Don’t slave over a turkey in a hot kitchen, instead take a day off and let these restaurants in and around Denver do the work for you this year.
November 27
Smōk Friendsgiving
When: November 27, 11 a.m.
Where: Smōk – Denver, 3330 Brighton Blvd., Denver
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: Instead of the traditional turkey and stuffing Chef Bill Espiricuet and his team at Smōk have created a barbeque happy hour to indulge in during a Smōk Friendsgiving. You can grab a group of friends and delight in $6 cocktails, $9 beer and a giant anniversary platter piled high with smokey bites.
Barcelona Wine Bar Thanksgiving
When: November 27, 4 p.m.
Where: Barcelona Wine Bar, 2900 Larimer St., Denver
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: Take a trip to Spain without leaving Denver and start your celebrations early with a Barcelona Wine Bar Thanksgiving. Instead of turkey, you can dine on crispy duck leg with spices, yogurt and cucumber to brighten up your taste buds while sipping on wine.
Thanksgiving at Max’s Wine Dive
When: November 27, 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Where: Max’s Wine Dive, 696 Sherman St., Denver
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: Need some time to decompress before the Thanksgiving rush starts? Thanksgiving at Max’s Wine Dive has a happy hour to keep your festivities fueled with $6 glasses of wine, $3 to $6 cocktails and brews and $9 – $18 luxury sips if you are feeling fancy. You can also snack on bar bites of fried pickles, brie in puff and smothered chili cheese fries to keep you satisfied.
Flagstaff House Restaurant Tasting Menu
When: November 27, 6 p.m.
Where: Flagstaff House Restaurant, 1138 Flagstaff Rd., Boulder
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: If you want an experience like none other you need to start your holiday with the Flagstaff House Restaurant tasting menu. The chef’s tasting menu, created by executive chef and partner of Flagstaff House, Chris Royster will tantalize your taste buds with unique flavors. The whole experience can be elevated with pairings of wine from the collection of 15,000 bottles.
Pre-Thanksgiving at Comida
When: November 27, 11 a.m.
Where: Comida, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: Spice up your Thanksgiving celebrations with a Pre-Thanksgiving at Comida. You can nosh on Mexican soul food such as stuffed jalapeños with cucumber crema, spicy shrimp with jalapeño aioli and tons of tacos. Wash all of it down with 10 different flavors of margaritas for the perfect holiday feast.
Funsgiving
When: November 27, 11 a.m.
Where: Punch Bowl Social, 65 Broadway and 3120 N. Uinta St., Denver
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: Punch Bowl Social hosts Funsgiving. You can kick off your holiday fun early at both locations by grabbing a group of friends to sip on a seasonal sharable punch dubbed the Friendsgiving Frenzy while playing foosball and relaxing before hunkering down for the holidays.
November 28
Hearth & Dram’s Thanksgiving
When: November 28, 5 p.m.
Where: Hearth & Dram, 1801 Wewatta St., Denver
Cost: $65 at entry
The Lowdown: Take a day to step out of the kitchen during Hearth & Dram’s Thanksgiving. You can indulge in family-style appetizers, feast on a buffet filled with Thanksgiving classics and satisfy your sweet tooth with a slice of pumpkin spice cheesecake. You can also imbibe in cocktails from a cash bar to complement the meal.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse Thanksgiving
When: November 28
Where: Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse,8100 E. Orchard Road, Greenwood Village
Cost: $59 per person
The Lowdown: Set your carving knives down for Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse Thanksgiving. You can dine on a traditional prix fixe menu of slow-roasted turkey breast with fixing including apple sausage stuffing, fluffy mashed sweet potatoes and chateau potatoes and a harvest salad. To end it on a sweet note you can delight in a pecan pie ala mode and pair everything with the help of an expert sommelier. Reservations are highly recommended 303.796.0100.
Del Frisco’s Grille Thanksgiving
When: November 28, 11 a.m.
