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These Boston restaurants are cooking Thanksgiving feasts for dine-in and takeout
Whether you're wanting to get out of the house and in a restaurant seat on Thanksgiving, or heat up prepared food from celebrated eateries for the holiday, these spots have you covered.
Thanksgiving is arguably the best food holiday, an entire day dedicated to cooking, drinking, and eating a full table spread of sides and pies.
While the eating part is sure to be enjoyed by everyone at your holiday party, the cooking can feel more like a chore. Here’s an idea: Skip the cooking, and go straight to eating.
In Greater Boston, there are two ways to go about a mostly stress-free Thanksgiving. Plenty of restaurants are open on Nov. 28, cooking up holiday specials for those looking to get dressed up and dine among strangers.
If staying at home in pajamas sounds more appeasing, there are also many eateries catering full Thanksgiving dinners. Sure, you’ll have to warm up some food and clean the dishes, but leave the cooking to the pros.
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Here are some options to consider for your Thanksgiving 2024 meal:
Restaurants open for Thanksgiving
Alcove
Spend time on Thanksgiving strolling the Harborwalk, then settle in for a meal at Alcove (or pick it up to-go; see below). The West End restaurant is open on Thanksgiving from noon until 8 p.m. Along with the full menu of farm-coast-to-table cuisine, there will also be some Thanksgiving specials available.
Artisan Bistro
Visit The Ritz Carlton’s award-winning restaurant, Artisan Bistro, and celebrate in style this Thanksgiving holiday. The menu includes a choice of a first course (sweet potato and butternut squash bisque, kale caesar salad, fried stuffed portobello mushrooms), an entree (roasted turkey, grilled branzino, bone-in filet, vegetable lasagna), and a dessert choice between a pumpkin mousse and a pecan bar. The prix fixe meal costs $89 per person. Make a reservation by calling 617-574-7100.
Bambara Kitchen & Bar
Get your traditional Thanksgiving meal fix at the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel’s restaurant. Choose between a butternut squash soup, beet salad, or caesar salad to start your meal. Then comes the entree plate, complete with turkey breast, confit turkey legs, mashed potatoes, roasted mushroom stuffing, gravy, roasted brussels sprouts, and cranberry compote. End on a sweet note with a choice of pie, apple or pumpkin. Dinner runs from 3 to 8 p.m., and the price is $70 per person. Reservations, which can be made on OpenTable, are required.
The Banks Seafood and Steak
Open for lunch and dinner on Thanksgiving, The Banks will offer a three-course prix fixe menu — seafood takes on Thanksgiving dinner — along with their a la carte menu. The first course includes a choice of Ora King Tyee crudo, an apple salad, or burrata. Next choose between a turkey roulade with lobster stuffing, an 8-ounce filet, or halibut. For dessert, options include a fig napoleon and cranberry chocolate pie. Reservations are available between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The Beehive
If watching the parade of advertising on TV doesn’t cut it for your Thanksgiving Day entertainment, consider visiting The Beehive in the South End. Live music will fill the space all day along, while its kitchen serves up a traditional, three-course menu. The event is family-friendly at $95 per person and $29 for kids ages 12 and under. Reservations are recommended and available between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Bistro du Midi
Before or after a Thanksgiving meal at Bistro du Midi, you and the fam can take a stroll around the Public Garden. The park-adjacent restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., serving up a three-course menu for $90 per person. You’ll start with a choice of dishes like sweet corn soup, arugula and endive salad, or tuna tartare. Entrées include beet gnocchi with pink lady apple, brown butter seeds, feta, and basil; sourdough-crusted halibut with blue foot mushrooms, cauliflower, and a curry shrimp broth; and the requisite roasted turkey breast and leg confit, this one served with a foie gras-mushroom brioche stuffing, fall vegetables, and thyme gravy. Desserts include a squash pie with brown butter and maple, among other options. Reservations are available between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Boston Harbor Hotel
You’ll be thankful for the stunning location if you opt for Thanksgiving brunch at the Boston Harbor Hotel. This waterfront spot is planning a festive Grand Brunch buffet from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Executive chef David Daniels is making the traditional turkey dinner with all the sides, plus a full dessert table and festive additions like sushi and sashimi, white truffle carbonara, prime sirloin, and more. The spread is $225 per person ($80 for children ages 5 to 12).
