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Thanksgiving feast
Thanksgiving feast from Cardellino
Devin Castaneda

Where to Dine In or Get Takeout for Thanksgiving in San Diego

Celebrate this year’s turkey day with these delectable options.

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Thanksgiving feast from Cardellino
| Devin Castaneda

On a day to give thanks, it’s easy to be grateful for the fantastic dining options in a sunny SoCal locale, located on the Indigenous lands of the Kumeyaay people. Show appreciation to the many restaurants that offer spaces to bask in the sun, while breathing in a sigh of relief that there’s no battle in sight against sleet and snow to shovel out your cars to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Whether you’re hosting or feasting with family at a chef-driven meal, there are a variety of options for dining out or bringing home a gourmet meal with foolproof instructions to be served at home. From the traditional turkey with all the fixings to French and Mediterranean twists to spice up the standards, there’s something for everyone to change up this year’s Thanksgiving menu.

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Adelaide

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This Del Mar restaurant with vista views of the Pacific Ocean is hosting an all-day Thanksgiving buffet with Chef Nick Green’s signature seafood inflections on the traditional meal. Highlights include pumpkin bisque with crab fritter and candied chipotle, prime rib roast, fennel glazed salmon with tamarind, and seafood display with shrimp cocktail poke, crab claws, and oysters. The cost is $165 per adult and $80 per child. After 5 p.m., parties can book a table at Adelaide for an abbreviated dinner menu. 

oysters, fish, bread
Dinner spread with oysters and fish.
Adelaide

Great Maple La Jolla UTC

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The Westfield UTC La Jolla location will be serving a Thanksgiving brunch with seasonal cocktails, as well as a three-course turkey dinner pickup for $44.95, including a butternut squash bisque and roasted turkey breast entrée, and pumpkin pie in a ginger graham cracker crust. Pre-orders and reservations are recommended. The Hillcrest location will be hosting a sit-down Thanksgiving dinner for $75 per person. The holiday meal will be featuring a roasted medley of pumpkin, butternut and acorn squash soup topped with toasted hazelnuts, followed by main course selections like a roasted turkey breast with brioche thyme stuffing or pistachio toasted sea scallops.

A photo of pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin pie.
Great Maple

George's at the Cove

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This year, George’s at the Cove is serving a three-course prix fixe menu in the Ocean View Room with roasted turkey, along with sausage and chestnut-stuffed leg and potato puree with turkey gravy for $85 per person. The turkey special will also be available along with the regular menu at the Ocean Terrace and Level2. George’s bourbon pecan and brown butter apple crumb pies are also available for pre-order. Book a table with premium seating closest to the sea, which includes credit toward food and drinks.

Thanksgiving pies at George’s at the Cove.
Thanksgiving pies.
George’s at the Cove

Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering

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Chef Giuseppe Ciuffa is putting together a full Thanksgiving dinner menu for delivery or pick up at the Morena Boulevard catering kitchen. Hors d’oeuvres choices consist of roasted squash skewers and fresh lobster salad. Choices of side dishes include Giuseppe’s cranberry-orange chutney, organic quinoa, or truffle and parmesan Yukon gold mashed potatoes. Of course, there’s the ever-important turkey, all roasted and carved, to simplify the presentation. Choose from a range of desserts from pumpkin and pecan pies or Giuseppe’s carrot cake. 

Et Voilà! French Bistro

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One of the best French restaurants in the area is paying tribute to the American holiday with a lovely Francophile twist to amp up the classics. The three-course prix fixe menu includes choices of smoked salmon with shaved cured egg yolks and pickled cucumber; roasted beef prime rib with haricot vert and cabernet sauce; followed by their decadent dark chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis, which is also offered on their daily menu. The event costs $60 for adults while children can attend for $25.

A photo of dark chocolate mousse with ginger-cinnamon cookie and raspberry coulis
Dark chocolate mousse with ginger-cinnamon cookie and raspberry coulis.
Helen I. Hwang

Cardellino

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The Trust Restaurant Group behind Cardellino, which also operates Trust, Fort Oak and Rare Society, will provide a feast for eight or more guests that can be picked up the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at their Mission Hills Cardellino restaurant. (Their restaurants will be closed to give their hardworking staff a day with their loved ones.) You even get breakfast and coffee for Black Friday recovery so you can relax throughout the long Thanksgiving weekend. Customers will receive a hefty Heritage turkey (18-20 pounds), which is the only dish that will need to be cooked with detailed directions from Chef Brad Wise. Other accouterments include roasted brussels sprouts with apples with maple paprika butter, Italian sausage stuffing made with sourdough bread and dried cranberries, and cookie butter ice cream.

