Dining@Large: Untraditional, inexpensive restaurants for Thanksgiving - Elizabeth Large blogs about memorable meals, dining trends, comings and goings on the restaurant scene and more.

I'm finding out that fewer restaurants are open on Thanksgiving than I thought. If you want to eat out, you have my Top 10s to consider, or the traditional lavish buffet many hotels in the area are offering. But I freely admit these are expensive options.

NotableM, I hear you.

I also realized, reading the comments under my earlier post, that not everyone wants turkey on The Day. ...

Anyway, I'm going to continue to tell you about not-expensive places that will be open as I hear about them. Linda already mentioned the Eastern House on Eastern Avenue under the earlier post.

The following may not be restaurants I'd normally give a lot of publicity to; but because it never occurred to me they would be open, you may not have realized it either. They seem to me a reasonable alternative if you don't have family, don't have a lot of money, and don't want to stay home to eat on Thanksgiving.

Yes, they are chains. And in malls, no less.

M & S Grill in Harborplace

Traditional American cuisine in a setting "reminiscent of legendary eateries of the early 20th century." (Not sure what that means, but it's OK. Kind of pubby.) M & S will be serving its regular menu and a turkey dinner. Open noon to 8 p.m. Reservations not required.

Uno Chicago Pizza in the Mall in Columbia

It doesn't just have pizza, but also steaks, salads and the like -- and, of course, cocktails. No mention of turkey, though. Open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations not required.

Champps Americana in the Mall in Columbia

Champps will offer its regular menu (I never promised you haute cuisine) as well as a Thanksgiving dinner special. Open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Reservations not required.

T.G.I. Fridays in Towson Town Center

The regular menu, which is heavier on seafood than it used to be, will be on offer as well as some Thanksgiving specials. Open 5 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. Reservations not required.

When I got the press release about these, Tir Na Nog, the Irish pub with New American cuisine in Harborplace, was at the top of the list. I thought it might be the most promising (see photo), but yesterday they decided not to stay open on Thanksgiving.

I hope other places that plan to be open will post below -- or if any of you hear of any, please let us know. The big problem with making up a comprehensive list is that some restaurants decide last minute to either open or close on the big day, maybe depending on whether they get any reservations. (That's my guess as to why Tir Na Nog decided so late to close.)

And speaking of last-minute decisions, Other Reviewer Richard is planning to review a restaurant that will be open on Thanksgiving Day, so you can read what he thought next Thursday morning and then decide whether to go.

(Jed Kirschbaum/Sun photographer)

Comments

Thanks for the information.

Posted by: NotableM | November 19, 2009 9:46 AM

The Rose in Linthicum is serving a Thanksgiving dinner/buffet (I can't remember which) for $19.99. Since the chains have been mentioned, certain Ruby Tuesday locations will be serving a turkey dinner for $12.99 for adults and $4.99 for kids.

Thanks! EL

Posted by: chris | November 19, 2009 10:38 AM

THANK YOU FOR DOING A POST ABOUT NORMAL FOOD. TOO BAD THEY ARE AT MALLS I CANNOT AFFORD.

WHAT ABOUT RAILLO'S OR SQUIRES? ARE THEY OPEN?

AND CAN YOU TELL THE COMMENTERS TO BE NICE TO THE NEWBS?

captcha:
elegant ill, much like the feeling i get from looking at Gutman's name.

Posted by: MARTYCRANE | November 19, 2009 12:23 PM

MARTYCRANE, newbies who want nicer treatment can start by avoiding typing in all caps, which is considered to be the equivalent of shouting or yelling and, as such, is a major netiquette no-no. The use of caps should be limited to the start of sentences and capitalized terms. The 10:30 AM post from chris is an excellent example of a proper post by a newbie.

Posted by: hmpstd | November 19, 2009 12:46 PM

If you can afford to eat at Squires, you can definitely afford to eat at the mall. IMHO Squires is WAY overpriced for what it is.

Posted by: lvnbraves | November 19, 2009 12:58 PM

note the lack of caps about the captcha.
that's what i get for trying to make jokes about the blog from the past 2 days.

Posted by: hmpstd jr. | November 19, 2009 1:20 PM

I think it's Rallo's Restaurant, not Raillo's.

Posted by: Jack Ziegler | November 19, 2009 8:57 PM

I think it's Rallo's Restaurant, not Raillo's

Spelling isn't MARTY's forte.

Captcha: rudiman Fairbaim

Posted by: Hal Laurent | November 19, 2009 9:29 PM

The Olive Branch in Pikesville is open from 1-9. The full menu is available, as well as a turkey dinner.