{"id":86631,"date":"2026-11-12T19:01:18","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T19:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/86631\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T19:01:18","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T19:01:18","slug":"the-ultimate-guide-to-thanksgiving-2026-takeout-around-dc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/86631\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving 2026 Takeout Around DC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n                        Apple crumble pie at Unconventional Diner. Photo by Hunter Knight Douglas.                    <\/p>\n<p>Ever since the pandemic, restaurants have been going all-in on holiday carryout packages. Here\u2019s how to celebrate while avoiding the kitchen on Thanksgiving day (Thursday, November 26).<\/p>\n<p>Pregame with a charcuterie board:<br \/>\n<img title=\"District Larder Washington DC - Washingtonian\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1539\" class=\"wp-image-1803318 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/DISTLARDER_0154.jpg\" alt=\"District Larder, Washington, DC\"  \/>The charcuterie board at District Larder. Photo by Scott Suchman.<br \/>\nDistrict Larder<br \/>\n821 Upshur St., NW<\/p>\n<p>Besides family-style turkey dinner packages that feed four to six, Petworth\u2019s new-ish deli and butcher shop is offering a $90 charcuterie board of its housemade pates and salamis, plus cheese, crostini, and pickles. Order for pickup here.<\/p>\n<p>Order turkey dinner for two:<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Unconventional Diner_Thanksgiving Just the Sides 2026_Hunter Knight Douglas - Washingtonian\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"769\" class=\"wp-image-1803320 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Unconventional-Diner_Thanksgiving-Just-the-Sides-2026_Hunter-Knight-Douglas.jpg\" alt=\"\"  \/>Sides from Unconventional Diner\u2019s Thanksgiving spread. Photo by Hunter Knight Douglas.<br \/>\nUnconventional Diner<br \/>\n1207 Ninth St., NW<\/p>\n<p>The eclectic Shaw dining room\u2018s Thanksgiving package for two ($111) features roast turkey and gravy; mushroom\/sage stuffing; cornbread; pumpkin pie, and more. There are a la carte sides and whole pies ($25 to $40). Go for maple-bourbon pecan, apple crumble, or pumpkin, or get all three for $90 (although I\u2019d opt for the chocolate cake\u2014it\u2019s the best in the city). Order for pickup on Wednesday or Thanksgiving day.<\/p>\n<p>Barbouzard<br \/>\n1700 K St., NW<\/p>\n<p>This glam, Riviera-inspired restaurant might not scream traditional Thanksgiving, but Cedric Maupillier has put together a classically elegant dinner-for-two package ($120). You get eleven choices from a long list of items, including roast turkey, squash-and-celery-root veloute, and pumpkin cheesecake. I\u2019d throw in one of the excellent baguettes ($6), which are baked in-house. And you can also get sides, condiments, and dessert a la carte. Order by Monday, November 23, for pickup Wednesday or Thanksgiving day.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" title=\"IMG_4229 - Washingtonian\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" class=\"wp-image-1803367 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/IMG_4229.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  \/>Turkey with curry sauce at Sorn Thai. Photo courtesy of Sorn Thai.<br \/>\nSorn Thai\u00a0<br \/>\n6224-E Old Dominion Dr., McLean<\/p>\n<p>Turkey with curry sauce? Sign me up. This pretty Thai dining room from the owners of DC\u2019s Donsak is offering just that\u2014a half bird ($70 for 3 lbs.; $120 for 5 lbs.) marinated in Thai herbs and served with a ginger-and-tamarind-laced curry, plus grilled asparagus and potatoes with onions and bell peppers. Order by November 20 at 3 PM for pickup on Wednesday. Call 703-564-0630 or email sornthaiva@gmail.com.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sfoglina<br \/>\n4445 Connecticut Ave., NW; 1099 New York Ave., NW; 1100 Wilson Blvd., Arlington<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not easy to do takeout pasta well, but Fabio Trabocchi\u2019s more casual Italian restaurants tend to pull it off. Their $175 dinner for two includes butternut squash tortellini plus salad, rosemary bread, olive-oil poached turkey breast with stuffing and a couple sides, and a pumpkin torta with brown sugar\/pecan caramel. Order by November 22 for pickup or delivery on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Order turkey dinner for the whole fam:<br \/>\n<img title=\"TheSquare_Thanksgiving2024_CreditVS-7 - Washingtonian\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-image-1801206 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/TheSquare_Thanksgiving2024_CreditVS-7.jpg\" alt=\"\"  \/>Casa Teresa\u2019s Spanish-accented Thanksgiving package. Photo courtesy of LeadingDC.