The Best San Diego Restaurants for Thanksgiving Dinner
Dine in or opt for takeout this Thanksgiving
Updated
Helen I. Hwang is a freelance journalist who covers food, travel, and news. She worked in the food industry as a mechanical engineer for eight years, training as a “supertaster.” She then worked as an editor for the now-defunct Philadelphia City Paper where she first began writing about food, lifestyle, and news.
As Thanksgiving approaches, there’s much to be thankful for, including a plethora of feasts to choose from in San Diego‘s sunny Southern California expanse, located on the Indigenous lands of the Kumeyaay people. With chefs offering a California take on the holiday, inspired by a range of global cuisines, Thanksgiving menus around town range from classic dishes to creative spins on the standards. Turkey is no longer the only option; you’ll also find sushi, pasta dishes, chilled seafood, kare kare, and vegetarian plates.
Whether you’re gathering for a festive restaurant dinner or celebrating with family in the comfort of home, there are plenty of choices for this special occasion meal, including prix fixe menus, buffets, sit-down dinners, and takeout extravaganzas that come with foolproof cooking and heating instructions.
Ember & Rye
Overlooking the 18th green of the Aviara Golf Club, Ember and Rye will celebrate the holiday with a Thanksgiving brunch buffet and dinner. The brunch buffet runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a breakfast spread, crab toast, sushi, carving stations, and desserts. The full dinner menu will also be available. Particularly Instagram-worthy: the 40-ounce beef rib chop known as the Storm Breaker Cut and the Epic Snack Tower filled with oysters, ahi tuna tostada, and shrimp cocktail. Book via OpenTable.
Park Hyatt Aviara
Mille Fleurs
Executive chef Harrison Axelrod will feature American and French bistro plates along with Thanksgiving favorites in the quaint Rancho Santa Fe restaurant. For starters, consider the lobster bisque, Parisian gnocchi, or escargot, or upgrade to the iconic Mille Fleur lobster salad for $20. While the classic Diestel Farmily Ranch turkey is an option, prime Angus steak frites, almond-crusted seabass, vegetarian lion’s mane “steak,” and the Mille Fleurs Wienerschnitzel are also available. Desserts like a hazelnut pumpkin spice creme brulee and chocolate or vanilla profiteroles finish the menu. The meal costs $120 per adult and $49.50 per child.
Brynn Smith
Adelaide
Anchoring L’Auberge Del Mar, Adelaide is offering all-day options for Thanksgiving. The brunch buffet starts at 11:30 a.m. with dedicated stations for omelets, waffles, and pancakes, along with a carving station and duchess potatoes. The brunch cost is $130 per adult and $45 per child. Starting at 5 p.m., the restaurant will serve a three-course dinner with red kuri squash soup, Chilean seabass, maple-roasted turkey, and bread pudding. Dinner is priced at $160 per adult and $50 per child.
George’s at the Cove
George’s at the Cove will serve a family-style Thanksgiving dinner in its lower-level dining room that offers ocean views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Chef-partner Trey Foshee and executive chef Masa Kojima will include highlights like green salad studded with persimmon, pomegranate, and candied cashews, turkey breast and leg stuffed with sage sausage, Parmesan mashed potatoes, chile-roasted Japanese sweet potatoes with yuzu marshmallow, and green bean casserole topped with crispy shallots. End on pumpkin cake with creme fraiche mousse and pepita brittle. The dinner costs $90 per adult and $45 per child 12 and under. Seatings are available from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and reservations can be made on Tock. For a more casual alternative, head to the rooftop Ocean Terrace and dive into a Thanksgiving turkey plate special with a view of the Pacific.
George’s at the Cove
La Valencia Hotel
The landmark Pink Lady will host a three-course prix fixe menu from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. This year, the festive dishes will fuse Middle Eastern flavors with classic Thanksgiving ingredients. Highlights include honey roasted red kuri squash with beluga lentils, warm duck confit salad crowned with brandied cherries, herb-stuffed turkey, rack of lamb with citrus gremolata, and local spiny lobster accompanied by charred corn on the cob. The dinner costs $135 per adult and $45 per child.
La Valencia
Bahia Resort Hotel
The Bahia Resort Hotel will host a Thanksgiving feast in its Mission Bay Ballroom from noon to 6 p.m. Special dishes include apple cider-citrus-brined turkey, pepper-crusted Angus striploin, a ramen station, and pumpkin tarts. For a nautical experience (included with the meal), board the resort’s Victorian-style paddlewheel boat to meander around Mission Bay. The festive cruise encompasses kids’ activities like balloon art, holiday crafts, and face painting, alongside a cash bar for drinks and pumpkin pie. Three sailings are scheduled in the afternoon before the sun sets. Make a reservation now while you have the chance.
