Cooking a Thanksgiving feast is for the birds.
Make reservations at San Francisco restaurants that are open for Thanksgiving dinner—there's little doubt that the master chefs at Cassava, Lily on Clement, Che Fico Alimentari, Greens, and 3rd Cousin can do a turkey—or mushroom terrine, honey smoked ham, and spit-roasted pork loin—way better than you can at home.
Prefer a cozy holiday in? Several San Francisco restaurants are offering full Thanksgiving dinners (as well as lots of a la carte sides and desserts) for takeout and delivery.
Happy Turkey Day!
Where to Eat Out on Thanksgiving in San Francisco
Thanksgiving dinner at Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry's International Smoke.
(Courtesy of @internationalsmoke)
Brenda’s French Soul Food (+ Takeout)
This year, Brenda's French Soul Food's ever-popular Thanksgiving meal kit won't be the only way to celebrate the holiday with Creole style. Pre-order the five-person meal ($235), which includes brined turkey breast (and roasting instructions), butter-whipped potatoes, green beans with roasted garlic butter, Andouille-cornbread dressing, gravy, cranberry compote, biscuits, and strawberry jam. Thanksgiving day, the restaurant will be serving up their deep-fried turkey cutlet dinner (plus classic brunch dishes) from 9am to 2pm. // Reservation required for dine-in; Place an order for pick up on November 21 (also available in Oakland); 652 Polk St. (Tenderloin), frenchsoulfood.com
When you need a stylish space with ample room to bring the family, dial up this brasserie at the Hyatt Regency. Chef Alexandre Viriot counts Alain Ducasse, Joel Robuchon, and Guy Savoy on his resume, but this Thanksgiving he'll make you a family-style dinner ($88/person) in downtown SF. Expect roasted heritage turkey breast and dark meat paupiette, chestnut veloute, roasted brussel sprouts, butter whipped potatoes, five-spice pain perdu, plus salad and apple tarte tatin for dessert. //Reservation required.; 50 Third St. (SoMa), lasocietecafe.com,
The Cavalier (+ Takeout)
Dine in style without having to lift a finger at The Cavalier’s Thanksgiving Day celebration. The London-inspired brasserie will pile the table high with Dungeness crab cakes, herb crusted lamb ribs, maple glazed salmon, tempura maitake mushrooms, brioche stuffing, loaded bacon mashed potatoes, and brown butter green beans, then top it off with a choice of apple, pumpkin, or pecan pie, or chocolate delice. Want to keep things cozy at home instead? Pick up a meal kit for two ($150). // Reservation required; Call 415-321-6000 to request a meal kit; 360 Jessie St. (SoMa), thecavaliersf.com
Michael Mina’s Estiatorio Ornos is pulling out the stops for a Mediterranean Thanksgiving dinner ($125/person). Start the meal with traditional spreads and pita, followed by a first course of avgolemono soup, grilled octopus, fattoush, or ahi tuna tartare. Mains run the gamut from roasted heritage turkey to roasted king salmon and are accompanied by sides of Cretan-style potatoes, pork sausage and chestnut stuffing, and crispy Brussels. Take things to the next level with various supplements including caviar and shaved black truffle. // Reservation required; 252 California St. (Financial District),michaelmina.net
One Market
Like options? One Market's four-course menu ($95/adults, $49/kids 10 and under) lets you choose one of three dishes for each course. We're liking the sound of butternut squash soup with pickled beech mushroom, spit roasted Berkshire pork loin (turkey, salmon and veggie options are also on offer), and pumpkin tart. The restaurant is open from 1-8pm on Thanksgiving Day. //Reservation required; 1 Market St. (FiDi), onemarket.com
Lily on Clement (+Takeout)
Lily's "New Traditional Thanksgiving" menu is a mashup of festive Vietnamese and American delights ($88/person). Start with an amuse of crispy chicken skin and caviar, Beausoleil oysters, or a smoked salmon and strawberry roll followed by a savory curry pumpkin soup, salt-baked Diestel turkey breast confit, shrimp and lap xuong fried rice, sour cream garlic whipped potatoes, candied lingonberries and strawberries, and more. They say the warm pumpkin pie will change your life. A plant-based Thanksgiving menu revolving around roasted vegan steak with sweet potato hash is also available. // Reservation required; Pre-order pickup for Nov. 23; 225 Clement St. (Inner Richmond), lilyonclement.com.
