Looking for a Thanksgiving brunch or where to buy a turkey or pie? Here's a list

Looking for something to initiate the “What-I’m-thankful-for” list this year?

How about the return of the Thanksgiving Day brunch buffet to The Crowne Plaza? Or there’s a myriad of local businesses offering heat-and-eat holiday feasts, decadent desserts, and baked goods for those celebrating closer to home to ensure the entire fete isn’t spent in the kitchen.

Following is a list of local restaurants serving holiday specials on Nov. 23 and local businesses helping complete your holiday spread.

Brunch is back

The Crowne Plaza is once again laying out its all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving day repast following a three-year absence of the holiday feast.

Prime rib and turkey carving stations will be the centerpiece of the brunch buffet. Other features include an omelet station, a variety of entrees and seafood selections, soup and salad bar, traditional side dishes and breakfast offerings. A dessert table and chocolate fountain will complete the meal.

The cost is $60 for adults, $48 for senior citizens, and $30 for children 12 and younger.

The brunch buffet will be served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (217) 585-2831 or email jreves@cpspringfield.com to place reservations.

The Crowne Plaza hasn’t served a holiday buffet at the 3000 S. Dirksen Parkway hotel since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hotel curtailed all its dining offerings in 2020 and only just reopened its main dining room, the Long 9 Restaurant, earlier this fall.

Get a free meal

Sgt. Pepper's Cafe once again is serving its free community dinner on Thanksgiving day.

Cafe owners Ziyad and Souad Samara are inviting the public to enjoy the holiday meal with them at 3141 Baker Drive.

The meal – served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, a vegetable, bread and dessert.

The free meal – available to all – can be enjoyed either as dine-in or take-out. Those collecting pick-up orders must call by Nov. 22 with information about the number of meals required and pick-up time. Phone: (217) 525-5939. Take-out is limited to two meals per person.

The Samaras have served the free holiday meal as a “thank you” to the community since 2001.

Heat and serve meals available

Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant at White Oaks Mall has a heat-and-serve traditional holiday meal for $199.99.

The meal features roasted turkey with pan gravy, traditional stuffing, potatoes, green beans, carrots, butternut squash soup, scratch-made cranberry sauce, pretzel bread with butter, and pumpkin praline cheesecake with whipping cream and vanilla sauce.

Wines that pair with the meal can be purchased for an additional price.

The heat-and-serve meal feeds six. Orders must be placed by Nov. 17. Pick-ups are from 9 a.m. Nov. 21 through 4 p.m. Nov. 22. Orders for the heat-and-serve meal can be made online at www.chwinery.com/thanksgiving. Be sure to select the Springfield location.

Take a seat

Cracker Barrel invites you to take a seat for its Thanksgiving day meal or take it to-go.

The Tennessee-based chain is serving a special turkey and dressing meal only on Nov. 23 at all its locations including the stores at 5975 S. Sixth St. in Springfield and in Lincoln. Restaurant hours on Thanksgiving day are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (A breakfast menu is available from 7 to 11 a.m.) Worried about the wait? Try the online wait list found at www.crackerbarrel.com. The feature comes up after selecting a Cracker Barrel location.

The limited holiday menu features a turkey dinner, sugar ham, or chicken and dumplings.

For those who prefer to dine at home, Cracker Barrel has heat-and-serve meals that come in two sizes. The family dinner serves 4 to 6, while the feast package serves 8 to 10. These heat-and-serve meals go from oven to table in two hours.

The family meal comes with an oven-roasted turkey breast, turkey gravy, cornbread dressing, cranberry relish, sweet potato casserole, choice of a side dish, and yeast rolls. The cost is $104.99.

The feast package adds a second turkey breast, a choice of two signature side dishes, and two pies (pumpkin and pecan) for $154.99.

If that won’t fill your crew, check out the add-ons that include Cracker Barrel’s signature side dishes, as well as some newcomers like loaded hash browns and loaded mashed potatoes.

Whole pies can be purchased individually. Pie options include cinnamon roll, pumpkin, apple streusel, chocolate-pecan and pecan pies. Cost is $12.99.

Thanksgiving orders are available for pick up from Nov. 18-25. Place orders online at www.crackerbarrel.com/Thanksgiving.

Buffet includes turkey, steak, ham

Golden Corral Buffet & Grill is adding turkey, ham, and sirloin steak to its all-you-can-eat selections on Thanksgiving day.

The buffet at 1038 LeJune Dr. is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Seating is first come, first served.

Buffet prices on Thanksgiving are $18.99 for adults; $17.99 for senior citizens; $7.99 for kids ages 9-12; and $5.99 for kids ages 4-8. Children 3 and younger eat for free.

