2025 Thanksgiving Day Restaurant Openings, Catering Options, & More in the Champaign-Urbana Area
This list will continue to grow and change, so please let us know what we're missing by emailing our Director of Marketing at CristyG@experiencecu.org.
Thanksgiving can be a full day—whether you’re celebrating with family, friends, neighbors, or flying solo. If you’re dining out, ordering catering, or just craving a holiday treat, here’s your guide to local spots ready to help you enjoy a flavor-packed Thanksgiving.
Open for Thanksgiving
Champaign
Neil St. Blues
Neil St. Blues will be open for their 7th Annual Thanksgiving Day Buffet 11am–5pm, with an all-you-can-eat Southern-style dinner—$40 for adults, $20 for children under 12. Call 217-531-1150 for more information or to make reservations.
Savoy
Smoky’s House BBQ
Let Smoky’s do the cooking on Thanksgiving Day! From 11am to 9pm, enjoy their full menu plus holiday specials like smoked ham, smoked turkey legs, BBQ turkey egg rolls, and pecan pie. Call 217-355-2272 to reserve your table or order takeout (large order deadline is November 23 at 7:30pm).
Catering
Although these establishments are not open on Thanksgiving Day, you can order full meals, turkeys, sides, and desserts.
Champaign
Hickory River Smokehouse
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 20 to secure an order of a smoked whole turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, gravy, and rolls. You can also bring home a smoked half-ham instead of a turkey if you choose! Pick-up is 10am–1pm on Thanksgiving Day.
Maize at the Station
Looking for a twist on your traditional Thanksgiving dinner? Pre-order some Thanksgiving tamales by November 23 online! You can choose between chicken verde, pork roja, or veggies tamales. Be sure to pair it with sides like rice, beans, chips, pozole, conchitas, and margaritas! Pick-up will be on November 26, 2–6pm.
Martinelli’s Market
Pre-orders are open now for the Thanksgiving CSA box: Farm to Feast ($150)! The box includes items from CI Bakehouse, Martinelli’s, Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, and more. It will provide you with everything you need for an artisan charcuterie board and bread service with a recipe card and ingredients for a gourmet side meant for sharing. Also included is a locally baked pumpkin pie for dessert. NOTE: You can also pair your box with a farm-fresh, locally raised turkey. Order now by emailing office@martinellismarket.com. Pickup is November 15–22 at Martinelli’s Market.
Olde Time Meat and Deli
Olde Time Meat and Deli’s turkeys are a favorite for many locals. You can order fresh, Amish, free-range birds by calling 217-355-0000. (Order early for best availability!) They’ll also have bone-in and boneless turkey breast, plus whole and half hams. Quantities are limited, so reserve asap.
Urbana
Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage
Baldarotta’s is offering pre-ordered Thanksgiving dinners. Each dinner item is sold by the pound with a choice of porketta or turkey entrée, sides, a salad, and mini pumpkin cheesecake. Online orders must be placed by noon on November 23; pickup will be November 26, 2–5:45pm.
Common Ground Food Co-op
From November 21 through 26, Common Ground Co-op will transform their grab-n-go case with Thanksgiving entrées, 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. You can also pre-order a local turkey from Triple S Farms.
Piato Cafe
Piato Café is offering catering options 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. Desserts at Piato for Thanksgiving are also staple of many who have ordered Turkey Day helpings for years, from turtle pumpkin cheesecake to whiskey apple crumble pie. Call 217-344-9015 or email info@piatocafe.com to order your meals—the deadline for orders is November 22 at noon. Pickup for orders is on November 26, 10am–1pm. (Delivery is available for an extra charge.)
arthur
Pauly’s BBQ
At Pauly’s BBQ, right in the heart of Amish Country, you can choose from two meal package sizes—small (2–4 people) or large (10–12 people)—perfect for family dinners, office gatherings, or Friendsgiving feasts! Each package includes choice of meat (turkey, ham, or brisket), three sides, dessert, and cornbread. Extra sides and desserts—with or without meal purchase—are available as well. Please call 217-543-2400 to place your order—deadline is November 17!
Desserts & Bakery
The unsung favorite among families—Thanksgiving desserts! Whether you’re craving chocolate, apple crumble, fresh-baked bread, or all the pies, these options will satisfy your holiday sweet-tooth.
