dining room. Round #1 of drinks was ordered with the Gnocchi and Duck Liver Mousse. Good. LORDT. We were smitten at sip and bite #1.
After the first round, we settled into having a second round before heading out... next thing you know, a Pork Confit hit our table. OUT OF THIS WORLD. The talent of this chef is beyond words.
Our planned 45 minute stop turned into a whole evening. The drinks were absolutely out of this world. The food was ridiculously good. Truly, the absolute best restaurant in all of McMinnville.
To the chef, John Thomas IV and the owner, Patrick, THANK YOU! You truly turned an average Saturday evening into one of our favorite trips to McMinnville of all times. We raved and sang the praises of our experience to all our friends this morning at brunch. Our one evening alone will guarantee our return many many times in the future.
If you're from McMinnville and haven't tried Thistle yet, do it! If you're visiting, stop searching for your dinner destination and call for your reservation now. Absolutely our best McMinnville dinner, ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Clint Hooper
Our stop at Thistle during a progressive dinner turned into us staying for the entire meal. Everything was on point: the food, the atmosphere, the service, the drinks. We could not have been more pleased with our experience and will certainly be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan Putman
Cocktails were just to die for, appetizers delicious, there was a rabbit “pâté” type thing that was just unbelievable. John is the nicest guy and so enthusiastic about what he’s doing and the quality of their product. In this TINY kitchen they produce some amazing food while smiling all of the time. LOVE this place!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Violette
We liked everything about this place. Kind of a small cozy atmosphere, the food, drinks, desserts, and the service. All top notch. We will definitely be going back.
Lauren Sinclair
Patrick and crew have somehow preserved the feeling of the emerging foodie scene in Portland circa 2010. We locals feel like family here, both because of the warm welcome and the cozy DIY charm of the place. We always taste something new that fits the brief, and are often wowed— best burger, Southern fusion, seasonal concoctions. One of our top 3 favorites in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Destiny S
We were beyond happy to find this restaurant. The people of McMinnville are so lucky to have Thistle in their midst. Patrick was so warm and welcoming and we are grateful to call him a friend now. Chef John is young and incredibly talented. We were blown away with his passion and dedication to his craft. The information about each dish was captivating and we appreciated the dedication to acquire from local farms. We can’t wait to return and see chef grow even stronger in his cuisine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica Jacobsen
Cannot say enough about my experience at Thistle. I have a severe gluten allergy and we were fortunate to have all the menu options were gluten free. The precise detail from the farm to table approach was impressive to say the least. I loved the carrot puree and carrot top pesto paired with the rabbit for a full circle meal. The drinks are refreshing and the service was excellent. The chef came to explain the meals and was thoughtful in his presentation. 10/10 🤩
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Linda Swanson
Thistle is a small, intimate, and wonderfully cozy restaurant — the kind of place that feels special the moment you walk in. We had the pleasure of celebrating a birthday there, and the entire experience was fantastic.
Patrick, our server, was exceptional. Friendly, attentive, and genuinely warm, he made the evening feel relaxed and welcoming.
The menu is creative and full of surprises. The steak tartare was the best we’ve ever had — absolutely outstanding. The Caesar salad was anything but standard; inventive, flavorful, and such a fun twist on a classic. We also shared the rabbit, which was terrific and beautifully prepared.
Overall, we had a truly memorable meal and would absolutely visit again. Thistle is a gem in McMinnville!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rabbit, Classic Steak Tartare
Colleen Dutmers
We had a lovely birthday dinner. Creative menu, intimate, small setting, friendly servers and great service and the food was outstanding. Fun drinks too.
Locally sourced and fresh ingredients make amazing food. Creative kitchen made gnocchi with peppers and chimmichuri (?) that was amazing, oysters with an tart mignonette and don't miss the ' Bread and Fat' - how could that not be awesome?!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gardner Peavy
Amazing experience, food, and hospitality!! Fantastic. Thanks for sharing w us! - Texans
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bob Treviño
I came to Thistle with high expectations, given its reputation, but left wondering how it continues to earn such glowing praise.
We began with the Bread and Fat—lardo and Raspberry Butter—which was creative. The Ribeye and Gnocchi followed. On taste alone, the kitchen shows skill, but the execution and overall experience fell short. The Ribeye was advertised as 15oz, yet what arrived looked closer to 10oz, with nearly a third of it inedible fat and gristle. The Gnocchi was pleasant enough, but hardly memorable.
The dining environment, however, was the real disappointment. The room was very dark and poorly lit, making it difficult to even see the food clearly. The space itself felt cramped and exceedingly loud, with tables packed tightly together. Our server carried a noticeable odor, which was hard to ignore in such close quarters. The bathroom situation was equally uncomfortable: a thin, hollow door with a tiny latch separating diners from the restroom, just steps away from one of the main seating areas. It all felt more like a neglected afterthought than a deliberate design choice.
For the price point and the acclaim, I expected a more cohesive and comfortable experience. Instead, the atmosphere was uncomfortable and distracting, the portions questionable, and the setting neglected. While the flavors had promise, the overall evening was awkward, hyped and underwhelming.
We won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Gnocchi, Steak
Dean de la Peña
WOW. Patrick and John run a heck of a restaurant. Superb food, ambience and service. Great, well curated bar program. And just very cool. Excellent experience from start to finish.
I don't even know where to start. Seriously. I enjoy writing a lovely 5-star review but this one deserves 500/5 stars! Seriously, one of my favorite restaurant experiences in YEARS!
