Thanksgiving in the Twin Cities: Where to Eat, Pies and Weekend Plans

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26 this year. Whether you're hosting, skipping the cooking entirely, or stuck in town over break (hi, fellow college kids), the Twin Cities has you covered. This guide has three parts: restaurants that are actually open on Thanksgiving Day, the pies worth preordering, and what to do for the rest of the long weekend. Every spot is in the collection, so you can map it out.

Book these EARLY. Thanksgiving reservations fill up weeks ahead, and a lot of these menus are set price with limited seatings. Call to confirm hours and menus before you go, since they can change year to year.

If you want the whole spread without the cleanup, these are the move:

• Jax Cafe (Northeast Minneapolis). An old-school classic doing a Thanksgiving dinner for $56.
• Giulia (downtown Minneapolis). Thanksgiving dinner with an Italian twist, inside the Hotel Emery.
• The Lexington (Grand Ave, St. Paul). Fine dining in a historic space. SO St. Paul.
• Herbie's On The Park (downtown St. Paul). Upscale tavern classics right across from Rice Park.
• Lowell Inn (Stillwater). Worth the drive if you want a cozy small-town Thanksgiving. Reservations required.

For the people who want turkey but also kind of want a steak. Ruth's Chris Steak House and The Capital Grille (both downtown Minneapolis) do traditional Thanksgiving plates, and Kincaid's in Bloomington does a three course dinner. Great if you're taking out family who are visiting.

Buca di Beppo in St. Paul serves everything family style, which makes it easy when you have ten people and ten opinions.

Skipped dinner? Ate dinner at 3pm and are hungry again at midnight? Both of these are open 24 hours. Mickey's Diner, the 1930s dining car in downtown St. Paul. It's on the National Register of Historic Places and it's open around the clock, Thanksgiving included. In Minneapolis, The Nicollet Diner on Nicollet Mall is also open 24 hours.

Hosting but not baking? Same. These spots do Thanksgiving pies and sides, and almost all of them require preorders. Preorder windows usually open in early November and close a few days before Thanksgiving, so check each spot's website or Instagram and get your order in early.

• Vikings & Goddesses Pie Company (Marshall Ave, St. Paul). Their sweet corn custard pie is the one people talk about. A MUST if you want something other than pumpkin.
• Hot Hands Pie & Biscuit (Snelling Ave, St. Paul). Pie and biscuit shop, so you're covered on dessert AND rolls.
• Rose Street Patisserie (Snelling Ave, St. Paul). Pecan tarts and pumpkin cheesecake for when you want to show up to dinner looking fancy.
• Brake Bread (West 7th, St. Paul). Pies plus rolls for the table.
• The Buttered Tin (Lowertown, St. Paul). Pumpkin pie and coffee cake. Coffee cake for Thanksgiving breakfast is not optional.
• El Burrito Mercado (West Side, St. Paul). Ready to go holiday meats and sides if you want to skip cooking the main event.

Once the food coma wears off, the holiday season officially kicks off in the Twin Cities. A lot of these announce their exact dates in November, so double check before you go.

This is the one I'd plan the weekend around. The European Christmas Market takes over the plaza outside Union Depot in Lowertown with 80+ vendors, and it's FREE to get in. It's open Thanksgiving weekend (Friday through Sunday, Nov 27 to 29, with Black Friday hours from 1 to 9pm) and every weekend until Christmas.

• Reserve now. Thanksgiving tables at the nicer spots go weeks ahead.
• Preorder pies early. Most bakeries cap orders and close them a few days before.
• Use the Green Line. Mickey's, Union Depot, CHS Field and the Palace are all close to stops, so no parking stress downtown.
• Dress warm. Late November in Minnesota means the lights and markets are COLD.

Till next time :)