Alternative Thanksgiving meals and dishes for Houston foodies

In a city built on fusion cuisine and daring new restaurants, why should we settle for the same old Thanksgiving meals?

In the coming days, Houstonians will rush to bake, defrost, marinate, and oven-roast their feasts. The result? The same, regular-degular meals that we’ve been eating for decades. Luckily for us, many Houston restaurants are offering alternatives to the turkey-laden feast. With options like totally vegan plates and Malaysian-inspired beef Wellingtons, the possibilities—and variety—seem endless.

Recently crowned in the Houston Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants list and known for its Houston Restaurant Weeks offerings, Phat Eatery is having an amazing year. The Malaysian joint has been cranking out stellar foods in Katy’s Asiatown since 2018 and has been going strong since. For Thanksgiving, Phat Eatery is cooking up two holiday specials available for dine in. Phat Eatery’s standard Thanksgiving Plate offers honey glazed turkey, served alongside gravy, ginger-sake cranberry sauce, whipped potatoes, and a luxurious lobster bisque—all for $35. Additionally, the restaurant is offering a Wagyu Beef Rendang Wellington. Beef Rendang is a coconut milk based, heavily spiced beef curry popular in both Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. At Phat Eatery, chef Alex Au-Yeung is stuffing beef rendang into a puff pastry, creating a flavorful twist on the British classic. Open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, the restaurant is welcoming Houstonians for a twist on the new classic.

Situated in the former Korean Noodle House on Long Point, this newcomer is offering all-you-can-eat Korean-style hot pot for the holiday. With a week of winter weather approaching, hot pot is the perfect Thanksgiving meal. Hot pot, also known as shabu shabu, is kind of like fondue minus the cheese. An individual pot of broth is placed in front of you, heated to a rolling boil. Raw meats and vegetables are added to the pot to cook at your pace and then dipped in a make-your-own sauce, resulting in a long DIY meal full of socializing and quality time. At Kim Shabu, a long buffet line full of vegetables, tteok (a.k.a, rice cakes), seafood, dumplings and freshly made noodles of your choice are offered for the hot pot. A variety of meats, including beef, pork, and chicken, can be ordered at no additional cost and delivered to your table. Broth-wise, the restaurant offers seven flavors of soup, as well as optional chili paste and mala sauce for those wanting a little heat. Kim Shabu will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, offering AYCE hot pot for $31.99 per person.

As one of Houston’s few vegan restaurants, Pythagoras is offering up a fully vegan Thanksgiving meal. Dubbed the “ThanksLiving Plate” Pythagoras is cooking up gluten free Turkeyless legs, served with vegan mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. Additionally, the restaurant offers a holiday stuffing made with GF bread and meatless sausage, providing an alternative option for veggie lovers. Located in Sugar Land, Pythagoras will be open from 12 p.m. til 7 p.m. for dine in on Thanksgiving Day, so vegan and non-vegan foodies alike can join in on the holiday vibes without compromise.