Bahia Resort Hotel
Morena Provisions
Part of the Urban Kitchen Group collective, this casual cafe and market is the pick-up spot for its Thanksgiving meals to-go. Led by Tracy Borkum and chef Tim Kolanko, who also operate Cucina Urbana, the Kitchen at MCSAD, and Artifact at Mingei, Morena Provisions is offering a menus that makes for an easy holiday at home. A la carte savory dishes range from $12 to $65. Selections include turkey breast roulade, herb-roasted salmon, cider-glazed sweet potatoes, and a cheese and charcuterie board. Desserts available to order include brandied pumpkin pie or apple berry crumble. For a complete Thanksgiving dinner for four people, a $250 package includes turkey breast roulade with braised leg meat, caramelized onion mashed potatoes, cacio e pepe green beans, Parker house rolls, and cranberry compote. Pick-up or delivery will be available on Wednesday, November 25, and orders can be made on Morena Provisions’ website by Friday, November 20.
Morena Provisions
Bleu Boheme
The lovely French restaurant in Kensington will serve a three-course Thanksgiving menu with myriad possibilities. Start with a pumpkin pie martini, then pair the meal with a wine from the restaurant’s impressive collection. Menu highlights include pumpkin-hominy soup; crab croquettes; salmon rillettes cured in rum; Diestel Family Ranch turkey confited and roasted in fresh herbs, served with bread pudding; Faroe Island salmon Oscar; beef bourguignon; and diver sea scallops in a saffron lobster risotto. For dessert, choose from warm brioche bread pudding with caramelized apples, dark Callebaut chocolate mousse, or crepe suzette with Grand Marnier glaze. The meal runs $88 per adult and $42 per child ages 12 and under.
Bleu Boheme
Et Voilà! French Bistro
One of the best French restaurants in the area will pay tribute to the American holiday with a charming Francophile twist. The three-course prix fixe menu includes options like roasted pumpkin soup topped with creme fraiche, braised turkey leg with mushroom stuffing, roasted turkey breast, seared salmon with winter squash gratin, braised beef short ribs, pumpkin pie with caramel whipped cream, and the popular mousse au chocolat noir. The meal costs $78 and will be served all day from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Helen I. Hwang
Finca
Finca’s Thanksgiving menu can be ordered on its website and picked up anytime between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25. Chef Joe Bower and his team are putting together a family-style feast that can feed four to five people; all dishes will be par-cooked and accompanied by specific warming instructions. The package includes a whole roasted duck with confit leg glazed with spiced honey, creamy potatoes au gratin, roasted pumpkin and squash with black garlic and maple glaze, and aged cheddar cornbread with chive butter. Dinner will be priced at $165, and diners can pick a bottle of Spanish wine from Finca’s unparalleled collection.
Finca
Crest Cafe
Celebrating 44 years in Hillcrest, the third-generation family-run café serves up a three-course Thanksgiving meal from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. All the food is made that day: The kitchen team starts preparing the homestyle dishes at 2 a.m. The $39.95 prix fixe includes choices like strawberry and walnut green salad with house-made Champagne vinaigrette, chile-citrus-glazed turkey breast, lemony green beans with leeks, and scalloped potatoes. End with pumpkin cheesecake or pecan pie. Reservations are available; take-out can be ordered from the restaurant.
Mister A’s
With a spectacular view of the city skyline in Banker’s Hill, Mister A’s will offer a three-course Thanksgiving Day menu. Dishes such as Diestel Family Ranch turkey, king salmon Wellington, wagyu ribeye, lamb osso bucco, or Maine lobster cacio e pepe crowned with black truffle for a $20 add-on. Dessert options include butterscotch budino made with butter pecan shortbread, and gluten-free apple pie a la mode baked Alaska, composed of apple pie bites and vanilla ice cream on meringue. Pair with a bottle from Mister A’s extensive wine list. Cost starts at $120 per adult.
Lucianna McIntosh
Juniper and Ivy
Continuing a tradition that started in 2020, Juniper & Ivy will offer its Thanksgiving Box for $484.50 The generously proportioned traditional Thanksgiving meal can feed six to eight guests. It includes a 12-pound herb-roasted turkey dressed and ready to cook, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, miso-glazed carrots, creamed corn with cheddar and bacon, winter green salad studded with toasted almonds, chicories, mandarins, and cranberries. Pumpkin pie paired with Chantilly cream completes the picture. Tack on a bottle of Ostro prosecco, Beaujolais, and California chardonnay to complete the meal. Order via the Juniper and Ivy site, and prepare for a pick-up on Wednesday, November 25.
