Where to Eat on Thanksgiving Day

26 Houston restaurants open for dine-in on Thanksgiving Day

Once again, Turner's will serve Houston's most decadent Thanksgiving dinner.

Photo by Jenn Duncan

The benefits of eating Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant are obvious: no furiously googling turkey roasting techniques, no last minute grocery store runs, and, best of all, no dishes. Lack of leftovers can be a downside, but some of this year's dine-in options even have that taken care of.

The list below isn't comprehensive, but it does cover a number of different cuisines, parts of Houston, and price points. Note that it does not include Chinatown, but many of those restaurants will also be open for people who prefer dim sum or Peking duck to turkey and dressing.

The Annie Café & Bar
The Galleria-area favorite will serve a three-course Thanksgiving meal ($85/adults, $35/children) plus its regular dinner menu. Dishes include choice of soup or salad to start, turkey or tenderloin with sides for an entree, and choice of pie. Reservations required.

B&B Butchers
Ben Berg’s Washington Ave. steakhouse will offer a three-course Thanksgiving meal ($85/adults, $35/children) alongside its regular dinner menu. The meal starts with choice of soup or salad; pick prime rib or turkey with sides for an entree. Finish with a choice of pie. Reservations required.

Brennan’s of Houston
Make it a Creole Thanksgiving at this Midtown institution. The three-course, $74 menu includes a choice of eight appetizers, eight appetizers, and all the restaurant’s signature desserts. Call 713.522.9711 for reservations.

Bosscat Kitchen & Libations
The popular whiskey bar’s Thanksgiving feast includes a choice of two or three entrees plus nine sides for the table: everything from salad to mac and cheese to rolls and gravy. Priced at $60 or $70 ($15 for children), the meal finishes with a choice of pie.

Cleburne Cafeteria
Those looking for a more affordable option should know that this Houston favorite will be open for both dine-in and to-go from from 11 am - 8 pm with a full range of starters, sides, entrees, and desserts.

Dario’s and Marvino’s
The Cypress-area steakhouses are serving a three-course, $62 menu. Choices include lobster bisque, autumn salad, roasted turkey, prime rib, and choice of dessert. Reservations required.

Davis St. at Hermann Park
Chef Mark Holley’s globally-inspired, three-course, $65 menu offers a diverse array of choices such gumbo, pumpkin and coconut soup, crispy Thai shrimp, crispy redfish, bourbon-smoked short rib ggnolotti, and turkey. Several dessert options are available, but we recommend the coconut cake.

Etoile Cuisine et Bar
The French restaurant’s three-course, $68 menu ($25 for children) includes choices such as mushroom velouté with duck confit, shrimp cocktail, foie gras torchon, roasted turkey, braised short ribs, and dessert.

Grotto Houston
Landry’s lively Italian restaurant is serving a three-course, $45 per person menu. Choices include roasted potato soup or salad to start, turkey with choice of sides, and dessert. Regular menu also available.

Himalaya
As he does every year, chef-owner Kaiser Lashkari will serve his masala-spiced turkey and dressing on Thanksgiving.

Hotel ZaZa Houston Memorial City
The hotel’s Tipping Point restaurant will serve a four-course, $75 menu. Choices include a crostini duo, corn and poblano chowder, a turkey dinner with trimmings, and pecan pie. The regular menu will also be available.

Indianola
Agricole Hospitality’s eclectic restaurant will serve a seated buffet ($55 for adults, $20 for children). Diners simply choose from an extensive selection that ranges from hors d'oeuvres like pig in a blanket to turkey to sides and desserts.

Jonathan’s the Rub
The restaurant’s Memorial Green location will be open with a three-course, prix-fixe menu that’s built around a three entrees and family-style sides. Choose from turkey ($49), beef tenderloin ($60), or halibut ($52) plus sides such as candied yams, garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, and more. Add an appetizer such as cranberry-pecan salad or roasted butternut squash bisque ($7 each) and finish with one of six dessert choices for $5-10.

Le Jardinier
Go all out with the fine dining restaurant’s four-course, $150 menu. Dishes includes winter squash risotto, turkey ballotine with stuffing, and dessert.

Morton’s The Steakhouse
The restaurant’s, three-course, $59 menu includes a winter salad, roasted turkey roulade with stuffing and sides, and pumpkin cheesecake.

Pappas Bar-B-Q
Get a Thanksgiving plate with turkey, ham, and sides for $17.95. Served from 9 am - 6 pm, it’s the only meal on this list that includes drive-thru convenience. The full menu will also be available.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
Perry’s two-course, $45 menu starts with a choice of butternut squash soup or Honeycrisp apple salad. Smoked turkey breast with sides is the entree. Add a slice of pumpkin cheesecake for $8.

