Skip the stress of hosting this Thanksgiving with help from Denver restaurants. Several will open on November 26, offering seasonal dishes, multi-course menus, and indulgent buffets featuring turkey and all the trimmings.
There’s also a range of great to-go options for those who’d prefer to dine at home. Take and heat complete feasts, à la carte sides, or homemade pies from local bakeries. With that, here’s where to find some of the best holiday specials across the metro area.
Denver Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving
Water Grill
Along with the standard offerings, this downtown seafood restaurant will prepare a special three-course menu for $75 per adult and $26 per child. Begin with clam chowder or mixed organic greens, then enjoy roasted turkey with mashed potatoes, gravy, apple-celery sourdough stuffing, and cranberry sauce. For dessert, select from pumpkin cheesecake and caramel bread pudding. Reservations can be made on OpenTable. 1691 Market St., Denver, watergrill.com
Pasque
Set within downtown’s Populus hotel, Pasque will serve a $52 three-course menu from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. starting with butternut squash soup or an autumn salad. Then, select an entree: turkey roulade with roasted garlic mash, citrus-glazed carrots, and cornbread stuffing; braised kabocha squash with beluga lentils and cranberry bourbon jus; or Colorado rainbow trout with roasted artichokes and local greens. End the elevated experience with blistered sweet potato pie. Make reservations on OpenTable. 240 14th St., Denver, pasquerestaurant.com
Jill’s Restaurant
The three-course dinner from the St Julien Hotel’s signature restaurant will start with a frisee pear salad or miso squash soup. Follow that with the entree selection. Choose from New York strip, Pacific halibut, Moroccan sweet potato hash, and a traditional plate featuring oven-roasted turkey, sausage stuffing, and bourbon-maple yams, among other sides. Priced at $89 per adult and $45 per child, the feast also includes a festive dessert station. Book seating on OpenTable. 900 Walnut St., Boulder, stjulien.com
St Julien Hotel
In addition to specials at Jill’s Restaurant, the St Julien Hotel will host its annual holiday brunch buffet in the grand ballroom. Fill your plate with roasted turkey and more from the carving station, plus crab claws and other raw bar selections. The indulgent spread will also include seasonal sides, fresh salads, brunch classics, and decadent desserts. OpenTable reservations are available from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the experience costs $109 per adult and $49 per child. 900 Walnut St., Boulder, stjulien.com
Halcyon
The elaborate buffet at this Cherry Creek hotel will feature carving stations, a seafood tower, traditional favorites, seasonal desserts, and more, including dedicated offerings for kids. Live music and complimentary bubbles will add to the celebration. Reservations are $150 per adult and $60 per child with valet parking included. Book seating at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. via OpenTable. 245 Columbine St., Denver, halcyonhotelcherrycreek.com
Oliver’s Italian
Along with its usual share plates, Oliver’s Italian will serve a three-course holiday menu for $60 per adult and $27 per child. Start with butternut squash ravioli or spicy vodka rigatoni and your choice of salad. Then, select from entrees including roasted turkey breast, braised beef short rib, herb-crusted salmon, and chicken parmesan. Dessert is a tough choice between berry cobbler and pumpkin pecan pie. 4950 S. Yosemite St., Greenwood Village, oliversitalian.com
Corinne
Guests at the Le Méridien hotel’s restaurant can choose from two dining experiences. Visit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a brunch buffet featuring charcuterie, an omelette station, oven-roasted turkey, and seasonal sides like butternut squash salad, sausage-sage stuffing, whipped sweet potatoes, and hashbrown casserole. The dinner buffet includes a similar selection, plus a pasta station and entree specials. Respectively, brunch and dinner cost $79 and $85 for adults, while children are $40 and $45. 1455 California St., Denver, corinnedenver.com
The Golden Mill
This riverside food hall is hosting a community lunch led by chef Jesus Silva. Expect a Mexican spin on holiday classics, plus a selection of seasonal sips. The meal is free, or contribute what you’re able. Donations and beverage wall proceeds will go to BGOLDN, a local nonprofit working to end food insecurity. Dishes will be served until they run out, so plan to arrive early to this event happening from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1012 Ford St., Golden, thegoldenmill.com
The Fort
The special holiday menu at this historic restaurant includes wild game entrees, steak dishes, and a traditional turkey dinner for $55 per adult and $32 per child. It comes with all the trimmings: buttery mashed potatoes, fire-roasted maple yams, sausage-apple stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry relish, and brandied pumpkin pie. 19192 CO-8, Morrison, thefort.com
Kachina Cantina
This Dairy Block restaurant will host a holiday buffet with a Southwestern twist. Dine on adobo-rubbed Cornish hen, chicharrón con carne with peach morita, and herbed turkey with brown gravy. The feast will also include red curry squash, smashed marble potatoes, garlic parsnip purée, charred broccolini, cornbread stuffing, and dinner rolls, plus banana squash pie and chess pie with cranberry wojapi for dessert. Available from noon to 6 p.m., the experience costs $60 for adults and $25 for children. 1890 Wazee St., Denver, kachinadenver.com
Restaurants with Dine-In and Take-Home Options
Urban Farmer
The holiday meal at Urban Farmer begins with options like honey-whipped goat cheese, followed by second course selections such as cacio e pepe. Then, choose your main: turkey with sage gravy, a 16-ounce ribeye, miso-glazed cod, or squash risotto. The $100 meal also includes shareable sides such as corn casserole, green bean casserole, smashed red potatoes, sweet potato brûlée, sausage stuffing, and cranberry sauce, plus your preferred dessert.
