With Thanksgiving only a few days away, the deadline for most Houston restaurants taking preorders has passed. However, a few are keeping that window open through Wednesday, November 22, with same-day pickups or even pickups on the Thanksgiving holiday. If you procrastinated, or you were planning to make the meal yourself and something came up (like, say, a spouse throwing out his back out… not that I’d have any experience with that), this article is throwing you a Thanksgiving lifeline. Otherwise, your holiday meal might end up like the one in the Thanksgiving episode from the first season of “Friends” — grilled cheese, tomato soup, chips and wine (which sounds really great right now, but that’s probably a better day-before-Thanksgiving meal).

Places only offering sides, tamales, Thanksgiving desserts and breads are listed towards the end of this article.

If you’re interested in dining out, check out Minh T. Truong’s excellent list of restaurants open for Thanksgiving.

Cypress

Galiana’s Tex-Mex and Agave Bar, 24110 Northwest Freeway: Through its catering branch, Grupo Herrera Catering & Events has designated this restaurant as the pickup point for its Thanksgiving to-go meal. It sports an 18- to 20-pound turkey along with all the traditional trimmings: sautéed green beans, mashed sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and a dozen freshly baked dinner rolls. The meal feeds 10 to 12 people and costs $169. To order, call (832) 653-6853. The deadline is Tuesday, November 21 at 5 p.m. 

Downtown

Brasserie du Parc, 1440 Lamar: Acclaimed chef José Hernandez is offering a Thanksgiving meal to-go — but there’s not much time left to order. The deadline to call is end-of-day on Monday, November 20. Choose a meal that feeds from either 10 to 12 for $240 or 5 to 6 for $150. The starters are butternut squash soup and Thanksgiving Salad with apples, cranberries, goat cheese and toasted almonds with a mustard vinaigrette. For the main event, treat guests to a slow oven-roasted turkey, whipped potatoes, seasonal vegetables, housemade stuffing, cranberry sauce and Rosemary Dinner Rolls. End the meal with 8-inch apple and Pumpkin-Marshmallow pies. Text (713) 514-7985 or send an email to order. Available for pickup or delivery between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22 or on Thanksgiving Day.

Galleria/Uptown

Caracol, 2200 Post Oak: The order deadline for Tracy Vaught and James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega’s coastal Mexican restaurant is extended until close of business on Monday, November 20. Both family feasts and a la carte dishes are available to order online. The large family feast serves eight and fuses the traditional with the inventive. Choose between spiral ham or roasted turkey breast for the main course. It will be accompanied by five side dishes: Coal-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with condensed milk (having had it, I can tell you this is a great dish), jalapeño cornbread, charred Brussels sprouts, Sweet Cranberry &  Spicy Jalapeño Relish and Tamal Azteca Tortilla Casserole. Then, choose from among four desserts, which include Pumpkin Meringue & Cajeta Pie and Chocolate Tres Leches Cake. The cost is $295, and there’s also a smaller meal just for two.

Musaafer, 5115 Westheimer: Get a turkey dinner worth talking about from this incredibly elegant Houston restaurant. The Tandoori Turkey Tray includes not only a fully cooked Tandoori-marinated turkey with baby potatoes, banana shallots and rainbow carrots, but also 10 sides. Those are Mushroom Bacon Brussel Sprouts, Cranberry Chutney, spiced cherries, Sweet And Sour Butternut Squash, Truffled Cumin Potato Mash, Haricot Beans With Sofrito, makhini (masala butter) sauce and six pieces of brioche. The cost is $200 and warming instructions are included. Order by calling (713) 242-8087 no later than Monday, November 20. Pickup is available from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22 and noon to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 23. 

Urbe, 1101 Uptown Park: Chef Hugo Ortega and Tracy Vaught’s Mexican street food restaurant is practically turning into a one-stop shop for celebratory food and drink to go. There are three types of tamales: brisket, pork in adobo and mushroom. The cost is $24 per dozen. That’s just the beginning, as there are also main-course proteins such as turkey breast, carnitas and barbacoa, campechana and guacamole by the quart, and festive sides like elotes and Esquite de Coliflor, a whole roasted cauliflower. Oh yeah, and you can also get margaritas and other cocktails by the gallon. Go online to view all of the offerings. The order deadline has been extended until end-of-day on Monday, November 20; at that time, you’ll schedule your pickup on Wednesday, November 22. Order on the website or call (713) 726-8273. In addition, Urbe will still be selling tamales and pies both at the restaurant and via regular online ordering until Wednesday. 

Galveston

La Cocina by Chef Mary Bass, 1510 39th Street: While preorders are closed, this Galveston shop has individual take-and-go Thanksgiving meals. These include sliced roasted turkey and all the traditional accouterments: dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans and a dinner roll. La Cocina is open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21 and Wednesday, November 22. On Thanksgiving Day, the shop is open from 6 a.m. until noon. In addition, sweet and savory pastries from neighboring Good Dough Kolache Bakery will be available.

