19 Casual Restaurants Open On Thanksgiving Day

There's so much to love about this time of year, from the music, to the holiday deals, to getting together with your loved ones. And if you're anything like us, that also includes enjoying an all-out feast on turkey day. Unfortunately, not everyone has the time or energy to put on a clinic in a kitchen, just for the turkey to possibly come out dry. And for those people, all hope isn't lost. In fact, the opposite is true. There are plenty of casual restaurants open on Thanksgiving day.

Maybe you fancy a meal that'll satisfy your cravings while still having the time to spend with the people you care about. Then might we recommend having a casual restaurant do the cooking this year? Though not every one offers delivery, many do have their own Thanksgiving feast available for dine-in and curbside pick-up. Just remember that it's always smart to check with the restaurant in question first, just to make sure it's open and meals are available. It's also a good idea to make a reservation (if available) to guarantee a table. With that in mind, these are the casual restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving day. 

Applebee's will be open on Thanksgiving day, so fans of this neighborhood restaurant can rest easy if they're just not interested in making a big feast at home this year. Of course, you'll want to check your local restaurant as select locations will be open and hours might be limited for the holiday (via FOX5 New York).

Nevertheless, if your location is open on Thanksgiving day, then we recommend Boneless Wings – Cheetos Original or Fried Cheetos Cheese Bites Flamin' Hot for an appetizer. You know, just to mix things up. From there, feel free to run wild (that is, order yourself a feast) as this is a holiday that's known for indulging in a massive meal. Though Applebee's is a perfectly splendid restaurant to spend your Thanksgiving meal, surrounded by loved ones, if your local restaurant isn't open, then there are still more casual restaurants to choose from.

Bob Evans, to say the least, is putting on a feast this Thanksgiving. Not only can you order classics off their mouth-watering menu, but the diner will also be serving its Farmhouse Feasts this year –– so long as you prefer delivery, takeout, or curbside pickup. The 10-person feast comes with slow-roasted turkey, hickory-smoked ham, bread and celery dressing, corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, baked rolls, green beans with ham, cranberry relish, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, and double-crust apple pie. If you do plan on dining in, Thanksgiving-themed meals will be available, like Bob Evans' signature slow-roasted turkey dinners.

Though Bob Evans' website states that locations will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.), customers should still check their local restaurants for adjusted hours and availability. The last thing you want is to be scrambling for a place to eat on the merry holiday.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. isn't just open on Thanksgiving, it's already unveiled its Thanksgiving menu. The Holiday Turkey Special will include roasted turkey, turkey stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, and a slice of pumpkin pie. If a serving of turkey isn't your bag, then a Holiday Ham meal will also be available. Yet if you want ham and turkey, then you can order the Holiday Ham & Turkey Combo.

Thanksgiving is a special time when people can get together with their loved ones and, well, share a hearty meal. That said, not everyone wants to spend countless hours in the kitchen just for marathon recipes to not come out properly. Luckily, places like Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. are open on the big day, allowing you to sit back and enjoy a delicious meal –– without having to step foot in the kitchen ... or do the aftermath dishes.

With Buca di Beppo, you have Thanksgiving day options in spades. You could venture to the restaurant or order ahead of time and have a Thanksgiving feast delivered (pick-up and curbside are also available). Just in case you're wondering, two Thanksgiving to-go feasts and two catering options are available. A typical feast will include white meat turkey, homestyle gravy, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, spicy Italian sausage stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Now that's a feast worth rooting for!

If you rather have a more traditional Buca's meal, such as chicken parmigiana, then give your taste buds exactly what they want. A feast consisting of turkey and pasta of your choice is, by all accounts, the perfect way to celebrate the eating portion of this gratitude-filled holiday. But you can't go wrong with anything on the Buca's menu, whether you dine-in or take your meal to-go.

