Thanksgiving in Orange County on Thursday, November 26, 2026, is easier if someone else cooks. The strongest Thanksgiving restaurants Orange County diners book first are The Ranch in Anaheim for a full holiday menu, The Winery in Newport Beach for a $95 three-course prix fixe, and Orange County Mining Co. for a hilltop buffet.
This guide ranks eight verified places to eat, then wraps with turkey trots for the morning. Every hour, price and menu note below comes from an official 2026 page. I left out restaurants that only had last year’s details.
Book soon. Waterfront rooms and resort buffets fill weeks ahead of Thanksgiving Day. Confirm the cancellation policy when you reserve, because holiday no-show fees are common.
After dinner, keep the holiday runway going with our best Christmas events in Orange County and New Year’s Eve events guides, or check the Orange County events calendar for what else is on.
How I ranked these Thanksgiving restaurants
I favored spots with a clear 2026 Thanksgiving page: a posted menu, hours and a way to reserve or order. Prix fixe, buffet and steakhouse holiday menus all qualify if the details are current.
Prices below are what the restaurants published and almost never include tax or tip. Kids menus are noted when the venue posted them.
1. The Ranch Restaurant
The Ranch is the best full Thanksgiving dinner menu in inland Orange County. The Anaheim dining room posts a limited holiday menu for Thursday, November 26, 2026, from 2 to 9 p.m.
You get Thanksgiving classics next to Ranch favorites. The regular dinner menu is not available that night.
What it costs
Mary’s organic free-range turkey with sage and turkey sausage stuffing is $55. Gold Canyon prime rib is $82. Australian filet is $78. Pan-seared halibut is $68. The children’s menu is $45.
Starters and sides are priced separately. Pumpkin pie is $16.
How to book
Reserve on OpenTable or call 714-817-4200. Parties larger than six must call. Find The Ranch at 1025 E Ball Rd, Anaheim, CA 92805. Full menu details are on the Ranch Thanksgiving dinner page.
2. The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar (Newport Beach)
The Winery on Mariner’s Mile is the best wine-forward Thanksgiving prix fixe on the coast. The Newport Beach location serves a three-course menu on November 26, 2026.
Menu and price
Adults are $95 per guest, plus tax and tip. Kids 10 and under are $39. Service runs from noon to 7:30 p.m.
You pick one beginning and one main. Mains include maple-glazed free-range turkey, Zinfandel-braised short rib, pan-seared striped bass, and pumpkin and ricotta ravioli. Dessert is a streusel pumpkin pie and chocolate cheesecake duo.
How to book
Reserve on OpenTable or call 949-999-6622. The restaurant is at 3131 W Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92663. See the posted courses on the Winery Newport Beach Thanksgiving menu.
3. Orange County Mining Co.
Orange County Mining Co. is the best classic Thanksgiving buffet with a view. The hilltop room above Chapman Canyon runs the buffet on November 26, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What’s on the buffet
Adults are $57. Children ages 2 to 12 are $22. The line includes carved prime rib, ham and turkey, BBQ ribs, chicken, snow crab legs, shrimp, salads, sides and a dessert station.
How to book
Book through the restaurant’s site or call ahead. It sits at 10000 Crawford Canyon Rd, Orange, CA 92705, off the 55 Freeway and Chapman. Details are on the Orange County Mining Co. Thanksgiving page.
4. Bayside Restaurant
Bayside is the best Newport Harbor Thanksgiving prix fixe with a kids menu and a to-go window. The 2026 Thanksgiving menu is posted on the restaurant’s own menu page.
Dinner format and price
The pre-set three-course dinner is $87 per person. Starters include autumn harvest salad, roasted beets or butternut squash soup. The entrée is Diestel Farms oven-roasted organic turkey breast with brioche stuffing and classic sides. Dessert is pumpkin pie or a three-chocolate parfait.
The kids two-course menu is $40. An à la carte menu is also available. To-go meals run from noon to 2 p.m.
How to book
Reserve on the Bayside Thanksgiving menu or call 949-721-1222. Find it at 900 Bayside Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Pair it with a weekend brunch in Orange County if the family is in town longer.
5. Five Crowns
Five Crowns is the best classic Corona del Mar steakhouse Thanksgiving. The Lawry’s landmark posts holiday hours for November 26, 2026, with dine-in from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What’s on the menu
The holiday menu features oven-roasted free-range turkey with mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, stuffing and housemade cranberry compote. Prime ribs of beef, a “Best of Both” turkey-and-prime-rib plate, Ora King salmon and a seasonal vegetable roast are also on the board.
Cold-feast to-go pickup runs from 9 to 11 a.m. the same day.
How to book
Reserve through Lawry’s or call 949-760-0331. The restaurant is at 3801 E Coast Hwy, Corona del Mar, CA 92625. See the Five Crowns Thanksgiving dinner page for hours and menu notes.
6. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse (Anaheim & Newport Beach)
Fleming’s is the best steakhouse Thanksgiving prix fixe if your table wants turkey or a serious cut of beef. Both Orange County locations post Thanksgiving hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 26, 2026.
Prix fixe details
Start with Fleming’s Salad or lobster bisque. Entrées are roasted turkey breast for $64, petite filet mignon for $78 or prime bone-in ribeye for $95. Green beans and shareable stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce come with the meal. A children’s three-course menu is also offered, and the full dinner menu stays available.
How to book
Anaheim is at 1050 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802. Newport Beach is at 455 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Reserve on the Fleming’s Thanksgiving page or call the location if your time is full. It also works as a dressier stop from our date night ideas in Orange County list.
