Where to Eat Dinner on Thanksgiving in Champaign-Urbana

Where you can eat out or order in your Thanksgiving dinner in Champaign-Urbana

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, so if you’d like to skip cooking in the kitchen, Champaign and Urbana have a whole bunch of great dine-in or carryout options for your family’s Thanksgiving table

We are here to help you try some of the delicious Thanksgiving classics that Champaign-Urbana restaurants and caterers have to offer.

When ordering takeout or a family meal to-go for Thanksgiving, our advice is not to wait until the last minute. Thanksgiving takeout seems to be popular!

Chambanamoms.com thanks Common Ground Food Co-Op for presenting this resource.

Common Ground Food Co-op’s Grab-N-Go Thanksgiving

Common Ground invites you to join them for this year’s Grab-n-Go Thanksgiving! Their kitchen and bakery have created a full menu to supplement your special holiday meal. Starting November 22 and continuing through November 27, their Grab-n-Go case will be transformed with delicious dishes made from scratch using organic and local ingredients. Grab entrees, essential sides, and seasonal pies and baked goods. This menu also offers a wide variety of vegan and gluten-free options!

See the full Grab-n-Go Thanksgiving menu here.

Dining in, carrying out or outsourcing dessert

If you’re planning on takeout for Thanksgiving, some options have deadlines for pre-orders or may have limited availability, so order early.

We will continue to add to this list, as not all options have been released as of our publishing date. Please note that information was verified at time of publishing, and might be subject to change due to a restaurant’s staffing or supplies.

Dine-in options

Neil St. Blues, 301 N. Neil St., Champaign: Neil St. Blues will be serving a Thanksgiving brunch buffet from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy all you can eat favorites such as cajun brined smoked turkey, sage cornbread dressing, Southern baked mac n’ cheese and more. Reservations available for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. seatings only; two-hour table time limit. Make reservations here.

Denny’s, 702 W. Town Center Blvd,. Champaign: Standard menu available, which includes a turkey-and-dressing meal: carved turkey, stuffing, turkey gravy and cranberry sauce with choice of two sides and dinner bread. Open 24 hours.

Bob Evans, 1813 N. Neil St., Champaign: Bob Evans dining room will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. serving hot meals. It also has Thanksgiving feasts to go that can feed up to 10. Packed cold; heat and serve at home; available for curbside pickup and delivery.

Perkins, 214 W. University Ave., Urbana: Perkins is open on Thanksgiving for dine-in. The standard menu will be available, including pie.

Urbana Garden Family Restaurant, 810 W. Killarney St., Urbana: We have had readers report that Urbana Family Garden is a good option for dining in on Thanksgiving Day.

Free events

Urbana High School, 1002 S. Race St., Urbana: Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by UHS Student Senate. ALL are welcome to come, eat dinner, and socialize. Thanksgiving Day, 4-6 p.m.

Order ahead meal options

This list includes places you can order an entire Thanksgiving meal (or just sides … or dessert … or appetizers)

Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage, 208 W. Griggs St., Urbana: Baldarotta’s is offering order-ahead Thanksgiving dinners from its new location on Griggs St. Each dinner item is sold by the pound — choices of entree, sides, and salad — and cannoli desserts that serve 4. Orders must be placed by 11/24 at noon, for pickup on Wednesday 11/27 between 3 – 7 p.m. Email your order to info@baldarottas.com.

Big Grove Tavern, 1 E. Main St., Champaign: Again offering carry-out for Thanksgiving, including wine, old fashioneds and apple cider margaritas. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin cheesecake and more are in this year’s offerings. Email thanksgiving@biggrovetavern.com.

Chophouse on Main, 401 E. Main St., Mahomet: Thanksgiving meal to go is $75 for a party of 6 and includes your choice of turkey or bourbon ham, mashed potatoes and gravy or au gratin, green beans with bacon or candied carrots, and rolls with whipped cinnamon butter. Whole apple or pumpkin pie is $17 each. Place order by 11/23 and pick up after noon on 11/27.

Harvest Market, 2029 S. Neil St., Champaign: Order your Butterball Turkey Dinner from the deli. The meal serves 6 people and includes a 10 lb turkey, gravy, cornbread, 3 sides of your choice, and your choice of pumpkin or apple pie. Order through their online system or inquire in person at the deli counter.

Hickory River Smokehouse, Urbana and Champaign: Order your choice of whole smoked turkey or half a ham by Nov. 22 for pickup between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. You can choose to order just the main meat or meat with sides for a complete Thanksgiving dinner.

Maize at the Station, 100 N. Chestnut St., Champaign: Pre-order your Thanksgiving tamales while they last or until 11/25, for pickup on Wednesday 11/27. Choose between verde, roja, or veggie. Other items available for pre-order include rice and beans, a chip tray, and horchata/margaritas!

