WISCONSIN — Aromas of turkey, stuffing, cranberries and pie and distant sounds of the football game on TV will soon be filling the homes of many.
But with it comes long days of prep work, those pesky relatives getting in the way and many, many dishes. Did we mention dishes?
Luckily, several chain restaurants and many local ones are offering a Thanksgiving dinner, which you can enjoy by dining in or taking it home.
For those wanting to avoid the stress of making the big meal, here are places you can grab all your favorites without the hassle.
- Find Thanksgiving options in Milwaukee▼
- Find Thanksgiving options in Madison▼
- Find Thanksgiving options in Green Bay▼
- Find Thanksgiving options from area-chains▼
Milwaukee
Mason Street Grill
Open from 4 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 24, the Mason Street Grill will serve wood-grilled steaks, seafood and a special Thanksgiving turkey roulade. That will be served with haricot, verts, fig and pork sausage stuffing, and confit giblet gravy. You can make a reservation on their website.
Meyer’s Restaurant
This local restaurant will offer a larger family style meal as well as individual-style meal options. The family dinner is $25.95 for adults and $15.95 for children ages 4 to 10. It includes garden salad, roasted turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, bread, and pumpkin pie. The individual meals packed to-go are $23. You can pick that up or get it delivered.
Miss Molly’s Cafe + Pastry Shop
You can grab a take-and-heat meal kit from Miss Molly’s that includes sliced turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, sourdough stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, cornbread and maple butter. You can also pre-order pies.
Pfister Hotel
If you’re looking for a different take on your Thanksgiving meal, try the Pfister Hotel. They’re offering a Thanksgiving brunch buffet that’s $75 per adult, $30 per child ages 3 to 10. It includes chilled seafood, salads, Wisconsin cheeses, pastries, egg dishes, pastas, carved meats and traditional side dishes. The brunch takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the ballroom.
You can book reservations here: exploretock.com/the-pfister-hotel/event/370637/thanksgiving-bountiful-brunch.
Madison
Essen Haus
Serving up a tradition Thanksgiving buffet, Essen Haus offers roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, vegetables, cranberry sauce and an assortment of pies. You can also choose a beverage. It costs $29.95 for adults and $14.95 for kids ages 6 to 10. For kids 5 and under, the buffet is free. Reservations are required, so make sure to call in ahead.
Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company
All four locations of the Madison-based brewpub are open for Thanksgiving, but will serve different meal styles.
The downtown and East Madison locations are serving a plated dinner of roasted white and dark meat turkey, mashed potatoes, herbed stuffing, green beans, gravy made with American Pale Ale, cranberry sauce and a slice of pie. It costs $18.
Meanwhile, the Fitchburg and Hilldale locations will have an all-you-can-eat buffet that’s $30 for adults and $11 for kids 12 and under. That will run from noon until 8 p.m. Last seating will be at 7 p.m. It will feature a carving station and various sides and desserts. While they are not required, reservations are recommended.
Wisconsin Union
Located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, the Memorial Union will offer up reheatable individual and family meals for Thanksgiving. Students only pay $12 for a plate of turkey, ham, or vegetable if they use their WisCard.
Community members will pay $16 for a plate. Otherwise, they can buy a meal for six at $150. That includes choice of pie alongside massive servings of turkey, green beans, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry relish and sweet potatoes.
Pickup will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 23 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Tripp Commons. For those experiencing food insecurity on campus, the university also offers free meals.
Green Bay
The Ravine Pub & Grill
Open from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving, The Ravine will offer a Thanksgiving Day buffet. It will include turkey, baked and broasted chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetable salads, rolls and desserts. Customers can also get coffee and milk.
For adults, it costs $22.99 and for children ages 4 to 10, it will cost $11.99. For those 1 to 3, it will cost $5.99.
Swan Club
Complete with a salad bar, honey baked ham, roasted turkey, broasted chicken, tenderloin tips and sausage links, the Swan Club will host a brunch buffet from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving.
For adults, it’s $22.95. For those 65 and older, it costs $19.95. Children from 8 to 11 cost $12.95 and those ages 7 and under cost $6.95.
Biebel’s Catering and Rental
Available for pre-order are two different eight-person meals from the catering group.
The “traditional feast” option includes a roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and pumpkin or apple pie. It’s about $135 for 8 people, but you can add additional servings for $16.95 per person.
The second option, the “taste of Autumn",” includes an herb-roasted turkey, sausage and apple stuffing, Yukon gold potatoes and turkey gravy, orange glazed baby carrots, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, cranberry orange relish, parker house rolls and pumpkin or caramel sea salt apple pie. This option costs more, at $225. Additional servings can also be added to this option for $27.05 per person.
For both options, orders must be placed by Friday at 5 p.m. They can be picked up the day before thanksgiving on Nov. 23 from noon to 5 p.m.
Chain restaurants
Cracker Barrel
Open on Thanksgiving Day, people can dine-in or get the Heat n’ Serve options. The Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Feast includes a protein, sides, bread and dessert starting at $14.99. Cracker Barrel estimates that the meal serves between 8-10 people.
You could also get the Thanksgiving Heat n’ Serve Family Dinner which serves less, only 4-6 people. It includes oven-roasted turkey breast with gravy, sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, cranberry relish, choice of side, and sweet yeast rolls.
Meals are available for preorder starting now.
Whole Foods
You could pick up your ingredients to make a from-scratch meal, but you can also order a complete ready-to-heat feast. There are several options.
The roast turkey dinner serves eight and includes turkey, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry-orange sauce. You can also get a smaller meal for 4, a feast for 12 or a vegan meal.
Denny’s
You can pick up a turkey and dressing dinner pack from Denny’s for Thanksgiving. The whole meal includes carved turkey breast, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, bread and a choice of broccoli or corn. However, if you go this route, you must order 24 hours in advance.