Juniper and Ivy
Herb & Wood
In downtown’s Little Italy, Thanksgiving gets the full holiday treatment at Puffer Malakey restaurant. Dine on a multi-course meal of hamachi with zhoug and pickled mango, spicy Baja shrimp with smoked jalapeño yogurt, and turkey, with generous family-style sides including Parker House rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. Don’t skip desserts like the pumpkin tart crowned with candied pepitas and caramel whipped cream. The meal runs $92 per adult and $38 per child. Visit Herb and Wood’s Thanksgiving page to book a table.
James Tran
Vistal
With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking San Diego Bay, the downtown restaurant will host a Thanksgiving Day buffet with a vast array of dishes. The cold display showcases sustainable seafood with snow crab claws, Bloody Mary oyster shooters, poached shrimp, snow crab claws, scallop salpicon, and whitefish coconut ceviche. There’s also roasted turkey, herb-roasted prime rib, gochujang-glazed cedar plank salmon, shrimp vadouvan spiced curry, and a crepe suzette station with flambeed Grand Marnier caramel sauce, pies, and macarons. The meal runs $135 per adult, $75 per child (ages 5 to 12), and free for kids under 4. Book a reservation via OpenTable.
Kimberly Motos
The Rooftop at Andaz
The open-air rooftop restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter boasts views of the city skyline. From noon to 11 p.m., the kitchen will offer a la carte Thanksgiving dishes, such as turkey and stuffing sliders, stuffing hush puppies, citrus fried green beans, and pumpkin pie cheesecakes. Cocktails, such as a cinnamon maple whiskey sour and a fall sangria, are available along with a list of beers and wines.
Andaz
barleymash
The bustling Gaslamp restaurant will be hosting a few options for Thanksgiving. Its $57 three-course meal features soup or salad, turkey roulade with habanero cranberry sauce, a cornbread muffin, garlic mashed potatoes, and Dutch crunch apple pie or pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust. Another option, the two-course meal, skips the starter but includes the turkey and dessert courses for $46. A kids’ plate costs $30. For a more casual option, Barleymash will offer a $20 Thanksgiving Special Barley Bowl with double battered chicken tenders, garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted sweet corn. Don’t skip holiday cocktails like the Pumpkin Spice Perk Up: espresso vodka, cold brew, and pumpkin spice whip.
barleymash
Rustic Root
Rustic Root is offering two options to make Thanksgiving less stressful. Choose to dine in at either the Gaslamp Quarter or Solana Beach location and feast on sweet potato bisque studded with glazed huckleberries, Julian Hard Cider-sage-brined turkey breast accompanied by Basque-style whipped potatoes, and candied yam puree. The full menu will also be available. A take-home Thanksgiving set is priced at $100 for a family meal for four. The meal includes herb-roasted turkey breast, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and butter biscuits. Place orders via OpenTable by November 19 for pickup on November 26th.
Courtesy RMD Group
Callie
If you’re looking for a creative Mediterranean twist to Thanksgiving, check out chef Travis Swikard’s holiday menu. The four-course dinner allows customers to select from dishes such as homemade country pate, pumpkin carmelle, white truffle risotto, Stehly Farms organic turkey, or braised short rib beef bourguignon. End the dinner on a sweet note with pumpkin cheesecake or Turkish rice pudding. Callie will even send you home with a turkey sandwich. The meal runs $110 per adult (with an optional $65 wine pairing) and $50 per child ages ten and under. Complimentary three-hour parking is available beneath the East Village restaurant. Grab a reservation on OpenTable.
Callie
Provisional Kitchen
Anchoring the Pendry San Diego hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter, Provisional Kitchen has the holiday covered, complete with vibey decor to kick off the festive season. Chef Brandon Sloan will put together a three-course prix fixe menu for $105 per adult and $42 for children between the ages of 5 and 12. Find starters like roasted pumpkin risotto with wild mushrooms. The meal continues with turkey with a pecan-apple stuffing, braised short rib drizzled with truffle demi-glace, or roasted sea bass. End with desserts like pumpkin pie “Entremont” (with orange zest sponge, pumpkin spice mousse, caramel, streusel), chocolate pecan tart, or cranberry apple tarte tatin. Reservations are made via OpenTable. Treat yourself to a wine pairing for an additional $50.
Provisional Kitchen
Seréa
On Coronado Island, Serea will offer Thanksgiving a la carte dishes along with their Mediterranean menu from 3 to 8 p.m. Find fried or grilled za’atar turkey served with pita, garlic yogurt, pickles, and bacon-wrapped dates, and lobster twice-baked potatoes crowned with crème fraiche. Pair with cocktails like the pumpkin piloncillo margarita with a chile-cinnamon sugar rim or apple cider Aperol spritz.
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