You can also take Golden Corral’s holiday spread home with two options: heat-and-serve or ready-to-eat. The family feast feeds 6 to 8 people and ranges in cost from $109.99 to $119.99.

Customize with a choice of turkey, ham, or roast beef, as well as the choice of sides and desserts. Additional a la carte items can be added for a fee. Orders should be placed online at www.goldencorral.com by Nov. 20.

Steakhouse features specials

Mariah's Steakhouse & Pasta is serving a limited holiday menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving day.

Featured specials include prime rib, ham, turkey, and mushroom ravioli. All entrees include a house salad and bread. Prices range from $29 to $60. Traditional side dishes, desserts, and drink specials also will be available.

Call (217) 793-1900 to reserve a seat at the 3317 Robbins Road restaurant.

Reservations recommended

The Chatham Cafe has added some traditional holiday dinners to its regular lineup on Thanksgiving day.

Special dinners featured are baked ham with sweet potatoes ($14.99), roasted turkey ($14.99), and roasted prime rib ($26.99) All specials come with a choice of potato soup or salad, vegetable, and dessert. Entrees are served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The cafe – at 414 N. Main St. in Chatham – is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 23. with its full menu available for dine-in or take-out.

Reservations are recommended for parties of five or more. Call (217) 679-1101 for reservations.

Meal serves six

Turkey is the centerpiece of Harvest Market's heat-and-serve holiday meal.

The dinner comes with a 10-pound turkey with gravy, cornbread, a choice of three side dishes, and dessert. Side options include garlic green beans, roasted Harvest salad, sage dressing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, roasted fall vegetables, and cranberry relish. Dessert options are pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread pudding.

The meal – which feeds 6 – costs $119.

Whole pies also can be purchased separately for $16.99. Selections include apple, cherry, raspberry-peach, mixed berry and strawberry-rhubarb.

Orders must be picked up from the grocery at 3000 Veterans Parkway in White Oaks Plaza by Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. Place orders by calling (217) 793-3601 and selecting the deli extension or online at www.goharvestmarket.com.

The Farmhouse Restaurant is closed on Thanksgiving.

Take it, bake it

Poe's Catering, 295 E. Andrew Road, has a take-and-bake dinner for $195.95 plus tax.

The meal includes a 3.5-pound roasted turkey and a 3.5-pound carved pineapple glazed ham, green bean casserole, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, rolls, and pumpkin pie. The meal serves 8 to 10.

Order deadline is Nov. 16 by 4 p.m. Pick up Nov. 22 between 3-6 p.m. Place orders by phone (217) 487-7601 or email poecater@msn.com.

Feeding a crowd? Buy in bulk

Cafe Moxo, 411 E. Adams St., has bulk soups, pot pies and baked goods.

Selections include chicken pot pies ($38 for a family pan/$9.25 individual), soup by the quart with three biscuits ($13), deviled eggs ($1.25 each), bacon cheddar biscuits ($1.50 each) and cookies ($2.10 each).

Pot pies and biscuits can be purchased either baked or unbaked.

Soup choices are tomato-basil bisque, chicken soup with hand-rolled noodles, pumpkin-black bean chili and Fall Over Soup -- a blend of sausage, sweet potato and pear.

Deviled eggs come in four varieties: ranch-dusted pickle, sweet and spicy bacon, barbecue chicken, and tomato bruschetta.

Cookie selections include chocolate chip in regular and gluten-free varieties, peanut butter, oatmeal-cranberry, double chocolate sea salt, snickerdoodle, lemon-white chocolate, white chocolate macadamia, and Brean − a blend with chocolate chips, coconut, oatmeal, raisins, and walnuts. Order online at www.cafemoxo.com or call (217) 788-8084. Pick up available Nov. 22 between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Try a twist on dessert

Homemade Passions by Bryce has dessert covered with new twists on traditional flavors.

Eight-inch pies come in pumpkin chiffon pie with maple whipped cream and s’mores pie available for $28 or apple-bourbon-bacon pie and salted caramel and chocolate pecan pie for $30.

Cheesecake flavors feature pumpkin with maple whipped cream or turtle each for $30.

Yeast rolls come with a choice of pumpkin-honey butter or garlic-herb butter for $10 a half dozen. Decorated sugar cookies cost $36 a dozen.

Place orders by calling or texting (217) 891-0332 or leaving a message on the business’s Facebook page. Order deadline is Nov. 20.

Create your own pastry box

Incredibly Delicious knows variety is the spice of life. That’s why its holiday baked goods always have been available in boxed assortments. This year you also get the option of creating your own pastry box.