Thanksgiving feast to go.
Thanksgiving feast at Cardellino.
Devin Castaneda

Parc Bistro-Brasserie

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The Bankers Hill French casual bistro will offer a three-course prix fixe menu from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for $65 per person. Entree highlights include the traditional turkey, rack of lamb e cassoulet, and Alaskan salmon en croute with scallop mousse with mashed potatoes and champagne beurre blanc. Accompaniments available are Parc’s Famous Deviled Eggs and escargot du Bourgogne. End your meal with pumpkin mascarpone pie. 

A photo of salmon en croute.
Alaskan salmon en croute.
Parc Bistro-Brasserie

This cool, contemporary East Village restaurant, helmed by Chef Travis Swikard, is adding a Mediterranean twist to the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Options include Lebanese muhammara, pumpkin carmelle with amaretti crumble, Moroccan lamb shank tagine, or the requisite turkey served with Tuscan sage sausage. The dessert choices include Turkish rice pudding or pumpkin cheesecake. The cost is $90 per person.

A man wearing an apron holding a platter with a roasted turkey.
The portions at Callie are no joke.
Kelly Wood

Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine

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Downtown’s Lionfish offer its own take on Thanksgiving eve, giving Chef Jojo Ruiz room to play. Head here for country-fried turkey cutlets with buttermilk biscuits, red eye gravy, and a fried farm egg for $35. Wash down your meal with seasonal cocktails like pear in thyme and fig in the rye.

A photo of a dish from Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine.
Gorgeous plating is just one feature of dinner at Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine,
Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine

Serea Coastal Cuisine

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Helmed by Chef JoJo Ruiz, the historic Hotel del Coronado’s Serea is serving a three-course prix fixe tasting menu for Thanksgiving featuring duck tajin and chocolate profiterole puff. Tickets for adults cost $135 per person, $45 for children between the ages of 4 and 10, and kids 3 and younger eat free. Other menu highlights include lobster and late harvest corn chowder, slow-roasted and lightly smoked turkey, and a roasted two-pound lobster.

A cutting board of food.
Sugar-dusted treats at Serea.
Serea Coastal Cuisine

Head down to Imperial Beach’s Sea180 for a three-course Thanksgiving. Try the oven-roasted turkey, chile relleno, or surf and turf for an additional $20. Dessert highlights include the traditional pumpkin pie or a sweet potato sticky bun. View the entire menu online. The price is $65.95 for adults and $12.95 for children 12 and under.

A photo of the interior of a restaurant.
The dining room at Sea180.
Sea180

Tom Ham's Lighthouse

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The iconic San Diego restaurant at the end of Harbor Island is offering a smorgasbord of seasonal favorites. The carving station will have free-range turkey with rosemary gravy and roasted tri-tip. Other accompaniments include clam chowder, brown sugar sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and creamy green beans. The grand seafood bar will have Maine lobster claws along with oysters and scallops on the half-shell. The affair cost $72 for adults, $24 for kids between the ages of 6 and 12, and children under the age of 5 can attend for free. 

A phot of a carving station
The carving station at Tom Ham’s.
Tom Ham’s Lighthouse.

Addison

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The only two-starred Michelin restaurant in San Diego will be opening its doors on Thanksgiving for an eight-course elegant meal. Chef William Bradley puts a California gastronomic spin on traditional classics. Highlights include the coffee-roasted duck with candied peanuts and cranberries, pumpkin gnocchi with white truffles and smoked salmon with autumn flavors. The culinary experience costs $385 per person with optional wine pairings. The dining room will be open from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

A photo of sushi.
Addison Restaurant.
Eric Wolfinger

The Marine Room

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Acclaimed executive chef Mike Minor is whipping up a Thanksgiving dinner in the recently renovated restaurant with a spectacular view of La Jolla Shores. Guests can make selections from the special holiday menu that includes rainbow beet salad, coconut harissa kabocha squash soup, braised wagyu beef cheek with Oaxacan au jus, or herb brushed turkey with chestnuts and cranberry kumquat compote and Amish whipped potatoes. 