Where: Del Frisco’s Grille, 100 St Paul St Suite 140, Cherry Creek
Cost: Free admission
The Lowdown: No need to wash tons of dishes from holiday meals this Thanksgiving instead let Del Frisco take over with a menu of herb & citrus butter roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, apple-sage sausage stuffing and more. If you are feeling like staying at home but not cooking, you can also order the menu for pickup.
Thanksgiving at The Kitchen
When: November 28, 12 p.m.
Where: The Kitchen American Bistro, 1039 Pearl St., Boulder
Cost: $65 per person
The Lowdown: Take a breather during Thanksgiving at The Kitchen. You can dine from a traditional turkey dinner with mashed potatoes or feast on New York strip steak and roasted pork chop for a twist on the holiday.
The Corner Office Restaurant + Martini Bar’s Thanksgiving
When: November 28, 11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Corner Office Restaurant + Martini Bar, 1401 Curtis St., Denver
Cost: $17.95 for kids under 12 – $55 for adults
Menu: This year opt-out for The Corner Office Restaurant + Martini Bar’s Thanksgiving. The menu features a holiday-themed buffet with butternut squash and apple cider soup, a roasted turkey carving station, pumpkin whoopie pies and more.
Giving Thanks Brunch
When: November 28, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: The ART, a Hotel,1201 Broadway, Denver
Cost: $28 for kids 5 – 13 & $65 for adults
The Lowdown: The ART, a Hotel hosts a Giving Thanks Brunch. Executive Chef Michael Wright has created a menu of harvest squash ravioli, oven-roasted turkey with sides of whipped potatoes and fall tortes for a sweet finale. Make your reservation by calling303.572.8000.
Thanksgiving at The Nickel
When: November 28, 1:30 – 6:45 p.m.
Where: The Nickel, 1100 14th St., Denver
Cost: $29 for children $69 for adults
Menu: Hotel Teatro is ready for the holidays with Thanksgiving at The Nickel. The affair features a three-course dinner that features the choice of a Nickel salad or roasted pumpkin bisque followed by an entree of turkey, spiral ham, prime rib or zucchini and squash lasagna. You can load up your plate on sides of stuffing, gouda mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetable and brussels sprouts to compliment your meats and then end the meal with a slice of pecan pie, chocolate creme brulee or apple cobbler. Call (720) 889-2128 to make your reservations.
Thanksgiving Day Brunch
When: November 28
Where: Jill’s Restaurant & Bistro, 900 Walnut St., Boulder
Cost: $89.95 per person
Menu: Jill’s Restaurant & Bistro hosts a Thanksgiving Day Brunch. You can delight in a menu of Thanksgiving-themed dishes in the St Julien Hotel & Spa’s ballroom while listening to live entertainment from the Adam Bodine trio. Call 720.406.7399 to make a reservation.
Thanksgiving at Woodie Fisher
When: November 28, 2:30 – 10 p.m.
Where: Woodie Fisher, 1999 Chestnut Pl Suite 100, Denver
Cost: $35 – $75 at entry
The Lowdown: Take part in a family-style meal without doing the prep during Thanksgiving at Woodie Fisher. You can choose from a large family-style format or a three-course meal with turkey, mashed potatoes and house-made biscuits. You can end the night with a slice of pecan pie with smoked caramel, served with a scoop honeycomb ice cream. Create your reservations by calling 720.643.1909.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Range
When: November 28
Where: Range, 918 17th St., Denver
Cost: $40 per person
Menu: If you don’t love cleaning up after guests, opt for Thanksgiving Dinner at Range. The prix fixe menu features three courses starting with a red kuri squash soup. You can dine on herb-smoked turkey, cornbread stuffing, caramelized brussels sprouts and cranberry ginger chutney all smothered in bourbon sage gravy. End the night with a slice of pumpkin pie. If you aren’t a fan of traditional Thanksgiving dinner you can also try from a menu with bites of bison instead. Visit rangedowntown.com to make your reservations.
