If the prospect of cooking for a group – or cooking at all – is overwhelming, Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to support a local restaurant or catering group. Here are places in the Milwaukee area that will happily cook for you. This year, Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, Nov.23.

The Whole Meal

1. Aria

139 E. KILBOURN AVE. 

Tucked into Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, on the second floor, Aria is the boutique hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, where the Thanksgiving Harvest Dinner ($79 adults; $35 children) will be served on Thanksgiving Day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Expect to find staples but with a gourmet twist, like sourdough sage stuffing or triple silken pumpkin pie, along with honey-bourbon glazed ham and maple apple cider-brined turkey.

Book a table through opentable.com.

2. Mason Street Grill

425 E. MASON ST. 

This clubby steakhouse that’s part of The Pfister detours beyond steaks and seafood – although those are also included in its Thanksgiving prix-fixe menu ($73 per person), served from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Options for dining are table service in the dining room, a private dining room or the chef’s counter.

Book a table through opentable.com.

3. Old Town Serbian

522 W. LINCOLN AVE.

Skew from a traditional Thanksgiving menu while supporting a local family-owned restaurant. Items at this Serbian feast do include a traditional turkey dinner (alongside whipped potatoes, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans and cranberry sauce) as well as roasted goose shanks, Serbian tea with plum brandy and Grand Marnier cranberry Schaum torte. Dinner hours on Thanksgiving are 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Call 414-672-0206 to book a table.

4. The Packing House

900 E. LAYTON AVE.

For a supper-club vibe, this place delivers, including on Thanksgiving Day with its Thanksgiving menu ($39.99, adults; $23.99 children). Serving in the dining room from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the drive-thru ($30) open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the feast includes turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans and cranberry sauce.

Call 414-483-5054 to book a table.

5. The Pfister’s Grand Ballroom

424 E. WISCONSIN AVE.

Per usual, The Pfister’s Thanksgiving Bountiful Brunch ($85 adults; $30 children between three and 10 years old; and children two years and under are free) is a tradition for many families. The meal includes fresh seafood on sculpted ice, the Grand Pastry table, a station of artisan Wisconsin cheese, and plenty of salads, side dishes, pasta, egg dishes and starters to anchor carved meats. It’s served from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Book a table through tock.com.

6. Tre Rivali

200 N. BROADWAY

This restaurant on the ground floor of The Journeyman Hotel is rolling out a Thanksgiving buffet ($65 per person; $35 for children under the age of 12), packed with goodies like turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and mac and cheese. It’s served from noon to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

Book a table through opentable.com.

Take-Out

7. Bavette La Boucherie

217 N. BROADWAY

Order Thanksgiving turkeys from this butcher shop turned restaurant that are sourced from sustainable, family-owned farms, such as Ferndale Farms in Minnesota ($6 per pound) and Amish farms in Pennsylvania Dutch Country ($6.50 per pound). Tack on side dishes to your order, too: mashed potatoes, sausage and sage stuffing, gravy or turkey stock.

Call 414-273-3375, order through toasttab.com or email info@bavettemilwaukee.com to place an order.

8. Blue’s Egg

317 N. 76TH ST.

This brunch-driven restaurant is also digging into Thanksgiving by offering take-and-heat dinners ($130, serving four). Included is a turkey (seven to eight pounds), gravy, orange and ginger cranberry sauce, sage and sausage bread stuffing, baked sweet-potato casserole, green-bean casserole, mashed potatoes with chicken gravy, and mac and cheese. Tack on pies ($36-$38, in six flavors, including pumpkin, Dutch apple and key lime) from sister business Black Shoe Bakery (all dinner orders get $5 off a pie) and dinner is complete. Pre-order by November 19 at 5 p.m. and pick up between 3:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 22. 

Call 414-299-3180, email blue@bluesegg.com or order here to place an order.

9. Café Manna

3815 N. BROOKFIELD RD., BROOKFIELD

Particularly if you have plant-based or gluten-free dieters in your family, Cafe Manna’s take-out Thanksgiving menu satisfies their needs. You can select appetizers, salads, mains and desserts that are specific to the holiday, or opt for ‘Manna’s Thanksgiving Plate ($31, serves one). Pre-order by Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. and pick up Nov. 22 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Call 262-790-2340 to place an order.

10. Davians

N56 W16300 SILVER SPRING DRIVE, MENOMONEE FALLS

This catering company’s Thanksgiving-dinner packages ($260, serves 10) folds in a roasted turkey, gravy, rolls with butter, sage and onion bread stuffing and cranberry-orange relish, plus choices of additional sides and either an apple or pumpkin pie. Pre-order by Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. and pick up on Nov. 21 or 22.

Call 262-781-3333 to place an order.

11. i.d.

415 N. GENESEE ST., DELAFIELD

Located within The Delafield Hotel, the restaurant’s Thanksgiving Grab ‘N Go menu of side dishes ($90, serves four to six people) consists of kale and delicata salad, wild mushroom and sage stuffing, roasted Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and dinner rolls with butter. You can also add on “sandwiches for the next day” ( $20 for eight). Pre-order by Nov. 20 and pick up Nov. 22.

Call 262-646-1620 or visit here to place an order.