3rd Cousin (+ Takeout)
Book a warm, neighborly meal made exquisite by chef Greg Lutes at Bernal Heights’ 3rd Cousin. The three-course, farm-to-table meal ($134/adult, $49 kids under 12) will include cream of potato and cauliflower soup, herb roasted turkey or beef ribs with sausage stuffing, and a vegetarian lumacha pasta with di Napoli squash and chanterelle mushrooms. Four classic pies, two of which are gluten-free, top off the meal. Add wine pairings for $59 per person. // Reservation required; 919 Cortland Ave (Bernal Heights), 3rdcousinsf.com
Terrene
The 1 Hotel’s lush, sustainably-minded restaurant Terrene is cooking up a Thanksgiving feast that tastes good and does a little good, too. Chef Scott Koranda’s prix-fixe menu ($115/person, $155/person with wine pairings) will include truffled potato rosti, turkey breast roulade with black garlic, kabocha squash tartlet, and more. Vegan and gluten-free options will also be available. A portion of the proceeds from the day’s celebration will be donated to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. // Reservation required; 8 Mission St. (Embarcadero), 1hotels.com
Between 12:30pm and 9pm on Thanksgiving Day, Villon will bring their holiday feast to life. Enjoy a seasonal four-course menu ($135/person, $55/children under 12) that includes spinach kale salad or pumpkin agnolotti, traditional turkey and fixings or scallops with celery root, and apple pave or pumpkin pie custard. The optional wine pairing will run you $60/person. Table service is available both indoors and on the heated patio. // Reservation required; 1100 Market St., Proper Hotel (Civic Center), properhotel.com.
Tommy’s Joynt (+ Takeout)
Old-school SF favorite Tommy’s Joynt doesn't take reservations, but it is the only place in town to get a last minute holiday meal with all the fixings ($32/person). If you want a table, expect about an hour wait. Both the restaurant and the to-go window will begin serving a feast of ham or turkey with stuffing, candied yams, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, salad, and pumpkin pie at 11am on November 23rd. Get in the to-go line by 5pm or the dine-in line by 7pm and they’ll make sure you get fed. Pre-orders are now accepted online. // 1101 Geary Blvd. (Tenderloin), tommysjoynt.com
International Smoke
Our motto: If you're gonna eat turkey, eat it smoked. Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry's barbecue venture is putting their Thanksgiving bird (plus salmon, wagyu prime rib, and St. Louis-style pork ribs) to the fire and serving it up buffet-style ($120/adults, $49/kids 12 and under) alongside black truffle Caesar salad, pumpkin soup, sourdough stuffing, chocolate parfait, and more. // Reservation required; 301 Mission St. (SoMa), internationalsmoke.com
Park Chalet + Beach Chalet
Celebrate Thanksgiving in beautiful Golden Gate Park. The three-course prix fixe ($85/adult, $30/kids under 12, two-course menu) includes roasted turkey, pan seared bass, or farro and delicata squash risotto with butternut squash soup or radicchio endive salad, and pumpkin pie or apple crisp. A selection of add-on starters (think crab and shrimp cake, oysters, and buttermilk fried calamari), and holiday cocktails like glogg and hot buttered rum will make the day all the more joyful. // Reservation required at Park Chalet and Beach Chalet; 1000 Great Hwy (Outer Richmond), parkchalet.com;
STK Steakhouse (+ Takeout)
Give thanks at STK, or bring their feast home. This Thanksgiving, the steakhouse is doing a roasted free-range turkey with sides and trimmings like cornbread sage stuffing, parmesan-crusted mashed potatoes, and spiced pumpkin pie for both dine-in and takeout, November 23rd through 26th. // Reservation required; Pre-order takeout is available for pre-order starting November 13th; 1 Market St. (Embarcadero) stksteakhouse.com/thanksgiving
Orafo
This Thanksgiving, Indulge in three California-Italian-inspired courses at Orafo at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero. The memorable meal ($98/person) will include roasted pumpkin soup, Diestel turkey dinner with garlic mashed potatoes and sage stuffing, and pumpkin cheesecake. // Reservation required; 222 Sansome St. (Financial District), fourseasons.com/embarcadero
San Francisco Restaurants Offering Takeout + Delivery on Thanksgiving
Abacá's sweet and savory Thanksgiving pies.
