2024 Thanksgiving Day Restaurant Openings and Catering Options in the Champaign-Urbana Area
Thanksgiving is a busy day for families, and not just for those who are cooking! Whether you're looking to dine out, order catering for the family, or satisfy that holiday sweet-tooth, here's a guide of places & caterers that you could grab a meal on Thanksgiving!
Due to demands and inventory of various storefronts & restaurants, this list is likely to change and grow.
WHAT RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN ON THANKSGIVING DAY IN THE CHAMPAIGN-URBANA AREA
If you're looking for a restaurant or bar to visit on Thanksgiving Day, then here's your list of all of the spots to consider in-town!
119 W. Water St., Urbana | 217-367-8175
Hours Open: 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
2101 N. Kenyon Rd., Urbana | 217-344-9087
Hours Open: Check website for hours
702 W. Town Center Blvd., Champaign | 217-359-7044
Hours Open: 24 Hours
106 N. Walnut St, Champaign | 217-398-5858
Hours Open: 11:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Kohinoor Indian Restaurant and Lounge
6 E Columbia Ave, Champaign
Hours Open: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
134 W. Church St., Champaign | 217-552-1834
Hours Open: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
1510 S. Neil St., Champaign | 217-352-5399
Hours Open: 6:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
301 N. Neil St., Champaign | 217-531-1150
Thanksgiving Buffet: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Reservations strongly recommended (last table to take around 3-3:30)
1609 W. Springfield Ave., Champaign | 217-351-1993
Hours Open: 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
741 Broadmeadow Rd., Rantoul | 217-893-0471
Open Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
403-B N. Race St., Urbana | 217-344-2770
Open Hours: 5:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
PLACES TO ORDER THANKSGIVING MEALS & CATERING IN THE CHAMPAIGN-URBANA AREA
Whether you're hosting your family, friends, or just the usual suspects around the dinner table, catering for Thanksgiving Day in Champaign County provides numerous options for you and yours!
This list will likely continue to grow and change, so please let us know what we're missing by emailing our Digital Content Manager at marcusf@experiencecu.org
Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage
Baldarotta’s is offering pre-ordered Thanksgiving dinners from its new location on Griggs St! Each dinner item is sold by the pound with a choice of entree, side, and a salad (plus cannoli desserts that serve 4). Orders must be placed by 11/24 at noon, for pickup on Wednesday 11/27 between 3:00–7:00 p.m. Email your order to info@baldarottas.com.
Big Grove itself will not be open for Thanksgiving, but you can order full Thanksgiving meals featuring an 18lb Turkey, stuffing, street corn, mashed potatoes, and savory gravy—individual orders, sides, wine bottles, and their most recent barrel-pick Rye Whiskey! Be sure to place your order by emailing thanksgiving@biggrovetavern.com.
Starting November 22 going into November 27, Common Ground Co-Op will transform their Grab-N-Go Case with Thanksgiving entrees, sides, seasonal pies, and baked goods. This menu also offers a wide variety of vegan and gluten-free options! Click here to see their full menu.
A favorite for Texas-style barbeque and smokehouse style cuisine, Hickory River Smokehouse in both Champaign and Urbana are offering Thanksgiving catering. Order by November 22nd to secure an order of turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, gravy, and rolls. You can also bring home a smoked ham instead of a turkey if you choose! Pick-up times are between 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Hickory River Smokehouse will be closed for normal service on Thanksgiving, however, they will be open for Thanksgiving pick-up orders from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Looking for a twist on your traditional Thanksgiving dinner? Pre-order some Thanksgiving tamales by 11/25! You can choose between verde, roja, or veggies tamales. Be sure to pair it with sides like rice and beans or margaritas! Pick-up will be on Wednesday, 11/27.
Neil St Blues will be open for their 5th Annual Thanksgiving Day Buffet from 11:00 am–5:00 p.m. All you can eat buffet dinner - $40 for adults, $20 for children under 12. Call 217-531-1150 for more information or to make reservations.
