The ultimate guide to restaurants open on Thanksgiving: Every fast food place to casual dining listed

Thanksgiving 2025 can still be a dining day, even if the oven stays off at home. Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, November 27, and restaurant hours across the U.S. vary by chain and location, as franchises, airport counters and mall locations often follow different schedules. Some brands stay open all day, while others operate on reduced hours, and a few popular names close nationwide to give their teams a full holiday off.

The guide below organizes the information for readers, featuring a master list of major chains that are typically open, as well as deeper lists by category (fast food, coffee and casual dining). Additionally, it includes a brief roundup of holiday meal bundles and limited-time promotions, along with public pricing where available.

Because many dining rooms stop seating earlier than usual and some drive-thru sites close mid-afternoon, each section also notes what is most reliable and what needs a quick store locator check before anyone heads out.

Restaurants open on Thanksgiving 2025: Master list from fast food to casual dining

For Thanksgiving 2025, many locations will run shorter hours, and dine-in chains may stop seating earlier than usual, so official locator information is crucial.

Diners and breakfast anchors: Denny’s, IHOP, Waffle House

Thanksgiving meal staples: Cracker Barrel (Thanksgiving meal service starts at 11 a.m.), Golden Corral, Bob Evans

Fast food drive-thru basics: McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Popeyes, KFC, Whataburger, White Castle

Coffee and sweet stops: Starbucks, Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme (often open until 2 p.m.), Baskin-Robbins

Sandwich and pizza chains with participating stores: Subway, Jimmy John’s, Domino’s, Papa John’s, Sonic, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Paris Baguette

Casual dining with participating locations: Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Ruby Tuesday, Buca di Beppo, BRIO Tuscan Grille, Dave & Buster’s (often opens at 4 p.m.)

Fast food open on Thanksgiving 2025: What to expect

For Thanksgiving 2025, fast food is mostly a “check your store” situation, since franchise operators decide hours and staffing. McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Arby’s and Popeyes are widely listed as open at many locations, while White Castle is commonly listed with an early close around 3 p.m.

Coffee and dessert chains open Thanksgiving morning

For Thanksgiving 2025, Starbucks will have some stores open, with hours varying by location. The company recommends using its store locator, especially for stores located inside other retailers. Dunkin’ is also widely listed as open at many locations, and Krispy Kreme is commonly listed as open until 2 p.m.

Casual dining serving Thanksgiving meals

For Thanksgiving 2025, sit-down chains that offer true holiday menus tend to concentrate service into a shorter window, so arriving early or booking ahead is helpful. Cracker Barrel starts serving Thanksgiving meals at 11 a.m., and Golden Corral lists participating locations as open, offering holiday buffet favorites.

Thanksgiving bundles and deals with public pricing

For Thanksgiving 2025, the most dependable deals are the preorder bundles and one-night promos posted by the brands themselves. Denny’s Holiday Turkey Bundle starts at $54.99, with preorder typically running from November 21 (9 a.m. ET) to November 26 (6 p.m. ET) and pickup at least 24 hours after ordering.

Taco Bell’s Mountain Dew Baja Blast Pie is listed at $19.99 in Thanksgiving deal roundups, while supplies last. Chipotle ran a Thanksgiving Eve buy-one-get-one offer from 4 p.m. to close on Wednesday, November 26, per its newsroom release.

Restaurants are usually closed on Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving 2025, closures are clearest when a chain publishes a company policy, though licensed locations can be exceptions.

Chick-fil-A states that all U.S. restaurants are closed on Thanksgiving, and Olive Garden confirms it is closed on that day.

The Cheesecake Factory advises that most of its restaurants close on Thanksgiving and recommends checking locally for specific details.

Major 2025 roundups also list Chili's, Chipotle and Panera Bread among the chains closed on the holiday.

Taco Bell is frequently listed as closed in local coverage for 2025, so checking the nearest store is especially important.

How to quickly confirm local Thanksgiving hours?

For Thanksgiving 2025, the safest process is one official check plus one quick backup.

1) Use the chain’s official store locator first, since holiday updates are often posted there.

2) Check the mobile app for the same store, since apps often show temporary hours and ordering availability.

3) Call for last seating if it is a dine-in chain, or use OpenTable to find restaurants actively taking Thanksgiving reservations nearby.

Stay tuned for more updates.