Are you cooking for Thanksgiving? Me either! The idea of spending a day stuffing your face with friends and family is appealing, but to so many of us, the reality of having to prepare all that food is utterly crushing. We can’t all be kitchen wizards, which is why restaurants have smartly started selling whole Thanksgiving meals. Whether you need the full shebang or a few sides to round out your homemade offerings, here’s where you can pick up some holiday food this year.
If you’re feeding a bunch of people for Thanksgiving…
If you need a whole meal, don’t feel overwhelmed. You have options. Here they are:
Denny’s offers a five-course Thanksgiving “Turkey & Dressing Dinner Bundle.” From November 17 to 22, you can pre-order the meal, which includes turkey breast, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and a choice of a second side. You can order more sides or some pumpkin or pecan pie a la carte, too, but you do have to order it all 24 hours before when you’ll need it.
Cracker Barrel serves up a variety of meal choices, from frozen offerings you heat and serve to hot-and-ready ones. If you’re feeding eight to 10 people, you’ll need the $149.99 Heat n’ Serve Feast option, which includes, among other things, two turkey breasts, cornbread dressing, and pie. You can order and pick it up any time from November 18 to 25, but you need to use the food within 72 hours of getting it.
If you want an Italian twist on your Thanksgiving meal, Buca de Beppo is selling take-out dinners that include fare like baked ziti and meatballs. For $105, you can feed three people and $160 will feed six. To feed 10, it’ll be $250 and for 20, you’ll pay $450. You can pick them up cold from November 20 to 23 or hot and ready to go on the 22nd and 23rd.
Golden Corral will feed six to eight people with turkey, ham, or beef, plus mashed potatoes, stuffing, and sides, but you do have to order it 72 hours in advance of when you need it. The meals run between $109.99 and $119.99, with other options available a la carte.
If you need smaller options…
Maybe you need a few sides to go with the rest of your home-cooked meal or you are having a low-key dinner with yourself or one or two other people. You don’t need a giant takeout order for that, but you can try these options (in addition to the a la carte offerings from the restaurants above).
Popeye’s (yes, Popeye’s) is offering a Cajun-style turkey for $59.99. Since it’s Popeye’s, you can, of course, order some sides a la carte, too.
Boston Market, a chain synonymous with Thanksgiving-esque offerings all year round, is serving up buffets and individual plates, making it more customizable for different sized parties. You do have to call to order: (303)317-6900.
In addition to options for larger parties, Bob Evans is offering a Farmhouse Feast for four people that costs $89.99 or $79.99, depending if you want turkey or ham as your main dish. It also comes with dinner rolls, a pumpkin pie, and more.