The 2024 Edition of The Best NJ Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving is written by Molly Gregor.
Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays here at Best of NJ. From survival guides for Thanksgiving with a toddler to healthy eating without the high calories, we have tons of features. (Which can all be found right here). Our most popular article, however, is always this statewide list The Best New Jersey Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving.
This list highlights restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving, with info about their special deals, holiday hours, and Thanksgiving menus. You’ll find everything from great bargain dinners and bountiful buffets to tasty dessert choices. Looking to cater the perfect holiday dinner with gourmet Thanksgiving meals to-go? Click here to see that list.
Quick Click Guide: Select an NJ Region below to find The Best Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving nearby.
| North Jersey | Central Jersey | Jersey Shore | South Jersey |
North Jersey
The Brass Rail
Where: 135 Washington St, Hoboken
Details: Hoboken’s landmark restaurant is open Thanksgiving Day, offering a three-course prix-fixe menu. First course is a choice of roasted butternut squash soup, beet and pear carpaccio, pulled-pork flatbread, P.E.I mussels, or an artisanal cheese and charcuterie board. Entrees include roasted turkey dinner, tagliatelle with guanciale and acorn squash, seared salmon, braised short ribs, or grilled rib eye. The meal ends with either pumpkin cheesecake, warm apple crumble, vanilla crème brulée, praline bread pudding, or fresh-fruit sorbet. Dinner costs $60 per person, requires a reservation, and is available from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Gioia Mia
Where: 331 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair
Details: This elegant Italian restaurant in Montclair has put together an impressive five-course meal for $85 per person. Starters include kale salad, butternut squash soup, and choice of lasagna or bucatini. The main course includes turkey roulade with mashed potatoes, branzino, maple-glazed pork chop, or mushroom risotto. Candied yams, Brussels sprouts, focaccia stuffing, and cranberry compote are also served family-style. Dessert is a choice between Dutch apple pie or pumpkin-pecan streusel pie. Kids’ menus are also available. Reservations are available from 1:00 pm to 6:30 pm.
Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern
Where: 1 East Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus
Details: The Ho-Ho-Kus Inn & Tavern serves up all the traditional favorites with their four-course Thanksgiving dinner. For $72 per adult, it includes a choice of soup, appetizer, main course, and dessert. Entrées include a turkey dinner, miso-glazed Norwegian salmon, pan-seared Chilean sea bass, or braised short ribs. There’s a three-course kids’ menu for $25 as well. Optional drinks include their hand-crafted apple cider margarita as well as other seasonal cocktails. Thanksgiving dinner requires a reservation.
Mohawk House
Where: 1 Mohawk Lane, Sparta
Details: Mohawk House in Sparta has been celebrating Thanksgiving Day for 20 years now, and 2024 is no exception. The farm-to-table restaurant has seatings available from Noon to 6:30 pm. Their a la carte menu includes starters like butternut squash soup, burrata with squash caponata, and East Coast oysters. Thanksgiving entrées include a roasted Amish turkey dinner, lobster Thermidor, Colorado rack of lamb, and grilled pumpkin swordfish. You can also order from their extensive selection of Pat LaFrieda dry-aged steaks. Likewise, the bar area is serving their full bar menu all day. Thanksgiving dinner requires a reservation.
Restaurant Serenade
Where: 6 Roosevelt Ave, Chatham
Details: Award-winning chef James Laird has put together a French-inspired three-course Thanksgiving menu at his esteemed restaurant. Appetizer choices feature pumpkin soup, short rib tortellini, autumn salad, crab cake, or tuna tartare. Meanwhile, entrée options include turkey roasted two ways, seared halibut, filet mignon, or vegetable panache. Apple cobbler, pumpkin pie, and chocolate mousse cake round out the dessert options. Dinner requires a reservation, and the price is $95 per adult, $50 per child.
Rod’s Steak and Seafood Grille
Where: 1 Convent Rd, Morristown
Details: Rod’s Thanksgiving dinners are always an annual favorite, serving from Noon to 5:00 pm. The restaurant offers a choice between a grand buffet in the ballroom or a sit-down, a la carte dinner. The buffet is an elaborate spread of five entrées and all the traditional sides. This also includes turkey, ham, and roast-rib-of-beef carving stations. Extras include jumbo shrimp cocktail, oysters, mussels, pasta, and a decadent Viennese table. The buffet costs $90 per adult, and $50 per child (under 4 is free). Both dinner options require a reservation.
Sanzari’s New Bridge Inn
Where: 105 Old Bridge Rd, New Milford
Details: Sanzari’s puts an Italian spin on Thanksgiving Day. Dinner is a choice of either a buffet or their holiday three-course prix-fixe menu. The buffet costs $68 per adult and $32 per child, while the prix-fixe menu is $58 per adult, $30 per child. Traditional dishes include roast turkey and Virginia ham with apple chestnut stuffing, sweet potato hash, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Buffet seatings are at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00 pm, and they require reservations both dinner options.
