ATXGuide
10 Great Austin Restaurants For Thanksgiving Dinner
photo credit: Stella San Jac
Maybe you like eating out, or maybe you just don’t want to get into a screaming match with your family about religion, politics, or whether or not it’s too early to start watching holiday movies. Austin has lots of great restaurants that serve Thanksgiving dinner (with varying degrees of traditionalism), and our guide has you covered across just about every scenario. Whether you’re looking for a place to eat a classic meal of turkey and casserole, or start a new tradition of eating your weight in oysters, this guide has spots for both (and everything in between).
THE SPOTS
The Peacock at The Austin Proper hotel Downtown is offering a small, Thanksgiving Day menu with just a single entree—a turkey-based Mediterranean terrine, served with smoked labneh, corn and merguez sausage stuffing, and other twists on classic sides—priced at $52. There are also two dessert options, including a smoked pecan bar and a pumpkin spiced panna cotta.
Price: $52-$76 per person
photo credit: Jasmin Porter
Downtown Southern restaurant, Diner Bar, will be open on Thanksgiving Day, serving a family style, four-course prix fixe menu of Thanksgiving classics prepared with Southern twists. Reservations are available from 1-6pm on Thanksgiving Day, giving you plenty of time to head a block north to Sixth Street after dinner if the suggested wine pairings were just the start of your night.
Price: $85 per person
At Stella San Jac in Downtown Austin, you’ll be able to enjoy a prix fixe, family-style Thanksgiving menu. Fried turkey will be served with variations on classic Thanksgiving sides—like roasted cranberry with satsuma tangerine, and andouille jalapeno brioche stuffing—plus a seasonal dessert. Reservations are available all day, with prices set at $65 for adults and $35 for kids.
Price: $65 per person, $35 for children.
Most of the time we go to Dean’s in Downtown Austin, we’re there for a pretty classic, upscale steakhouse experience. So it’s no surprise that on Thanksgiving Day, Dean’s is serving up a pretty classic, upscale Thanksgiving meal, served at a set price of $70 per person. Included in the meal is a 12oz portion of prime rib, roasted acorn squash, A5 beef tallow brioche stuffing, and a slice of pumpkin pie cheesecake.
Price: $70 per person
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
If you’re looking for a pretty low-key Thanksgiving meal, BD Riley’s in Mueller is offering an all-day turkey dinner in the pub or on the patio—no reservations needed. The bar will also be playing NFL football all day, in case you’re not quite ready to start watching holiday movies after your meal.
Price: not yet announced
For most of the year, La Piscina serves as a poolside restaurant on top of The Austin Proper Hotel, dishing out fancy Tex-Mex dishes from a restaurant that looks like it was plucked off a street corner in Marfa. But on Thanksgiving Day you’ll have access to a limited menu of turkey barbacoa with cranberry salsa, served with some Thanksgiving-inspired Tex-Mex sides, plus Mexican chocolate cake to finish things off.
Price: $38-52 per person
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
For a little over two decades, Hyde Park Bar & Grill has been offering an annual Thanksgiving Day feast, with a meal about as classic as it comes. Expect to find roast turkey breast, cornbread stuffing, giblet gravy, cranberry relish, and more on the menu. Official price and details for this year’s dinner haven’t been announced yet, and seating is available first come, first served. It’s located in Hyde Park, near 43rd and Duval.
Price: not yet announced
photo credit: Mary Whitten
This spot is Permanently Closed.
If you want a turkey-based meal but don’t necessarily want it exactly on Thanksgiving Day, Luminaire at 8th and Congress will be offering a special three-course menu from the 23rd-25th during the restaurant’s typical opening hours. The $55 per person meal includes a turkey plate with smoked vegetables, chicory salad, and an olive oil tres leches cake. Reservations are required.
Price: $55 per person
If you want to get your Thanksgiving meal during the early part of the day, The Carillon on Campus is offering an AYCE Thanksgiving Brunch from 10:30-2:30 on Thanksgiving Day. The menu is massive—we lost count of the available items at 45—including bottomless East Coast oysters, lump crab salad, and togarashi seared ahi tuna, plus a carving station where you can get cider-brined turkey breast and prime rib to keep things just a little more traditional.
Price: $85 per person, $35 for children 6-12
photo credit: Jackie Lee Young
On Thanksgiving Day you can participate in Wax Myrtle’s family-style prix fixe menu for $70 per person (with an optional wine pairing). On the menu, expect to find a combination of classic Thanksgiving dishes, plus a few with twists—including masa gnocchi, spiced pumpkin cake, and a winter squash salad. It’s located at the Thompson Hotel Downtown, and reservations require a two-person minimum.
Price: $70 per person
