As the leaves turn to their autumn hues, our thoughts naturally drift to an upcoming American tradition – Thanksgiving. For many of us, the holiday means indulgent feasts. But let’s face it, not everyone has the time, expertise, or inclination to prepare a full-blown Thanksgiving meal. Thankfully, Omaha’s restaurants has us covered! If you’re in the mood to let local chefs work their magic, this list will guide you to the best spots in town to pre-order a memorable Thanksgiving meal.
Looking to order Thanksgiving pie or dessert? You’ll want to look at these 10+ Omaha bakeries that are accepting pre-orders for pies now!
UPDATED: This post was first published in 2020 and has been updated in November 2023.
Omaha area restaurants & caterers with Thanksgiving to-go
Big Mama’s Kitchen And Catering
Where: 2112 N. 30th St., Suite 201, Omaha, Neb.
For the ultimate comfort food, there is no other place than Big Mama’s. The soul food eatery will have Thanksgiving meal pickup on Tuesday, Nov. 21, and Wednesday, Nov. 22. You can order online now.
Mealbox by Chef Will Birge
Mealbox by Chef Will Birge has Thanksgiving meals that will be delivered to your door on Nov. 22 from 3 to 7 p.m. Save 10% on orders over $300 with the code GobbleGobble2023.
Modern Love
Where: 3157 Farnam St., Suite 7113, Omaha, Neb.
Omaha’s popular vegan restaurants, Modern Love, recently announced Thanksgiving meals are ready for pre-order now, with meal pick-up set for Wednesday, Nov. 22. The menu includes house smoked seitan Turki or smoked tofu, herb stuffing or corn pudding, mashed potatoes, wild mushroom gravy, seared green beans, and cranberry sauce.
Porky Butts BBQ
Where: 15475 Ruggles St., Omaha, Neb.
We ordered Porky Butts BBQ for a family meal and it was ah-mazing. I say it counts as a Thanksgiving meal if you order some smoked turkey.
And FYI: They say the Porky’s Platter serves 4 to 6 people but you will definitely have leftovers.
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The following restaurants have previously offered Thanksgiving to-go options, but I haven’t confirmed they will be doing pre-order meals in 2023. I’ll update them when I can.
- Cascio’s Steakhouse, 1620 S. 10th St., Omaha, usually offers meals that serve 1 to 8 people.
- Catering Creations, 1915 Jackson St., Omaha, usually caters to groups of 30 or more, but in the past, they have offered full meals for much smaller groups for Thanksgiving.
- Johnny’s Cafe, 4702 S. 27th St., Omaha, will be open on Thanksgiving Day, but in the past, they have offered dinners for pick-up the day before.
- Market Basket, 2501 S. 90th St., Omaha, has offered portioned meals for 2 to 8 people for pick-up the day before Thanksgiving. They currently offer some fall-themed meals that serve 3 to 4.
- Modern Love, 3157 Farnam St., Suite 7113, Omaha – arguably the best vegan restaurant in Omaha -offers catering year-round, and in the past, they have had vegan Thanksgiving meals to-go.
- Patricia Catering & Cocktails, 436 Galvin Road N, Bellevue, Neb., is a Bellevue-based caterer who has offered individual, boxed Thanksgiving meals in the past.
- Railcar Modern American Kitchen, 1814 N. 144th St., Omaha, and Timber, 8702 Pacific St., Omaha, have offered Thanksgiving takeout option in the past. There is a catering menu, so it is possible you can create a custom meal this year.
- Wohlner’s has offered Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings available in the past. Call 402-551-6875 to see what they can do (they do have turduckens, just sayin’).
Chain restaurants and grocers in Omaha with premade Thanksgiving meals
Cracker Barrel
Where: 9409 S. 142nd St., Omaha, and 530 30th Ave., Council Bluffs, Iowa
Cracker Barrel locations are offering a variety of Heat & Serve Meals this year, including the Heat & Serve Feast that feeds 8-10 people starting at $149.99. You’ll need to order at least 24 hours in advance.
Hog Wild Pit BBQ & Catering
Where: 4950 S .108th St., Omaha, and 905 W. Broadway Council Bluffs, Iowa
For smoked meats and sides for 8-10 people, Hog Wild has a meal offering (plus reheating instructions). I heard it’s a choice of smoked ham or turkey plus two quarts of mashed potato and gravy, stuffing, green beans or corn.
Hy-Vee Grocery
Where: Find the nearest Hy-Vee here
Hy-Vee catering usually offers some sort of Thanksgiving meal option, or two. Nothing is listed online for it, yet, though.
Omaha Steaks
Where: 13433 I Circle, Omaha; 17390 W. Center Road, Omaha; and 4400 S. 96th St., Omaha
Omaha Steaks is, well, known for its steaks, but they also have a few large Thanksgiving meals you can order ahead of time.
Whole Foods
Where: 10020 Regency Circle, Omaha
Whole Foods offers a few catered Thanksgiving meals, ranging from a simple classic that serves 4 to one that serves 12. Order at least 48 hours before you need to pick it up.
What if you just want the pie?
Maybe you like the cook a big Thanksgiving spread, and you simply want to leave the dessert to an expert. I hear you. I found 15+ excellent (and local) bakers and bakeries to order your Thanksgiving pie or dessert to complete the feast.
I’m looking for more local restaurants that will be offering premade Thanksgiving meal options. Leave a comment if you know of any others!