Capo
A Thanksgiving meal at this Southie restaurant not only comes with three courses, but turkey dinner leftovers, so it’s almost as if you cooked at home. First courses include an option of lobster bisque, confit turkey gnocchi, squash ravioli, squash cacio e pepe, or pumpkin risotto. Go for a wood-fired roasted turkey, braised short rib, King Ora salmon, or eggplant or chicken parmesan for the main. Lastly for dessert, make the tough decision between apple blueberry crumble pie, pumpkin pecan pie, French silk pie, torta di chocolate, tiramisu, or pumpkin cheesecake. The meal costs $75 per person, and a wine pairing can be added for $45 more.
Contessa
If you’re staying in the city for Thanksgiving, why not surround yourself with skyline views? Contessa, located at the top of The Newbury, offers sweeping views of the city from the 17th story, as well as a Thanksgiving feast served family-style. Among the dishes will be the signature meatballs aldo with whole grain mustard sauce; squash carpaccio; ricotta gnudi with black truffles; roasted turkey with all the supplements; and for dessert, pumpkin gelato and apple pie. A porterhouse supplement will also be available. The family-style menu is $195 per person and ticketed via Resy. Views are included. Reservations are available between noon and 8 p.m.
Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
Along with Davio’s regular dinner menu, a prix-fixe Thanksgiving menu is available at locations of the Northern Italian steakhouse chain, including the Seaport and Back Bay ($85 per adult, $35 per child). Davio’s culinary teams will make roasted Vermont organic turkey, creamy Yukon Gold potatoes, butternut squash, and challah bread-herb stuffing. Desserts such as slices of homemade apple pie with vanilla gelato and pumpkin pie with chantilly cream are $15 each. Reservations are available.
Grana
Celebrate Thanksgiving in the luxe trappings of the former great hall of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Grana, the restaurant at the five-star Langham Hotel in Boston’s Financial District, has high ceilings and ornate moldings fit for its past life — and a memorable holiday meal for you and yours. You’ll find a prix fixe menu, with a choice of a squash soup or fall harvest salad, and entree options like turkey, salmon Wellington, and a root vegetable pot pie. In addition, there’s family-style Thanksgiving sides like sweet potato casserole, chestnut stuffing, and crispy brussels sprouts. The experience ends with a chic dessert bar. Thanksgiving at Grana is $160 per person and $80 for children ages 5 to 12. Reserve a seat between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Grill 23 & Bar
Go for a turkey dinner from Chef Ryan Marcoux and the Grill 23 & Bar team. In addition to the lemon thyme-roasted turkey, pick from a la carte sides, like confit turkey stuffing, butternut squash puree, mushroom gravy, and cranberry sauce. Reservations are available for a dinner service that runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Harvest
On a cobblestone pathway in Harvard Square, find Harvest, an elegant hideaway that offers a peaceful experience away from the bustling life of Cambridge. This Thanksgiving, you can enjoy a three-course meal at $90 per person. Appetizers include broccoli cheddar bisque, apple walnut salad, spicy lobster gnocchi, and pate de campagne. For your main course, choose from a selection of dishes, such as a pasture-raised organic turkey, mushroom marsala, dayboat scallops, venison loin au poivre, and a New York sirloin steak. To top it off, dessert options include apple pie, pumpkin tart, and pecan pie. Reservations are available.
The Inn at Hastings Park
Head to the historic and especially beautiful-in-autumn town of Lexington to celebrate Thanksgiving. Town Meeting Bistro, the restaurant at the Forbes four-star Inn at Hastings Park, is hosting a big buffet all afternoon long. The spread ($130 per person, $65 for children ages 4 to 12) includes a wedge salad, green beans with shallot vinaigrette, mashed potatoes, bourbon-glazed arctic char, a Yankee pot roast, roasted turkey, and more. Reservations are available from noon until 6 p.m.