<br \/>\nCasa Teresa<br \/>\n919 19th St., NW<\/p>\n<p>At this Spanish dining room inside the Square food hall, you have a choice of two packages sized for eight. The traditional turkey feast ($575) includes an herb-brined whole turkey, stuffing, olive oil mashed potatoes, salad, and a choice of two sides (say, butternut squash soup or Brussels sprouts with bacon and maple butter). An upgraded version ($725) offers all that plus butter rolls, a whole Basque cheesecake, and a bottle of vermouth with cocktail garnishes. A la carte add-ons include batched martinis, wine packages, alternative entrees (Stuffed lobster!), and pies. Order by Friday, November 20, for pickup Tuesday or Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Duck Tavern<br \/>\n1201 24th St., NW<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re after a classic all-American spread, this West End restaurant is offering dinner for six to eight ($595). It includes a 12- to 14-pound turkey from Green Circle farms, braised collards, buttery mashed potatoes, maple-glazed yams, giblet stuffing, two loaves of bread, and either an apple or pumpkin pie. Order by Sunday, November 15, for pickup on Wednesday or Thanksgiving day. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img title=\"Joon_Thanksgiving_Lamb - Washingtonian\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-image-1801211 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Joon_Thanksgiving_Lamb.jpg\" alt=\"\"  \/>Not big on turkey? Joon\u2019s Thanksgiving package can be had with bone-in lamb shoulder. Photo by Rey Lopez.<br \/>\nJoon<br \/>\n8045 Leesburg Pike, Vienna<\/p>\n<p>Persian rice dishes and sides are actually perfect for a Thanksgiving table. This Tysons restaurant\u2019s turkey sofreh package for four to six ($350) comes with either an 18-pound turkey with herb butter or a whole bone-in lamb shoulder, plus dips, cardamom-spiced sweet-potato casserole, Persian slaw, and a choice of rice dishes (go for the sour cherry version). Add on batched fig old-fashioneds or espresso martinis ($65), wine, and extra appetizers. Order by Thursday, November 19, for pickup Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p><img title=\"LCF 3 - Washingtonian\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1080\" class=\"wp-image-1803331 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/LCF-3.jpg\" alt=\"\"  \/>A Thanksgiving plate at L\u2019Auberge Chez Francois. Photo courtesy of L\u2019Auberge Chez Francois.<br \/>\nL\u2019Auberge Chez Francois<br \/>\n332 Springvale Rd., Great Falls\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The dinner for eight ($489) at this 72-year-old Alsatian-inspired cottage relies heavily on the recipe book of late proprietor Francois Haeringer. It includes a 16- to 18-pound turkey from Warrenton\u2019s Whiffletree Farm with giblet gravy, plus chestnut\/pork stuffing, saut\u00e9ed Brussels sprouts, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a pumpkin-mousse gateau. Order by November 20 for pickup on Thanksgiving day.<\/p>\n<p>The Nest by Ellie Bird<br \/>\n125 Founders Ave., Falls Church<\/p>\n<p>Need a super-size option? Chef\/owner Yuan Tang of Ellie Bird and Rooster and Owl is offering a full dinner for 20 ($1,145). There\u2019s turkey, rosemary gravy, a choice of sides, sticky toffee pudding, and pumpkin bread pudding. On the smaller end, grab fried turkey or fried chicken for four ($65), plus plenty of a la carte sides. And don\u2019t sleep on the pineapple buns with miso butter ($20 for a half dozen). Order here for pickup Tuesday or Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Turn your turkey into Komi-style pita wraps:<br \/>\nGemini<br \/>\n1509 17th St., NW<\/p>\n<p>There aren\u2019t a ton of Thanksgiving choices at Johnny Monis and Anne Marler\u2019s snug Dupont wine shop\/pasta bar, but I\u2019d build an entire meal around his mascarpone-stuffed dates ($18), a long-running hit at his former restaurant, Komi. Another offering for fans of the late tasting room\u2019s DIY pita sandwiches: packages with their fixings ($48): sourdough pita, tzatziki, onion mustard, and pickled Fresno peppers (you provide the meat). Order here for pickup Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Dig into Kevin Tien\u2019s Louisiana-meets-Vietnam feast:<br \/>\nMoon Rabbit<br \/>\n927 F St., NW<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Tien\u2019s package for four ($295) adds accents