Olde Time Meat and Deli is a Champaign staple and their turkeys are a favorite for many locals. You can order fresh, Amish, free-range birds by calling (217) 355-0000 to place your order. As of November 19, 18+ lbs turkeys are available, plus whole hams and half hams! Reserve yours before they run out.
If you're itching for a bit of a smoked Thanksgiving, then be sure to pre-order some Thanksgiving Catering from Project 47 Smokehouse! Options include a 12 to 14lb turkey with a pint of cranberry bbq sauce, with sides available for an additional cost. You can pick your order up at Project 47 on Thanksgiving from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Be sure to get your orders in! Limited quantities available. To reserve your turkey, call Project 47 Smokehouse at (217) 586-3456. Payment is due when you order.
Red Wheel Restaurant in Rantoul is ready to house your family, big or small—for Thanksgiving Day! Open from 7:00 am–3:00 p.m., they have a back-room for bigger parties, as well as tables up front to push together. Their holiday specials include half ribs and sirloin steak, beer-battered cod, roasted pork and dressing, roasted turkey, pork, and ham for the kids, and so much more. To reserve your spot, you can call them at 217-893-0471. Otherwise, walk-ins are completely welcome!
Piato Café is offering options for catering this year that come in four parts. First, choose a bird, with options for turkey or a vegetarian Acorn Stuffed Squash. Then, choose everything from sides to vegetables, as well as a mouthwatering dessert. Because the catering option provides food at a per-person ordering system, everyone can get exactly what they want, which makes for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.
It's not all about dinner, however. Desserts at Piato for Thanksgiving are a staple of many who have ordered Turkey Day helpings for years. From spiced sweet potato pies to pumpkin bread pudding, the options at Piato are fit for an autumnal banquet. Call or email to order your meals today - the deadline for orders is November 23rd at Noon. Pickup for orders are on November 22nd from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
DESSERTS
The unsung favorite among families—Thanksgiving desserts! Whether you’re craving chocolate, apple crumble, fresh-baked bread, or all of the pies, refer to these lists of businesses to satisfy your holiday sweet-tooth.
PEKARA BAKERY & BISTRO
Artisan rolls, pies & cakes, pastries, goodies from Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery and more await over at Pekara Bakery & Bistro! Their Holiday Pre-Order Page on their website has an image for every menu-item available so you don't have to guess. All holiday items are baked fresh with no preservatives, and you can check out the Central Illinois Bakehouse Bread Care Guide for storage best practices.
Orders must be placed at least 5 days in advance.
FLESOR’S CANDY
Flesor’s Candy will not be open during Thanksgiving, but they do have a wonderful selection of holiday-themed sweets for you and your family to indulge in! Stop on into their store and enjoy chocolate turkeys, caramel apples, chocolate cornucopias, seasonal gummies, and candy basket boxes! Don’t worry if you can’t make the trip out to Tuscola—they also sell their candies at Harvest Market in Champaign!
CURTIS ORCHARD
Have you ever ordered ahead from Curtis Orchard’s bakery? Those apple cider donuts might be the perfect way to kick off Thanksgiving this year, so consider ordering something from their website! Each order needs 24 hours notice, but rules and policies apply to ordering ahead, and may even change for the holiday, so call and make sure you can get your sweets in time! On top of donuts, they also bake a number of pies and cobblers to order, so don’t delay!
THE LITERARY
The Literary will not be open for Thanksgiving Day, but will be open on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday (be sure to check out their Hot Chocolae Bar during the Parade of Lights on November 30), but all throughout Thanksgiving week, they'll provide pastries, cocktail specials, and a delicious brunch menu that will keep you coming back for more.
HOPSCOTCH BAKERY + MARKET
If you’ve had Hopscotch baked goods, then you know why so many love ordering from them for Thanksgiving. This year's list of Thanksgiving options can be found at their Hopscotch Thanksgiving pre-order website. Favorites including pumpkin cheesecake, Bourbon Sweet potato Pie, Apple Cranberry Pie with Oat Crumble, Mini Brown Butter Pecan Pie, and more are back. Pick-up is on November 27.