Best Thanksgiving dinners in San Diego

It’s turkey time! For those who are like us and prefer not to baste the bird in the kitchen all day long, you’re in luck. All across San Diego, restaurants and chefs are cooking up some special Thanksgiving dinners to gobble up without any work involved. Here are some of our top picks.

JRDN

This beachfront restaurant is ideal for a San Diego-style dinner. Enjoy a three-course meal with your choice of six different appetizers including a fresh raw bar platter with shrimp, oyster and king crab legs. Entrees offered include choices like thick-cut herb-roasted prime rib, pan roasted salmon and a half-roasted chicken.

3 to 8 p.m. $55 per person. 723 Felspar St., Pacific Beach. t23hotel.com

Red Marlin

The only thing better than enjoying a Thanksgiving buffet at home is not having to cook at all. Head over to Red Marlin to avoid the kitchen and enjoy a buffet-style dinner complete with a create-your-own-salad station, various homemade soups and entrees like the brown butter basted turkey, grilled swordfish, chicken sausage stuffing, lobster mac-and-cheese and more.

2 to 7 p.m. $65 per person. 1441 Quivira Rd., Mission Bay. missionbay.regency.hyatt.com

Tidal

Located on Mission Bay, Tidal is a perfect place for some coastal-style dining on Turkey Day. Dine on a three-course dinner with savory options like the apple and walnut salad, brown sugar brined free-range turkey, maple leaf duck breast, pork cheeks and more. Make sure to save room for wine pairings and pumpkin mousse.

2 to 8 p.m. $65 per person; $90 with wine pairings. 1404 Vacation Rd., Mission Bay. paradisepoint.com/tidal

Farmer’s Bottega

Farmer’s Bottega, led by Chef Alberto Morreale, is cooking up a three-course dinner (with an option for wine pairings) on Thanksgiving. Starters include crab cakes, a warm spinach salad and pumpkin soup. For entrees, find a free range turkey, lamb shank or the seafood bucatini. Finish your meal with a sweet eggnog crème brulee, pumpkin pie or pecan pie.

4:30 to 10 p.m. $40 per person; $55 with wine pairings. 860 W Washington St., Mission Hills. farmersbottega.com

Bleu Bohème

French-lovers should partake in Bleu Bohème’s Thanksgiving dinner that blends the best of France and the United States with their three-course meal. Pumpkin hominy soup and charcuterie plates will be offered as starters. Entrees include a Diestel Family Ranch turkey prepared two ways, pan seared King salmon with lobster sauce and boneless short ribs. Don’t worry - dessert is definitely an option here with choices like the chevre goat and cream cheese cake, flourless chocolate cake or strawberry and caramel ice cream. You can also order up a pumpkin pie martini if you’re feeling extra festive.

5 to 10 p.m. $58.95 per person. 4090 Adams Ave., Kensington. blueboheme.com

Bellamy’s

If you’re up in North County for Thanksgiving, Bellamy’s is ideal for a Thanksgiving meal. A three-course menu will be served, featuring butternut squash soup, crab ravioli in lobster vermouth sauce, a Thanksgiving plate with all the traditional fixings and four other decadent main dishes to choose from. Pecan pie and pumpkin pie will be served for dessert.

11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. $50 per person. 417 W. Grand Ave., Escondido. bellamysdining.com

Cusp Dining & Drinks

For those who haven’t soaked in the view from Cusp’s dining room yet, there’s no better time than Thanksgiving. Enjoy oven-roasted turkey, chicken ravioli, roasted seabass and delicious desserts like sweet potato tart and apple tarte tartin at the three-course dinner.

3 to 8 p.m. $65 per person. 7955 La Jolla Shores Dr., La Jolla. cusprestaurant.com

Hello Betty Fish House

Looking for something a little more low-key this Thanksgiving? Hello Betty Fish House in Oceanside will offer a special Thanksgiving dinner menu featuring carved turkey sandwich with bacon, cranberry sauce and giblet gravy on sourdough as well as an Oceanside turkey Reuben sandwich with turkey breast, jack cheese, avocado and coleslaw on rye. Homemade anejo agave pecan pie will also be available for dessert. Oh, and bottomless mimosas for $10 are available all day long.

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2 to 8 p.m. Prices vary. 211 Mission Ave., Oceanside. hellobettyoceanside.com

Café Gratitude

Talk about giving back! Café Gratitude will be offering a first come, first served, free Thanksgiving meal for San Diegans this year. Yep, the menu will be filled with vegan options like raw pecan, cranberry and apple stuffing, red lentil holiday loaf and more. The restaurant is aiming to give back, hoping to serve about 1,000 people in our community. The restaurant will also be serving up pecan, pumpkin and chocolate coconut pies for $35 that can be ordered up until Nov. 21 to take home.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1980 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy . cafegratitude.com

And for those who just want dessert....

Urban Solace

The sweet potato and pecan pie, a signature dish from Chef Matt Gordon at Urban Solace, will return again this year for $29 per pie. Place your orders for the pies by Nov. 17 or head in to the restaurant to get a yummy slice post-Thanksgiving dinner.

3823 30^th St., North Park. urbansolace.net

Extraordinary Desserts

What’s better than a pumpkin pie? A pumpkin cheesecake. Yep, the popular creamy pumpkin cheesecake with a ginger cookie crust from Extraordinary Desserts is back for the season. The decadent cake is topped with orange rose petals and sprinkled with 23-¾ karat gold leafs. The dessert will be available Nov. 22-23 at each location, so you can pick it up to enjoy with family at home.

2929 Fifth Ave., downtown or 1430 Union St., Little Italy. extraordinarydesserts.com

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