like lime leaf, curry, and lemongrass to traditional holiday dishes. Spiced turkey with hot garlic gravy is the star, and you\u2019ll also get tomato bread with canh chua (sweet-and-sour) butter, gingery mashed potatoes, bun bo hue green beans, jambalaya, roasted butternut squash with candied pepitas, pumpkin cake, and more. Order here for pickup at the Penn Quarter restaurant on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Keep it casual with barbecue:<br \/>\n<img title=\"2Fifty_IMG_0859 2 - Washingtonian\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2305\" height=\"1537\" class=\"wp-image-1765276 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/2Fifty_IMG_0859-2.JPG\" alt=\"\"  \/>2Fifty\u2019s meats can be reheated at home. Photo courtesy of 2Fifty.<br \/>\n2Fifty<br \/>\n4700 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park; 414 K St., NW<\/p>\n<p>While the mega-popular barbecue destination has sold out its Thanksgiving pre-orders, you can still get heat-and-serve packs of its whole Wagyu or prime brisket ($215 to $295), smoked chicken ($22), duck ($45), and turkey breast ($75). Order here for pickup in Riverdale Park or Mount Vernon Triangle.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Federalist Pig<br \/>\n1654 Columbia Rd.. NW<\/p>\n<p>Adams Morgan\u2019s beloved barbecue carryout is packing up a variety of to-go options. The biggest package involves a whole spatchcocked smoked turkey ($299) with slider rolls, cranberry barbecue sauce, six sides, and two desserts. You can also opt for a smaller version with a half turkey ($199), or a variety of sliced meats ($175). Desserts, also available a la carte, go beyond the usual, with offerings like Oreo pudding bowls and cinnamon-roll-topped apple pie. Order by November 20 for Tuesday or Wednesday pickup.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img title=\"Thanksgiving Hero Shot - Washingtonian\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-image-1801212 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Thanksgiving-Hero-Shot.JPG\" alt=\"\"  \/>Smoked turkey, sides, and pie at Silver and Sons. Photo courtesy of Silver &amp; Sons.<br \/>\nSilver and Sons<br \/>\n5362 Westbard Ave., Bethesda<\/p>\n<p>There are dinners for four ($210) or eight ($410) at Jarrad Silver\u2019s Jewish\/Mediterranean barbecue operation. The packages are centered around a 10- to 12-pound Earth n\u2019 Eats farm turkey and include the usual trimmings plus challah rolls and dessert (or, get the bird on its own for $175). If you\u2019re not feeling turkey though, the pomegranate-glazed lamb shoulder ($75 for two pounds) sounds pretty tasty. Order for Wednesday pickup in Rockville, Bethesda, or Northeast DC.<\/p>\n<p>Ruthie\u2019s All Day<br \/>\n3411 Fifth St. S., Arlington; 11951 Grand Commons Ave., Fairfax<\/p>\n<p>Both locations of this nostalgic American restaurant are offering smoked turkey packages ($345) that serve eight to 10. You\u2019ll get a whole bird, gravy and orange\/ginger cranberry sauce, plus classic sides like candied yams and green bean casserole. There are several a la carte options, too, including cocktail hour-friendly pimiento cheese ($19) and deviled eggs ($9 for six).<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t skimp on sides:<br \/>\nThe Duck and the Peach<br \/>\n300 Seventh St., SE<\/p>\n<p>You can get a turkey-centric feast ($350) for five or six people at this Capitol Hill favorite, but also a lineup of just sides ($210). Think cranberry soda bread, roasted Brussels sprouts with pomegranate and mint, lemony green beans, goat-butter mashed potatoes, an elegant green salad, and more. Order by November 22 for pickup on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Buy all the pies!\u00a0<br \/>\n<img title=\"#744444 (7) - Washingtonian\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"764\" class=\"wp-image-1705996 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/744444-7.png\" alt=\"\"  \/>Gwenie\u2019s ube pie is bottom row, center. Photographs by Magdalena Papaioannou. Photo-illustration by Omari Foote.<br \/>\nGwenie\u2019s Pastries<br \/>\nLocations in Frederick, Rockville, Arlington, and McLean<\/p>\n<p>This Filipino bakery\u2019s swirly, purple-tinted ube pie is an unexpected\u2014and beautiful\u2014Thanksgiving confection. Call any location\u00a0to pre-order.<\/p>\n<p>Centrolina<br \/>\n974 Palmer Alley, NW<\/p>\n<p>Another gorgeous option: this Italian restaurant\u2019s kabocha\/butterscotch meringue pie ($63.25). There\u2019s lattice-topped apple pie ($63.25), too. Order for pick-up Wednesday or Thanksgiving day.