Denver Thanksgiving Dinner Guide 2021

Sure, you could spend all day cooking an elaborate feast for Thanksgiving, but in Denver, you don’t have to. Restaurants all over town are stepping up to make your holiday easier, with to-go options for everything from full meals to some of the best pies you’ve ever tasted. Or you can take it one step further and book a reservation at an eatery that’s offering holiday meals in-house for 2021.

Either way, you get to skip all that cooking and get more time to enjoy with friends and family, which is something we all need after so many people had to skip or scale down celebrations last year. Here’s your guide to the best Thanksgiving dinner options from Denver restaurants this year, to-go and dine-in.

Thanksgiving food to go:

Blackbelly
1606 Conestoga Street, Boulder
303-247-1000
Blackbelly is offering pre-orders of fresh, pasture-raised organic turkeys starting at $7.99 per pound. You can also add on prepared sides like roast garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, house focaccia and sage stuffing, maple rosemary roasted carrots, a trio of pie options and more. Visit Blackbelly’s butcher shop website page for details. To reserve a turkey, email [email protected]; to pre-order sides, sauces and pies, email [email protected]

The Bindery
1817 Central Street
303-993-2364
This LoHi eatery is offering both a full Thanksgiving dinner package for eight ($400), complete with a whole roast turkey with gravy plus five sides, as well as additional à la carte sides and pies. Both are available for pick-up on November 24 or 25 and must be pre-ordered online.

Bistro Vendôme
1420 Larimer Street
303-825-3232
Go French this year with charcuterie, confit duck leg, boeuf bourguignon, sides, soups and more, all available for pre-order and pick-up from this Larimer Square eatery. Orders must be placed online or by phone by November 19 for pick-up on November 23 or 24.

Bonanno Concepts
Various locations
Nine of restaurateur Frank Bonanno’s concepts are offering to-go options for Thanksgiving. All can be pre-ordered online. Options include a $90/person full feast from Mizuna, a $250 meal for four to six that includes a whole smoked turkey from Russell’s Smokehouse, a $50 Friendsgiving fried chicken meal for four from Lou’s, appetizer options from Salt & Grinder, ready-to-cook cheese-stuffed burgers from Vesper and more.

Culture Meat & Cheese
2669 Larimer Street
303-292-2222
Bring the feast before the feast with a charcuterie board from this shop inside Denver Central Market. Each board includes four meats, three cheeses, fresh fruit, veggies, nuts, dried fruit, jam, pickled veggies and sliced baguette ($35.00 for medium or $45.00 for large). Order by phone at least 24 hours in advance.

Hinman Pie
5604 Kendall Court, Arvada
John Hinman not only started CHOW, a nonprofit that is changing the conversation around hospitality and mental health, he also makes some damn good pies. Pre-order by November 23 to secure your Thanksgiving pies, which are available in both sweet varieties like pumpkin and salted maple as well as savory options like pork green chile and chicken pot pie. Ten perecent of pie sales through Thanksgiving will go to CHOW. Orders can be placed online and can be picked up in Arvada or at Rock Drill Lofts, 1777 East 39th Avenue, on November 23 or 24.

Izzio Bakery
720-381-0260
2669 Larimer Street
Located inside Denver Central Market, Izzio is offering a number of sweet treats for Thanksgiving this year, including cream cheese pumpkin queen (kouign-amann) drizzled with salted caramel, petite and large apple streusel and pumpkin queen pies with a caramelized and laminated crust, and individual pear frangipane tarts. Prices range from $4 to $30, and items can be pre-ordered in person or via phone.

The Local Butcher
2669 Larimer Street
303-297-3953
2242 Oneida Street
303-974-1020
Get a leg up on your turkey cooking with fresh, never frozen turkeys from Peterson Farm ($4.59 per pound) that the butchers at this shop will spatchcock for free upon request. Brining is also available for $15. Pre-order online, by phone or in person at either location. All pick-ups will take place at the Oneida Square location.

Noble Riot
1336 27th Street
303-993-5330
Food gets all the attention on Thanksgiving, but nothing enhances the day quite like the perfect bottle of wine. Noble Riot has you covered with its Somm Packs. Choose from a variety of options including a Pet Nat Party Pack, a three-pack with a red, white and rosé, an all-orange wine lineup and more, starting at $65 and available to order online.

Rioja
1431 Larimer Street
303-820-2282
Let pastry chef Eric Dale take care of the baked goods this year. Pie options include coconut cream, chocolate espresso silk and bourbon pecan ($35 each). You can also order a loaf of lavender sourdough bread ($12), focaccia ($12) and rosemary goat cheese biscuits ($12 per dozen). Orders must be placed online or by phone by November 20 for pick-up on November 24.

Restaurants open on Thanksgiving:

Corinne
1455 California Street
720-996-1555
This restaurant inside Le Méridien Denver Downtown will be serving an elevated three-course prix fixe menu from 1 to 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving. The meal is $74 per person ($28/person for kids under twelve) and includes apple maple pecan salad or butternut squash bisque to start. The entree is citrus and herb turkey breast roulade with cranberry, sausage and apple stuffing, chive whipped potatoes, green beans with pancetta and caramelized onions and sage-scented turkey jus. Choose from apple and cranberry cobbler with ice cream or bourbon pecan pie for dessert. The meal also includes one signature holiday cocktail or mocktail. Reservations can be made online.

The Fort
19192 CO-8, Morrison
303-697-4771
This historic restaurant housed in an adobe castle that’s a replica of Bent’s Fort is serving up a traditional turkey dinner complete with mashed potatoes, fire-roasted maple yams, sausage apple stuffing, cranberry relish and Gunny’s brandied pumpkin pie for dessert. The cost is $48 for adults and $29 for children. Reservations are required; call or book your table online.

Le Bilboquet
299 St. Paul Street
303-835-9999
This elegant French eatery in Cherry Creek will be serving a special three-course menu from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with entree choices such as traditional turkey or grilled langoustine as well as starters and desserts. The meal is $85 per person; a $30 special children’s menu will also be available. Call or book on OpenTable to reserve your spot. Takeout orders are also available, and must be placed by 9 p.m. November 22.

Woodie Fisher
1999 Chestnut Place
720-643-1909
Woodie Fisher will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for dine-in on Thanksgiving, with a traditional menu complete with roasted turkey breast, crème fraîche whipped potatoes, porcini gravy, classic herb stuffing, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, chicory salad, dinner rolls and bourbon pecan pie for $65 per person. Reservations can be made on the restaurant’s website. The meal is also available to go; order online by November 19 for pick-up on November 25.

Know of a great Thanksgiving deal in metro Denver? Send information to [email protected]