Yesterday took us to McMinnville for the Wonderland Brew Fest... after the festival, we decided to do a progressive dinner. Stop at every interesting restaurant on / near 3rd Street and eat until we were satisfied... Thistle threw a big ole wrench in our plans, and we are DELIHTED they did!
After a not so great first restaurant experience, we happened upon Thistle at the recommendation of a friend. We decided to stop in for an appetizer and a drink.
We were immediately greeted by a lovely man named Patrick who was so friendly and accommodated us at a lovely table in the center dining room. Round #1 of drinks was ordered with the Gnocchi and Duck Liver Mousse. Good. LORDT. We were smitten at sip and bite #1.
After the first round, we settled into having a second round before heading out... next thing you know, a Pork Confit hit our table. OUT OF THIS WORLD. The talent of this chef is beyond words.
Our planned 45 minute stop turned into a whole evening. The drinks were absolutely out of this world. The food was ridiculously good. Truly, the absolute best restaurant in all of McMinnville.
To the chef, John Thomas IV and the owner, Patrick, THANK YOU! You truly turned an average Saturday evening into one of our favorite trips to McMinnville of all times. We raved and sang the praises of our experience to all our friends this morning at brunch. Our one evening alone will guarantee our return many many times in the future.
If you're from McMinnville and haven't tried Thistle yet, do it! If you're visiting, stop searching for your dinner destination and call for your reservation now. Absolutely our best McMinnville dinner, ever!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our stop at Thistle during a progressive dinner turned into us staying for the entire meal. Everything was on point: the food, the atmosphere, the service, the drinks. We could not have been more pleased with our experience and will certainly be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cocktails were just to die for, appetizers delicious, there was a rabbit “pâté” type thing that was just unbelievable. John is the nicest guy and so enthusiastic about what he’s doing and the quality of their product. In this TINY kitchen they produce some amazing food while smiling all of the time. LOVE this place!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We liked everything about this place. Kind of a small cozy atmosphere, the food, drinks, desserts, and the service. All top notch. We will definitely be going back.
Patrick and crew have somehow preserved the feeling of the emerging foodie scene in Portland circa 2010. We locals feel like family here, both because of the warm welcome and the cozy DIY charm of the place. We always taste something new that fits the brief, and are often wowed— best burger, Southern fusion, seasonal concoctions. One of our top 3 favorites in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We were beyond happy to find this restaurant. The people of McMinnville are so lucky to have Thistle in their midst. Patrick was so warm and welcoming and we are grateful to call him a friend now. Chef John is young and incredibly talented. We were blown away with his passion and dedication to his craft. The information about each dish was captivating and we appreciated the dedication to acquire from local farms. We can’t wait to return and see chef grow even stronger in his cuisine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cannot say enough about my experience at Thistle. I have a severe gluten allergy and we were fortunate to have all the menu options were gluten free.
The precise detail from the farm to table approach was impressive to say the least. I loved the carrot puree and carrot top pesto paired with the rabbit for a full circle meal. The drinks are refreshing and the service was excellent. The chef came to explain the meals and was thoughtful in his presentation. 10/10 🤩
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thistle is a small, intimate, and wonderfully cozy restaurant — the kind of place that feels special the moment you walk in. We had the pleasure of celebrating a birthday there, and the entire experience was fantastic.
Patrick, our server, was exceptional. Friendly, attentive, and genuinely warm, he made the evening feel relaxed and welcoming.
The menu is creative and full of surprises. The steak tartare was the best we’ve ever had — absolutely outstanding. The Caesar salad was anything but standard; inventive, flavorful, and such a fun twist on a classic. We also shared the rabbit, which was terrific and beautifully prepared.
Overall, we had a truly memorable meal and would absolutely visit again. Thistle is a gem in McMinnville!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rabbit, Classic Steak Tartare
We had a lovely birthday dinner. Creative menu, intimate, small setting, friendly servers and great service and the food was outstanding. Fun drinks too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good attention to details!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Locally sourced and fresh ingredients make amazing food. Creative kitchen made gnocchi with peppers and chimmichuri (?) that was amazing, oysters with an tart mignonette and don't miss the ' Bread and Fat' - how could that not be awesome?!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing experience, food, and hospitality!! Fantastic. Thanks for sharing w us! - Texans
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I came to Thistle with high expectations, given its reputation, but left wondering how it continues to earn such glowing praise.
We began with the Bread and Fat—lardo and Raspberry Butter—which was creative. The Ribeye and Gnocchi followed. On taste alone, the kitchen shows skill, but the execution and overall experience fell short. The Ribeye was advertised as 15oz, yet what arrived looked closer to 10oz, with nearly a third of it inedible fat and gristle. The Gnocchi was pleasant enough, but hardly memorable.
The dining environment, however, was the real disappointment. The room was very dark and poorly lit, making it difficult to even see the food clearly. The space itself felt cramped and exceedingly loud, with tables packed tightly together. Our server carried a noticeable odor, which was hard to ignore in such close quarters. The bathroom situation was equally uncomfortable: a thin, hollow door with a tiny latch separating diners from the restroom, just steps away from one of the main seating areas. It all felt more like a neglected afterthought than a deliberate design choice.
For the price point and the acclaim, I expected a more cohesive and comfortable experience. Instead, the atmosphere was uncomfortable and distracting, the portions questionable, and the setting neglected. While the flavors had promise, the overall evening was awkward, hyped and underwhelming.
We won’t be returning.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Gnocchi, Steak
WOW. Patrick and John run a heck of a restaurant. Superb food, ambience and service. Great, well curated bar program. And just very cool. Excellent experience from start to finish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this place. Love Patrick!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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