The Ultimate List of Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving Day
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Quick answer: Most fast food chains stay open on Thanksgiving, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Popeyes. Diners like Waffle House, Denny’s, IHOP, and Cracker Barrel also open, and many serve a holiday menu—Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Panera, and Olive Garden close. Hours change by location, so call ahead or check the store locator before you go.
Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be an entire day spent cooking. More and more people prefer eating out or ordering their meals. According to the results of a nationwide poll conducted by Popmenu among 1,000 consumers in the US, 53 percent of people intended to order food delivery or pick-up for Thanksgiving in 2025 compared to 37 percent in 2024.
An additional 5 percent were planning to dine in restaurants. This guide lists every major restaurant open on Thanksgiving, by category, from fast food to sit-down chains so that you can plan the day around your own schedule. Restaurants open on Thanksgiving 2025 followed a pattern that is likely to repeat this year, so the data below is a solid starting point. If you are traveling via bus this year, then information about restaurants staying open along your bus route is as important as your departure time.
What restaurants are open on Thanksgiving Day?
Fast food restaurants, diners, and some casual restaurants will be your best choices. Restaurants that require reservations and formal seating, such as Olive Garden and Panera, are likely to shut down so employees can stay with their families. Please find the following a complete list, categorized by type, so you know the closure details before you get surprised.
Which fast food restaurants are open on Thanksgiving?
Burger and sandwich chains open on Thanksgiving
McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Whataburger, and White Castle mostly stay open, though hours are not consistent since these stores are largely privately owned. Most Wendy’s and Whataburger locations run their regular business hours, while most White Castle locations close around 3 p.m. Popeyes has also stayed open, including for its raw, unfried Cajun-style turkey. Jack in the Box, Arby’s, and Jimmy John’s round out the list of food places open on Thanksgiving for a quick lunch, though as with the others, individual locations decide their own hours.
Coffee and breakfast chains open on Thanksgiving
Most Dunkin’ stores remain open, though a company spokesperson told Fox Business that hours are based on each store.
In the case of Starbucks, there is no single policy for all the branches. It varies, with some staying open through the day and others closing early or even not operating at all. Krispy Kreme closes at about 2 PM
Fast food chains closed on Thanksgiving
Closing for Thanksgiving and Christmas is common practice at Chick-fil-A because of the policy set out by the company itself on its customer support page, where it states that stores close so the teams can spend time with their families. Other such restaurants include Chipotle, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Zaxby’s; even though a few well-known names close, most fast food restaurants are open for Thanksgiving, which makes them the easiest fallback if a sit-down chain near you is full or closed.
Which sit-down and family restaurants are open on Thanksgiving?
Diners and breakfast chains open all day
Waffle House never closes, not even on Thanksgiving. A couple of 2025 news articles about Waffle House state that, in fact, the day when most people visit the restaurant is actually Thanksgiving, because both visitors who have traveled and those celebrating their holidays there stop by the place before and after the feast. Denny’s is open all over the country, although not everywhere 24/7. Denny’s holiday menu has included a Turkey Feast Sandwich and a Turkey and Dressing Dinner, plus a take-home Holiday Turkey Bundle for four that has been available for preorder starting at $54.99.
Buffet and home style chains
Golden Corral will begin its holiday buffet service usually from 10 to 11 a.m., and will close in the early evening, according to the local news reports from Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City. Cracker Barrel will open its doors at 7 a.m. and serve its Thanksgiving meals with turkey, cornbread dressing, and sweet potato casserole from 11 a.m. Likewise, Bob Evans will offer its usual menu items along with its Thanksgiving menu, including the country fried turkey plate.
Restaurants known for holiday menus
In case you would prefer sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner without having to cook yourself, restaurants such as Applebee’s, Dave & Buster’s, Hooters, Maggiano’s, Fogo de Chão, and Ruth’s Chris generally offer meals from either their standard menu or the special menu that is offered during the holiday season. Applebee’s does not require a reservation.
Boston Market has also stayed open with holiday classics like rotisserie chicken, mac and cheese, and cornbread, plus holiday catering for anyone who wants restaurant food without a full sit-down meal. For a nicer night out, Buca di Beppo has served a family-style Thanksgiving dinner, and steak and seafood spots like Eddie V’s and Chart House have stayed open with holiday specials for guests who want a reservation rather than a walk-in.
Bars open on Thanksgiving
Sports bars generally remain open on Thanksgiving as it is a big part of the holiday for several families. Some examples of those sports bars that maintain regular or slightly modified timings during the holiday include Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, and TGI Fridays. The bar section of establishments like Applebee’s and Dave & Buster’s also remains open during the holiday, making it a good choice for anyone looking to watch a match before or after dinner. If you are looking for bars open in Thanksgiving week specifically for the day before or the day after, most of these same sports bars keep close to normal hours, since football games run the entire holiday weekend.
