Sarasota Restaurants Open Thanksgiving 2025

Sarasota has at least five solid restaurants open on Thanksgiving Day 2025, ranging from $45 prix fixe to $95+ per person. Here's what's confirmed, what it costs, and whether it's worth your time.

TL;DR: Michael's On East and Café L'Europe are the safest bets for a traditional Thanksgiving experience. Treviso at The Ringling is the most interesting setting. Owen's Fish Camp is for people who want grouper, not turkey. The Reserve is the splurge option.

What's Actually Open on Thanksgiving in Sarasota?

Most Sarasota restaurants close on Thanksgiving or run a limited prix fixe. Reservations are not optional — several of these were already booking up in October. If you're reading this the week of, call directly. Don't rely on OpenTable alone.

The Full List: Hours, Prices, and Honest Notes

1. Michael's On East — 1212 East Avenue South, Midtown Plaza

Michael's has been doing Thanksgiving for decades and it shows. The execution is reliable in a way that matters when you're feeding your mother-in-law.

Hours: Seatings typically 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., last reservation around 6 p.m.

Price: Around $75–$85 per adult, $35 for children under 12. Includes soup or salad, a full turkey carving station setup, classic sides, and dessert. Wine and cocktails are separate.

What to order: The roasted turkey is carved tableside. The sweet potato dish with brown butter has been on the menu for years for good reason. Skip the standard bread basket — save room.

Worth it? Yes, if you want Thanksgiving to feel like Thanksgiving. This is the room that delivers the whole experience — white tablecloths, attentive service, no surprises. Book at michaelsoneast.com or call 941-366-0007.

2. Café L'Europe — 431 St. Armands Circle

St. Armands Circle is a 20-minute walk from most of the Lido Key and St. Armands rental properties we manage. Café L'Europe has been on the circle since 1973. That's not a marketing line — it means they've done this before.

Hours: Typically noon – 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving, with set seatings.

Price: Expect $75–$90 per person for their Thanksgiving prix fixe. They usually offer a traditional turkey option alongside something like a beef Wellington or Chilean sea bass for guests who'd rather not do turkey.

What to order: The traditional roast turkey with chestnut stuffing if you're committed to the holiday. The sea bass if you want something that reminds you you're in Florida.

Worth it? Yes, especially if you're staying on Lido Key or near the beach. The location makes a post-dinner walk on St. Armands or down to the Lido Beach access at 400 Ben Franklin Drive a real option. Call 941-388-4415 for reservations.

3. Treviso at The Ringling — 5401 Bay Shore Road, Museum Campus

This one is different. Treviso is the restaurant inside The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art complex. Eating here on Thanksgiving means you're on museum grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay. That's a setting no other restaurant on this list can touch.

Hours: Museum grounds access and lunch service typically run through the afternoon. Confirm directly — hours shift depending on whether the museum itself is running holiday programming. Call 941-359-3180.

Price: Less expensive than the others. Expect $45–$60 per person for a Thanksgiving menu. This is the value pick on the list.

What to order: Their seasonal preparations lean Italian-influenced, so expect some creativity in the sides. The turkey is there; so are options that actually reflect the kitchen's strengths.

Worth it? Yes, specifically if you have guests who want to walk the museum grounds, see the Bayfront Gardens, or visit the Ca' d'Zan mansion before or after the meal. Combine it with a museum visit for out-of-town family. Visit the Ringling's site to check holiday hours and book Treviso.

4. The Reserve — 1260 North Palm Avenue, Downtown

The Reserve is the newest entry on this list and the splurge option. It's downtown Sarasota, close to the Rosemary District, and it has a cocktail program that the other places don't quite match.

Hours: Confirm with the restaurant — they've been running limited holiday seatings. Expect something like 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Price: $90–$95+ per person. This is a full-production Thanksgiving menu with multiple courses. Wine pairings will push you well past $120 per person.

What to order: Follow whatever the kitchen is proud of that week. This is not the place where you override the chef's Thanksgiving menu with substitutions.

Worth it? Depends on your group. For two people who want a genuinely impressive meal and don't need a carving station or family-style sides, yes. For a family of six with kids, you'll spend a lot of money and probably stress everyone out. Call ahead for current details.

5. Owen's Fish Camp — 516 Burns Court, Burns Court District

Owen's is not doing a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. That's the point.

Hours: Check their current holiday hours — Owen's has historically stayed open on Thanksgiving with a regular or near-regular menu. Call 941-951-6936 to confirm.

Price: Standard menu pricing, roughly $25–$45 per person for food. Very reasonable compared to the prix fixe spots above.

What to order: Fresh Gulf fish — grouper, snapper, whatever's running. The she-crab soup. Hush puppies. If your family's holiday tradition involves arguing about whether to eat outside at a picnic table on a Florida November evening when it's 74 degrees, this is the place.

Worth it? Yes, for the right group. If someone in your party has strong feelings about not eating turkey on Thanksgiving, Owen's is the honest answer. Burns Court is a walkable, charming block — Worth Magazine covered it well for context on Sarasota's arts district character.

Tips for Thanksgiving Dining in Sarasota

Call to confirm hours the week before. Every year at least one restaurant adjusts its hours last minute.
Parking downtown is easier than you'd think on Thanksgiving Day. The garage at 1330 Boulevard of the Arts is usually open and underused.
Prices above are estimates. Final menus and pricing are typically posted 2–3 weeks before the holiday.
Many of these restaurants allow BYO wine with a corkage fee — call ahead if that matters to your budget.
If you're in a vacation rental on Siesta Key or Lido Key, factor in drive time. Siesta Key to downtown is 20–30 minutes on a normal day; add 10 minutes on a holiday with seasonal traffic.

Next Step

If you're staying in a Beach Plus property this Thanksgiving week, contact us directly — we keep an updated list of confirmed restaurant hours and can help with reservations if you're coordinating a larger group. We've also stocked several of our kitchens with the basics if you'd rather cook. Either way, you're in the right place.