Champaign
Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch
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 them online! Each order needs 24 hours’ notice, so call and make sure you can get your sweets in time (note: order-ahead policies may be subject to change for the holiday season). On top of donuts, they also bake a number of pies and cobblers to order, so don’t delay.
Hunny Bunny Bakes
Thanksgiving will be here before you know it! Let's take something off your growing to-do list, and let Hunny Bunny Bakes make the pies (apple, pumpkin, and pecan) this holiday. Order online by November 17; pickup is November 25–26.
Urbana
BakeLab
Craving something unique and decadent? Bakelab’s autumn reverie hojicha and pecan mousse cake—$80, serves 6–8—is a holiday must! Each component is designed for balance — the roasted depth of hojicha, the buttery warmth of pecan, and the quiet, aromatic depth of sake and caramel coming together in a calm, lingering finish. Order online by November 24; pickup is November 27, noon–6pm at the Urbana location.
Good Judys Espresso & Bagel Bar
Order Good Judys CU-style bagels for a Thanksgiving warm-up! Orders can be submitted on our website or by emailing info@goodjudyscu.com (deadline is November 25 by end of day). Pick up your bagel-box order on Thanksgiving Day, 6–9am—they’ll be serving coffee drinks then, too, so you can fuel up for the day ahead!
savoy
RegCakes
Gluten-free baking goodness! Enjoy fully baked dinner rolls, homemade stuffing mix, pumpkin cake rolls, fall cookie boxes, and cinnamon rolls! Some items are also dairy free or vegan. Order online or call/text 217-417-8577 by November 14; pickup is November 21–26.
Monticello
Mo’s Dough
Mo's Dough has evolved into a haven for those who appreciate the nuance of handcrafted, slow-fermented sourdough. Online pre-order their artisan bread loaves, turkey-shaped sourdough, pumpkin dinner rolls, and cookies (chocolate chip or maple-glazed oatmeal) for porch pickup on November 26.
Pies by Inge
Since 1990, Pies by Inge has brought their extensive collection of delicious downhome recipes from their family to yours. Their pies range from traditional pumpkin to bourbon chocolate pecan. Sugar-free and gluten-free options are also available. Order online today.
seasonal specials
Okay, maybe your Thanksgiving is already covered, but you’ve just been craving hearty holiday food all month. Here are some options to check out.
Champaign
Forage Kitchen
Forage Kitchen’s Thanksgiving Bowl is available November 10–30 (closed on Thanksgiving Day). It includes fluffy mashed potatoes, hearty herb stuffing, sweet potatoes, gravy, crispy onions, dried cranberries, and green onion. It’s served with your choice of savory turkey meatballs or roasted tofu. Butternut squash soup is also available. Both are available in-store as well as online for pickup or delivery.
The Literary
Although not open on Thanksgiving Day, the Literary will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Black Friday, and Small Business Saturday during Thanksgiving week! They'll offer pastries, seasonal cocktail specials, and a delicious brunch menu that will keep you coming back for more. (Be sure check out their hot chocolate bar during the Parade of Lights on Saturday.)
Martinelli's Market
From now until November 15, Martinelli’s is offering The Gobbler (roasted turkey layered with house-made cranberry sauce, Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery goat cheese spread, and fresh arugula on Central Illinois Bakehouse’s 7-grain bread); as well as a delectable butternut squash soup. Then, November 16–30, cozy up with their filling bison chili and housemade cornbread. (Closed on Thanksgiving Day.)
Pekara
November-flavored treats and sips abound at Pekara! Start your morning with a pumpkin crèpe—filled with rich, spiced pumpkin cream and finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Treat yourself to festive croughnuts in apple cider and pumpkin pie flavors, or savor delicate pumpkin pie macarons. Pair it all with a seasonal latte—pumpkin, butter pecan, or caramel apple—served hot or iced. (Closed on Thanksgiving Day.)
tuscola
Flesor’s Candy, Tuscola
Flesor’s features a wonderful selection of holiday-themed sweets for you and your family to indulge in! Stop 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 before Thanksgiving—Harvest Market in Champaign also carries Flesor’s treats.
Wishing you a restful, safe, and DELICIOUS Thanksgiving! If we missed a favorite, share it with us so we can add it. Many spots have limited quantities and special hours, so be sure to check menus, preorder deadlines, and pickup times before you go. A little planning (and a lot of gratitude for the teams working the holiday) goes a long way!