9 restaurants open on Thanksgiving in Columbia SC where you can get a traditional holiday meal

Stressing over how to pull together a traditional Thanksgiving meal this year?

Just know that some Columbia restaurants have your back.

We’re barely two weeks away from another Thanksgiving and all the delicious food that comes with it — be it turkey or ham, along with sizable portions of sides, such as mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. But preparing all that food can be a daunting task, especially if you have a large family.

With that in mind, several Columbia restaurants plan to be open on Thanksgiving Day so families can have a traditional meal, but none of the work that goes into making one.

Here are nine Columbia restaurants serving traditional meals on Thanksgiving Day.

Rio Brazilian Steakhouse

Rio Brazilian will offer everything you want to eat for Thanksgiving and more. The restaurant will be open 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

According to a Facebook post, the restaurant will serve traditional Thanksgiving dishes along with its regular menu. Rio Brazilian normally has everything a meat lover could want, from bacon-wrapped filets to top round sirloin and pork sausage.

Rio Brazilian is located at 410 Columbiana Drive.

California Dreaming

According to its website, California Dreaming in Columbia will be open on Thanksgiving Day, “serving a traditional feast of roasted turkey and ham with crowd-pleasing sides in addition to menu favorites.”

The restaurant will be open starting at 10:30 a.m. Click here to make an online reservation.

The restaurant will also offer Thanksgiving meals to go. Click here to order.

California Dreaming in Columbia is located at 401 Main Street.

Lizard’s Thicket

The family-owned Lizard’s Thicket will have all the Thanksgiving sides and desserts you could need for your entire family. The restaurant will be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, but if you want any of those tasty sides, you’ll need to order 24 hours in advance. From candied yams and collards to green beans, apple pie, carrot cake and blackberry cobbler, Lizard’s should have something for you.

To order online or view all of Lizard’s Columbia-area locations, click here.

Halls Chophouse

Halls Chophouse in Columbia will offer a special menu on top of its regular menu items from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The special menu includes your choice of traditional roasted turkey or southern fried turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts and whipped Yukon Gold potatoes. Desserts such as apple pie, pecan pie and pumpkin pie will also be available.

The restaurant will also offer Thanksgiving meals to go again this year. For meal order details, click here.

You can find Halls Chophouse at 1221 Main Street.

Golden Corral

The national buffet chain will, naturally, offer an all-you-can-eat meal on Thanksgiving Day, including traditional favorites such as turkey and ham, along with a new roast beef offering this year. The chain will also provide full Thanksgiving meals to go. Customers can order online through the Golden Corral app for curbside pickup or delivery.

Golden Corral in Columbia can be found at 5300 Forest Drive.

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel is another national chain known for offering meals on Thanksgiving Day and this year will be no exception. You can also pre-order a full Thanksgiving feast that includes two turkey breasts, dressing, three sides, two pies and more. To pre-order or find one of the restaurant’s several Columbia-area locations, click here.

Cola’s Restaurant

How about having your Thanksgiving Day meal this year in a restored, 1930s RC Cola bottling plant? Cola’s in downtown Columbia will offer a traditional turkey dinner, along with a few other entree options. Service will begin at noon and last reservations will be at 7:30 p.m.

Cola’s is located at 1215 Assembly Street.

Columbo’s

Located inside the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, this upscale restaurant usually offers a Thanksgiving meal each year, whether you’re a hotel guest or not. The restaurant’s website notes that it will have a Thanksgiving meal this year, but does not yet what the menu items will be, only that the offerings will be “coming soon.”

Columbo’s is located at 2100 Bush River Road.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Savor a family Thanksgiving meal at Ruth’s Chris Steak House this year. The chain restaurant will offer a three-course Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings. Take-home dinners and sides to go will also be available. Click here to view dine-in and online order options.

Ruth’s in Columbia is located at 924-A Senate Street.