10 Restaurant Chains Open on Thanksgiving 2026
Here's where you can enjoy an elaborate (and easy!) meal on Thursday, November 26.
Whether you’re looking for a full holiday feast with all the trimmings or a no-fuss meal out for you and your crew, some hardworking restaurant chains will be open on Thanksgiving Day to serve your needs and satisfy your hunger.
You’ll find some listed below. In many cases, hours will vary by location, so it’s a good idea to check online or call ahead to make sure a spot is open when you want to stop by. You may be thankful you did.
The Capital Grille: In celebration of the holiday, The Capital Grille is offering a chef-prepared traditional Thanksgiving dinner “with an upscale twist.” You'll get a Slow-Roasted Turkey with Brioche Sage Stuffing, French Green Beans with Marcona Almonds, Cranberry-Pear Chutney and Sam’s Mashed Potatoes. For an additional charge, you can add Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potatoes with Hot Honey and Pumpkin Cheesecake. (You can also order the sides as a bundle and pick them up to go.) The full dinner menu is available all day. To make a reservation, visit TheCapitalGrille.com. Note that price and availability will vary by location.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store: Cracker Barrel is open on Thanksgiving Day and serves a traditional Thanksgiving meal starting at 11 a.m. local time. (The chain advises you to confirm hours of opening with your local restaurant, though.) Among the chain’s current seasonal offerings are its returning Country Fried Turkey meal featuring “hand-breaded turkey tenderloins” topped with “creamy herbed pan gravy” and served with country sides, cranberry relish and a choice of buttermilk biscuits or corn muffins. Cracker Barrel invites Thanksgiving diners to use its online wait list for shorter wait times on the holiday. Additionally, its online Pay & Go feature allows you to quickly settle your bill from your table — saving you from having to stand in line to pay at the cash stand.
Denny’s: Most Denny's restaurants are open 24 hours on Thanksgiving Day, and for in-restaurant diners, the chain is offering a Turkey & Dressing meal now through January 12. This classic Thanksgiving meal features carved turkey breast, savory stuffing, turkey gravy and cranberry sauce. The dish comes with two sides and dinner bread. Additionally, also through January 12, Denny’s has classic pumpkin and pecan pies available for purchase by the slice or whole, in-restaurant or for takeout. Price and availability vary by location. Note that restaurant hours do vary by location as well, so Denny's recommends confirming with your local restaurant using the locator at dennys.com/locations before heading out.
Eddie V’s: Not only is Eddie V’s full menu available to diners all day on Thanksgiving, but the “prime seafood” chain is also offering a Thanksgiving celebration with turkey and all the trimmings, plus live music trios. “All you have to prepare is a toast,” the brand says. The holiday menu starts at $52 for adults and $20 for children (price and availability may vary by location) and features options including hand-carved Slow-Roasted Turkey with Gravy, Brioche Sage Stuffing, Cranberry Chutney, Roasted Butternut Squash, Creamy Mashed Potatoes and French Green Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes. You can add a Pumpkin Pie Tartlet with Butter Pecan Ice Cream at an additional charge. “Toast to the holiday with Veuve Clicquot champagne by-the-glass as well as eye-catching signature cocktails, such as the Smoked Old Fashioned, torched tableside on a wooden plank, or the color-changing Hope Diamond,” the brand says. Participating locations will open early for lunch, with live music, where available, featured from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time. To make a reservation, visit EddieV.com.
IHOP: IHOP will be open on Thanksgiving Day this year, a spokesperson confirms, but they advise you to check your local restaurant's hours, as they will vary by location.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Ruth’s Chris Steak House is offering a traditional three-course Thanksgiving meal — a feast, it says, which will guarantee you leftovers to take home. You can get your choice of soup or salad, sliced oven-roasted turkey breast with all the trimmings, a choice of an additional side and some freshly baked pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. The meal — full dinners or holiday sides — are also available to go. Price and availability will vary by location. Pre-ordering is now available, and you can make a reservation or place an order by visiting RuthsChris.com.
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Seasons 52: Seasons 52 is offering a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with “freshly prepared classics using peak-season ingredients.” The menu includes Oven-Roasted Turkey, Cranberry Relish, Mashed Sweet Potatoes (among other sides) and a Pumpkin Pie Mini Indulgence dessert. (Alternately, you can also take home a Seasons 52 Thanksgiving Green Box with turkey and all the fixings, including salad and six Pumpkin Pie Mini Indulgence desserts to go, serving four to six people.) You can place pre-orders and make Thanksgiving Day reservations at Seasons52.com. The full dinner menu will be available all day on Thanksgiving; price and availability will vary by location
Shoney’s: Although hours may differ based on location, many Shoney’s locations (though not all) will be open on Thanksgiving. (You can check local hours of operation on shoneys.com.) Shoney’s locations that are open on Thanksgiving will offer a Thanksgiving Feast — featuring turkey, gravy and classic sides, along with a free piece of pumpkin pie — from 11 a.m. local time until close. Prices, participation and the availability of specific menu items may vary by restaurant, so be sure to check your local Shoney’s before heading out for the holiday.
Waffle House: This 24/7 chain prides itself on staying open 365 days a year, including on every major U.S. holiday — which is to say, yes, it’s open on Thanksgiving. “It’s one of the reasons the chain has built such a loyal following – when everywhere else is closed, Waffle House is still flipping waffles,” the brand says. Not only are Waffle House's Thanksgiving hours the same as any regular day (which is to say it's open 24 hours), Thanksgiving is actually one of the busiest days of the year at many locations. “People often stop in after traveling or before family gatherings,” Waffle House notes. This year, that could include you.
Yard House: This gastropub chain boasts that it has “great food,” “classic rock” and the “world’s largest selection of draft beer.” It also has a Thanksgiving meal it calls “epic.” On November 26, you can choose from either a traditional plate of sliced Roasted Turkey with Gravy or switch things up with a plate of fried Nashville Hot Turkey. Both options pair perfectly with one of the 100 beers the chain has on tap, and both come with sides of Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Sausage Stuffing, Mac & Cheese, Cranberry Sauce and Crispy Brussels Sprouts, plus a slice of Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake, the brand says. (The regular full menu is also available.) Yard House’s Thanksgiving plate is available for dine-in or takeout only on Thanksgiving at select locations.
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