Heights/Oak Forest/Timbergrove

Harold’s Bistro, Bar & Market, 330 West 19th Street: The deadline for ordering a whole turkey meal has passed, but as of press time, the order page still has options available, including Thanksgiving dinner by the serving for $25.95 per person. The side dishes for the turkey dinners include cornbread dressing, green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce, a dozen Harold’s homemade biscuits and a choice of sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes. If you don’t care for turkey, you can also instead get beef tenderloin for the main entrée. You can add batched cocktails and charcuterie with cheese to your meal order, too. View all the dinner options and order online. 

Rainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella: One of Rainbow Lodge’s most endearing annual offerings takes care of those who may have dined out for the holiday or went to a friend’s house and had no leftovers, or those who didn’t get to attend a holiday feast at all. Order the Late Night Snack Pack for $6 and get turkey, dressing and gravy — enough to make a perfect Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich. To order, call (713) 861-8666.

League City

J’s Firehouse BBQ,  : This barbecue food truck is still accepting orders for pickup on Thanksgiving Day. View the menu on the website, which includes whole turkeys, hams, briskets and orders by the dozen of tempting Texas Twinkies — jalapeño, cream cheese and brisket wrapped in bacon. Text (346) 306-9996 or send an email to order.

Montrose/Museum District

Bludorn, 807 Taft: Chef and owner Aaron Bludorn’s namesake restaurant is known for its showstopping Lobster & Pot Pie, and the restaurant is making a variation — a Lobster & Turkey Pot Pie — available for Thanksgiving to-go orders. This is no ordinary pot pie; it’s also made with fresh black truffles and crème fraîche. It comes in an oven-proof baking dish and is ready to just pop into the oven and bake at home. (Hey, if you want to say you “made it”, we’re not going to judge.) The cost is $150 and orders must be placed online no later than Friday, November 17. Pickup is on Wednesday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

River Oaks/Upper Kirby

Bari, 4444 Westheimer: Have a romantic Thanksgiving and take your pick of one of five different dinners for two from this Italian restaurant in River Oaks District. The least-expensive option is Package #1 for $140. It includes a free-range deboned chicken, house salad, mushroom risotto, roasted butternut squash, sautéed spinach, mushroom medley and, for dessert, chocolate mousse with marinated raspberries. On the higher end is Package #4 for $250. With that one, you get a 20-ounce chateaubriand (beef tenderloin) and two Indonesian prawns along with starters and sides of the house salad, asparagus and potato pavé. For dessert is torta caprese, a flourless chocolate and almond cake, and mixed berries. 

 All five Thanksgiving packages, as well as an à la carte dessert selection, are available to view online. To place an order, call Bari at (832) 415-9222 by the deadline, which is Monday, November 20. Orders will be ready for pickup on Wednesday, November 22 from 11 a.m, to 6 p.m. 

Central Market, 3815 Westheimer: While the deadline for Thanksgiving to-go meals has passed, you can simply visit the store and find many ready-to-serve dishes, such as tamales and five different types of Brie en croûte. Central Market also has expanded hours for Thanksgiving Week. It’s open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, November 20 through Wednesday, November 22. On Thanksgiving Day, the store is open for those pesky last-minute needs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

Multiple Locations

BB’s Tex-Orleans: For a splurge-worthy turkey, look to the holiday menu of this long-running Houston institution for Cajun classics. Turkeys come either Cajun fried for $69.99 or boudin-stuffed for $74.99. There are side-dish selections, too, including Cajun Rice Dressing, collard greens, Chalmette Mac & Cheese (with jalapeño cheese) and sweet potatoes with coffee-pecan crème. You can also liven up the table with classic Cajun dishes such as red beans and rice and shrimp or chicken gumbo. The dessert options are a half-pan of bread pudding, Pecan Royale Cheesecake and Key Lime Cheesecake for $49.99 each. Order online from your location of choice no later than Tuesday, November 21 by 4 p.m. 

Bosscat Kitchen, 4310 Westheimer and 9595 Six Pines, The Woodlands: Both locations are holding online ordering open until at least midnight on Tuesday, and possibly on Wednesday, too, if not sold out. There is both a turkey feast and a ham feast, and both “generously” feeds four people, according to chef and co-0wner Peter Petro. Each come with several sides, including macaroni and cheese, cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, Winter Spiced Cranberry Sauce and skillet gravy. You also get to choose between sweet potato mash or garlic mashed potatoes, and apple or pumpkin pie. Visit this page to order from The Woodlands location and this one to order from the Houston restaurant.

