What's open and closed for Thanksgiving 2023 in the Historic Triangle

Many major retailers are closing their doors on Thanksgiving Day this year to allow employees to spend the day with their families.

Nonetheless, if you’re looking to dine out or grab a few last minute things at the store, there are a number of options in and around the Historic Triangle.

This article includes a list of local restaurants and stores that are open, as well as information city and county services that are impacted by the holiday.

Water Street Grille in Historic Yorktown is among the restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving Day. (The Triangle)

Local Restaurants

The following local restaurants will be open on Thanksgiving Day.

Berret’s Seafood Restaurant
199 South Boundary Street, Williamsburg, VA

Berret’s is a popular choice for in-person dining on Thanksgiving Day. Call (757) 253-1847 to inquire about hours and reservation availability.

Captain George’s
5363 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA

Captain George’s is offering a seafood-inspired Thanksgiving buffet featuring unlimited crab legs and classic favorites including turkey, ham, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and desserts like pecan and pumpkin pie. The buffet costs $49.99 per adult, and the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. See a menu here. Call (757) 565-2323 to inquire about reservations.

Colonial Williamsburg Restaurants and Taverns

Prix fixe dinners will be served at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern, King’s Arms Tavern, Sweet Tea and Barley, Traditions Restaurant, Williamsburg Inn and Williamsburg Lodge on Thanksgiving Day. Reservations often fill up in advance. Call the restaurant or tavern for more information or to inquire about availability.

County Grill
1215 George Washington Memorial Hwy. (Rt. 17), Yorktown, VA and
26 E Mercury Blvd, Hampton, VA

County Grill will be open for dine-in starting at 5:00 p.m. Thanksgiving items will be on special, according to the restaurant’s Facebook page. Call the Yorktown location at (757) 591-0600 or the Hampton location at (757) 723-0600 for more information.

Cracker Barrel
200 Bypass Rd., Williamsburg, VA

Cracker Barrel in Williamsburg will be open at 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The restaurant is scheduled to close by 9 p.m., but according to staff, they will close early if the turkey runs out. Customers will dine on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations will be accepted. For more information, call (757) 220-3384.

The Newport News location, located at 12357 Hornsby Lane, will also be open. Call (757) 249-3020 for details.

Craft 31
3701 Strawberry Plains Rd., Williamsburg, VA

Craft 31 will be serving up four-course dinners featuring traditional main entrees like turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce or smoked Surry honey ham. See a menu here. The restaurant will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

DoG Street Pub
401 W. Duke of Gloucester St., Williamsburg, VA

DoG Street Pub will be open on Thanksgiving Day, according to the Williamsburg Area Restaurant Group. The restaurant is typically open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays, but hours may vary for the holiday. Call (757) 293-6478 for more information.

Fat Tuna Grill
1433 Richmond Rd. Williamsburg, VA

Guests who dine in at Fat Tuna Grill on Thanksgiving Day will be able to choose from three specials, including roast turkey, stuffed flounder and petit filet of beef. See the menu here. The regular menu will also be available. Call (757) 903-2811 for hours and reservations.

Fireside Chop House
1995 Richmond Rd., Williamsburg, VA

Fireside Chop House will offer a traditional Thanksgiving menu plus a limited regular menu on Thanksgiving Day. Call 757-229-3310 for additional details. The restaurant opens at 1 p.m. and reservations are recommended.

Golden Corral
218 Bypass Rd., Williamsburg, VA

Golden Corral will be open from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. to serve guests a Thanksgiving-themed buffet, according to a restaurant associate who spoke to The Triangle. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, and no reservations will be accepted. Call (757) 229-3785 for more information.

NEST Kitchen & Taphouse
1003 Brick Kiln Blvd., Newport News, VA

NEST, located in Kiln Creek, will offer a “Brunchgiving” menu on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a final seating at 3 p.m. Seasonal specialties like pecan pie French toast and pumpkin chocolate chip hot cakes. See the menu here.

Opus 9 Steakhouse
5143 Main Street, Williamsburg, VA

Opus 9 is open on Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. See a full menu here. Reservations are required and spots usually fill up quickly. Call (757) 645-4779 to inquire about availability.

Olde Towne Pizza & Pasta
5540 Olde Towne Rd. Ste. A, Williamsburg, VA

Craving Italian? Olde Town Pizza & Pasta will be open on Thanksgiving Day, according to the Williamsburg Area Restaurant Group. Call 757-253-7846 for hours and additional information.

Poquoson Diner
480 Wythe Creek Rd., Poquoson, VA

Poquoson Diner’s popular Thanksgiving buffet will feature several entree options this year, including turkey with gravy and ham. Traditional sides and classic desserts will also be served. Reservations are highly recommended. Call (757) 659-0290 for hours or to make reservations.