Many Buffalo Wild Wings locations will be open on Thanksgiving (via Food Network). So if you're craving chicken instead of turkey or ham this year, then Buffalo Wild Wings is a natural choice. We suggest Buffalo chicken tots accompanied by your favorite wings, though a burger or chicken sandwich will suffice, too. Or you can get both, as this is the one holiday when an extravagant feast is actually encouraged.

Buffalo Wild Wings is virtually a year-round feast if you're like us and prefer to order multiple wing flavors at once. Yet Buffalo Wild Wings' menu has so many other options for those who rather dig into something else. Though wings are a pleasant substitution for turkey on its designated day, we encourage wing aficionados to reach out to their Buffalo Wild Wings store to ensure they'll be open on Thanksgiving. If so, then have at it –– and happy holidays!

Cracker Barrel locations will be open for regular business hours on Thanksgiving, and traditional Thanksgiving meals will be offered (starting at 11 a.m.). If you plan on dining in, then Homestyle Turkey n' Dressing and Country Fried Turkey plates will be available from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Grandma's Holiday Sampler, featuring hand-breaded country fried turkey and buttermilk pancakes, will be served all day.

You can also purchase a Thanksgiving Heat n' Serve Feast, which serves eight to 10 people. There's also the Thanksgiving Heat n' Serve Family Dinner, which serves four to six. Cracker Barrel encourages guests who plan on going this route to order in advance and schedule an early pick-up time. If you pre-order and pick up a Heat n' Serve meal on the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving, you'll receive a $5 gift card with an order of a Thanksgiving Heat n' Serve Family Dinner or a $10 gift card with an order of a Thanksgiving Heat n' Serve Feast.

If last year is any indication, then Denny's will not only be open but it'll also serve some Thanksgiving classics. Though the Turkey & Dressing Dinner Pack has yet to be announced for 2021, last season, this Thanksgiving feast featured turkey breast, bread stuffing, red-skinned mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, and a choice of fresh steamed broccoli or corn.

Denny's is a diner known for its breakfast, lunch, and dinner classics. Naturally, there are plenty of people who are going to want to chow down at the restaurant on Thanksgiving day, whether they stop by for breakfast before cooking at home or plan on doing Thanksgiving lunch or dinner there. Either way, there's something magical about chowing down at a diner-style establishment, especially around the holidays. Until Denny's releases its official announcement, it's best to call your local restaurant to see if and when it's open on Thanksgiving.

Fogo de Chão will be serving up a feast this Thanksgiving. "Guests will discover both new and traditional holiday staples with the Full Churrasco Experience including roasted turkey and au jus, sweet potato casserole, Brazilian sausage and apple dressing as well as cranberry relish," said a Fogo de Chão representative in a press release provided to Mashed.

Also on the to-go menu is a Brazilian-inspired Thanksgiving Dinner featuring the same holiday staples as well as warm pão de queijo, sautéed asparagus, and cocoa fudge brownies with chocolate ganache. It serves up to six hungry people.

Fogo's Founders Trilogy Wine Box will also make its return starting on November 1 and is available at the restaurant or to-go. It includes three bottles of South American red wine created in honor of Fogo's founders and a dining card with $25 off two full churrascos.

Though hours and menu items may vary by location, Golden Corral is open on Thanksgiving. In fact, the buffet-style restaurant will be putting on a Thanksgiving day buffet which is, to say the least, the ideal feast for this food-heavy holiday.

If you would rather get your Golden Corral feast to-go, then you can pre-order online, on the Golden Corral app, or speak to a manager. Family meals with a choice of holiday glazed ham or whole roasted turkey are on the menu, as well as mashed potatoes and gravy, a choice of homestyle sides, rolls, and a whole pie. Something tells us this year is going to be different –– in all the right ways –– if you decide to dine at a restaurant like Golden Corral for Thanksgiving. Just think: You'll have all the traditional options at your disposal and you won't even have to fire up your oven.