Local restaurants, hotels, and casinos
National franchises are not the only places available. Many independent restaurants stay open for Thanksgiving, especially in tourist destinations and along highways. However, hours and menus differ too much from place to place for a single list to cover them. A quick search for restaurants near you is the fastest way to see what is nearby.
Hotel restaurants are a safe bet too, since most hotels stay staffed through the holiday and build a set menu for both guests and walk-ins. Casino restaurants follow the same pattern and usually stay open with holiday specials, since the casino floor itself rarely closes.
Which restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving Day?
Not every restaurant open on Thanksgiving list agrees with the next, since chains change plans year to year, so it helps to see open and closed side by side. Here is a look at what to expect, based on holiday hours confirmed across national coverage in 2025. If you only need one restaurant open on Thanksgiving near your route, Waffle House and Denny’s are the safest bets, since both stay open in nearly every market.
Category | Typically open | Typically closed |
Fast food | McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Popeyes, Whataburger | Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, most Taco Bell |
Coffee and doughnuts | Dunkin’ (varies), Krispy Kreme (until 2 p.m.) | Some Starbucks locations, Peet’s Coffee |
Diners | Waffle House, Denny’s, IHOP | None major |
Casual dining | Applebee’s, Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral | Olive Garden, Chili’s, Panera Bread |
Steak and seafood | Ruth’s Chris, Fogo de Chão | Red Lobster (most locations), Outback Steakhouse |
Other | Dave & Buster’s, Hooters, Popeyes | Cheesecake Factory, Pizza Hut (most locations) |
This table is based on 2025 trends. As most chains have not released their 2026 Thanksgiving time schedules, use this as a good reference point and verify the hours at your local restaurant two weeks before the holiday.
What time do restaurants open and close on Thanksgiving?
Hours are shorter than a normal Thursday almost everywhere. Here is what recent local reporting from Texas and Oklahoma found for a typical location.
Restaurant | Typical Thanksgiving hours |
Cracker Barrel | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., meal service from 11 a.m. |
Golden Corral | 10 or 11 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. |
Applebee’s | 4 to 9 p.m. |
Dave & Buster’s | 4 p.m. to midnight |
Hooters | 4 p.m. to midnight |
White Castle | Until 3 p.m. |
Krispy Kreme | Until 2 p.m. |
Restaurants open 24 hours on Thanksgiving
Restaurant | Typical Thanksgiving hours |
Waffle House | 24 hours |
Denny’s | Many locations run 24 hours, though not all, so check yours. |
IHOP | Some locations run 24 hours, especially in larger cities, but this varies more than Denny’s. |
How much does it cost to eat out on Thanksgiving?
Cooking at home is not automatically the cheaper choice anymore.
What a home-cooked Thanksgiving costs
The American Farm Bureau Federation puts the cost of a classic home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people at $55.18 in 2025, a 5 percent drop from 2024.
What eating out costs
A national survey found that people planning to order restaurant food for the holiday expected to spend an average of $165, though 59 percent said they planned to cut back on spending compared to last year.
“A growing desire to spend more time visiting with guests” is what Popmenu CEO Brendan Sweeney said is driving the shift toward restaurants and takeout. For a lot of families, the math works out close to even once you count grocery costs, cook time, and cleanup, which is part of why dine-out numbers keep climbing year over year.
Should you dine out or get takeout on Thanksgiving?
The right call depends on where you will actually be on the day.
If you're traveling for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the most heavily traveled time of the year for Americans. AAA estimated that 81.8 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles over the 2025 Thanksgiving period, a record high, with about 73 million driving and roughly 2.5 million using buses, trains, or cruises, an 8.5 percent jump from the year before.
When traveling on an intercity bus this year, plan your meal around your terminal, not the other way round. You will find carrier and stop details in our free travel itinerary template.
If you're hosting Thanksgiving
If your table includes guests coming from far away, a restaurant pickup order can take pressure off the day without giving up a home-cooked feel. Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, and Bob Evans all offer whole family dinner sets for Thanksgiving, usually with a day or two of notice. If your guests are arriving by bus, checking schedules through online bus ticket booking tells you exactly when to start reheating the sides.
If you're spending Thanksgiving alone or on the road
When you need food that is warm and have not thought about what to eat, Waffle House, Denny’s, and IHOP can help you out. They offer food even when other restaurants are not open because it is Sunday.
