OKLAHOMA CITY — It’s said that the day before Thanksgiving is the single busiest, most stressful day for practically any restaurant in the US, as patrons pour in to pay someone else to cook for them one last time before taking the kitchen reins at home for the holiday.
But even after that fraught and frantic holiday eve, there are a handful of city eateries that are choosing to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day, forgoing the break and heading once more unto the breach.
Whether you’re looking for a comfortable spot to grab some drinks and simple favorites, a classy joint to enjoy a high-end traditional meal with your family, or you just need a place to escape the after-dinner conversation, here are some can’t-miss options open on Thanksgiving.
R&J Lounge and Supper Club
Thanksgiving itself may very well be the most American thing ever created, but if there’s anything that can compete for that title, it’s the TV dinner, and R&J Supper Club in Midtown (feature photo) is now reinventing that enduring cheap eat for the discerning diner.
As one of OKC’s most beloved and respected spots for craft cocktails, classic hearty, American fare, and pretending you’re in Mad Men, R&J’s loves to re-imagine bygone dishes of Americana. Recently, they’ve introduced a take on the TV dinner featuring a classically styled simple entrée with sides all presented wonderfully on a metal lunch tray.
R&J’s is set to be open from 5pm to last call on Thanksgiving Night, and they’ll be serving up one of their new TV dinner options tailored beautifully for the holiday: smoked turkey breast, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, and green bean casserole.
McClintock Saloon & Chop House
McClintock’s in the Stockyards has quickly become a proven steak-and-drink destination for anyone looking for a slightly more refined or classy experience compared to that other Stockyards steakhouse.
Featuring not only one of the longest and best-stocked bars in the area, but surely one of the best bar crews as well, McClintock’s will be an unbeatable choice for drinks after (or even before) dinner when they open for their regular hours on Thanksgiving Day.
In addition to the unsurprisingly fantastic steak options, they’ll be offering a special holiday menu featuring the requisite turkey, dressing, and all accoutrements for one night only.
And if you don’t want to go out on the holiday, but still don’t want to be responsible for all the shopping and prep required of a huge Thanksgiving meal, McClintock’s is also taking orders for a massive “take and bake” option through Monday, November 21st. They’ll get the turkey prepped and sliced, the pie cooked, and all the sides ready for your oven at home.
We’re not saying that you can just grab the big meal in secret, bake it all at home, and convince your whole family that you made it all yourself, but we’re not saying that you can’t either.
The Pump
Maybe you’re not looking for an especially upscale dining option for the holiday, but you still want to get out, meet some friends, and enjoy a little casual drinking and feasting.
The Pump has you covered.
In their continuing quest to be Uptown’s favorite and most welcoming neighborhood bar, The Pump will be open at 4pm on Thanksgiving to whip up all of their award-winning cocktails until last call, but they’ll also be providing a specially designed turkey dinner for guests that still want to get a little festive.
If it’s chilly outside, they might even have the trademark fire pits going, perfect for that Thanksgiving feeling of seeing out the fall and ushering in the winter season.
Tellers (Reservations required)
Maybe you are looking for something much more upscale for the ultimate in Thanksgiving restaurant dining.
Located inside the newly renovated and re-opened First National Building Downtown, Tellers bills itself as an “Italian wood-fired grill,” but they’ll be jumping headlong into traditional American cuisine for their fixed-price, reservation-only Thanksgiving dinner.
Of course there will be turkey and mashed potatoes, but they’ll be adding that extra, high-end touch with a sausage-and-chestnut stuffing and a cranberry mostarda, an Italian-style relish of fruit and mustard that will blow any old canned cranberry sauce out of the water.
Reservations are already filling up fast, so if $65 per person sounds good to you, jump online right now and get your seat at the table locked in.
IHOP
It’s not a joke. IHOP is an important holiday staple for anyone that doesn’t want to cook, anyone that doesn’t have family around for the holidays, or anyone that just straight-up forgot to get groceries for the big meal.
IHOP locations across the OKC Metro will be open just like always, but they’ll be offering a special Thanksgiving menu alongside the usual pancakes and sausage.
You can get yourself a traditional roasted turkey dinner with potatoes and veggies, but you can also do your turkey on a sandwich or with bacon or in almost any other combination you can dream up.
And where else can you get pancakes for dessert after your Thanksgiving dinner?
Well, Denny’s, I suppose. They’ll be open, too.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