LUCIE Drink + Dine
Back Bay neighborhood restaurant Lucie Drink + Dine (located at the Colonnade Hotel) is there for you with its full menu of starters, salads, pizzas, and mains, plus Thanksgiving dinner specials. Turkey is there in the form of roast breast and turkey leg roulade, served with roasted butternut squash, wild mushroom brioche stuffing, haricot verts, Yukon whipped potatoes, cranberry chutney, and natural gravy ($35). Dinner reservations are available from noon until 7 p.m. Additionally, Lucie will be open for breakfast from 7 to 10:30 a.m., and the bar stays open until 8 p.m.
Matria
One of Boston’s newest restaurants is serving Thanksgiving dinner buffet-style at the InterContinental Boston. For $185 a person, get in line for a serving of ginger acorn pumpkin soup, butternut squash and date salad, a sushi bar, a carving station that features a chestnut and apple-stuffed roasted turkey, and Italian desserts like tiramisu and salted caramel cannoli.
The Merchant Kitchen & Drinks
Downtown Boston brasserie The Merchant Kitchen & Drinks hosts its annual Thanksgiving prix-fixe meal from noon until 8 p.m. Begin with an appetizer like roasted butternut squash soup with maple cream and spice pepitas, or chilled jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce. Entrees include roast turkey dinner, as well as a harvest grain bowl, pan-seared cod, or steak frites. End on a high note with a dessert such as cherry and chocolate bread pudding or roasted apple and almond tart. The menu is $75 per person for three courses, and reservations are available.
Rochambeau
This Back Bay restaurant is making it easy for city dwellers this Thanksgiving with dine-in options as well as takeout (see below). Reservations are available between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. for dining in, with a prix-fixe menu offering a taste of the season. For $85 per person, choose among starters like butternut squash bisque; brussels sprout salad; dayboat scallops and mushroom risotto; and a roasted beet salad. Plates include boneless beef short rib, free-range turkey breast, and more. Diners can choose between pumpkin pie, candied ginger pear tart, and creme brulee.
Scampo
Scampo, chef Lydia Shire’s restaurant at The Liberty Hotel, is offering a Thanksgiving feast in four courses for $120 per person ($50 for children under 12), alongside a la carte pizza. Dishes include the likes of roast heritage turkey with muscat gravy; celery heart, sausage, and golden raisin stuffing; “My Father’s Cranberry Sauce”; yams; creamed onions; and brussels sprouts. Reservations are available from noon to 8 p.m.
Sogno
Feast on Thanksgiving specials as well as Sogno’s regular menu of Italian fare from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Holiday specials include a main entree of slow-roasted turkey or pan-seared porchetta, plus typical Thanksgiving sides like stuffing, whipped mashed potatoes, roasted autumn vegetables, and gravy. For dessert, get a slice of pumpkin pie with maple mascarpone crème.
Restaurants open for Thanksgiving dinner to go
Alcove
Dinners to-go from Alcove, the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant at Lovejoy Wharf, sell out every year, so you may want to move quickly. A turkey dinner, prepared two ways with sliced breast and confit thighs, costs $250 and comes with apple and sage stuffing, roasted carrots, mashed potatoes, orange rosemary cranberry sauce, gravy, and Iggy’s French rolls with honey butter. A la carte menu options include shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, and macaroni and cheese. To drink, try the holiday punch cocktail, which mixes rum, cardamom, lemon, and bubbles. Apple oat crumble, pumpkin, and chocolate pecan pies are on the menu for dessert. Orders must be placed by Nov. 25.
Aquitaine
With locations in the South End as well as Chestnut Hill, Aquitaine is well-positioned to do the cooking this Thanksgiving. This French bistro is offering an all-inclusive Thanksgiving dinner takeout package for parties of two to six diners. Starting at $149 for two people, the meal includes starters like gougeres and butternut squash-apple bisque, turkey, and sides such as apple and sage stuffing and garlic pommes Robuchon. Optional add-ons include desserts like bourbon pecan pie and salted caramel apple crumb pie, or savory starters and entrees like shrimp cocktail and a roasted butternut squash lasagna that feeds up to six people.