A photo of salmon cones with Ora king salmon belly, coriander, lime, kaluga caviar
Salmon cones with Ora king salmon belly, coriander, lime, kaluga caviar.
The Marine Room

Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters

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The latest outpost from Chef Trey Foshee of Georges at the Cove, Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill and Oysters, will open for Thanksgiving dinner with dishes that can be ordered a la carte. Sandpiper’s menu highlights include slow-roasted turkey breast or prime rib, smoked turkey collard greens, cornbread and sausage stuffing, and Aly’s pecan pie. Many of the dishes are batched together to serve a group of four, starting at $115 and available for pickup if ordered the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. 

Omni La Costa Resort & Spa

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There are a few options at the Omni La Costa resort to take care of those Thanksgiving cravings while enjoying the winter decor festooning the grounds. The chef’s champagne Thanksgiving brunch features carved meats along with a seafood bar and a children’s buffet with the Poinsettia Princess making an appearance. The cost is $140 per adult and $65 for children ages 4 to 10. Bob’s Steak and Chop House will be serving a prix fixe menu featuring prime Midwestern meats. The restaurant will also be offering Thanksgiving take-home boxes for four, including butter-basted turkey, croissant stuffing, and a pumpkin pie. 

Covewood Restaurant

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Set on the grounds of the San Diego Mission Bay Resort, guests can order two appetizers and three entrees for the table to share family style. An artisan bread board with pumpkin butter kicks off the meal with entree options including cider-brined organic turkey or cedar-planked salmon.

A kid-friendly three-course meal is available for $25 while the adult prix fixe menu is $75 per person.

An octopus dish.
Octopus dish at Covewood.
Lucianna McIntosh

Mister A's

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In the newly remodeled dining area with a spectacular view of the city skyline from 12 stories above, Mr. A’s will be opening its doors for a Thanksgiving meal for $95 per person. Executive chef Stephane Voitzwinkler’s prix fixe menu includes choices like lobster bisque, roasted Diestel Farm turkey, A’s black truffle mac & cheese, or pumpkin creme brulee.

remodeled dining area
Interior of remodeled dining area.
Kimberly Motos

Herb & Wood

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In Little Italy, Chef Brian Malarkey adds a Mediterranean and Mexican-inspired flair to the traditional Thanksgiving spread. Guests can choose from a turkey roulade with lemon rosemary stuffing, lamb shank, or a brown butter blondie with pumpkin mousse. Adults are $92 and children are $38.

Thanksgiving feast
Thanksgiving feast at Herb & Wood.
James Tran

Adelaide

This Del Mar restaurant with vista views of the Pacific Ocean is hosting an all-day Thanksgiving buffet with Chef Nick Green’s signature seafood inflections on the traditional meal. Highlights include pumpkin bisque with crab fritter and candied chipotle, prime rib roast, fennel glazed salmon with tamarind, and seafood display with shrimp cocktail poke, crab claws, and oysters. The cost is $165 per adult and $80 per child. After 5 p.m., parties can book a table at Adelaide for an abbreviated dinner menu. 

oysters, fish, bread
Dinner spread with oysters and fish.
Adelaide

Great Maple La Jolla UTC

The Westfield UTC La Jolla location will be serving a Thanksgiving brunch with seasonal cocktails, as well as a three-course turkey dinner pickup for $44.95, including a butternut squash bisque and roasted turkey breast entrée, and pumpkin pie in a ginger graham cracker crust. Pre-orders and reservations are recommended. The Hillcrest location will be hosting a sit-down Thanksgiving dinner for $75 per person. The holiday meal will be featuring a roasted medley of pumpkin, butternut and acorn squash soup topped with toasted hazelnuts, followed by main course selections like a roasted turkey breast with brioche thyme stuffing or pistachio toasted sea scallops.

A photo of pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin pie.
Great Maple

George's at the Cove

This year, George’s at the Cove is serving a three-course prix fixe menu in the Ocean View Room with roasted turkey, along with sausage and chestnut-stuffed leg and potato puree with turkey gravy for $85 per person. The turkey special will also be available along with the regular menu at the Ocean Terrace and Level2. George’s bourbon pecan and brown butter apple crumb pies are also available for pre-order. Book a table with premium seating closest to the sea, which includes credit toward food and drinks.