Additionally, Urban Farmer is offering a to-go package with turkey and traditional sides priced at $160 for two people and $315 for four. Pre-order on Tock by 9 a.m. on November 24 for pick up the following day. 1659 Wazee St., Denver, urbanfarmersteakhouse.com
Elway’s
From 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., the Ritz-Carlton’s signature restaurant will serve a holiday feast alongside its standard steakhouse menu. Order à la carte selections including butternut squash soup, roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and assorted pies. Reservations can be booked on OpenTable. Elway’s also has to-go packages available priced at $169 for four diners and $269 for eight. 1881 Curtis St., Denver, elways.com
Salt Water Social
Alongside its signature steak and seafood menu, this upscale Cherry Creek restaurant will serve a special turkey dinner entree with seasonal sides. Best part, you can get the special plate from Thanksgiving day through the weekend. Reservations are currently open for booking on its website. Pre-orders for a shareable at-home feast will become available on November 12. 201 Columbine St., Denver, saltwatersocial.com
Kona Grill
This sleek chain’s location in Cherry Creek is offering specials from November 12 to 29, with reservations available on the website. Savor traditional roasted turkey ($36) or macadamia nut-crusted turkey breast ($39) served with green beans, whipped potatoes, and cranberry sauce. A slice of pumpkin pie ($16) topped with cinnamon whip completes the meal. To dine at home, note that pre-orders open on November 12. 3000 E. 1st Ave., Denver, konagrill.com
Thanksgiving Meals To-Go
Lunchboxx
This Denver Central Market vendor has crafted an $85 holiday meal kit for two featuring a whole chicken, your choice of two large sides, cranberry sauce, a harvest salad, gravy, and dinner rolls. Lunchboxx also has a $160 package for four diners that comes with two chickens and four sides. Place a pre-order on its website. 2669 Larimer St., Denver, lunchboxxdenver.com
Mizuna
Priced at $80 per person, the feast from Mizuna features brined and sliced turkey, garlic and herb gravy, brioche stuffing, black truffle-whipped potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, dinner rolls, and a pumpkin-sage tart for dessert. Round out the spread with add-ons like Mizuna’s $35 Lobster Mac and Cheese, along with a $45 bottle filled with a sharable Brown Butter Old Fashioned. Place a pre-order on OpenTable for pick-up on November 25. 225 E. 7th Ave., Denver, bonannoconcepts.com
Osteria Marco
Put an Italian spin on your holiday feast with the meal kit from Osteria Marco. It costs $65 per person and features short rib with garlic mashed potatoes, sourdough panzanella stuffing with sausage and fresh herbs, grilled asparagus, and baked rigatoni, plus pumpkin cheesecake topped with cinnamon whip and pumpkin brittle. Pre-orders can be made on OpenTable for pick-up on November 25. 1453 Larimer St., Denver, bonannoconcepts.com
Luca
Another concept from the Bonanno group, Luca is also offering an Italian-inspired meal for $70 per person. Savor whipped sweet potatoes, polenta stuffing with apples and herbs, cacio e pepe gnocchetti, braised ham with orange amaretto marmalade, and dark chocolate pie as the final course. Submit a pre-order via OpenTable and pick up on November 25. 711 N Grant St, Denver, bonannoconcepts.com
Edible Beats
The team behind Root Down, Linger, and El Five has created a to-go meal priced at $68 for one portion. It includes turkey two ways, roasted turnip and garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, delicata squash, marble rye stuffing, whipped sweet potatoes, and cranberry relish.