Hungry’s, 2356 Rice Boulevard and 14714 Memorial: This long-running restaurant with locations in Rice Village and Memorial can take the vast majority of the cooking off of your hands — or just supplement your menu with some hors d’oeuvres. Its holiday menu is available from November 1 through New Year’s Eve and can serve from 4 to 10 people. The holiday family feast for 10 with oven-roasted turkey includes sides of cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with poblano mushroom sauce, cranberry sauce and more. Other à la carte dishes, including honey-glazed ham for $85, are available, too. Thanksgiving orders are due no later than Tuesday, November 21 at 3 p.m., as 24-hour notice is required and the last pickup is Wednesday, November 22 at 3 p.m. Go online to look at the menu, then call your location of choice to order.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille: With locations in Houston and many of its suburbs, this is a convenient to-go option for many. This year, Perry’s is offering its Thanksgiving meal as either individual servings for $49 per person or as a family-style package for four for $149. It includes an appetizer choice of Honey Crisp Apple Salad with dried cherries, walnuts and maple syrup vinaigrette or butternut squash soup. The entrée is sliced, smoked turkey breast with pan gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean almondine, sausage and sage dressing, cranberry relish and homemade bread. Add pumpkin cheesecake for dessert for $9 a slice. Call your closest location on Thanksgiving Day to order, or you can order in advance starting at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 22. 

Thanksgiving Sides, Tamales, Desserts & Breads

Arnaldo Richards’ Picos, 3601 Kirby: This has long been a go-to spot for holiday tamales, helped in no small part by the convenient drive-up tamale stand. The Norteños style weigh three ounces, are wrapped in corn husks and comes in six kinds, including pork in red chile, chicken in red chile and black bean and cheese. The cost is $12 for a half-dozen and $24 for a dozen. The Oaxaqueños style are six ounces and wrapped in banana leaves, and a few of those selections are chicken in black mole and portobello mushroom. The cost is $22.50 for a half-dozen and $45 for a dozen. 

In addition, Picos has Pumpkin Flan and four different cheesecakes to go: coconut, brownie, pumpkin and dulce de leche. The order deadline is Monday, November 20 for pickup on Tuesday, November 22. View the full menu online, then call (832) 831-9940 to order. 

Badolina Bakery, 5555 Morningside: The Thanksgiving dessert options at this bakery will let you offer guests something more unexpected than pumpkin pie (not that there’s a thing wrong with pumpkin pie). Select Maple Cake for $15, Orange Cake for $24 or go decadent with a Basque cheesecake. Call the bakery at (832) 649-5909 or simply drop by to order ahead. Pickups are available on either Wednesday, November 22 or Thanksgiving morning. Badolina is also open until 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day — so keep it in mind for last-minute bread or dessert needs or for a coffee break (and a brief respite from any drama-inducing relatives). 

Davis St. at Hermann Park, 5925 Almeda: Time is quickly evaporating for adorning your table with chef Mark Holley’s holiday dishes. Made in 12-serving sizes, these include cornbread dressing, Kimchi Collard Greens and Sweet Potato Souffle. There is also cranberry chutney, giblet gravy by the pint and Benne Seed Parkerhouse Rolls, which come two dozen to an order. You can also order a whole Down South Coconut Cake for $100. The deadline has been extended to when the restaurant closes at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21. Pickups are on Wednesday, November 22 from noon until 6 p.m. Go online to see the full menu and to order.

French Gourmet Bakery, 2250 Westheimer: The beautiful Thanksgiving selection of breads and pastries can take you from holiday breakfast through dinner and snack time. Start the day with coffee or tea and apple-cinnamon bread, banana bread, jalapeño-cheddar bread or toasted brioche. Keep guests entertained while you’re cooking or making last-minute preparations with platters of festive iced gingerbread or sugar cookies in turkey and pumpkin shapes. At the table, serve the popular dinner rolls, then move into dessert with pumpkin, apple, pecan or chocolate-pecan pie. Go online to order. The last day for pickup will be on Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Hamsa, 5555 Morningside: The notable Israeli restaurant is offering its starters and dips, or salatim, and side dishes to go. Pickup is no later than the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 22. Salatim options include Carrot Harissa, baba ganoush and squash tahini, while side dish choices are Turmeric Potatoes, Haim’s Rice, Israeli Salad and Cauliflower Couscous. 

Kolache Shoppe, multiple locations: The idea of getting a box of kolaches for a holiday morning breakfast is not a tough sell, and this acclaimed bakery is making it easy to feed a family or overnight guests. There’s a savory kolache package with options such as Kiolbassa & Cheese, Bacon Egg & Cheese and Ranchero Egg & Cheese, and a sweet kolache package with a variety that can include cherry, peach and cream cheese, plus cinnamon rolls. The small savory package feeds 10 to 12 people for $55, while the large that serves 20 to 24 people costs $100. The sweet version costs $30 for a small and $50 for a large. Go online to order.

Molina’s Cantina, multiple locations: This classic Houston Tex-Mex restaurant has its braised pork tamales on sale by the dozen for $15.95 through New Year’s Day. A 24-hour notice is required for large orders. Call your location of choice to preorder for pickup. Molina’s is closed on Thanksgiving Day, but open regular hours from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 21 and Wednesday, November 22.