Buffets Open on Thanksgiving 2026: Chains, Hours & Prices

Checked October 18, 2026. We update this page as chains announce their 2026 hours.

Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when a buffet makes complete sense. Nobody has to brine a turkey, nobody fights over the last of the stuffing, and the people who want three kinds of pie can have three kinds of pie. The catch is that half the country has the same idea. The big chains know it, so most of them open, but each one handles the day differently. Some run their normal buffet with turkey added, some switch to a fixed holiday menu at a higher price, and many independent buffets simply set their own hours.

Below is what each chain has actually confirmed, with the source and the date, followed by what to expect at local Chinese and hibachi buffets and how to get a table without a long wait.

Which buffet chains are open on Thanksgiving 2026

Chain	Open on Thanksgiving?	Hours	Price
Texas de Brazil	Yes (confirmed for 2026)	Opens early at 11 a.m.	Regular dinner price; $60.99 in San Antonio and $62.99 in Dallas
Golden Corral	Open in 2025 at participating locations; 2026 not yet announced	Varies by location	Not announced
Fogo de Chão	Open all day in 2025; 2026 not yet announced	Lunch and dinner in 2025	Varies by location
Chuck-A-Rama	Open in 2025 (Logan, Utah location reported); 2026 not yet announced	10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Logan in 2025	$29.99 adults in Logan in 2025
Pizza Ranch, Cicis	No chain-wide announcement found	Set by each franchise	Call your location
Local Chinese, hibachi and seafood buffets	Each restaurant decides	Often shorter on holidays	Some charge their weekend or holiday price

“Not yet announced” means exactly that. Chains usually post holiday hours in November, and we will update the table when they do. Until then, last year’s hours are the best guide, but they are not a promise.

Golden Corral on Thanksgiving

Golden Corral is the default answer to “where can we all eat on Thanksgiving,” and for good reason: it is the largest buffet chain in the country, it seats big groups, and the price stays close to a normal dinner. In 2025 the chain said it would be open on Thanksgiving at participating locations, serving holiday favorites like carved roasted turkey and glazed ham. The words “participating locations” matter. Golden Corral restaurants are mostly franchised, and the owner of your local restaurant decides the exact hours.

For 2026, Golden Corral has not posted Thanksgiving dine-in hours yet. What it has posted is its Holiday Feast To Go: a roasted turkey, glazed ham or bone-in pork roast with traditional sides, a dozen yeast rolls and a whole pie. Rewards members who order in the Golden Corral app between October 5 and November 1 get $10 off. Pickup starts November 2, and orders need 72 hours’ notice. If your family would rather eat at home but skip the cooking, that is the option to look at, and the 72-hour rule means a Thanksgiving pickup has to be ordered by Monday, November 23 at the latest.

If you plan to eat in, the carving station is the reason to go. Turkey off the bone, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, and the yeast rolls that people actually drive there for. Prices, breakfast hours and holiday hours for the chain are on our Golden Corral prices and hours page.

Brazilian steakhouses on Thanksgiving

A churrascaria is the splurge version of a Thanksgiving buffet. Instead of a carving station, the meat comes to you: gauchos bring skewers of picanha, lamb, chicken and sausage to the table until you flip your card to red. Both big chains open on the holiday, and both fill up early.

Texas de Brazil

Texas de Brazil is the one chain that has already confirmed its 2026 plans. Its location pages for Dallas and San Antonio say the restaurants open early on Thursday, November 26, at 11 a.m., serving the regular dinner menu and pricing plus “some holiday classics,” and they suggest booking a table. Regular dinner pricing is $62.99 per adult in Dallas and $60.99 in San Antonio, before drinks, desserts, tax and tip. In San Antonio, children 2 and under eat free, ages 3 to 5 are $5, and ages 6 to 12 pay half price with a full-price adult. Other locations may differ, so check your restaurant’s page.