Timberline Steaks & Grille Thanksgiving
When: November 28, 10 a.m.
Where: Timberline Steaks & Grille, Denver Internation Airport, Concourse C, 8500 Peña Blvd, Denver
Cost: $15 per person
The Lowdown: If you are traveling through the holidays, stop into Timberline Steaks & Grille for a bit of Thanksgiving comfort. You can delight in bites of honey glazed ham, apple bacon stuffing and pecan pie to boot.
Liberati Thanksgiving
When: November 28, 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Where: LIBERATI Restaurant & Brewery, 2403 Champa St., Denver
Cost: $60 get tickets here
The Lowdown: Mix up your holidays with a Liberati Thanksgiving. You can dine on house-made Italian specialties of Red Roman pizza, Al Forno with traditional ragu, chicken breast in a white wine and caper sauce and sautéed green beans with garlic and EVOO. End the evening with a dessert of Italian-style pumpkin chocolate roll with cinnamon whipped cream or chef Marta’s delicious apple oenopie. Or if you are feeling turkey, you can feast on a traditional menu.
Urban Farmer Denver
When: November 28, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Where: Urban Farmer, 1659 Wazee St, Denver
Cost: $75/adult and $25/kids (12 and under)
Menu: Urban Farmer hosts a traditional Thanksgiving with a twist. Expect a Colorado raised turkey two ways — honey-roasted breast and a spiced braised leg and natural jus. You can also try a braised beef meat pie as well as a cauliflower steak with parsnip puree, pistachio and charred winter greens and more. No worries about those sides, as you can dine on blue cornbread stuffing with applewood smoked bacon, oven-roasted yams with maple bourbon butter and sage, brussels sprouts with brioche brown butter and more. Dessert will round out the meal with either pumpkin crème brulee with candied cranberries, apple crisp crostada or chocolate s’mores cheesecake.
Kachina Cantina Thanksgiving
When: November 28, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Where: Kachina Cantina, 1890 Wazee St., Denver
Cost: $25 per person
Menu: Have your Thanksgiving with some Southwestern-style during a Kachina Cantina Thanksgiving. The menu features roasted achiote marinated turkey and confit turkey leg with sides of an arugula salad, green bean casserole, yukon whipped potatoes and cranberry compote. You can end the day with a Pumpkin spiced pie for dessert. Make your reservations here.
Bonus: Pies
Del Frisco Grille Pies
When: November 25 – 28
Where: Del Frisco’s Grille, 100 St. Paul St., Denver
Cost: Various prices
The Lowdown: Top your Thanksgiving meal off with a sweet treat from Del Frisco Grille. You can order a peanut chocolate pie created with peanut butter mousse and a dark fudge sauce. The pie is topped off with fresh whipped cream, decorated with crushed peanuts, a wafer and white chocolate spheres. You can also order a coconut cream pie with white chocolate shavings. Call 303.320.8529 ahead 48 hours in advance to reserve your pie.
Safta’s Holiday Pies
When: November 25 – December 25
Where: Safta Restaurant, 3330 Brighton Blvd. #201, Denver
Cost: $25 – $30
The Lowdown: Pastry Chef Liliana Myers is back at it with an Isreali take on seasonal pies at Safta. You can order your holiday pies to add to the table with flavors of apple baharat, heirloom pumpkin, bourbon pecan and sweet potato pie. You can also purchase half-pints of salted caramel and vanilla whipped cream.
Arcana Pre-Order
When: November 25 – November 27
Where: Arcana,909 Walnut St., Boulder
Cost: Various prices
The Lowdown: Grab a takeaway dessert, bread or cheese from Arcana to make your Thanksgiving meal complete. You can choose flavors of pies from pumpkin, Colorado cherry or French silk for $25, dive into $9 ice cream pints, snag $10 dinner rolls and more to make your table even more delectable. Order 48-hours before pickup. Pickup is from 12 p.m. to close on Wednesday, November 27.