Bar Mezzana
No matter the size of your dinner party, Bar Mezzana has the Thanksgiving cooking covered. Packaged feasts include a roasted turkey breast, confit turkey leg, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Those with two diners choose three sides, with options like sage and dried plum stuffing, mashed potatoes, and a green bean casserole. There are also feast packages for 4-6 people. Mayonnaise and bread also comes with every dinner package for next-day turkey sandwiches, and guests can also add on more sides or desserts from the a la carte menu.
Capo
Maybe you have the turkey and sides covered for Thanksgiving, but aren’t much of a baker. Just order a pie then, maybe some bread as well. Capo has pies and breads to-go, like pumpkin pecan pie, peanut butter Oreo cheesecake, and garlic and herb rolls. They’ll also have various gelato flavors, espresso martini jugs, and a pint of vanilla bean whipped cream for sale.
Hook + Line
Thanksgiving staples are mixed in with New England seafood on Hook + Line Market’s Thanksgiving to-go menu this year. Begin your feast with your choice of to-go cocktails — Harvest Punch or Champagne Punch — and starters that include soups, crab cakes, and clam stuffies. Their turkey feeds four to six diners. Pair it with sides like truffled mashed potatoes, sage and apple stuffing, and a fishermen’s pie. For those sweet tooth cravings, grab a pie (fire-roasted pumpkin, oat apple crumble, or chocolate pecan) or chocolate chip cookies. There are also raw bar options and Iggy’s bread. Pick-up for Hook + Line takeout is Wednesday, Nov. 27.
LUCIE Drink + Dine
This Colonnade Hotel restaurant has a takeout menu of roast turkey and sides fit to feed a group of six, like wild mushroom brioche stuffing, butternut squash bisque, mashed potatoes, and a quart of gravy. If that isn’t enough, add on a salad or a classic pie, pecan, apple, or pumpkin. All orders must be placed by Thursday, Nov. 21.
Pagu
If a Turkey Thanksgiving doesn’t interest you, try something different for the holiday from this award-winning Cambridge restaurant. Choose between two meal bundles for $269, which are the sticky rice duck and the prime rib. Other add-ons include fried rice, suckling pig bao, a Basque cheesecake, and matcha chocolate cookies. Guests can also bring to the party to-go cocktails, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Puritan & Company
Chef Will Gilson’s talented Cambridge culinary team are preparing pies and sides to feed four people to-go from their flagship restaurant, Puritan & Co. Pre-order before Nov. 22 for pickup on Nov. 26 and 27 at First Street Market. Choose your preferred pickup time, then select among a la carte options ($7-$60) like a half-dozen Parker House rolls, mushroom and sage stuffing, bacon-wrapped scallops, green bean casserole, and more. Dessert options include a dutch apple pie, pumpkin pie, and pecan cheesecake, plus there are cocktails to-go.
Summer Shack
Invite a Southern-fried turkey to your Thanksgiving table this year with an order from Summer Shack. The late Jasper White’s restaurants in Cambridge and Back Bay have a variety of Thanksgiving offerings to-go, including a crunchy fried version of the bird (oven-roasted is also an option). Order the complete package ($210) or go a la carte on sides, pies, and poultry. Pick up from either location on Wednesday, Nov. 27, between noon and 6 p.m.
Sweet Cheeks Q
When you want to enjoy cooking from celebrated chef Tiffani Faison at home, look to order a to-go package from Sweet Cheeks Q, her Southern-inspired restaurant in the Fenway. You can order meat dishes such as a brined and smoked, whole, all natural turkey, a Thanksgiving brisket, or a smoked pork shoulder. Sides include biscuit stuffing, buttery mashed potatoes, Cita’s broccoli cheese casserole, baked mac ‘n’ cheese with buttery and garlicky Ritz crumbs, and farm salad with roasted brussels sprouts and hazelnuts.
Thistle & Leek
Order in from Thistle & Leek for creative, comforting Thanksgiving dishes prepared by chefs inspired by family recipes, travel, and the local bounty. The Newton Centre restaurant’s team is making twice-baked potatoes with aged cheddar and scallions; red wine-sausage stuffing.
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