we Opened In 2009 With A Simple Conviction: Go Where The Food Is…

While other Portland restaurants sourced "local" ingredients from an hour or more away, our founders, Eric Bechard and Emily Howard, asked, “Why not just go there?”

So, they did.

They left Portland for McMinnville, opening Thistle in a beautiful 1886 building to be closer to Yamhill County farmers whose organic produce and pasture-raised meats would come to define Thistle’s menu.

Patrick Bruce joined Thistle in 2010. He came to run the bar and then stayed, because Thistle felt like home.

In 2011, Thistle was named Oregonian Restaurant of the Year by Oregon’s largest circulated news source. Then in 2012, we tied with Portland's Teardrop Lounge for Oregonian Readers' Choice Favorite Bar. We didn't campaign. People simply nominated and voted for a place they loved.

Patrick worked alongside Emily for over a decade, learning every part of what made Thistle’s magic work. When Emily needed to pivot, Patrick didn't only buy a business. He became the steward of something he'd been integral in helping to build.

"We're standing on a lot of people's shoulders," Patrick says, “So we didn't change. We preserved.”

Sixteen years later, we're still here. Still twenty-two seats. Still changing the menu daily. Still writing checks to our local Yamhill County farmers. Still feeding our community and beyond.

People fall in love here. They celebrate anniversaries. Patrick has officiated over marrying a couple at the bar. Thistle’s partnering farmers also come here to celebrate birthdays and harvests. To us, that's worth more than any award.

a restaurant with soul

Not every restaurant has soul. You feel it when you first walk into a place, and you definitely notice its absence.

It's the lighting, the music, the people, laughter from the bar, the bustle of the kitchen, a collective history lingering in the air and creaking across well over a century of floorboards. Then, there’s the food and the drinks, and it all contributes to how a place holds you.

Thistle bubbles with soul that can't be manufactured. It comes from intention; from people who care.

Patrick works the floor every night. Executive Chef, John Thomas, looks forward to coming out to explain what's on the chalkboard menu and answer any questions. Our team makes sure every detail lands. We choose crew who share our passion for making others feel welcome.

We're small by design, intimate on purpose, and that's never going to change.