Hard Rock Cafe will be serving Thanksgiving-esque dinners on Thanksgiving day all the way through November 28, so if you can't do the big meal on turkey day for whatever reason, you can still get your turkey fix on the days after. The restaurant's Turkey Entrée comes with slow-roasted turkey breast, roasted fresh vegetables, home-style classic stuffing, creamy sweet potato mash, cranberry sauce, and traditional turkey gravy.

As with all restaurants open for in-person dining on Thanksgiving, you'll want to book your reservation ahead of time. Though it's tradition for families to eat from the comfort of their homes, celebrating Thanksgiving dinner at restaurants is becoming more and more popular, especially with so many establishments offering turkey and ham dishes. If you want to skip the cooking, cleaning, and hosting duties this year, then a Hard Rock Cafe Thanksgiving is potentially very useful option for you.

IHOP is, of course, known for its breakfast items, yet its Winter Wonderland Pancakes are especially worth celebrating this year. Pumpkin Spice Pancakes and Cranberry Vanilla Pancakes also made the holiday menu this season, as did a Frozen Hot Chocolate Milkshake. But enough with dessert. For the holidays, a Holiday Celebrations Family Feast is also available this year (IHOP 'N GO only). This includes ​​four servings of scrambled eggs and hash browns, eight hickory-smoked bacon strips or pork sausage links, and eight buttermilk pancakes. This feast also comes with vanilla bean mousse, cranberry topping, blue vanilla sauce, and mini marshmallows.

On top of the wonderful meals mapped out above, IHOP will also have a turkey-like meal with the Cali Roasted Turkey Melt. Did we mention IHOP is open on Thanksgiving day (via Food Network)? At IHOP, it really is the season to eat whatever you want and be merry.

Kona Grill is open on Thanksgiving when it will be offering a feast from November 24 to 28. SO, if you can't get your turkey meal in on the actual holiday, you'll still have time to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Kona Grill's holiday feast will include "Kona Grill's Macadamia Nut Turkey ($32 adults/$16 kids), Traditional Roasted Turkey ($29 adults/$16 kids), Turkey Mucho Loco ($28), and Macadamia Nut Pie ($15)," said a Kona Grill representative in a press release provided to Mashed.

If you want something less traditional, the full Kona Grill menu will be available, too. For those who still want restaurant-quality food from the comfort of their homes, Thanksgiving specials will also be offered for delivery and curbside pickup. No matter which route you decide to take, Kona Grill has you covered on the big turkey day. So, get ready to celebrate this holiday in style.

Logan's Roadhouse is here to save Thanksgiving with its new Holiday Roadhouse Feasts. The restaurant's seasonal offerings serve six to eight people, starting at $89.99. Each feast comes with a protein option, including Logan's premium prime rib or the all-new Smokehouse Roasted Turkey Breast. The feasts also include a family-sized house salad, a choice of two classic sides, 12 yeast rolls, and a Mississippi Brownie.

"The holidays are a special time for loved ones to celebrate with one another," said Logan's Roadhouse Marketing Director Kristen Hohl in a press release provided to Mashed. "That's why we're taking the added stress out and handling the cooking for our guests to enjoy an easy and high-quality holiday spread for the whole family."

Logan's will be open on Thanksgiving Day for guests to pick up their pre-ordered Roadhouse Feasts from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dining is also available from 4 to 9 p.m. The restaurant's regular menu will be available for dine-in during these hours, too.

Macaroni Grill has you covered this holiday, as all locations will be open on Thursday, November 25 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., as a Macaroni Grill representative said in a press release provided to Mashed. A Traditional Thanksgiving Three Course Prix Fixe menu will be available for $29.99 per person and will include soup or salad, roasted turkey breast, garlic mashed potatoes, sausage and apple stuffing, brussels sprouts or broccolini, and dessert. Yum, yum, and double yum.

Perhaps best of all is the fact that this meal will also be available for pickup and delivery when customers order online. A Take-and-Warm Turkey Feast with all the fixings will be available for home feasting as well, which feeds five or 10 people, depending on which package customers order. Once home, the meal only needs to be heated before they're ready to hit the table in a relatively short time.

