FINALLY! The holiday season has arrived, and the festivities can begin. This is what I live for. I have been so excited to host the holidays this year; we were still in Halloween costumes when the invites went out via social media.
There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to Thanksgiving:
1) Everything must be homemade with sacred, traditional family recipes
or
2) How do I simplify things and get it made for me?
Now, I will be honest with you and confess I have always leaned towards the traditional route; however, during the early days of Covid shutdowns, I felt the compelling need to blend traditional with simplified. The result was one heck of an Easter feast, mostly courtesy of a great Pensacola restaurant. Ever since, I have been hooked with blending traditional recipes with a bit of help from local “friends”…who happen to be those restaurant’s amazing chefs.
So, here I am, a reformed traditionalist telling you there is indeed a third way, a hybrid way, to ensure that everyone, including the cook, enjoys one of the best days of the year.
Whether you are looking for a full-menu catering option, going out to eat, or just blending some pieces with your own recipes, here is the PMC’s list of go-to’s for great Thanksgiving takeaways or dine-ins!
Downtown Pensacola
Restaurant Iron
22 North Palafox Street
This is pretty exciting for me as it is one of my favorite restaurants. They offer a Take and Bake menu with amazing options, including a wine-tasting box and their famous Nutella Pie. Just make sure you get your orders in by November 16th.
J’s Bakery
2014 North 12th Avenue
This famous bakery has a whole assortment of made-from-scratch PIES (be still my heart): pumpkin, apple, sweet potato, apple, Dutch apple, cherry, and pecan. Not to mention their chocolate cream and coconut cream pies.
If pies are not your thing (gasp), they also offer tres leche, banana pudding, southern coconut cake, German chocolate cake, red velvet cake, and carrot cake.
If you want something unique, they are even available for custom cakes. In addition to helping with your dessert of choice, their famous rolls are also available for order.
(850-439-6546)
Great Southern Restaurant Group
Jacksons, Angelena’s, Fish House, and Five Sisters Blues Cafe
These downtown staples will all be offering their own take on a Thanksgiving dinner as well as their menus. Reservations are recommended.
Five Sister Blues Cafe
421 West Belmont
In addition to the traditional Thanksgiving menu available in the restaurant, this local Great Southern Restaurant Group locale is again offering a take-home option. This “grab-and-go” dinner package is based on a six-person meal and includes turkey, green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and dinner rolls.
As an added bonus, they are also offering whole pies for purchase.
The package is $85 plus tax, with orders taken up to noon on Friday, November 17th.
(850-912-4856)
Central Pensacola
Craft Bakery
5555 N. Davis Hwy. Suite H
This gourmet bakery offers options to help you with sweets and specialty breads. Their pies come in either a 7.5-inch or 9-inch with options including traditional flavors, chocolate peanut butter, and PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE y’all!
Additionally, there is an option for chocolate and almond croissant bread pudding and sugar cookies. Their options for bread include dinner rolls, baguettes, challah, and a yummy cranberry walnut loaf.
All orders must be placed by Thursday, November 16th.
(850-332-5521)
Fresh Market
1650 Airport Blvd.
Fresh Market does all of the work for you, offering a full range of options from turkey, ham, prime rib, and more, plus sides and desserts. Choose one of seven fully prepared meals or order a la carte.
Online ordering ends November 21st at 1pm.
Scenic 90 Cafe
701 Scenic Highway
Pensacola’s beloved “shiny diner” is cooking up all the southern, feel-good Thanksgiving dishes you crave this Thanksgiving — and it’s all to go!
Pre-order everything from the main event 12-14 and 18-20 pound turkey, to sliced turkey & honey glazed ham, and fixings like collard greens, creamed corn, stuffing, candied yams, sweet potato casserole, green beans, black-eyed peas, and the list goes on, plus 13 different glorious pies/cakes.
Orders must be received by 3pm on Monday, November 20th, for pick-up on Wednesday, November 22nd. To order, call (850) 433-8844.
Cracker Barrel
8050 Lavelle Way
If you order from Cracker Barrel’s Thanksgiving Heat and Serve menu this year, they offer a $10 bonus gift card as appreciation.
They have four bundle dinner options. The first is the Thanksgiving Heat and Serve, which serves 4-6. This is their turkey breast dinner with dressing, gravy, two sides, cranberry relish, and yeast rolls. The larger version, the Thanksgiving Heat, and Serve Feast, offers an extra turkey breast, three sides, and pumpkin and pecan pies.
If turkey is not your thing, they have you covered as well with their Holiday heat and serve, and it’s a variation of the “Feast” option that offers a sugar-cured ham.
In addition to their bundles, they have a la carte turkey breast or ham and various sides, including three-cheese squash casserole, cranberry relish, and rolls, as well as their famous pumpkin, pecan, chocolate pecan, and apple pecan streusel PIE!!!!!
Call to place your orders today.
(850-944-2090)
North Pensacola
Voodoo BBQ
1742 East Nine Mile Road
This Nine Mile restaurant has various options for helping or covering the whole menu. You can order a smoked turkey, a feast for 6, or a feast for 12. The Feast options come with cornbread dressing, gravy, cranberry, and one of their “legendary” sides in various sizes (gris-gris greens, macaroni, and cheese, sweet potato soufflé, or even red beans and rice, to name a few.)
They also have a la carte sides by the pint, quart, or gallon.
Orders must be placed 72 hours in advance by calling 850-912-8111.
Pace/Milton
Milton Quality Bakery
6727 East Caroline Street
This award-winning bakery is famous for its sweet treats, so much so there was a band and line before sunrise when they reopened their doors post-storm damage. They have options for your sweet treats for either post-meal or the morning of. Options include pumpkin spice cake donuts, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pies, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, and a coconut meringue pie.
(850-623-3676)
The Hangar
3966 Avalon Boulevard
This Milton restaurant is offering a full banquet spread, including dessert. Adults are $36.95 per plate, and children under 10 are just $16.95!
Pensacola Beach
Cafe Nola
400 Quietwater Road
If you need a little bit of the Big Easy for your Thanksgiving feast, this beach location has you covered with individually priced menu options ranging from crawfish and andouille dip, seafood or chicken gumbo, Gambino’s French bread, whole Cajun fried turkey, jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, oyster dressing, green bean and artichoke casserole, and shrimp and crab macaroni and cheese.
There are many other options, too, including main entrees of prime rib or beef tenderloin. All orders must be placed by noon on November 15th, and pick-up is available either November 21st or 22nd.
(850-677-8532)
Finally, friends, remember, whether you cook it all or cater it all, this is a season of celebration and joy (and PIE), so it will be perfect any way you slice it.