Phat Eatery
Chef-owner Alex Au-Yeung’s Malaysian-inspired, $30 Thanksgiving menu includes honey-glazed turkey breast with turkey pan gravy, ginger-sake cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes. and lobster bisque. The restaurant will donate $5 from each meal sold to a local charity. Regular menu also available.

The Palm
Recently relocated to downtown, the restaurant’s three-course, $59 menu includes choice of starters such as roasted butternut squash soup and lobster bisque, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, and choice of dessert. The full menu will also be available.

Rainbow Lodge
The Houston classic’s three-course, $60 menu features signature items such as smoked duck gumbo, the taste of the wild appetizer, and rainbow trout with lump crab and brown butter (fear not: roast turkey with trimmings is also available). Best of all, the $5 late night snack pack comes with enough turkey, dressing, and gravy to make a sandwich.

Rosalie Italian Soul
Chris Cosentino’s homestyle Italian American restaurant will be serving a three-course, $65 menu on both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. Choices include soup or salad to start with mains such as turkey with trimmings or lasagna paired with family-style sides, including mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, and braised escarole. Finish with a choice of pie.

Saltgrass Steakhouse
Consider the chain restaurant as a more affordable Thanksgiving option. Saltgrass’ $19.99 dinner plate comes with turkey, dressing, gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and choice of salad or soup.

Tonight & Tomorrow at La Colombe d’Or
Chef Jonathan Wicks, four course, $85 menu offers a Southern-inspired take on Thanksgiving. Start with roasted acorn squash soup or kale salad followed by roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries and toasted pumpkin seeds. Choose from one of three entrees: roasted turkey ballotine, house honey coppa ham, or balsamic braised short ribs. Finish with pumpkin pie or an apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream. Reservations required.

Toro Toro at the Four Seasons Houston
Downtown’s newly opened pan-Latin steakhouse will feature a decadent brunch for $120 per person and $45 per child. Selections include pumpkin soup, roasted turkey with jalapeno cornbread stuffing, smoked prime rib, roasted lamb, and an omelet station. Other choices include an array of cold seafood and sushi rolls plus plenty of desserts.

Turner’s
Last but not least, head to Berg Hospitality’s retro supper club for Houston’s most decadent Thanksgiving experience. Price at $250 per person, the three-course menu includes a seafood tower for the table, choice of appetizers, three entree choices (turkey, lamb, or Chilean sea bass) plus family-style sides. Finish with a cheese course and a dessert assortment.

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Soup spoon season

10 Houston chefs share 15 top soups that offer comfort and sustenance

Photo by Louis Lamson Quy

Louis Lamson Quy, co-owner of Alora, is a loyal diner at Phanh Ky thanks to its Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang, which reminds him of his hometown, Saigon.

Happy soup season to all who celebrate. The weather has finally dipped low enough in Houston that diners can enjoy a hearty bowl of soup without breaking a sweat. With so many delicious selections at Houston restaurants, we turned to Houston's chef and other restaurant industry experts to find out which brothy creations are worth seeking out.

The only rule? No one could nominate a soup from their own restaurant. Here’s what they had to say.

Dana East, line cook, Uchi Houston

To Dana East of Uchi Houston, the caldo de res at Ruchi Mexican Grille’s Reliant Stadium location “feels like home to me… Even though I’m not Mexican.”

“The caldo de res at that specific Ruchi's tastes like it was made in a Mexican grandmother's kitchen, or like soups that I would eat for family meal that kitchens I work in would make when everybody is sick during the winter,” she says.

East also recommends the Bogotano at Mi Pueblito, a soup made with three kinds of potatoes that she says “imbue a smoky flavor in it that is borderline addictive.”

“I could eat an entire pot of that stuff,” she says. “They serve it with fresh cream and capers that take it to the next level.”

Garrett Rice, owner, Bayou Butchers

The cream of crab soup at Loch Bar is a highlight that Garrett Rice of Bayou Butchers looks forward to after work.

“It’s a simple dish that lets a really good ingredient shine, and they certainly don’t shy away from the crab in true Baltimore fashion,” Rice says. “With Loch Bar’s kitchen open late, I can always count on a cup of crab soup waiting for me after a long shift.”

German Mosquera, executive chef, Long Weekend

When German Mosquera of Long Weekend wants ramen, he heads to Mensho, the Japan-based chain that just opened its second Houston-area location on the border of River Oaks and Montrose.

“For me, it’s all about the broth,” he says. “Mensho’s tori paitan has a rich, velvety texture and incredible umami flavor from start to finish. The perfectly jammy egg adds another layer of richness that keeps me coming back. I also love the intimate Tokyo-style counter seating. It makes for an authentic ramen experience.”

