Where to Savor the Festive Feast without the Fuss
Thanksgiving in Central Oregon is full of camaraderie, crisp air and holiday joy. Soon, the aromas of turkey and pumpkin pie in the oven will fill the air, beckoning us to gather and celebrate the season of gratitude together. If the thought of spending hours in the kitchen doesn’t appeal to you, though, Central Oregon offers a variety of options for a memorable Thanksgiving dinner at one of its many restaurants and resorts. Enjoy holiday dishes prepared by the best chefs in the region, with none of the cleanup.
Thanksgiving Dinner is Served at Central Oregon Resorts and Restaurants
Elk Lake Resort
A three-course Thanksgiving dinner lakeside at Elk Lake Resort’s newly restored historic lodge is surrounded by the serene beauty of the Deschutes National Forest. In front of a roaring woodstove, diners begin with starters of roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, and cornbread before diving into a main course featuring herb-roasted turkey with stuffing and gravy. Side dishes like traditional mashed potatoes and Gouda-Parmesan au gratin potatoes round out the Thanksgiving table. Conclude the feast with classic pumpkin pie or a chef’s featured dessert revealed at the table. Dinner seating opens at 4 p.m. Prices are $75 per person, with a special Kids Plate available for children 13 and under for $26. For a delightful holiday experience, make your reservations by calling 541-480-7378 or emailing the reservation desk emailing the reservation desk.
Black Butte Ranch
The recently renovated Lodge at Black Butte Ranch hosts a family-style Thanksgiving feast that will produce lifelong memories. To kick things off, enjoy a family-style charcuterie board and pick from an array of appetizers, including butternut squash soup, smoked beet salad, baby kale salad, or burrata and peperonata. The entrée lineup includes Thanksgiving turkey, roast prime rib, northwest salmon, beef short rib or mushroom bourguignon. Indulge your sweet tooth with desserts like classic pumpkin tart, chocolate pecan tart or sticky toffee pudding. The kid’s menu features Thanksgiving turkey, macaroni and cheese, a cheeseburger and chicken strips. With breathtaking views and a warm, elevated ambiance, the Lodge at Black Butte Ranch provides the perfect setting for a Thanksgiving to remember. Dinner is served from 12 to 4 p.m. with plates priced at $67 per adult and $18 per child. Secure your spot by making reservations online or calling 541-595-1260.
The Lodge in Sunriver
Celebrate Thanksgiving at The Lodge in Sunriver with a four-course plated dinner in their beautiful dining room with meadow and mountain views. The menu promises an elevated feast full of the season’s flavors. Appetizers include a choice of roasted parsnip and apple soup or frisée and pear salad. Entree options include slow-roasted prime rib, duck breast and winter tagliatelle. For dessert, find chai-spiced pumpkin chiffon cake, chocolate mousse and apple pie Pavlova. Sunriver is known as a place full of family tradition, whether creating new memories or returning year after year. Thanksgiving dinner is available from 2 to 8 p.m. Adults dine for $90, kids for $48, and kids under 5 are complimentary with a paying adult. Ensure your place at the table by calling 541-593-3740 for reservations, or check SunriverResort.com.
Juniper Preserve
Juniper Preserve is known as a wellness haven, so you can be sure its Thanksgiving Buffet will offer a nourishing, curated buffet with a focus on culinary excellence. The feast takes place in the beautiful Iris restaurant with panoramic views of the juniper forest. The extensive buffet offers almost 30 twists on holiday staples such as croissants with marionberry jam and apple butter, sweet potato cornbread soup with honey and cinnamon, and pumpkin ravioli with Bechamel, sage and goat cheese. Find carved turkey, tri-tip and salmon, plus desserts such as pumpkin and pecan pie, or cranberry white chocolate bread pudding. Juniper Preserve also offers a Thanksgiving To Go Kit, serving four people and featuring a similarly elevated menu. Dining service begins at 12 p.m., with plates priced at $79 for adults (seniors $59) and $39 for children. Click here to RSVP.
Tetherow
Tetherow invites guests to a festive and delicious Thanksgiving celebration. With dine-in and to-go options available, indulge in a menu inspired by Pacific Northwest ingredients. An abundant lineup of sides includes cioppino stew, Alaska king crab cakes, poached shrimp and salmon roulade, cornbread stuffing, herb-glazed carrots, orange cinnamon yams, Yukon mashed potatoes, five-cheese macaroni and cheese, and fresh rolls. The salad bar features a beet salad, Caesar salad and Batavia wedge salad. The shining star is the carving station with roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham and rosemary tenderloin . For dessert, choose from ginger snap tarts, apple pie crumble, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. The dining room will be open from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Prices range from free for ages 4 and under, $120 for adults, and $45 for children ages 5 to 14. To reserve your spot, call 541-388-2582.
* Note: Please confirm availability; all Thanksgiving dinners require reservations.
ROAM
This Thanksgiving, enjoy a special holiday dinner at ROAM in Bend, where you can choose between a festive prix fixe menu or their regular dinner selections. As a Modern American restaurant, ROAM thoughtfully crafts its menus to blend seasonal Pacific Northwest flavors with global inspiration. It’s the perfect opportunity to experience their signature balance of elevated comfort and creativity in a casually elegant downtown setting. Click to read the full menu and book your reservation at ROAM in Bend.