Maggiano's Little Italy is the place to be this Thanksgiving. Though seasonal dishes à la Maggiano's are served family-style and can be ordered online, those who desire to make Maggiano's Little Italy their Thanksgiving table can dine in and also enjoy a rather festive menu.

Guests will get to choose a salad, followed by cranberry relish, a second course, and if you're still hungry, a third course. We hope your appetite is as big as your eyes as there's a whole lot of food to be enjoyed, from Maggiano's classics to traditional Thanksgiving items. If you don't like to cook but still want to gobble down an island of food, then Maggiano's is a delightful option this Thanksgiving. To be safe, you may want to book reservations ahead of time as Thanksgiving can be very busy for the places that keep their doors open on this festive day.

Though there's nothing casual about Ruth's Chris mouth-watering steaks. Thankfully, the steakhouse is open on Thanksgiving.

According to a Ruth's Chris press release provided to Mashed, the dine-in Thanksgiving day menu will include, "a starter (choice of Caesar salad, steak house salad or lobster bisque), entrée (sliced oven roasted turkey, Ruth's sausage and herb stuffing, homemade turkey gravy and cranberry relish), side (choice of garlic mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, sweet potato casserole, or green beans with roasted garlic) and dessert (chef's selection). Each purchase also includes leftovers to take home."

If you don't want to dine in, then pick-up options are available, though something tells us a sit-down Thanksgiving experience at Ruth's Chris is just fine, too. From the atmosphere to the exquisite food offerings, a Ruth's Chris Thanksgiving just might become a Thanksgiving tradition for you. We'll let you be the judge of that yourself.

Thanksgiving is a special day to practice mindfulness and be grateful for the things you have ... tasks that are easier to accomplish when you leave the holiday cooking up to STK Steakhouse.

"From November 25-28, STK will be serving up a Roasted Free Range Turkey Special in honor of the holiday, featuring tender turkey breast and confit thighs with cornbread, sage stuffing, sautéed green beans with crispy shallots, maple baked sweet potato, Yukon gold potatoes with parmesan crust, classic gravy and cranberry orange chutney for only $59 per person ($29 for children 12 and under)," an STK representative revealed to Mashed in a press release. Pumpkin pie, served with candied ginger cream and crunchy caramel honeycomb, will also be available for $12.

Though we recommend the dine-in experience if you can manage it, STK is also offering a carry-out or delivery Roasted Turkey Dinner for Two for $119.

Sullivan's Steakhouse is celebrating Thanksgiving from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. "Guests can savor and enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving Three Course Prix Fixe menu – including soup or salad, hand-carved Roasted Turkey, Sweet Onion Apple Sausage Stuffing & Brown Gravy, Cranberry Relish and dessert – for only $45 per adult and $22 per child (12 and under) when dining in-restaurant this holiday," a Sullivan's representative told Mashed via press release.

Dine-at-home options are also available with a Take-and-Warm Thanksgiving Dinner for five or 10 people. All the traditional fixings are included. You have Thanksgiving dinner needs and Sullivan's Steakhouse meets them all while checking all the boxes and then some.

Note that Sullivan's in Pittsburgh will be closed on Thanksgiving. Even still, there are plenty of restaurants serving up Thanksgiving classics dine-in style on this cherished holiday. No matter which place you land on, you should be set and full shortly after.

Waffle House is the gift that keeps on giving. The restaurant, after all, is known for being open 365 days a year. That means you can get your Waffle House fix on Thanksgiving, whether you have big turkey day plans or not. Stop by for a coffee and some eggs before your holiday plans kick off, after the festivities die down, or anytime in between.

If there's one thing we can all be grateful for, it's restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving day. This is a day that should be cherished and celebrated with a meal. And if you don't want to even step foot in the kitchen this year, let alone cook a dinner that takes hours to assemble, then we recommend one of these restaurants. Thanksgiving doesn't have to be stressful, after alll, at least when it comes to the at-home cooking aspect of this holiday.