Kerry Pauly, owner, KP’s Kitchen

The matzo ball soup at Kenny and Ziggy’s is “in a league of its own,” according to Kerry Pauly of KP’s Kitchen. He describes it as “rich, flavorful, and pure comfort whether you’re sick or feeling great.”

Louis Lamson Quy, co-owner, Alora

“My favorite go-to spot for soup has always been Phanh Ky,” says Louis Lamson Quy of Alora, a Peruvian-Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Montrose. “They specialize in hủ tiếu nam vang, a noodle dish with roots tracing back to Teochew Chinese immigrants in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It’s also one of the most popular noodle dishes in my hometown, Saigon, so it always feels a little like home to me.

“To me, Phanh Ky is one of the OGs in the game,” he adds. “I first tried it when I moved to Houston nine years ago, and I’ve been coming back ever since. There’s just something comforting about a place that stays consistent after all these years.”

Maria Christie, operator and general manager, Christie’s Seafood and Steaks

“I love, love the lemon chicken soup at Harry’s,” says Maria Christie of Christie’s Seafood and Steaks. "For me the soup at Harry’s reminds me of the way my mom would make the lemon soup.”

“And the lentil soup (at Anonymous Cafe) is really hearty and it just reminds me of cold winter days (whenever we get those in Houston!),” she adds. “It’s absolutely perfect because it has a hint of tomato in it. Deeeelicious!”

Her sister, Kathy Christie, who serves as Christie's director of catering, is a fan of Little Pappasito's chicken tortilla soup. “Whenever you are under the weather, it totally hits the spot,” Kathy says. She adds extra lime to hers.

Nicole Routhier, partner and culinary ambassador, Le Colonial

The bun bo hue at Pho Quynh, a small Vietnamese restaurant located inside 99 Ranch Market, is a year round must for Nicole Routhier of Le Colonial.

“Their spicy, deeply flavorful broth is super comforting and among the best in town. The chef is generous with the noodles and toppings of tender beef brisket, pork shank, gio Hue (steamed pork sausage with black peppercorns), and blood pudding. The soup comes with a side of shaved cabbage, crunchy bean sprouts, Vietnamese mint (rau ram), and a wedge of lime to be added to the soup as you eat. Two tiny containers of fermented shrimp sauce (mam tom) and spicy chili oil are also provided so you can add even more umami to the soup,” Routhier says. “Bun bo hue is a full meal on its own, and my idea of heaven in a bowl.”

Oscar Juarez, founder and owner, Make It Nice Hospitality

The pozole verde at Cuchara is a simple and flavorful dish that private chef Oscar Juarez of Make It Nice Hospitality says he would recommend to anyone.

“The broth has a nice balance of richness and acidity, and it’s just one of those dishes that’s comforting without being too heavy,” Juarez says. “Growing up with Mexican food, I have a real appreciation for dishes like this.”

Rafael Nasr, founder, Craft Pita

Rafael Nasr of Craft Pita says he has “a burning passion for North China’s sizzling rice soup.”

He describes it as an intensely flavored, crystal-clear broth with bits of pork and tiny shrimp to fill you up.

“The carrot, napa cabbage, and wood ear mushrooms add umami and I am convinced have healing powers,” he says. “The flash fried rice adds texture and flavor at the same time and whether served table side or at home provide dinner and a show. I eat this soup and talk about it more than any soup in Houston.”

Nasr’s pro tip: Add a bit of soy sauce and lots of North China’s housemade green chili oil to the soup.

Ziggy Gruber, chef and owner, Kenny & Ziggy’s

Ziggy Gruber of Kenny & Ziggy’s has a couple of favorite soups in town, which isn’t surprising since his own deli is known for its bowl selection. Among his favorites is the clam chowder at Capital Grille, which he says captures the true flavor of the East Coast with plenty of clams and just the right amount of thyme.

He also loves the French onion soup at Etoile Cuisine et Bar.

“The stock is very rich and the onions are extracted so the flavor is permeated throughout the soup. I like that it has multiple croutons rather than one crouton in the soup,” he says. “And then the cheese on top!”

Another top pick for Ziggy is the tortilla soup at Grace’s.“It is complicated in such a good way, with the crunchy bits of tortillas and chicken skin, with the coolness of the avocado, and it has just the right amount of spice,” he says.

$Phanh Ky H\u1ee7 Ti\u1ebfu Nam Vang,$

Photo by Louis Lamson Quy

Louis Lamson Quy, co-owner of Alora, is a loyal diner at Phanh Ky thanks to its Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang, which reminds him of his hometown, Saigon.

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