Order Ahead and Pick up a Turkey Dinner from Bend Restaurants
Some of the best chefs in Central Oregon will create a Thanksgiving feast customized for you and the size of your party. Simply select your favorite flavors and place your order in advance. Your taste buds and dinner guests will thank you:
Bend Brewing Company
For 30 years, Bend Brewing Company has been known for award-winning craft beer, a riverside setting next to Mirror Pond and solid pub-fare menu. This year, it offers Thanksgiving dinner to order ahead for up to eight people. Choose roasted turkey or honey-glazed ham, and from 15 sides, including French onion soup, casseroles, Hawaiian rolls and pumpkin cheesecake, pecan or sweet potato pie. Order by November 22 to pick up on Thanksgiving Day by clicking here.
Lemon Tree
Chefs Betsy McDonald and Jaclyn Perez created a catering menu to mix and match traditional favorites, such as brined and roasted turkey with Lemon Tree’s popular crab cakes with lemon dipping sauce. Dessert options include tarte tatin or pumpkin burnt Basque cheesecake. Order now, pick up on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and give yourself the gift of a holiday to play. Click to see the full Thanksgiving menu from Lemon Tree in Bend, or give them a call directly at 541-241-5306.
McMenamins Old St. Francis School
Enjoy McMenamins two ways: Alongside their regular menu, enjoy a curated selection of Thanksgiving specials to enjoy in the cozy pub atmosphere. Or place an order for its takeaway dinner serving four with a traditional herb-roasted turkey, hazelnut-brown butter green beans, mashed potatoes and brandied pumpkin pie. To save your spot at this historic Bend school turned pub or to order the to-go menu, call 541-382-5174.
Luckey’s Woodsman
For six years and counting, chef Jackson Higdon has offered a Thanksgiving Kit. This year’s feast features smoked, free-range, natural turkey, wild mushroom brown gravy, Tuscan stuffing, cranberry-pear chutney, and roasted Brussels sprouts. Add a holiday pie, additional sides or even a tree permit to be ready for day-after Thanksgiving holiday tree hunts. Order by Sunday, November 23, to pick up on Wednesday at Luckey’s Woodsman in Sisters. Local delivery is available. You may also sponsor a kit or contribute to the dinner fund to help feed a neighbor in need. Order Luckey’s Woodsman Thanksgiving kit here. | Learn more about Luckey’s Woodsman’s elevated camp food.
Zydeco Kitchen
Owners Steve and Cherie Helt’s southern-inspired menu adds Thanksgiving touches to dine in or try chef Eric Jobbie’s meal to go. Serving two people, the menu includes brined free-range turkey, skillet cornbread stuffing, buttermilk mashed potatoes, yams with marshmallows, roasted root vegetables and cranberry-orange relish. Choose from three desserts, including a Southern classic, pecan pie (and gluten free options are available). Click to learn how to place your order with Zydeco Kitchen.
More Thanksgiving Activities in Central Oregon
Get Outside in Central Oregon
Before everyone sits down at the table to focus on the delicious feast at hand, getting outside and moving around is a popular way to start Thanksgiving in Central Oregon. There are plenty of hiking trails in Central Oregon to wander with your family before a day of cooking (and eating).
Top Thanksgiving-Day Runs
The I Like Pie run hosted by Cascades Relay sets up a course in the Old Mill District each year for a race full of family fun, funny hats and plenty of pie. There are two courses for racers to choose from: a 1.5-mile loop and a 5K route. Racers depart from the starting line between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Not only are you doing something good for your body, but race proceeds benefit the Bend Boys and Girls Clubs.
In Redmond, sign up for the annual Redmond Turkey Trot with 5K and 10K courses and a 1K kids race. All racers depart from, and finish at, Sam Johnson Park, with the kid’s race kicking things off at 9 a.m. and the rest of the races starting at 9:15 a.m. in multiple waves. The routes loop through Dry Canyon, with two aid stations along the way. All proceeds from the event go to Bright Eyes Bright Future.
Black Butte Ranch hosts its own Turkey Trot Fun Run and Walk this year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, with a short course of 1.2 miles and a longer route of 3.5 miles, both departing from Lakeside Activity Center.The courses promise beautiful meadow views and breathtaking views of the Cascade Range, weather permitting. The fee is $10, plus a can of food. Proceeds benefit Black Butte Conservancy and the local food bank..
Ski First Tracks
Opening day at Mt. Bachelor is projected to be Friday, November 28, officially signaling the arrival of ski season in Central Oregon. Just hours after the Thanksgiving dishes are cleared, gear up, express your gratitude for winter’s arrival, and enjoy the start of the ski season.
Holiday Festivities Commence
The weekend following Thanksgiving in Central Oregon doesn’t have to mean a lull in the festivities; Sisters kicks off the rest of the holiday season strong with its Holiday Palooza featuring a parade and tree-lighting ceremony. The lively parade will travel down Main Street toward Fir Street Park, where the annual lighting of the town’s Christmas tree occurs.
Santa Claus makes his pilgrimage from the North Pole to SantaLand in the Old Mill District at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 28. This year SantaLand returns to its location on the second level, above Lush Cosmetics at 450 SW Powerhouse Drive.
Meanwhile, Redmond gets into the spirit with its annual Starlight Parade, which takes over the streets of downtown on Saturday, November 29th. This year’s theme is “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and will feature twinkling lights, merry tunes and beautiful floats.
