Thanksgiving is the single busiest day on our calendar, and every year we watch the same pattern play out. Families who order in the first two weeks of November get their first choice of pickup times and menu items. Families who wait until the week before Thanksgiving still get a great meal, but with fewer options and a tighter schedule. This guide walks through how our Thanksgiving catering works for 2026, from packages to timing, so you can plan with confidence either way.
For the full menu and hub page, start with our Thanksgiving catering page, which stays updated with the current season’s offerings.
Packages versus a la carte
Most of our Thanksgiving clients choose one of two approaches.
Complete dinner packages bundle turkey, a selection of sides, and pie into a single order sized for a set number of guests. These work well for hosts who want a straightforward count-and-order process without assembling the meal piece by piece. Packages typically include the classics: roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, a vegetable side, gravy, cranberry sauce, and a pie course.
A la carte ordering works better for hosts who already have a plan for the main course, or who want to fill in specific gaps, such as adding extra pies for a large gathering, or picking up a few sides to round out a smaller home-cooked meal. This is also the more common route for hosts who are combining a store-bought or home-cooked turkey with catered sides.
Both approaches are built from the current Thanksgiving catering menu, which lists everything available this season along with package sizing guidance.
Delivery or pickup, which fits your Thanksgiving
Both formats are available, and the right choice usually comes down to your morning schedule.
Pickup works well if:
- You want more control over exact timing on Thanksgiving morning
- You are comfortable transporting the order yourself, including any hot items
- Your location is a straightforward drive from one of our kitchens
Delivery works well if:
- You would rather not add a pickup errand to an already busy morning
- You are hosting a larger group and want the order to arrive at a scheduled window
- You are coordinating multiple households or a larger gathering where timing needs to be precise
Either way, confirm your requested time window early. Thanksgiving morning is the tightest scheduling day of the year for any caterer, and early requests get first pick of both pickup slots and delivery windows.
Choosing the right package for your table
The right order comes down to three questions: how many people are you feeding, how much of the meal do you want handled, and how do you want the food to arrive. A complete dinner package covers the whole table for a set headcount, while a la carte ordering lets you supplement your own cooking with the dishes you would rather not make. If you are unsure which direction fits your gathering, our team can walk you through the options and build a custom proposal around your guest count and menu preferences. For a detailed look at how Thanksgiving catering is typically structured, see our Thanksgiving catering cost guide (publish as DRAFT-07 in this batch and link it here once live).
Order-by deadlines for 2026
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26 in 2026. Based on past seasons, here is how we recommend thinking about deadlines:
- Three to four weeks out (early November): Best window for full menu flexibility, including specific side dish requests and preferred pickup or delivery times
- Two weeks out (mid-November): Still a strong window, though some specific time slots may already be filling
- One week out: Orders are still accepted where capacity allows, but flexibility on specific times and menu customization narrows considerably
- The final few days before Thanksgiving: We do our best to accommodate late orders, but availability is not guaranteed, and packages may be limited to what is still in stock
For a deeper walkthrough of the 2026 timeline, including week-by-week milestones, see our dedicated Thanksgiving order timeline guide.
A note on the turkey itself
Even with a catered dinner, a lot of hosts still want to carve the bird themselves at the table, either because it is a family tradition or because it makes for a nicer presentation when guests are seated. If that is your plan, our guide on carving a turkey covers the basics so the moment goes smoothly instead of turning into a production.
Reheating and timing on the day
If you order ahead of Thanksgiving Day, whether for pickup the day before or delivery that morning, plan your reheating around your actual sit-down time, not the moment the food arrives. A general guideline: allow the turkey and hot sides roughly the same reheating window you would use for leftovers, using a covered oven at a moderate temperature rather than a fast blast of high heat, which can dry out the meat. If you are unsure about timing for your specific order, ask when you place it. Our team can walk you through exact reheating instructions based on the package you choose.
Combining Thanksgiving with the rest of the holiday season
For many of our clients, Thanksgiving catering is the first of several orders across the season, from holiday office parties to Christmas meal packages. If you are already planning ahead, it is worth thinking about your full holiday calendar at the same time you place your Thanksgiving order, since the same scheduling pressure that hits Thanksgiving week tends to repeat in December.
Feeding a large multi-household gathering
If Thanksgiving at your house means combining two or three family groups into one meal, ordering as a single package instead of everyone bringing separate dishes tends to simplify the day considerably. A single coordinated order means one delivery or pickup window, one set of reheating instructions, and no last-minute scramble over who is bringing the stuffing. It also removes the awkward math of trying to guess how much food six different households will collectively bring. When you place a group order, give us your full headcount up front, including kids, so portion sizing accounts for the whole table rather than just the primary host’s guest count.
Special requests and dietary needs
Thanksgiving tables often include at least one guest with a specific dietary need, whether that is a vegetarian main, a gluten-free stuffing, or a dairy-free side. Let us know about these requests when you place your order rather than the week of the holiday, since substitutions often need their own preparation time and ingredient sourcing. Most dietary accommodations are easier to build into a package from the start than to add on short notice.
Plan your 2026 Thanksgiving order
Start with the current Thanksgiving catering menu to see this year’s packages and a la carte options, then visit our Thanksgiving catering hub for full details, or reach our team directly through the contact page to build a custom proposal around your guest count and date.
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend ordering three to four weeks ahead, in early November, for the widest menu selection and your preferred pickup or delivery time.
Packages typically include roasted turkey, a selection of sides such as stuffing and mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and a pie course, sized to your guest count.
Yes, a la carte ordering is available for hosts who want to fill in specific items rather than order a complete package.
Yes, both formats are available. Delivery is scheduled to a set window, while pickup gives you more control over your exact morning timing.
Three to four weeks before Thanksgiving is the ideal window for full menu flexibility and your choice of pickup or delivery times. Orders are accepted later where capacity allows, but time slots and customization narrow as the holiday approaches.
That is common even with a catered dinner. Our turkey carving guide walks through the basics so the moment at the table goes smoothly.
We do our best to accommodate late orders, but flexibility on specific times and menu items narrows considerably that close to Thanksgiving Day.