12. Outpost Natural Foods 

LOCATIONS IN MEQUON, WAUWATOSA AND MILWAUKEE (BAY VIEW AND CAPITOL DRIVE)

Keeping in step with its commitment to supporting organic, sustainable and (whenever possible) local foods, the Thanksgiving menu features flexible options ($49-$229, serving two to 12 people, plus choices of sides) as well as the Vegan Celebration Roast Dinner for Two ($38, with five dishes total, including meatless turkey), and an extensive a la carte menu that includes green bean mushroom bake and cranberry chutney. Pre-order by Nov. 15 and pick up between Nov. 20 and Nov. 22 during store hours.

Order online here.

13. Saz’s Catering

201 W. WALKER ST.

“Thanksgiving with Saz’s” – a meal for four you can reheat at home ($150) – won’t leave anyone hungry. Included is turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, roasted sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry relish with orange zest, harvest salad, dinner rolls with butter, and pie (pumpkin or apple). If you want to further customize, there’s an a la carte menu, too, with baby back ribs, riblets and carved ham with pineapple glaze among the options. Pre-order and pick up on Nov. 22 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) or Nov. 23 (9 a.m. to noon).

Call 414-256-8765, email cater@sazs.com or visit this link to place an order.

14. Shully’s Cuisine

146 GREEN BAY ROAD, THIENSVILLE

Designed to be heat-and-serve, this catering company is selling on its Thanksgiving menu carved turkey by the pound (three options, from $15.50 to $20 per pound, and including gluten-free gravy and gluten-free cranberry orange relish) along with traditional sides that tie into the harvest season, like green-bean casserole, roasted butternut-squash bisque, glazed sweet potatoes with sugared pecans and buttermilk mashed potatoes. Apple, pecan and pumpkin pies are also available. Pre-order by Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. and pick up on Nov. 21 or 22 between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Order here.

15. Stone Bank Farm Market

N68 W33208 COUNTY ROAD K, STONE BANK

Available for Thanksgiving from this market and working farm – where the culinary crew is called The KITCHEN, offering grab-and-go foods year-round – are turkey gravy, focaccia stuffing, whipped potato puree and roasted autumn root vegetables. Pre-order and pick up by Nov. 22.

Call 262-563-8010 to order.

16. Ward’s House of Prime

540 MASON ST.

Everything you need for a Thanksgiving feast is on their Thanksgiving Day menu, and there is tons of flexibility in the amounts, including a Turkey Dinner Single Serving ($28.99) with mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and corn. Or, there’s a Whole Turkey Dinner ($300, serving 10 to 12 people). Given that this is a steakhouse, they are also making available Ward’s Famous Prime Rib Dinner ($125, for two people, on up to $600, for nine to 12 people).  Six dessert options are a la carte: apple pie, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, chocolate cake, banana cake and carrot cake. You can also order just the meat and prepare side dishes and desserts on your own. Pre-order by Nov. 21 and pick up on Nov. 23 between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Call 414-223-0135 or email jennifer@wardshouseofprime.com to place an order.

17. Smoke Shack

332 N. MILWAUKEE ST. 

Given that this is a BBQ joint, it’s no surprise that this theme is woven into the Thanksgiving menu’s Smoked Turkey Dinner ($225, feeds 10 to 12 people, including turkey, chicken, gravy, cornbread, green-bean casserole, mac and cheese, pecan pie and apple pie). If that’s too much food, other options are to pick your meat (such as ham, pork, Amish chicken, baby back ribs and even the meatless jackfruit) then the side dishes (cornbread, green-bean casserole, and mac and cheese). Pre-order by November 18 and pick up November 21 or November 22 between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Place an order through Toasttab.

Just the Desserts

18. Frannie’s Market

W61 N486 WASHINGTON AVE., CEDARBURG

At this specialty grocery store in downtown Cedarburg, which also sells home goods and home décor, the owners have pulled together a collection of three pies (apple, pumpkin and coconut cream, $36-$38 each) that would be ideal for the Thanksgiving table. Pre-order and pick up Nov. 22 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Call 262-271-1848 to place an order.

19. Greige Patisserie

408 W. FLORIDA ST.

If you’re a pie lover but not a great baker – or simply lack the time – you’ll want to pick up one of this Walker’s Point bakery’s specialty pies ($32-$38). For their special Thanksgiving menu, they include cranberry gingersnap, pumpkin, chocolate bourbon pecan and salted caramel apple. Not a pie fan? There’s also sweet-potato cheesecake ($56), pumpkin bread ($12) and pumpkin spice croissant bread pudding ($16). Pre-order and pick up Nov. 22 between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Call 414-252-0143 or visit here to place an order.

20. Honeypie Café

2569 S. KINNICKINNIC AVE.

Pre-order and pick up 11-inch Thanksgiving pies at Palomino, 2491 S. Superior St., also in the Bay View neighborhood, between Nov. 19 and Nov. 22. Pies will also be available for walk-in purchases on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22. Choose from seven flavors: pumpkin, bourbon walnut pecan, apple crumb, Door County cherry crumb, key lime, chocolate cream, and two vegan options (vegan apple crumb and vegan cherry crumb).

Call the Honeypie Bakeshop at 414-242-6389 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday to order or place online orders here.

21. Miss Molly’s Café

9211 W. CENTER ST.

On the holiday menu at this bakery are pumpkin pie with spiced chai whipped cream ($28), Dutch apple pie ($30), and pear and walnut galette ($32). Pre-order by Nov. 19 and pick up Nov. 22 between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Sully’s Sandwiches next door.

Order online here.