Increasingly more Washington restaurants are serving Thanksgiving meals come November 27, so it can be tough to decide where to spend Turkey Day. A good place to start: the eateries on our 100 Best list (note: Not every one open for Thanksgiving is included here). Whether you’re looking for an all-you-can-eat feast, an elegant tasting menu, or a homey meal, here are some of our favorite spots from 2014.
3311 Connecticut Ave., NW
Stop in for a three-course new American menu that won’t break the bank, with dishes like shrimp and grits, braised pork cheeks over polenta, and buttermilk doughnuts in addition to the regular Turkey Day fare. An à-la-carte menu is served at the bar.
Details: $45 for adults; $25 children ten and under.
1625 I St., NW
A multi-course, family-style tasting menu includes the classics (turkey, stuffing) as well as dishes such as kabocha-squash risotto, dry-aged prime rib, and striped bass with kohlrabi and cranberry. Don’t feel like getting fancy? The restaurant serves Thanksgiving leftovers in popover form on Black Friday.
Details: $68 for adults; 40 for children. Served 3 to close.
1201 24th St., NW
This airy Park Hyatt restaurant combines generous buffets for appetizers and dessert, with plated entrées in between. Guests start with seasonal salads, shellfish, and meats and cheeses, followed by mains such as turkey and prime rib, shareable sides, and a variety of sweets to finish.
Details: $100 for adults; $45 for children six and under. Served 11:30 to 9.
2800 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
A three-course menu includes holiday riffs on steakhouse classics—chilled oysters with cranberry mignonette, prime rib—as well as the signature lobster pot pie.
Details: $110 per person; $50 for children six to 12. Served 2 to 8.
1600 King St., Alexandria
This elegant Old Town restaurant serves a three-course tasting menu with riffs on traditional dishes like sweet potato gnocchi with duck confit, roast heritage turkey with leg roulade and giblet gravy, and pumpkin crème brûlée.
Details: $70 per person.
1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Thanksgiving gets a French touch courtesy of Michel Richard, who serves a three-course menu for a (comparably) moderate price. Several choices for appetizers, entrées, and desserts include chestnut velouté with duck confit, steak frites (alongside the traditional bird), and Michel’s chocolate bar.
Details: $45 per adult; $25 for children. Served 2 to 8.
1122 Ninth St., NW
Spend the holiday at a Washington classic, which serves a three-course set menu with four or five selections for each phase. Turkey is served alongside chef Tom Power’s classics.
Details: $60 per person.
601 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Chef Fabio Trabocchi puts an Italian twist on the holiday, with a three course menu featuring tuna carpaccio with smoked caviar, pine-roasted lamb with black truffles, and a mascarpone pumpkin bar. A plus for luxury-seekers: optional Alba white truffles.
Details: $80 per adult; $28 for children.
309 Middle St., Washington
One of the most decadent Thanksgiving meals is found at the inn, where chef Patrick O’Connell serves a multi-course tasting menu with some traditional touches (the “spruced-up” turkey has been a favorite in the past).
Details: Menus begin at $198 per person; reservations begin at 1.
1813 Columbia Rd., NW
Chef Cedric Maupillier offers the chance to go à la carte on Thanksgiving amid many tasting menus, with a lineup of appetizers ($14), entrées ($24), desserts ($8), and complimentary family-style sides. Mintwood classics—steak tartare, wood-grilled dorade, and brownie sundaes—are offered alongside traditional turkey and stuffing.
Details: À la carte; noon to 8.
800 Connecticut Ave., NW
Chef Tony Conte serves a three-course holiday menu with creative New American dishes like scallop crudo with cranberries, and crispy salmon with horseradish and truffle vinaigrette.
Details: $50 per person (surcharges can apply for certain dishes); served noon to 8:30.
633 D St., NW; 1190 New Hampshire Ave., NW
Looking for something a little different? Try Indian-style Thanksgiving specials, such as dum ka turkey hot pot with saffron and cashews at West End, or turkey salli in Penn Quarter cooked with apricots and potatoes ($16 each).
Details: À la carte. Both are open from 11:30 to 2:30 for lunch, 5 to 10 for dinner.
42461 Lovettsville Rd., Lovettsville
Chef Tarver King is known for crafting avant-garde dishes using local ingredients, including many harvested and foraged on the property. Thanksgiving menus have not yet been released, but you can expect more of the same.
Details: $79 per person. Served noon to 4.
1226 36th St., NW
Get into the holiday mood at this historic Georgetown spot, which serves an à-la-carte menu with dishes such as fried oysters and maple-glazed ham, as well as a three-course traditional turkey supper.
Details: À la carte, or $54 for three courses.
2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church
Both meat-eaters and vegetarians alike will find three-course set menus from chef Bertrand Chemel, including a turkey entrée for carnivores and a bountiful plate of roasted squash, cauliflower amandine, fried Brussels sprouts, and more for the meatless crowd.
Details: $69 per person; $50 for vegetarian; $25 for children 12 and under. Served 11 to 8.
903 N St., NW
Don’t feel like tasting menus? Try chef Frederik De Pue‘s all-you-can-eat feast with turkey, beef tenderloin, salmon tartiflette, stuffings, and a variety of veggie sides.
Details: $95 per person; $35 children 12 and under. Served in three seatings (11:30, 1:20, and 3:30).
1990 M St., NW
Go Southern for Turkey Day at this Washington classic, which serves an à-la-carte menu with oyster pan roasts, glazed pork rib chops, mac and cheese, and more.
Details: À la carte. Served noon to 8.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