Thanksgiving pies at George’s at the Cove.
Thanksgiving pies.
George’s at the Cove

Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering

Chef Giuseppe Ciuffa is putting together a full Thanksgiving dinner menu for delivery or pick up at the Morena Boulevard catering kitchen. Hors d’oeuvres choices consist of roasted squash skewers and fresh lobster salad. Choices of side dishes include Giuseppe’s cranberry-orange chutney, organic quinoa, or truffle and parmesan Yukon gold mashed potatoes. Of course, there’s the ever-important turkey, all roasted and carved, to simplify the presentation. Choose from a range of desserts from pumpkin and pecan pies or Giuseppe’s carrot cake. 

Et Voilà! French Bistro

One of the best French restaurants in the area is paying tribute to the American holiday with a lovely Francophile twist to amp up the classics. The three-course prix fixe menu includes choices of smoked salmon with shaved cured egg yolks and pickled cucumber; roasted beef prime rib with haricot vert and cabernet sauce; followed by their decadent dark chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis, which is also offered on their daily menu. The event costs $60 for adults while children can attend for $25.

A photo of dark chocolate mousse with ginger-cinnamon cookie and raspberry coulis
Dark chocolate mousse with ginger-cinnamon cookie and raspberry coulis.
Helen I. Hwang

Cardellino

The Trust Restaurant Group behind Cardellino, which also operates Trust, Fort Oak and Rare Society, will provide a feast for eight or more guests that can be picked up the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at their Mission Hills Cardellino restaurant. (Their restaurants will be closed to give their hardworking staff a day with their loved ones.) You even get breakfast and coffee for Black Friday recovery so you can relax throughout the long Thanksgiving weekend. Customers will receive a hefty Heritage turkey (18-20 pounds), which is the only dish that will need to be cooked with detailed directions from Chef Brad Wise. Other accouterments include roasted brussels sprouts with apples with maple paprika butter, Italian sausage stuffing made with sourdough bread and dried cranberries, and cookie butter ice cream.

Thanksgiving feast to go.
Thanksgiving feast at Cardellino.
Devin Castaneda

Parc Bistro-Brasserie

The Bankers Hill French casual bistro will offer a three-course prix fixe menu from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for $65 per person. Entree highlights include the traditional turkey, rack of lamb e cassoulet, and Alaskan salmon en croute with scallop mousse with mashed potatoes and champagne beurre blanc. Accompaniments available are Parc’s Famous Deviled Eggs and escargot du Bourgogne. End your meal with pumpkin mascarpone pie. 

A photo of salmon en croute.
Alaskan salmon en croute.
Parc Bistro-Brasserie

Callie

This cool, contemporary East Village restaurant, helmed by Chef Travis Swikard, is adding a Mediterranean twist to the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Options include Lebanese muhammara, pumpkin carmelle with amaretti crumble, Moroccan lamb shank tagine, or the requisite turkey served with Tuscan sage sausage. The dessert choices include Turkish rice pudding or pumpkin cheesecake. The cost is $90 per person.

A man wearing an apron holding a platter with a roasted turkey.
The portions at Callie are no joke.
Kelly Wood

Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine

Downtown’s Lionfish offer its own take on Thanksgiving eve, giving Chef Jojo Ruiz room to play. Head here for country-fried turkey cutlets with buttermilk biscuits, red eye gravy, and a fried farm egg for $35. Wash down your meal with seasonal cocktails like pear in thyme and fig in the rye.

A photo of a dish from Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine.
Gorgeous plating is just one feature of dinner at Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine,
Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine

Serea Coastal Cuisine

Helmed by Chef JoJo Ruiz, the historic Hotel del Coronado’s Serea is serving a three-course prix fixe tasting menu for Thanksgiving featuring duck tajin and chocolate profiterole puff. Tickets for adults cost $135 per person, $45 for children between the ages of 4 and 10, and kids 3 and younger eat free. Other menu highlights include lobster and late harvest corn chowder, slow-roasted and lightly smoked turkey, and a roasted two-pound lobster.

A cutting board of food.
Sugar-dusted treats at Serea.
Serea Coastal Cuisine

SEA180

Head down to Imperial Beach’s Sea180 for a three-course Thanksgiving. Try the oven-roasted turkey, chile relleno, or surf and turf for an additional $20. Dessert highlights include the traditional pumpkin pie or a sweet potato sticky bun. View the entire menu online. The price is $65.95 for adults and $12.95 for children 12 and under.