Fogo de Chão

In 2025 Fogo de Chão was open all day for lunch and dinner on Thanksgiving, as well as on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and it launched a limited-time holiday menu in late November. It has not published its 2026 holiday plans yet. Fogo prices vary by city, so the best way to see the Thanksgiving price is the reservation page for your location on fogodechao.com.

Tip from the table: at either chain, go easy on the salad bar. It is excellent, but it is the cheap part of the meal, and the meat keeps coming.

Chuck-A-Rama on Thanksgiving

The Utah and Idaho chain is a Thanksgiving tradition in its home markets. In 2025 its Logan, Utah, restaurant opened from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving with no reservations, and charged $29.99 for adults 12 and up, $27 for seniors over 60, and $2 per year of age for children 4 to 11. For comparison, Chuck-A-Rama’s regular weekend dinner is $19.50 for adults. In other words, the holiday buffet costs about 50% more than a normal dinner, which is typical: you pay for the turkey, the extra staff and the fact that every table turns over all day.

Chinese and hibachi buffets on Thanksgiving

Most Chinese, hibachi, sushi and seafood buffets are independently owned, even when several share a name like “King Buffet” or “Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet.” There is no head office announcing hours, so each owner decides. Some keep their normal hours, some open later or close earlier, and some close for the day so the staff can be with their families. A few add turkey to the line, but most serve their usual menu.

That makes them a good backup when the chains are booked solid. Expect the weekend or holiday price rather than the weekday lunch price. Find one near you on our Chinese buffet pages or with buffets near me, and call before you drive over. Each listing shows its regular hours and the date we last checked them, but a holiday is exactly when regular hours stop applying.

Do you need a reservation on Thanksgiving?

• Brazilian steakhouses: yes. Texas de Brazil suggests reserving, and Fogo de Chão takes bookings online. Holiday tables go weeks ahead, especially for groups.
• Golden Corral: generally no. Most locations seat walk-ins, though some take calls for large groups. Ask your location.
• Chuck-A-Rama: no reservations in 2025, at least at the Logan restaurant. Arrive early.
• Local buffets: usually walk-in only. Call to check hours and, for a group of eight or more, whether they can push tables together.

Tips to avoid the Thanksgiving rush

1. Go at opening or after 4 p.m. The peak is early afternoon, when families who skipped breakfast all arrive at once. The first hour after opening has the freshest food and the shortest line.
2. Call the morning of. Franchise and independent hours change at the last minute. A two-minute call beats a 40-minute wait in the parking lot.
3. Do one lap first. Holiday lines often have dishes that are not there on a normal day. See everything, then fill your plate with what you cannot get the rest of the year.
4. Bring cash for the tip. Holiday staff work hard. Our guide on how much to tip at a buffet covers the details.
5. Order to go if the wait is long. Golden Corral’s Holiday Feast To Go and many local buffets’ takeout boxes are an easy plan B.

FAQ

Is Golden Corral open on Thanksgiving 2026?

Golden Corral has not posted 2026 Thanksgiving hours yet. In 2025 it was open at participating locations with carved turkey and glazed ham. Because most restaurants are franchised, call your local Golden Corral to confirm.

How much is a Thanksgiving buffet?

It depends on the type. At Texas de Brazil the 2026 Thanksgiving price is the regular dinner price, $60.99 to $62.99 at the locations we checked. Chuck-A-Rama charged $29.99 per adult in Logan, Utah, in 2025. Local buffets often charge their weekend or holiday price. See our Thanksgiving buffet price guide.

Do buffets take reservations on Thanksgiving?

Brazilian steakhouses do and recommend them. Most self-serve buffets such as Golden Corral, Chuck-A-Rama and local Chinese buffets seat walk-ins only, though some will hold a table for a large group if you call ahead.

What time do buffets open on Thanksgiving?

Texas de Brazil opens at 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving 2026. Chuck-A-Rama in Logan opened at 10 a.m. in 2025. Other chains set hours by location, so check with your restaurant.