Modern Family Dinners, Carle at the Fields, 3302 Mission Dr., Champaign: 4-person, 12-person, and a la carte order-ahead dinner options are available for your Thanksgiving feast this year. The dinners include the main meat, green salad, plus choice of 3 sides. Breakfast casserole, appetizers, and pumpkin poke cake also available to add on. The Thanksgiving menu closes to ordering on 11/21 at noon. Orders available for pickup on Wed. afternoon, 11/27.

El Paraiso, Urbana: Its Thanksgiving catering menu starts at $25 per person and includes your choice of main entree, a side, and a dessert for a minimum of 5 people. Extra cost for additional sides, entrees, desserts, and party size.

Party in a Pinch Catering: Orders must be placed by Friday, Nov. 15. Pick up on Wednesday Nov. 27 at locations in Farmer City, Champaign and Mahomet. Meals serve up to 8 people and choices include turkey, ham, stuffing, corn casserole and many other sides. Appetizers and desserts also available. Call (217) 766-2031 or email ginger.bernard@gmail.com to place your order.

Pekara Bakery & Bistro and Martinelli’s Market, Champaign: Pekara and Martinelli’s are each holding tasting events for their Thanksgiving holiday breads, desserts, and appetizers. Preorders can be placed in store until 11/22 at Pekara and 11/24 at Martinelli’s.

Piato Cafe, 804 E. Main St., Urbana: Order your choice of cider brined turkey, herb roasted turkey or a vegetarian dish of acorn stuffed squash filled with golden raisin and vegetable rice. Sides and desserts also available. Deadline for orders is Nov. 23 at noon. Pick up is 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Nov. 27. Delivery is also available for $10. Call (217) 344-9015 or email info@piatocafe.com to place your order.

Dessert orders

When you are looking for pies, pastries and other bakery treats, check out these options that exclusively offer baked goods (no to-go meal options here). Looking for something a little different? Several places — including The Main Scoop, Sidney Dairy Barn, and Jarling’s Custard Cup — are offering special Thanksgiving ice cream/frozen custard pies!

Curtis Orchard, 3902 S. Duncan Road, Champaign: The orchard offers a variety of pies, from apple to cherry to classic pumpkin and more. Curtis is a go-to option when we want to bring a treat to impress — without the work! — to a holiday dinner. Order via (217) 359-5565 or from the website.

Hopscotch Bakery + Market, 802 W. John St., Champaign: Thanksgiving pre-orders of pies, pumpkin cake, and dinner rolls are being taken online, for pickup on 11/27.

Hunny Bunny Bakes, 2006 S. Neil St., Champaign: Pre-order your Thanksgiving pies from Hunny Bunny Bakes. Options include apple, pumpkin, and pecan (or a trio of all three!) and can be ordered online, along with cinnamon rolls or a paint-your-own-cookie kit. Pre-orders must be received by Saturday 11/23, but items will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in store the week of Thanksgiving. All items must be picked up or delivered ($40+) by Wednesday 11/27.

The New Sweet Indulgence, 2149 S. Neil St., Champaign: Take your choice of sugar cookies, a delicious assortment of pies, tarts, dinner rolls, pie crusts (!), cakes, and cupcakes. Also available are an assortment of cheesecake varieties as well as cake truffles and breakfast sweets. Place your pre-order by calling (217) 352-2433 or in person at the store until 11/23 at noon.

Po’ Boys Restaurant, 202 E. University Ave., Ste. C, Champaign: Get those Thanksgiving pie orders in by calling 217-367-2255. Deadline is November 24 by 8 p.m. Pickup pies on November 27. For $28: apple, cherry, blueberry, peach, double chocolate mousse, pecan, coconut cream, chocolate cream, pumpkin. For $31, gluten free options: coconut, chocolate mousse, chocolate cream.

Suzu’s Bakery, 114 N. Walnut St., Champaign: Orders for Thanksgiving may be placed by 5 p.m. on 11/24 and picked up between 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Nov. 28. Special menu items include a cookie box, Japanese bourbon pecan pie, apple pie, and Kabocha cheesecake, pie, or tarts.

Tasty Tart, 405 S. Neil St. Ste. C, Champaign: Pre-order for Thanksgiving week — build your own tart box from its regular flavors plus the special seasonal flavors.

Options we have yet to confirm for 2024

The following list consists of businesses we saw offer Thanksgiving options in 2023 but have yet to announce for 2024. Check back often to see who confirms their Thanksgiving to-go menus.

BakeLab, 410 N. Lincoln Ave., Urbana: In 2023, BakeLab had a limited number of dessert boxes available to order for your Thanksgiving table. Each box contained four desserts: a passionfruit and coconut tart, a black sesame seed dairy tart, a chocolate mousse cake, and a matcha and red bean tart.

Know of a business that we are missing? Email editor@chambanamoms.com with your information.

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