Most of us have had Thanksgiving celebrations that involved hours of shopping, cooking and cleaning for large groups of family and friends. While we might have enjoyed a lot of it, the process is a recipe for exhaustion. And even though most of us like leftovers, we’ve often had to toss out extras after the third day or so.
Fortunately there are some delicious and easy options if you’d like to simplify your holiday dining either for a smaller household, or just because you want to save your time and energy.
One way is to make a list of your favorite restaurants and find out if they’re serving Thanksgiving dinner. Depending on where you live you might have a range of options from comfort food at a Bob Evans https://www.bobevans.com/ to more upscale dining at places like the ever-popular Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth https://bigfishgrill.com/rehoboth-beach-rehoboth-beach-big-fish-grill-events.
Getting your turkey, ham and other items at one of Delaware’s many fine supermarkets or a restaurant that also offers carry-out selections is another.
Restaurant Dining Options are Abundant – But Make Sure You Reserve a Table in Advance
I learned about many great restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving through this extensive story at Delaware Online https://www.delawareonline.com/story/life/food/2023/11/02/delaware-restaurants-offer-thanksgiving-takeout-and-dine-in-meals/71342414007/ describing options from Wilmington all the way down to the beaches. There are fancy places like the Hotel du Pont https://www.lecavalierde.com/event/thanksgiving-2023/, Cantwell’s in Odessa https://www.cantwells-tavern.com/ for fine food in an historical setting, and buffets at popular country club-style spaces that include The Clubhouse at Baywood in Millsboro https://baywoodclubhouse.com/ and Deerfield Golf Club in Newark https://deerfieldgolfclub.com/.
I also sent out a few questions on the “I Love Lewes” and “Growing up in Rehoboth and Dewey in the 60s and 70s” Facebook pages. One big takeaway from that is that locals down here at the beach love to share information about their favorite foods. The other is that regardless of your price range, it’s easy to avoid cooking but still eat well on this All American holiday.
Lots of folks raved about both the carry-out and dining-in options at Big Fish Grill in Rehoboth https://bigfishgrill.com/rehoboth-beach-rehoboth-beach-big-fish-grill-events, and its dining-in menu looks like a good option for people who prefer seafood and other alternatives to meat.
Irish Eyes in Lewes is also well-known for its Thanksgiving buffet https://www.capegazette.com/affiliate-post/thanksgiving-buffet-lewes-room-irish-eyes/265904.
Crooked Hammock https://www.crookedhammockbrewery.com/thanksgiving-2023/ in Lewes and Long Neck Diner in Millsboro https://longneckdiner.com/ (which also has a wonderful upscale year-round menu with a full bar) also drew good reviews for dining-in. Just in Thyme https://justinthymerestaurant.com/rehoboth-beach-just-in-thyme-restaurant-events is another good option in the Rehoboth area.
Also – please note the headline above and make reservations because these restaurants tend to fill to capacity on this holiday.
Carry-Out Options Make it a Lot Easier to Enjoy Thanksgiving at Home
The Facebook groups also offered lots of reviews from locals who’ve had good experiences with carry-out meals and items. Favorites include:
Beachin Bash https://www.beachinbash.com/, which plans events and offers catering.
Drift Rehoboth, which is getting some interesting buzz for its Oyster Stuffing, which is available for Thanksgiving carry-out https://www.driftrb.com/
Iron Hill Brewery https://www.fsrmagazine.com/food/menu-innovations/iron-hill-brewery-restaurant-announces-thanksgiving-takeout-menu/, which offers a wide range of options – but make sure you visit the web site to learn if the location in your area is offering this.
Bethany Blues in Lewes and Bethany Beach https://bethanyblues.com/lewes/, which also offers a large menu of take-home dishes.
Scratchmill Kitchen in the Rehoboth area https://www.scratchmill.com/#heading2, and,
Harvest Tide in Lewes https://harvesttide.co/.
Area Supermarkets are Another Easy Option
Lots of supermarkets all over Delaware also offer ala carte and full menu options for Thanksgiving carry-out.
Fresh Market in Rehoboth https://shop.thefreshmarket.com/shop/featured/182/Thanksgiving-Made-Easy and Acme in Lewes https://www.acmemarkets.com/orderahead/store/2679 drew rave reviews on the Facebook pages. Based on past experiences, I know that your favorite store wherever you live might also offering carry-out selections to make your day a lot easier.