Thanksgiving is supposed to be about gratitude, family and stuffing your face — not spending hours slaving over a hot stove and tackling a mountain of dirty dishes.
Fortunately, plenty of San Antonio restaurants are happy to do the heavy lifting, and there’s even a free option for those in need. Whether you’re looking for a lavish dine-in feast or a budget-friendly spread to take home, these 10 options offer ways to enjoy the holiday without all the cooking, cleanup and culinary stress.
Chef Jason Dady
Hosting a large Thanksgiving get-together? Chef Jason Dady (Tre Trattoria, Mexico Ceaty, Two Bros BBQ) offers a bourbon-brined turkey kit available for pre-order. The $500 package feeds 10 to 12 and features the aforementioned turkey, sage and thyme giblet stuffing, roasted garlic green beans with toasted almonds, herbed rolls with garlic butter, thyme and caramelized onion gravy, classic green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and more. A selection of desserts and other meats and sides are available to add on for an additional price. Orders must be placed by Saturday, Nov. 21. Deliveries will be made Wednesday, Nov. 25. jasondady.com.
Bill Miller Bar-B-Q
The venerable Bill Miller chain offers several Thanksgiving family packs offering affordable holiday options. Pre-orders are open through Monday, Nov. 23. Cold and hot family packs include turkey hen, ham or sliced turkey breast with a choice of sides, dinner rolls, tea and a pie. Pricing tiers vary, but the base options are the same for each meal kit. Guests can also order their choice of main proteins on their own if they don’t need sides or dessert. Multiple locations, billmillerbbq.com.
Curry Boys BBQ
Ideal for Thanksgiving revelers craving something different for the holiday, the $99.95 Thanksgiving pack from Curry Boys BBQ comes with smoked turkey breast basted with miso garlic honey butter and adds in all the fixings, including an extra side of miso garlic honey butter, house gravy and a generous serving of red curry mac and cheese. Cutoff for pre-orders is Sunday, Nov. 22, at noon. Pickup is dependent on your chosen Curry Boys location before Thanksgiving. Multiple locations, curryboysbbq.com.
The Pullman Market
Pre-orders are open for à la carte Thanksgiving orders at Pearl’s Pullman Market. The market has all the bases covered, offering an assortment of meats — from Wagyu rib roast to organic Texas turkey — along with family-sized sides such as Mill King macaroni and cheese, butcher’s gravy with smoked beef tallow, cornbread and kale stuffing and more. The Pullman also offers a variety of wines for purchase, desserts and even centerpieces for the table. Pre-orders must be placed by Monday, Nov. 23. 221 Newell Ave., (210) 759-0086, pullmanmarket.com.
Frederick’s Bistro/Restaurant
The French-Asian fusion concept with two locations will be open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thanksgiving to offer a special holiday lunch and early dinner menu. Guests can order their favorites à la carte, and options include butternut squash pumpkin soup, traditional Thanksgiving turkey with stuffing, chicken cordon bleu and more. Multiple locations, fredericksrestaurantsa.com and fredericksbistro.com.
Miss Chickpea’s Bake Shop
Thanksgiving can be tough for guests with dietary restrictions. Miss Chickpea’s offers a holiday menu that’s completely meat-, dairy- and egg-free. Guests can pre-order a variety of pies (including apple pecan crumble and pumpkin), a sweet potato pie cheesecake, garlic butter rolls or plain croissants plus a choice of seasonal soups. The deadline for pre-orders is 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19. 10105 Broadway, (210) 444-9305, misschickpeasbakeshop.com.
Zenita Rooftop Restaurant
A newcomer to the San Antonio dining scene, Zenita is preparing a special “mesas de gracias” dinner for Thanksgiving Day. Reservations are encouraged for the special menu, which is available 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. for lunch or a golden-hour dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The menu includes a carving station with chili-honey turkey roulade and Texas smoked brisket with a Korean chili barbecue glaze. The meal also has a dessert table, a plant-based entrée, plenty of sides and sunset views. 201 E. Commerce St., (210) 255-8266, zenitarooftop.com.
Smokey Mo’s TX BBQ
Just need a turkey for the holiday? Smokey Mo’s is serving up whole smoked turkeys for $79. Need the whole Thanksgiving setup for the day? The barbecue chain also has a Thanksgiving meal kit for $225. The full meal includes cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie and more. Pre-orders are available until Friday, Nov. 20. Customers can schedule a pickup from Monday, Nov. 23, through Wednesday, Nov. 25. Multiple locations, smokymosbbq.com.
True Texas BBQ
Tired of turkey and looking for brisket on Thanksgiving? San Antonio-based grocer H-E-B’s True Texas BBQ has multiple meal options for the holiday. Opt for a whole smoked prime brisket for pickup or a meal kit with the brisket included. Sides and sauces such as garlic mashed potatoes and a Texas-sized peach cobbler are also available à la carte. For traditionalists, the chain also offers a smoked turkey kit and smoked prime rib. Orders must be placed 72 hours in advance by calling the True Texas BBQ location you want to pick up from. Multiple locations, truetxbbq.com.
47th Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner
If you or someone you know is in need, the long-running Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner provides free meals on Thanksgiving Day for senior citizens and others facing financial hardship or food insecurity. No reservations are required, and every attendee gets a hot Thanksgiving meal at a “community dinner table.” Meals are served from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event also has live music and dancing, and information on how to volunteer is available at its website. 900 E. Market St., rauljimenezdinner.com.
