Everywhere You Can Eat Thanksgiving Dinner if You Don’t Want to Cook at Home

Are you dreading cooking a Thanksgiving meal? Or maybe you can’t justify a big turkey dinner for a small family. Well, you aren’t alone, and the good news is you have plenty of other options to make up for spending hours in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Thursday.

In fact, more and more restaurants, grocery stores, and other shops are catering to the crowd who doesn’t want to make a big bird or would rather eat something other than turkey on the holiday. We break down the major chains where you can eat instead.

Fast Food Open on Thanksgiving

Sometimes you just want a burger and fries instead of a fancy turkey dinner. Luckily, there are restaurants like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King to get your fill, but make sure to call ahead to confirm your local restaurant hours as they vary from location to location.

If you want to cook dinner at home, Bob Evans gives you an easy-to-prepare option, complete with a turkey and sides that you can whip up in your kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. But if you don’t want to do all of that work, you can also head to your local Bob Evans restaurant to get a good turkey dinner without having to do the dishes.

Open Restaurants if You Burn Your Turkey

Again, like with the fast food options, the exact hours of these restaurants vary by location, so we’d recommend calling ahead to confirm when you can come in.

If you want a good meal out, Cracker Barrel can be a good option for dinner without having to do the dishes. Restaurants will start serving food at 11 a.m., and you can join the wait list online if you want to avoid a long wait. You can also pre-order a Thanksgiving heat-and-serve meal that includes turkey and plenty of sides, or just pick up a single-serving turkey dinner.

You can also check out some of your local small business restaurants to see if they’ll be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner this year, if you don’t want the hassle of cooking at home or hosting a big group. Local restaurants may be open to help you out at different price points depending on your budget, but you may want to make reservations ahead of time just in case.

Grocery Stores and Meal Kits That Offer Heat-and-Serve Thanksgiving Meals

Maybe you still want to have a home-cooked meal without doing all the cooking from scratch. In those cases, you can pick up packaged meals that are easy to prepare and are delicious to eat while cutting back on some of the prep time.

Blue Apron

Meal kit Blue Apron has ditched its subscribers-only model to give you more flexibility when it comes to ordering food, including Thanksgiving dinner. You can order turkey and sides like mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and an apple crumb pie for dessert, which come with all the ingredients you need to prepare them fresh at home.

Note: Blue Apron’s Creamy Mac & Cheese With Truffle Breadcrumbs is currently sold out.

Costco

Costco’s signature Kirkland Thanksgiving meal comes with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and gravy for $41.90 for a meal that will feed around six or seven people. You can pick it up in store or have it delivered to your home as part of the retailer’s same-day delivery options for members.

But, be sure to prepare ahead, because Costco will not be open on Thanksgiving Day.

Grocery Stores

You may be surprised to find that your local grocery stores have full-package options for Thanksgiving. Check with your local store to see if you need to reserve a meal for pickup or if they’ll have some available on Thanksgiving Day. Some stores may also have prepared sides to complement a turkey you’re going to make at home.

Find a list of open and closed grocery chains below—and again, we’d recommend calling ahead to confirm local hours, as some will be closing early:

Tips for Dining Out or Ordering in on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be a festive time, but also a stressful time if you decide to take the show on the road and eat somewhere you’re not used to. If you want your Thanksgiving plans to run smoothly, it’s good to do some work ahead of time before venturing out for dinner.

Call local restaurants ahead of time to see when they’ll be open for the holiday—if at all—so you don't show up at a closed restaurant. It would also be a good idea to make a reservation when you call and find out if your favorite place is open.

It’s also recommended to check the menu when making a reservation to see if that’s really where you want to eat. Some restaurants may be open on Thanksgiving, but with a limited menu. Be prepared if you want steak on the special day, and the restaurant you chose only has turkey. Plus, if you have dietary restrictions, it’d be wise to confirm the restaurant has options for you.

And remember that while you may be eating out with family or friends, servers and other restaurant workers have to work that day. Pack some patience and kindness, and be ready to leave a generous tip on the holiday.

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