A photo of the interior of a restaurant.
The dining room at Sea180.
Sea180

Tom Ham's Lighthouse

The iconic San Diego restaurant at the end of Harbor Island is offering a smorgasbord of seasonal favorites. The carving station will have free-range turkey with rosemary gravy and roasted tri-tip. Other accompaniments include clam chowder, brown sugar sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and creamy green beans. The grand seafood bar will have Maine lobster claws along with oysters and scallops on the half-shell. The affair cost $72 for adults, $24 for kids between the ages of 6 and 12, and children under the age of 5 can attend for free. 

A phot of a carving station
The carving station at Tom Ham’s.
Tom Ham’s Lighthouse.

Addison

The only two-starred Michelin restaurant in San Diego will be opening its doors on Thanksgiving for an eight-course elegant meal. Chef William Bradley puts a California gastronomic spin on traditional classics. Highlights include the coffee-roasted duck with candied peanuts and cranberries, pumpkin gnocchi with white truffles and smoked salmon with autumn flavors. The culinary experience costs $385 per person with optional wine pairings. The dining room will be open from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

A photo of sushi.
Addison Restaurant.
Eric Wolfinger

The Marine Room

Acclaimed executive chef Mike Minor is whipping up a Thanksgiving dinner in the recently renovated restaurant with a spectacular view of La Jolla Shores. Guests can make selections from the special holiday menu that includes rainbow beet salad, coconut harissa kabocha squash soup, braised wagyu beef cheek with Oaxacan au jus, or herb brushed turkey with chestnuts and cranberry kumquat compote and Amish whipped potatoes. 

A photo of salmon cones with Ora king salmon belly, coriander, lime, kaluga caviar
Salmon cones with Ora king salmon belly, coriander, lime, kaluga caviar.
The Marine Room

Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill & Oysters

The latest outpost from Chef Trey Foshee of Georges at the Cove, Sandpiper Wood Fired Grill and Oysters, will open for Thanksgiving dinner with dishes that can be ordered a la carte. Sandpiper’s menu highlights include slow-roasted turkey breast or prime rib, smoked turkey collard greens, cornbread and sausage stuffing, and Aly’s pecan pie. Many of the dishes are batched together to serve a group of four, starting at $115 and available for pickup if ordered the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. 

Related Maps

Omni La Costa Resort & Spa

There are a few options at the Omni La Costa resort to take care of those Thanksgiving cravings while enjoying the winter decor festooning the grounds. The chef’s champagne Thanksgiving brunch features carved meats along with a seafood bar and a children’s buffet with the Poinsettia Princess making an appearance. The cost is $140 per adult and $65 for children ages 4 to 10. Bob’s Steak and Chop House will be serving a prix fixe menu featuring prime Midwestern meats. The restaurant will also be offering Thanksgiving take-home boxes for four, including butter-basted turkey, croissant stuffing, and a pumpkin pie. 

Covewood Restaurant

Set on the grounds of the San Diego Mission Bay Resort, guests can order two appetizers and three entrees for the table to share family style. An artisan bread board with pumpkin butter kicks off the meal with entree options including cider-brined organic turkey or cedar-planked salmon.

A kid-friendly three-course meal is available for $25 while the adult prix fixe menu is $75 per person.

An octopus dish.
Octopus dish at Covewood.
Lucianna McIntosh

Mister A's

In the newly remodeled dining area with a spectacular view of the city skyline from 12 stories above, Mr. A’s will be opening its doors for a Thanksgiving meal for $95 per person. Executive chef Stephane Voitzwinkler’s prix fixe menu includes choices like lobster bisque, roasted Diestel Farm turkey, A’s black truffle mac & cheese, or pumpkin creme brulee.

remodeled dining area
Interior of remodeled dining area.
Kimberly Motos

Herb & Wood

In Little Italy, Chef Brian Malarkey adds a Mediterranean and Mexican-inspired flair to the traditional Thanksgiving spread. Guests can choose from a turkey roulade with lemon rosemary stuffing, lamb shank, or a brown butter blondie with pumpkin mousse. Adults are $92 and children are $38.

Thanksgiving feast
Thanksgiving feast at Herb & Wood.
James Tran

Related Maps