Schlesinger’s
1106 William Styron Sq, Newport News, VA

Schlesinger’s, a steakhouse in Newport News, is offering a full Thanksgiving spread featuring roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham and prime rib aus jus with an array of sides and dessert options. The price is $49.95 for adults, $21.95 for kids 6-11 and free for kids 5 and under. See the full menu here. The restaurant will be open 10 am – 7 pm. Call (757) 599-4700 to make reservations.

Shorty’s Diner
627 Merrimac Trail, Williamsburg, VA

Shorty’s Diner will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 6 am to noon, according to a restaurant associate. The restaurant offers classic breakfast and lunch offerings. A menu is available on the website.

Water Street Grille
323 Water St. Yorktown, VA

A full buffet featuring a mix of traditional options and seafood dishes will be available at Water Street Grill beginning at 11 a.m. Reservations are required. See the menu here. Call (757) 875-1525 for more information or to inquire about reservation availability.

Waypoint Grill
1480 Quarterpath Rd., Williamsburg, VA

Waypoint Grill is offering a Thanksgiving Day buffet featuring a raw bar, soups and salads, a carving station, homemade sides and desserts. The cost is $65 per adult, $22 per child under 12. See the full menu here. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations can be made online or by calling (757) 220-2228.

The Whaling Company
494 McLaws Circle, Williamsburg, VA

The Whaling Company, a staple in Williamsburg since 1980, is taking reservations for Thanksgiving dinner. Menu offerings include a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, several seafood offerings and filet mignon. Entrees are $45. The restaurant also offers options for children for $16-$20. See the menu here. To reserve a seat, call (757) 229-0275.

Williamsburg Winery
5800 Wessex Hundred, Williamsburg, VA

The Williamsburg Winery will host a Thanksgiving buffet curated by its Executive Chef. Options will include traditional favorites, coastal-inspired options, wines and seasonal cocktails. Click here to view the menu. Three seating times are available: 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. The 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. seating times were sold out as of Wednesday morning. Call 757 (229) 0999 for information.

Stores

Grocery Stores

The following local grocery stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day, but hours will be reduced.

Most Food Lion locations will be open from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. and reopen at 7 a.m. on Friday. Customers are advised to call their local store to confirm.
All Harris Teeter locations will be open until 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving and will not reopen until 8 a.m. Friday.
Most Fresh Market locations, including the Williamsburg store, will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Earth Fare in Williamsburg will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Whole Foods in Newport News will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The following grocery stores will be closed at all locations on Thanksgiving Day.

Trader Joe’s
Aldi
Publix

Convenience Stores

Most 24-hour Wawa and 7-Eleven locations will be open on Thanksgiving Day.

Major Retailers

Here are some of the major retailers that will be closed for Thanksgiving 2023.

Belk
Best Buy
Costco
Hobby Lobby
Home Depot
Joann Stores
JCPenney
Kohl’s
Lowe’s
Michael’s
Petco
Petsmart
Sam’s Club
Staples
Tractor Supply
Target
Walmart

Major Pharmacies

Most Walgreens locations will also close on Thanksgiving this year for the first time. However, 24-hour locations will remain open.
CVS will close many of its non-24 hour locations early on Thanksgiving. Customers are advised to check the pharmacy’s website or app for hours.

County & City Closures

York County

York County Public Libraries will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22, and remain closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24. York County Courts and Virginia Cooperative Extension will close at noon and remain closed Thursday and Friday.
All County government offices and York-Poquoson Social Services will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23 and 24.
Waste Management operations will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23 and Friday, Nov. 24. Garbage and recycling collections scheduled on those days will be delayed one day until collections are completed on Saturday.
The VPPSA Compost Facility, Goodwin Neck Transfer Station and Citizen Drop-off center for recycling and garbage disposal will reopen for normal hours on Friday, Nov. 24. Citizens can contact Waste Management at (757) 890-3780 for questions about the garbage and recycling collection schedule.

City of Williamsburg

City offices will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse will close at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and remain closed on Thursday and Friday.
Waller Mill Park will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and will follow normal operating hours – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – on Friday, Nov. 24.
Trash and recycling will not be impacted by the holiday. This week is a Red Route Week for residential curbside leaf collection. Leaf collection will not take place on either Thursday, Nov. 23 or Friday, Nov. 24.

James City County

All County offices will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23 and Friday, Nov. 24. James City County Recreation Center and Abram Frink Jr. Community Center will be closed on Nov. 23. County parks are open year-round, but park stores and guest services offices will be closed Nov. 23 – 24.
Libraries will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and remain closed on Nov. 23 – 24.
Courts will close at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and remain closed on Nov. 23 and 24.
The Tewning Road, Jolly Pond Road and Toano Convenience Centers – as well as the County’s Garbage Transfer Station – will be closed on Nov. 23. There will be a one-day delay on all curbside recycling.

Newport News

City Offices and libraries will be closed Nov. 23 – 24. Full information about city closings in Newport News can be found here.

Hampton

All City offices and libraries will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23-24. Click here for a full list of services and offices affected by the Thanksgiving holiday.

Gloucester County