(Courtesy of Abacá)
Greens
Greens, San Francisco’s long-standing vegetarian darling, is offering a beautiful plant-based spread to bring home this Thanksgiving. Chef Katie Reicher’s holiday menu includes wild mushroom terrine with porcini jus, cornbread stuffing, lemon sumac roasted Brussels, gochujang and brown sugar sweet potatoes, and more. Choose from a wide selection of desserts including pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate pecan tart, and apple caramel crumb pie. // Preorderthrough November 15th for pickup on November 22; 2 Marina Blvd, Fort Mason Bldg A (Marina), greensrestaurant.com
Che Fico Alimentari
Give thanks with a bit of Italian seasoning when you order takeout from this popular Divisadero eatery. There are meal kits for omnivores ($350/serves 4) and vegetarians ($325/serves 4) alike, with entree options of bone-in heritage turkey breast or butternut squash lasagna and sides including radicchio salad, potato gratin, stuffing, and Brussels sprouts. Items may also be ordered a la carte. Don't forget to add an apple crostata, pumpkin pie, or bottle of wine. // Pre-order on Tock for pickup Nov. 22; 834 Divisadero St. (Fillmore), cheficoalimentari.com.
Cassava
North Beach’s Cassava is offering a James Beard-approved take-home feast to make your Thanksgiving special. The no-fuss meal for four ($345) includes roasted turkey and sides like burrata scallop potatoes, sourdough and rosemary stuffing, rib eye mac ‘n’ cheese, and chicken liver mousse. Dessert, a pumpkin flan pie, combines two favorites into one. // Pre-order for pick-up on Nov. 22 or 23; 401 Columbus Ave. (North Beach), cassavasf.com
Bar Sprezzatura
Elegant Italian bistro Bar Sprezzatura is getting in on the Thanksgiving game. Their Mediterranean-inspired meal kit for two ($145) includes confit turkey cannelloni, roasted Brussels sprouts with crispy culatello, stuffing with black truffle turkey gravy, and black truffle budino—plus a spice rub and reheating instructions for your bird. // Pre-order by Nov 16 for pick-up Nov 21 or 22; 1 Maritime Plaza (Financial District), barsprezzatura.com
Gozu
Gozu brings the same drama and style to their take-home Thanksgiving meal as they do to their fireside tasting menu. The feast for four ($395) includes smoked and slow-cooked barbecue wagyu, crab dip, wild mushrooms, Kohishikari rice with furikake, and other tasty holiday surprises. // Pre-order for pick-up between 1pm and 4pm on Nov. 22; 201 Spear St. #120 (Embarcadero), gozusf.com
Everyone's favorite local grocer knows their stuff when it comes to quality ingredients and prepared foods. Pick up their small ($180, feeds 4-6) or large ($300, feeds 8-12) meal kits that include roasted turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and not one but two Bi-Rite Creamery pies (pumpkin and apple). Or, order only what you want with la carte options. // Available for store pickup and delivery Nov. 17 to 23; 3639 18th St. (Mission) or 550 Divisadero St. (NoPa); Preorder via biritemarket.com.
Rosemary & Pine
Let Michelin-starred chef Dustin Falcon take over the cooking this Thanksgiving. At Rosemary & Pine, he’s pre-prepping a feast for you and up to four of the people for whom you’re most grateful ($325). The smorgasbord starts with chicory Cesar salad and honeynut squash veloute, reaches its apex with citrus-brined turkey, confit and maitake mushroom stuffing, and cauliflower gratin, then finishes big with a mixed berry cobbler. // Pre-order for pick-up on Nov. 22 between noon and 5pm; 1725 Alameda St. (Potrero Hill), rosemaryandpinesf.com
Abacá
If all you need is a special dessert or savory app to wow your Thanksgiving crowd, check in at Filipino favorite Abacá. They have three pies ($55) available to pre-order for pick-up on November 22: Beef kaldereta pie made with heirloom tomato, colby jack, and chili jelly; buko pandan pie made with coconut cream and pistachio creme; and pumpkin kalabasa cheesecake made with miso coconut milk. // Pre-order for pick-up Nov. 22 from 2pm to 6pm; 2700 Jones St. (Fisherman’s Wharf), restaurantabaca.com
SPQR
This year, perennial favorite SPQR is putting their California-meets-Italy spin on Thanksgiving dinner. Their meal kit, a bountiful spread that includes turkey with black truffle gravy, mushroom filled crespelle with marsala crema, and caramelized sweet potato cheesecake, comes in sizes just right for four to six ($340) or eight to ten people ($580). // Pre-order for pick-up Nov. 22 from 12pm to 6pm; 1911 Fillmore St. (Pacific Heights), spqrsf.com
Snag your full spread from this beloved meal delivery service. The many, many options include oven-roasted turkey, honey smoked ham, Cornish hens, two types of stuffing, beef Bourguignon, turkey gravy, and pecan pie. // Available for delivery Nov. 20-26 throughout the Bay Area, jessieetlaurent.com.
Still want to cook? Here's where to order your Thanksgiving turkey around the Bay Area.