Satis Bistro
Where: 212 Washington St, Jersey City
Details: This European-style bistro in Jersey City is open from Noon to 5:30 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Their three-course traditional turkey dinner – $75 per person – focuses on seasonal ingredients. Dinner starts with a choice between rum-spice butternut-squash soup or arugula salad. The main course is a roasted Heritage turkey with rosemary gravy, classic stuffing, duck confit, sweet potato au gratin, roasted Brussels sprouts, and house-made cranberry sauce. Finally, dessert is a pistachio and pumpkin tiramisu. The regular dinner menu is also available. Satis does not require a reservation, but does recommend making one.
Central Jersey
Metuchen Inn
Where: 425 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen
Details: The Metuchen Inn opens their doors on Thanksgiving Day for a relaxing, holiday meal featuring seasonal flavors. Their large selection of la carte options include lobster potato bisque, Sicilian meatballs, a traditional turkey dinner, braised short ribs, herb-crusted rack of lamb, wild-mushroom fettuccine pasta, and jumbo crab meat ravioli. Desserts include a warm apple strudel, cheesecake, crème brulee, and seasonal specials. Limited seating is available, so they require a reservation for Thanksgiving dinner.
The Olde Mill Inn
Where: 225 Morristown Rd, Basking Ridge
Details: This historic Colonial inn with American fare is the perfect setting for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Their lavish buffet offers a choice of seatings in either The Grain House or the Inn. Dinner runs from 11:30 am to 6:15 pm, and costs $79 per adult and $29 per child. Menu highlights include a Tuscan countryside station with grilled vegetables and lamb chops, and a prime-rib carving station. Top off the meal with a trip to the bananas Foster and European sweets stations. Olde Mill Inn requires a reservation.
Orchard Park by David Burke
Where: 670 Cranbury Rd, East Brunswick
Details: Celebrity chef David Burke is serving up a special three-course prix-fixe menu on Thanksgiving Day. The restaurant is open from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, and dinner costs $98 per adult and $50 per child. Starters include butternut squash soup, lobster dumplings, beet salad, and David Burke’s signature Clothesline Bacon. Eye-catching entrées include tamarind glazed duck, grilled rib eye and butternut squash ravioli. Save room for sweet potato brownies, maple apple dumplings, pumpkin pecan pie, or ice cream sliders. Reservations are required.
Stone House at Stirling Ridge
Where: 50 Stirling Rd, Warren
Details: There are plenty of great options on Stone House’s three-course prix-fixe Thanksgiving Day menu. Appetizer choices include roasted pumpkin soup, marinated beet salad, and calamari. Herb-roasted turkey, salmon, short rib, roasted cauliflower, and Cowboy ribeye round out the entrées. Traditional sides such as sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and roasted carrots are served family-style. Dinner ends with a choice of bread pudding, pumpkin cheesecake, apple tarte tatin, or a taste of chocolate. Dinner requires a reservation, and costs $79 per adult and $30 per child).
Under the Moon
Where: 23 N. Union St, Lambertville | 210 Farnsworth Ave, Bordentown
Details: Both locations of this casual tapas restaurant are open Thanksgiving Day, offering a chef-crafted turkey dinner. The prix-fixe holiday menu – $60 per adult, $30 per child – includes a starter and entree. Starters include artichoke rice balls, stuffed acorn squash, or brie and fig crostini, with either an autumn or burrata salad. Entrées feature herb-roasted turkey, roasted chicken, prime rib, or butternut squash risotto. The Lambertville location also offers an a la carte menu. Dinner at either location requires a reservation.
Jersey Shore
Captain’s Inn
Where: 304 E. Lacey Rd, Forked River
Details: This Forked River favorite is once again hosting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner buffet. Choices include chilled shrimp, cheese and crudité displays, salads, herb-crusted cod, roast loin of pork, cheese tortellini in vodka sauce, whipped potatoes, and harvest vegetables. The main attractions are the herb-crusted turkey and roasted prime-rib carving stations. Dessert is a Viennese table. Seatings are available between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm and require a reservation. Dinner costs $48 per adult, $24 per child (under 5 is free).
The Flanders Hotel
Where: 719 E. 11 th Ave, Ocean City
Details: The Flanders Hotel in Ocean City is taking reservations for their annual Thanksgiving buffet. Buffet seatings are every 30 minutes from Noon to 2:30 pm and cost $47.95 per adult, $23.95 per child. Appetizers include shrimp cocktail, pear and goat cheese salad, New England clam chowder, and spiced butternut squash soup. The carving stations feature roasted Carolina turkey, roasted sirloin of beef, and honey-glazed ham. Other hot entrées range from green-bean casserole and traditional stuffing to Hawaiian sweet potatoes and pumpkin ravioli. Enjoy apple pie, pumpkin cheesecake, or assorted cookies and pastries for dessert.
Knife & Fork Inn
Where: 3600 Atlantic Ave, Atlantic City
Details: The Knife and Fork Inn opens at 2:00 pm Thanksgiving Day for a special holiday menu until 8:00 pm. Their four-course dinner — $62 per person — includes a choice of soup, salad, and dessert. The entree features roasted free-range Amish turkey, house-made sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, fall vegetables, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Dessert provides a choice between pumpkin pie, apple crumble, or pecan pie. The full regular menu will also be available with the Knife & Fork’s popular steak and lobster dinners. Thanksgiving dinner requires a reservation.
