Food & Drink

Thanksgiving out, under $25 a head

Prime Meats, where meals start at $16.
Our pick: Prime Meats for $16 a plate.

If you’re in the city this Thanksgiving and don’t feel like wrestling with a 20-pound bird (or haven’t wangled an invitation you’re excited about), keep in mind that plenty of restaurants will be in full swing. Sure there’s the River Café for the $125-a-head crowd and Dressler’s $90-a-plate feast, but we found seven places where you can get turkey (or possibly tofurkey) and fixins for under $25—booze not included. If you’ve heard of any deals we missed, please put them in the comments. And since working on Thursday is pretty much no fun, don’t forget to be extra thankful with the wait staff…

Manhattan Three Decker Diner 695 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint (718) 389-6565
Cost: $16.95 per person
This prix fixe includes a full turkey dinner (with sides), dessert, coffee, and wine. Wine in a diner… hmmm. They also sell whole turkeys to take home, just in case you want massive leftovers.

Prime Meats 465 Court St., Carroll Gardens (718) 254-0327
Cost: $16 per person
It’s not exactly a prix-fixe meal, but for just $16 you can get a turkey plate that includes soft-pretzel stuffing, honey-roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. They’re also offering spiked cider, hot buttered rum and mulled wine, though it’ll cost you extra.

Purity Diner 289 7th Ave., Park Slope (718) 840-0881
Cost: $14.95 per person
The best deal in town—this turkey dinner includes classic side dishes, like sweet potatoes and creamed spinach, a beverage, and a slice of pie.

Red Bamboo Brooklyn 271 Adelphi St., Fort Greene ,718) 643-4806
Cost: approximately $20 (menu not set at time of publishing)
For a vegetarian option, head to Red Bamboo Brooklyn. Though the menu hasn’t been set (call ahead for details), expect dishes similar to their Manhattan counterpart, where they’re serving bamboo herbed faux-turkey with veggie sides and a dessert.

Turqua Grill І 9604 3rd Ave, Fort Hamilton І (718) 238-8885
Cost: $24.99 per person for 3 courses
Go a bit non-trad at this Turkish restaurant where you can choose between entrée selections like turkey shish kabob or a turkey gyro, and end with a special pumpkin desert.

Union Smith Café, 305 Smith St., Carroll Gardens І (718) 643-3293
Cost: $25 per person
This bistro serves classic American food year-round, so expect traditional dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a dessert.

Vegas Diner, 1619 86th St, Bath Beach/Dyker Heights, (718) 331-2221
Cost: $18.95 per person
This place is huge with some fantastic diner decor. It won’t give you a cozy, homey feel, but it will provide all the old-school classics: turkey dinner, stuffing, and all the fixings.

8 Comments

  1. hannah

    I’m sure that you can find a thanksgiving dinner under $25 at any diner. If you’re looking for a nice place that you can take your parents or feel a little more celebratory, Quercy on Smith Street is advertising a $35 prix fixe that sounds pretty good with lots of choices. I realize that it’s over $25/head but considering that half these choices were diners, I figured I’d throw that one out there.

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