<\/p>\n<p>Joe\u2019s Seafood, Prime Steak, and Stone Crab<br \/>\n750 15th St., NW<\/p>\n<p>The buzzy steakhouse is known for its key lime ($60.95), but also makes a terrific crumble-topped apple pie ($69.95), and a nice Boston cream version ($69.95). Order whole pies by Friday, November 20, for pickup Tuesday or Wednesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Rose Ave Bakery<br \/>\n2633 Connecticut Ave., NW<\/p>\n<p>The excellent Woodley Park bakery is doing its own take on ube pie ($45). There\u2019s also ube tres leches ($40) and pumpkin cheesecake ($85). Order for pickup Tuesday or Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Elle<br \/>\n3221 Mount Pleasant St., NW<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, pre-orders for this Mount Pleasant spot\u2019s fantastic honey\/goat cheesecake are sold out. You can still get chocolate\/bourbon pecan pie ($46)\u2014plus a bunch of sides and condiments\u2014though. Order here for pickup Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Stock up on bread for day-after sandwiches:\u00a0<br \/>\n<img title=\"photo-by-Sarah-Gerrity-BreadAlley_Aug30_00304-scaled-down-1 - Washingtonian\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2600\" height=\"2600\" class=\"wp-image-1777407 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/photo-by-Sarah-Gerrity-BreadAlley_Aug30_00304-scaled-down-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  \/>Bread Alley\u2019s cranberry\/walnut bread is also served at Le Diplomate. Photo by Sarah Gerrity.<br \/>\nBread Alley<br \/>\n1250 Fifth St., NW<\/p>\n<p>Stephen Starr\u2019s tiny Union Market bread bakery is baking loaves of its herby, aromatic stuffing-flavored sourdough, and you\u2019ll also find Le Diplomate\u2019s famous cranberry\/walnut bread. Pre-order for pickup at St. Anselm on Wednesday or Thanksgiving day. Also available in-store: seasonal pastries like apple-pie croissants and pumpkin bear claws.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget about breakfast the next day:<br \/>\n<img title=\"BREADFURST_053-scaled-down - Washingtonian\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2600\" height=\"1737\" class=\"wp-image-1712101 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/BREADFURST_053-scaled-down.jpg\" alt=\"\"  \/>Pastries at Breadfurst. Photo by Scott Suchman.<br \/>\nBreadfurst<br \/>\n4434 Connecticut Ave., NW<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re hosting a bunch of people, making a big Friday breakfast is probably the last thing you want to deal with. This ever-popular Van Ness bread bakery comes to the rescue with winning pastries, excellent granola, skinny Montreal-style bagels, and housemade Nova lox. It\u2019d be my first stop for takeout apple pie, too: while pre-orders for pies have closed, they will be sold in-store on a first-come basis all week.<\/p>\n<p>Get in the Thanksgiving spirit early:<br \/>\nYour Only Friend<br \/>\n1114 Ninth St., NW<\/p>\n<p>There are few holiday treats I love more than a Thanksgiving sandwich, and the best I\u2019ve found this year is on offer now at this Shaw sandwich\/cocktail bar. A soft roll is loaded with smoked turkey, a hefty layer of boxed stuffing, mayo, cranberry sauce, and arugula. Plus, you get a little cup of gravy for dunking. Order here for delivery or pickup.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>                <img alt=\"Ann Limpert\" src=\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/1794510078_912_cd3a649e21992f276caedbfbd03877cdb291e5023bb1c853cb07187c9cf3fdaf.jpeg\"  class=\"avatar avatar-192 photo img-circle float-right force-crop-contents-centered noscrollreveal\" height=\"192\" width=\"192\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Executive Food Editor\/Critic<\/p>\n<p>Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apple crumble pie at Unconventional Diner. Photo by Hunter Knight Douglas. Ever since the pandemic, restaurants have been going all-in on holiday carryout packages. Here\u2019s how to celebrate while avoiding the kitchen on Thanksgiving day (Thursday, November 26). Pregame with a charcuterie board: The charcuterie board at District Larder. Photo by Scott Suchman. District Larder<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":86632,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[6807,6804,6805,6802,6806,6803,3259],"class_list":["post-86631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-district-of-columbia","tag-d-c","tag-d-c-dining","tag-d-c-fine-dining","tag-d-c-food","tag-d-c-grocery-stores","tag-d-c-restaurants","tag-washington"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dc\/117605019444748571","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86631\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}