McLoone’s Pier House
Where: One Ocean Ave, Long Branch
Details: For a Thanksgiving dinner with the added bonus of an ocean view, visit McLoone’s Pier House. Their all-day holiday buffet runs from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, but requires a reservation. It’s also one of the state’s best deals, at just $50 for adults and $18 per child. The buffet includes salad, fruit and cheese displays, a raw bar, and many Thanksgiving favorites. That means roasted turkey, pecan-crusted salmon, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, glazed yams, mac and cheese, and more. Dessert options feature seasonal pies, fresh fruit, cookies, and pastries.
Molly Pitcher Inn
Where: 88 Riverside Ave, Red Bank
Details: The Molly Pitcher Inn always makes for a memorable holiday dinner for the entire family. Their Thanksgiving Day Brunch Buffet runs from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm and costs $72.95 per adult, $29.95 per child. The buffet features fresh fruit, artisanal cheeses, seasonal salads, a seafood display, and Belgian waffle, omelet, and pasta stations. Oven-roasted turkey, roasted sirloin, and baked brie are carving station highlights, along with traditional sides. This brunch buffet requires a reservation.
Peter Shields Inn
Where: 1301 Beach Ave, Cape May
Details: This 1907 Georgian mansion in Cape May offers a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Dine in one of their five cozy rooms and enjoy a three-course prix-fixe special menu. A large variety of first-course options include lobster bisque, Wagyu tartare tacos, crab fritters, and bresaola carpaccio. Maple-cured free-range turkey, braised lamb shank, dry-aged duck breast, and butternut squash risotto highlight entrée favorites. Finish with their signature Death by Chocolate dessert. Dinner costs $95 per adult and $50 per child and requires a reservation.
The Smithville Inn
Where: 1 N New York Road, Galloway
Details: This historic inn in Smithville Village puts on an impressive buffet for just $52 per adult, $26 per child. They offer continuous seatings from 11:30 am to 6:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Reservations for parties of 10 or more are already sold out, but smaller group seating is still available. Buffet stations include antipasto, salad, fish, cold salads, bread, pasta, pickles, and 13 types of mashed potatoes. They will also serve turkey, cornbread stuffing, green beans, chicken piccata, salmon, pork loin, chicken fingers, and mac and cheese. Plus, the village provides holiday shopping options as well.
Tim McLoone’s Supper Club
Where: 1200 Ocean Ave N., Asbury Park
Details: Dine beachside at Tim McLoone’s Supper Club in Asbury Park. Their Thanksgiving Day buffet, in partnership with The Robinson Ale House, stretches atop both floors of the building. The buffet runs from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, and costs $44.95 per adult and $17.95 per child. Enjoy salads, antipasto, glazed salmon, homemade stuffing, whipped potatoes, Brussels sprouts, candied yams, corn casserole, and multiple carving stations. Desserts include seasonal pies, warm apple cobbler, and mini pastries. All seatings require a reservation.
South Jersey
Amici
Where: 312 Kresson Rd, Cherry Hill
Details: Amici in Cherry Hill is offering two different options for Thanksgiving Day. The first is a three-course prix-fixe menu ($49 per adult, $20 per child), and the second is a la carte. Starters include Caesar salad, eggplant rollatini, and butternut squash. Entrees are a choice between a traditional turkey dinner, branzino, chicken parmigiana, veal Carciofi, or penne vodka. Meanwhile, the a la carte menu has an even more extensive list of meat, fish and pasta entrées. Amici requires a reservation.
Braddock’s Tavern
Where: 39 S. Main St, Medford
Details: Get in the Thanksgiving spirit at this circa-1855 Colonial-style restaurant. Choose from either a holiday buffet or their a la carte menu with Thanksgiving specials. Options include carved turkey, New York strip steak, salmon, tomahawk pork chop, filet mignon, pan-seared swordfish, harvest salad, and all of the traditional sides. Reservations are available between Noon and 4:00 pm. The buffet costs $69.99 per adult, $29.99 per child.
Chubby’s Steakhouse
Where: 239 Monmouth St, Gloucester City
Details: Chubby’s has put together a special holiday menu for Thanksgiving Day. The first is a prix-fixe, roasted free-range turkey dinner with garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, fall harvest vegetables, cranberry sauce, and choice of dessert. (This costs $55 per adult, and $25 per child.) The other option is a la carte dining featuring Chubby’s famous steaks and chops. Desserts include pumpkin pie, apple crisp cheesecake, carrot cake, or chocolate mousse cake. Thanksgiving dining requires a reservation and begins at 1:30 pm, with the last seating at 7:30 pm.
The Pub
Where: 7600 Kaighn Ave, Pennsauken
Details: This local favorite is offering a limited menu on Thanksgiving Day, along with a $35.95 turkey dinner special. In addition to roasted turkey breast, meals include cream of mushroom soup, the famous Pub salad bar, the Pub’s own homemade stuffing, candied yams, buttered green beans, gravy, and pumpkin pie. The Pub opens at noon on Thanksgiving and, while they suggest making a reservation, they do not require one.