Tips for eating out on Thanksgiving Day
- Make sure to reserve in advance wherever possible. The sit-down restaurant chain Cracker Barrel, for instance, allows customers to put themselves on a waitlist online, which greatly reduces waiting time. Peak times occur between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and in the early evening. This is ideal timing for a walk-in to secure a table. For high-end restaurants like Ruth’s Chris or Fogo de Chão, make sure to reserve well in advance.
- Call the location, not just the corporate number. Franchised restaurants set their own hours, so the same chain can be open in one town and closed in the next.
- Order to-go meals early. Family style Thanksgiving meals from chains like Golden Corral and Cracker Barrel often need to be ordered a day or two ahead.
- Build in extra travel time. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons before Thanksgiving are the most congested driving windows nationwide, according to the traffic analytics firm INRIX, so leave earlier than usual if you are picking up a to-go order across town.
- If you are going on the bus that day, make sure you have checked your schedule before you sit down for lunch. Our business travel checklist recommends allowing at least 30 minutes of extra time in your schedule when stopping for lunch during holidays.
How to find restaurants open near you
Use a map app or official store locator
Finding an open Thanksgiving restaurant near you starts with a map app. Simply look up the restaurant’s name on Google Maps or Apple Maps. They show live hours that are updated closer to holidays than the restaurant’s website. All big restaurant chains have a store locator on their website or mobile app, such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Golden Corral. You can enter the zip code and check the holiday hours for that particular location. If the information seems to be old or confusing, you should contact the restaurant directly. This is the fastest way to check which restaurants are open on Thanksgiving, especially in a city you do not know well.
Use a delivery app instead
Alternatively, if you do not want to cook and do not feel like driving, delivery apps such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub offer the same chain restaurants available on Thanksgiving, but with smaller delivery windows and more expensive fees.
What changed for Thanksgiving in 2026
The trend toward eating out continued to grow into the beginning of 2026. The 53 percent of consumers who planned to order takeout in 2025 was already a sharp jump from 32 percent in 2023, based on Popmenu’s year-over-year tracking. That share is likely to hold steady or climb again this year, so expect longer waits at popular chains like Cracker Barrel and Golden Corral. Planning helps either way, whether that means waiting for a table or booking your holiday bus ticket early.
Conclusion
You do not have to cook or go hungry on Thanksgiving. Diners like Waffle House, Denny’s, and IHOP never close, fast food chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s mostly stay open, and casual chains like Cracker Barrel and Golden Corral serve full holiday meals for dine-in or pickup. Which Thanksgiving Day restaurants open early or run all day changes a little each year, so confirm your local restaurant before you head out. This list of restaurants open on Thanksgiving should cover most of what you need, and if you are traveling that day, line up your meal stop with your BoletoXpress trip schedule so neither one throws off the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is McDonald’s open on Thanksgiving?
Most locations are open, but hours vary by franchise. Check your local store before visiting.
Is Chick-fil-A open on Thanksgiving?
No, all Chick-fil-A locations close on Thanksgiving and Christmas so staff can be with family.
What time does Cracker Barrel open on Thanksgiving?
Most locations open around 7 a.m., with the Thanksgiving meal served starting around 11 a.m.
Is Starbucks open on Thanksgiving?
It depends on the location. Starbucks has no single company-wide holiday policy, so hours vary store to store.
Is Waffle House open 24 hours on Thanksgiving?
Yes. Most Waffle House locations stay open around the clock, and it is one of the chain’s busiest days of the year.
Are grocery stores open on Thanksgiving if I need last-minute items?
Some stores like Whole Foods and Kroger open with shorter hours, but many, including Costco and Publix, close for the day.
Can I order a full Thanksgiving meal to go?
Yes, Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, Bob Evans, and Denny’s all offer family-sized to-go meals, usually with a day or two of advance notice.
Do restaurants near bus stations stay open on Thanksgiving?
It varies by city, so check listings for your specific stop. BoletoXpress trip pages show nearby amenities for many routes.
What restaurant is open on Thanksgiving near me?
Search your zip code in a map app or restaurant store locator. Waffle House, Denny’s, and Cracker Barrel are open in most markets nationwide.
What places are open for Thanksgiving dinner?
Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, Bob Evans, Boston Market, and most steakhouse chains serve a sit-down or to-go Thanksgiving dinner.
What fast food is open on Thanksgiving?
McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Popeyes, Whataburger, Jack in the Box, and Arby’s are typically open, though hours vary by location.
Is it cheaper to eat out or cook on Thanksgiving?
A home-cooked dinner for 10 averaged $55.18 in 2025, while restaurant goers expected to spend around $165 per person on average, though this includes higher-end sit-down options.
What is the busiest day to travel around Thanksgiving?
The Sunday after Thanksgiving is typically the busiest single travel day, according to TSA screening data, with Tuesday and Wednesday before the holiday close behind for driving.