A $48 vegan and gluten-free option is available from sister restaurant Vital Root, with sides and mushroom Wellington as the main. Sides can also be purchased as a four-person package for $95, and à la carte holiday pies are $30 to $37. Place your order on Tock by November 22 for pick up from Root Down on November 24 or 25. 1600 W. 33rd Ave., Denver, ediblebeats.com
The Bindery
Feed up to eight guests with the $485 holiday package from The Bindery. It includes a whole herb-roasted turkey with gravy, mushroom and sausage sourdough stuffing, shallot mashed potatoes, bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes, roasted acorn squash with parsnips and spiced pears, and cranberry relish. Add-ons like sweet potato dinner rolls ($19) and pumpkin ginger pecan pie ($39) are available à la carte on OpenTable through November 20. Pick up on November 25 or Thanksgiving day. 1817 Central St., Denver, thebinderydenver.com
Olive & Finch
The $225 bundle from Olive & Finch feeds six to eight people and includes herb-roasted turkey or brown sugar-glazed ham, mushroom gravy, and orange cranberry sauce, plus your choice of two sides like traditional stuffing and whipped potatoes. The meal also comes with rolls, a seasonal kale or roasted beet salad, and a dessert selection such as brown butter pumpkin pie. Items can be purchased à la carte, too. Place your order by 10 a.m. on November 19 for pick up at the Uptown location on November 24 or 25. 1552 E. 17th Ave., Denver, oliveandfinch.com
J Street
The $229 package from this local catering company serves four to six people, while the $299 kit feeds 10 to 12. Both include roasted turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, roasted vegetable cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, and rolls, plus chocolate hazelnut pumpkin cream pie. Order just the sides from $105 or purchase items à la carte. Pick up is available from four metro area sites on November 25. Multiple locations, jstreetfoodtruck.com
Next Level Veggie Grill
Order plant-based and gluten-free meal kits featuring a harvest Wellington with spiced cranberry sauce, garlic mashed potatoes with thyme gravy, sage and onion stuffing, citrus-glazed carrots, and broccoli almondine. The traditional package also comes with baked mac and cheese, while the gluten-free option includes apple crumble. Both are $200 and feed six to eight people. Items can also be bought à la carte and picked up on select dates between November 13 and 29 with a 72-hour notice. 1605 E. Evans Ave., Denver, nextlevelvg.com
Chef Zorba’s
Ready to reheat, the holiday meal from this Congress Park mainstay is just $24.95 per person. Tuck into roasted turkey, savory stuffing, mashed potatoes, housemade gravy, candied sweet potatoes, creamy green beans with mushrooms, and cranberry sauce. Pre-orders can be picked up on November 24 or 25. 2626 E. 12th Ave., Denver, chefzorbas.com
Thanksgiving Pies and Seasonal Sweets
Sweet Action
Since pies are even better with a scoop of ice cream, Sweet Action has curated two holiday collections, each with four pints of seasonal flavors. One features vanilla bean, salted butterscotch, Stranahan’s Whisky brickle, and cream cheese frosting. The other comes with vegan pumpkin pie ice cream, caramel pecan, cinnamon roll, and banana toffee cheesecake. Friendsgiving hosts should order by November 9 for pick-up between November 16 and 25. Meanwhile, orders placed by November 16 can be collected from November 23 to 25. Multiple locations, sweetaction.com
The Salty
The limited-edition donuts from this Berkeley shop can be purchased in advance through November 18. Each $27 box includes four donut “slices” with flavors like brown sugar pecan, spiced pumpkin, apple crumb, and chocolate cream pie. Collect pre-orders on Thanksgiving or grab a box in-store from November 23 to 26. 3985 Tennyson St., Denver, saltydonut.com
Moon Raccoon Baking Co
In addition to buttermilk biscuits and curried pumpkin dinner rolls, Moon Raccoon has a selection of sweets available for pre-order through noon on November 22. Choose from brown butter pumpkin pie, Colorado cherry pie, and a salty custard pie made with Bjorn’s local honey. Pick up will be available on November 25 and the morning of Thanksgiving. 2839 W. 44th Ave., Denver, moonraccoonbakingcompany.com
Black Box Bakery
This Edgewater Public Market vendor is offering holiday pie pre-orders through November 21. Select from apple streusel, pumpkin topped with caramel and toasted marshmallows, and chocolate pecan pie. Each option costs $45 and is available for pick-up on November 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 5505 W. 20th Ave., Edgewater, blackboxbakery.com