The downtown bakery is offering a Thanksgiving pastry shop, allowing customers to customize their own pastry box from an assortment of delectable desserts ranging from a cranberry tart to German chocolate barquettes, chai-apple panna cotta to eclairs.

Pastry selections range from $4.95 to $5.95 each.

Can’t choose?

Incredibly Delicious still has set holiday box assortments with the brunch box ($35), tart and cake boxes ($42 each) and the macaron box ($15 - $90 depending on cookie count).

Whole cakes featured this Thanksgiving season include white chocolate chai, caramel apple spice, pumpkin spice, and peanut butter cup. Prices range from $45 - $88 for your choice of 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-inch cakes.

Chicken salad is available by the pint ($14.25) or quart ($25.95).

See the website for a complete selection of holiday offerings.

All pre-orders must be placed by Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. Pick up for all preorders are at 925 S. Seventh St. between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Nov. 22. Orders should be placed online only at www.incrediblydelicious.com. A direct link to the order site is under the Thanksgiving tab.

Walk-in purchases are available. Nov. 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Smash your turkey

The turkey centerpiece at your Thanksgiving feast doesn’t have to come from the oven.

Pease's At Bunn Gourmet is selling 3-pound chocolate turkeys that can be smashed after dinner and served as dessert.

The 10-inch tall, hollow turkey costs $60.49.

Other decadent holiday desserts featured by The Gables eatery include 9-inch deep dish pumpkin or apple-cranberry pies ($17.99), 10-inch pumpkin cheesecake ($49.99), and a 4-layer caramel-apple cake with caramel cream cheese filling ($52.99).

Orders are due by Nov. 17. Call (217) 793-1840 to place an order.

Pease’s at Bunn Gourmet is at 2941 Plaza Drive.

Preorder fresh, local turkey

Turasky's Meats has a variety of proteins to place at the center of your holiday table.

Preorders for locally raised, fresh Yordy turkeys will be taken through Nov. 14. Turkeys are available in the 20- to 22-pound range and cost $4.79/pound.

A selection of hams, smoked turkeys, and prime ribs also are available. Options include boneless hams (8- to 10-pounds at $5.49/pound), smoked whole turkeys (10-pounds at $4.79/pound), smoked turkey breast (5- to 7-pounds at $6.19/pound) and prime rib (cut-to-order at $19.49/pound).

The deadline to order all but the fresh, whole turkeys is Nov. 22. Phone: (217) 522-3345. Pickups available from Nov. 20 through Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.

Baked goods available for order

The Applebarn in Chatham is taking orders for holiday pastries and baked goods.

A variety of 10-inch pies are available with prices ranging from $10.75 to $14.

Choose pies either pre-baked or made-from-scratch, frozen pies that can be baked at home.

Selections include apple or apple crumb, cherry or cherry crumb, chocolate cream, coconut cream, lemon meringue, peach or peach crumb, pumpkin, pecan and strawberry rhubarb. Cream pies are available with a choice of cream topping or meringue.

Dinner rolls are available for a half-dozen for $3 and fudge for $13.95 a pound.

Place orders by calling (217) 483-6236 anytime between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily or online at www.applebarn.net. Orders will be ready for pick-up between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 22.

Straight from the farm

Buy Fresh Buy Local’s online search engine is another tool for creating a farm-to-fork Thanksgiving spread. The online site www.buyfreshbuylocal.org/illinois has a list of farms throughout Illinois selling everything from turkeys to tea, sweet potatoes to sprouts, pheasants to fennel. The search engine lets the user search by products and travel time to farms. Contact information for farms is provided, as well as growing practices.

Market delivery

Garden Gate Farms is taking pre-orders for turkeys to be delivered at the Old Capitol Farmers Market on Nov. 18.

The turkeys are pasture-raised with non-GMO feed. Cost is $4 a pound and range in size between 11- to 24 pounds. Place orders either by phone (815) 848-3518) or email dougrink68@icloud.com by Nov. 17.

The downtown farmers market meets from 8 a.m. until noon at the historic Union Station at 500 E. Madison St. for the winter season.

Bundled groceries

Ruler Foods is offering shoppers two Thanksgiving grocery bundles.

The value bundle at $25 includes a 12-pound turkey, green beans, French fried onions, cream of soup, stuffing, gravy, Idaho potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

For about $40, an all-the-trimmings bundle adds dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin pie, and whipped cream to the value bundle items.

The bundles serve eight people and are available through Thanksgiving day. Rulers is located at 2711 E. Sangamon Ave., in Springfield.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Where to eat out on Thanksgiving or buy takeout feasts in Springfield