7. 21 Oceanfront
21 Oceanfront is the best Thanksgiving dinner steps from the Newport Beach Pier. For seafood the rest of the year, see our best seafood restaurants in Orange County. The oceanfront dining room serves a chef-prepared prix fixe on November 26, 2026, from 1 to 8 p.m.
Good to know
Reservations are highly recommended. The restaurant has not published a public price on its event page, so confirm the current prix fixe when you book.
Find it at 2100 W Oceanfront, Newport Beach, CA 92663. Call 949-673-2100 or use the 21 Oceanfront Thanksgiving dinner page.
8. Balboa Bay Resort (Lighthouse Buffet)
Balboa Bay Resort is the best waterfront Thanksgiving buffet on Newport Harbor. The Lighthouse hosts Executive Chef Diego Bernal’s holiday buffet on Thursday, November 26, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
What to expect
The resort describes carving stations, a chilled seafood display, sides, desserts and a free wine tasting. Public pricing was not listed on the dining page when I checked, so confirm rates when you reserve.
How to book
Reserve through the Balboa Bay Resort dining page. The resort is at 1221 W Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92663. Arrive early; parking fills fast during the holiday buffet.
Thanksgiving restaurants in Orange County compared
| Restaurant | City | Format | 2026 notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ranch | Anaheim | Holiday menu | 2–9 p.m.; turkey $55 |
| The Winery | Newport Beach | 3-course prix fixe | Noon–7:30 p.m.; $95 / kids $39 |
| OC Mining Co. | Orange | Buffet | 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; $57 / kids $22 |
| Bayside | Newport Beach | 3-course prix fixe | $87 / kids $40; to-go noon–2 p.m. |
| Five Crowns | Corona del Mar | Holiday menu (prime rib & turkey) | Dine-in 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; to-go 9–11 a.m. |
| Fleming's | Anaheim, Newport | Prix fixe steakhouse | 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; turkey from $64 |
| 21 Oceanfront | Newport Beach | Prix fixe | 1–8 p.m.; confirm price when booking |
| Balboa Bay Resort | Newport Beach | Buffet | 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; confirm rate |
Thanksgiving morning: Dana Point Turkey Trot and other races
If you want to earn dinner, start with a turkey trot. The 49th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot is Orange County’s signature Thanksgiving race, with a 5K, 10K, combo and kids’ Gobble Wobble at Dana Point Harbor on November 26, 2026.
Packet pickup and the expo are in the Dana Marina Plaza lot. Free race-day shuttles typically run from Dana Hills High School and the San Juan Capistrano Costco. Register on the Dana Point Turkey Trot site.
The 14th annual Irvine / Orange County Turkey Trot is at Irvine Valley College the same morning, with a 1-mile start at 7:30 a.m., a 5K at 8 a.m. and kids’ Gobble Wobble races at 9:15 a.m. Campus parking needs a $5 event pass. Details are on runocturkeytrot.com.
Smaller Thanksgiving Day 5Ks also show up in Tustin, Huntington Beach, Anaheim and Rancho Mission Viejo most years. Confirm each race’s 2026 page before you register. I did not find a major city Thanksgiving parade with a locked 2026 route page worth ranking alongside these dinners.
How to choose a Thanksgiving restaurant in Orange County
Pick The Ranch or Fleming’s when someone at the table wants steak instead of turkey — see our best steakhouses in Orange County for year-round picks. Pick The Winery or Bayside for a tidy three-course prix fixe. Pick Mining Co. or Balboa Bay when a buffet feeds a mixed-age group faster.
Pick Five Crowns for old Corona del Mar charm, and 21 Oceanfront when the pier view matters most.
Reserve, then reconfirm
Holiday menus can change. Re-check the restaurant’s site the week of Thanksgiving for final hours, kids pricing and parking notes.
People Also Ask
Verified 2026 Thanksgiving restaurants include The Ranch in Anaheim, The Winery and Bayside in Newport Beach, Orange County Mining Co. in Orange, Five Crowns in Corona del Mar, Fleming's in Anaheim and Newport Beach, 21 Oceanfront, and the Balboa Bay Resort Lighthouse buffet.
Newport Beach options for November 26, 2026, include The Winery Restaurant ($95 three-course), Bayside Restaurant ($87 three-course), 21 Oceanfront (prix fixe, 1–8 p.m.), Fleming's at Fashion Island, and the Balboa Bay Resort Thanksgiving buffet from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Orange County Mining Co. posts a traditional buffet from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for $57 adults and $22 children ages 2–12. Balboa Bay Resort hosts a waterfront Lighthouse buffet from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; confirm the resort rate when you book.
Posted 2026 adult prices in this guide range from about $55 for turkey at The Ranch to $95 for The Winery's prix fixe. Buffets start at $57 at Mining Co. Fleming's turkey prix fixe starts at $64. Tax and tip are usually extra.
Orange County does not have one dominant Thanksgiving Day parade on the scale of larger U.S. cities. Most locals start with a turkey trot, then a restaurant dinner. Christmas boat parades come later in December.
The Dana Point Turkey Trot is on Thursday, November 26, 2026, at Dana Point Harbor. Typical start windows include a morning 10K and later 5K waves, plus a kids' Gobble Wobble. Confirm exact wave times on turkeytrot.com when you register.
Yes. Prix fixe rooms and resort buffets book up. Reserve as soon as the 2026 menu posts, and ask about cancellation fees for Thanksgiving Day.
