McMinnville, Oregon 2023
We stayed in McMinnville, Oregon, for 4 days on our winery trip to the Willamette Valley wine region. Please visit our travel page to learn more about where we stayed and what wineries we visited on the trip.
Below are some of our favorite places we dined at. We have added links and also some pics of our favorite dishes. There are lots of fun places to eat in McMinnville and they were all walkable which was nice in the morning and the evenings. During the day we were at the wineries so we did not have any lunches here.
Conservatory Bar. (They do not have a website yet but they are on FB @conservatorybarmac.) It was 2 blocks from our Airbnb and was a fun place for our first stop. Evidently they were a food truck and have now expanding to an actual restaurant. They have some fun cocktails here. The 2 Old Fashioneds we tasted were completely different - the one I had actually had mushrooms in it and was awesome. We had some portobello mushrooms and a brisket sandwich which were also good, but the cocktails were the star of the bar.
McMenamins Hotel Oregon - we visited here a few times. The restaurant here is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had a quick nite cap, a piece of cheesecake in the Irish bar, but the real star of this place is the rooftop bar which we visited 2 times - the second of which was on a beautiful afternoon and the view is definitely worth going to see.
Crescent Cafe McMinnville. Being a crepe fan we couldn’t resist trying this breakfast/lunch location. The building is over 100 years old and although the restaurant wasn’t fancy, the food and service was very good. My bacon, egg and cheese crepes were fantastic, as well fried cornmeal with scrambled eggs that Tom got. The cafe also makes all their breads in house with 5 varieties to choose from.
Red Hills Market in Dundee is a definite place to stop for breakfast, lunch, knickknacks, or grab and go items for lunch later. You can also pre-order which we would suggest in the busy season or weekends. We had sandwiches between our tastings and also stopped the next day to grab a quick snack. So many wonderful things to say about this place.
Humble Spirit - We love restaurants with small plates and a farm-to-table basis, as well as interesting cocktails. This place had all three. We tried 3 cocktails - The Empress Strikes Back, Purple Rain and their HS Old Fashioned. All were unique and perfect after a day of wine. For dinner we tried the Hazelnuts and Pork Belly, the Roasted Beet Salad and Tagliatelle Pasta “Straw & Hay”. You can see by the pictures how beautiful all these dishes were and they tasted even better.
Cypress Cafe - is in the Atticus Hotel and we went for breakfast. The menu has a Greek lean to it accompanied by some good basic items. The granola and yogurt was not only fresh but beautifully presented. We also had the pancakes with pomegranate syrup. Yum! They are also open for lunch and dinner. If you like greek food, this is your stop in McMinnville for sure.
Alchemist’s Jam - a small coffee, pastry and condiment shop. We bought some Cherry Whiskey and Raspberry Cardomon Roseship spreads, but we could have bought 6 or 7 others as well. Can’t wait to try them at home. This place was darling and worth a visit. Open Thurs-Sun 8:00-3:00.
LaRambla Restaurant. They are known for their tapas and we had some great ones - Charred Octopus, lamb skewers and Pequillo peppers stuffed with rice and chicken. These were all great dishes and the menu is extensive so there are lots of others to choose from.
Wildwood Cafe - A retro cafe known for their french toast - and oh my sooo good. Thick slices of bread tossed in granola and pan seared. (May have to steal this recipe). Open for breakfast and lunch and a local favorite. Lots of fun decor to look at and a local favorite.
1882 Restaurant - one of the original restaurants on the strip. Now divided into 2 separate entities. We talked to the bartender who has been there for a long time. Evidently they took a hit with COVID and are now trying to regroup and get back on track. The downstairs restaurant is more of a warmer traditional steakhouse and the upstairs more of a newer bar and grill. One night we had a drink downstairs but the 2nd night we ate upstairs due to a private party. I had the wagyu steak and Tom had the ribeye. Both were very good and the perfect last night dinner before our departure in the morning.
On our last morning we stopped in Union Block Coffee for coffee and a quick bite before leaving town. The breakfast sandwich and avocado toast were very nice, and they had lots of coffee choices with also some seasonal favorites.
McMinnville is a great place to stay if you are coming to the Willamette wine area. Besides these restaurants, there are lots of shops, a ton of tasting rooms if you want to try more wines and not have to travel to all the vineyards, and other restaurants as well.
This was such a nice trip and one we will be doing again. Please let us know if you have any questions we can answer. And again, check out our travel page for where we visited.
