Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. For anyone in Bellevue planning to reserve a turkey instead of hunting for one, the date that matters comes four days earlier. PCC Community Markets closes its holiday reservation window at midnight on Sunday, Nov. 22. Metropolitan Market closes its Thanksgiving reservations at the same hour on the same night. The Bellevue Farmers Market holds its Holiday Harvest Market downtown the morning before.
So the weekend of Nov. 21 and 22 is when this city's holiday table gets decided. By Monday morning, the two largest reservation windows have closed, and most of the remaining options are restaurant reservations. Here is that calendar from the first pickup slot to the last seating, with the details that change how you plan each step.
The Week Before the Weekend: Pickup Starts Early
PCC lets you schedule a pickup anywhere from Nov. 17 through Nov. 28, and it holds each reservation for 48 hours after the date you choose. That opens the window earlier than most people expect. If your refrigerator can handle it, you can collect a roast or a brined bird the week before Thanksgiving week and stay away from the store once the holiday rush starts.
This year PCC has changed the process: all 2026 holiday reservations have to be placed through its online shop. The mains on offer include organic, Non-GMO turkeys from Diestel Family Farms, Washington-raised birds from Palouse Pastured Poultry, birds that come already brined or heat-and-serve, hams from Beeler's Pork and Jack Mountain Meats, roasts cut in-house, and wild-caught Columbia River king salmon fillets. For a smaller table, PCC's holiday deli list adds a turkey dinner for two, sides like mashed potatoes, yams and stuffing, and pumpkin and marionberry pies.
Saturday, Nov. 21: The Holiday Harvest Market
The Holiday Harvest Market runs Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1717 Bellevue Way NE. The Bellevue Farmers Market lists it as one of two Saturday markets added to this fall's schedule, and it uses the same address as the regular market. The market is run by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, according to its Bellevue Downtown Association profile. The Visit Bellevue listing promises seasonal food, gifts from local makers, and shopping for the holiday table.
The timing works in your favor. Shopping the market on Saturday shows you which sides and desserts you'll be making from local produce. That leaves Saturday afternoon and Sunday to fill the gaps with a grocery reservation before the window closes. Going in the other order, reserving everything first and then seeing the market, is how people end up with two pies too many.
Sunday, Nov. 22 at Midnight: Both Grocery Windows Close
PCC: Reservations close at midnight on Nov. 22 and must be picked up at the store you selected.
Metropolitan Market: Thanksgiving reservations close at midnight on Sunday, Nov. 22. You can book online at reserve.metropolitan-market.com or in person at the Holiday Reservation Desk that each store sets up with a Holiday Host.
Metropolitan Market's process has three details that are easy to miss when you leave it until late Sunday night:
- A $25 deposit is due when you reserve. It goes toward your final bill, and you pay the balance at pickup.
- Items sold by weight show an estimated price at checkout, and the final price is set by actual weight at pickup.
- You can't place a reservation by phone, because the deposit has to be paid online on your own device or in person at the desk. Holiday Hosts can still walk you through an order over the phone or help you edit or cancel one.
The third point matters most. A household that usually calls in an order on Monday finds out there is no Monday this year, and no phone line either.
In Lakemont, Town & Country Markets runs its own holiday order site with turkeys, complete holiday dinners, sides, desserts and floral centerpieces. If you want help placing an order, you can ask for a Community Programs employee at the market. Its order page gives a later cutoff than PCC or Metropolitan Market: orders until Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. or while supplies last, with pickup Nov. 22 to 26. Check the dates with the market before you count on that extra time.
For dessert alone, Belle Pastry at 10373 Main St in Old Bellevue keeps a Thanksgiving Specials collection with pecan and pumpkin tarts, pear-almond and apple tartlets, and dinner rolls.
Tuesday, Nov. 24: The Last Takeout Box
After Sunday, one confirmed takeout option remains downtown. Cypress Lounge & Wine Bar at The Westin Bellevue, 600 Bellevue Way NE, offers Thanksgiving takeout for pickup on Nov. 26 between 4 and 9 p.m. It's listed at $58 plus taxes and fees. Orders need to be in at least 48 hours ahead, which puts the deadline at Nov. 24. Confirm with the restaurant whether that price covers a whole order or one person before you work out servings.
Picking up on Thanksgiving itself also changes the shape of the day. Your oven stays free and you don't have to plan a Wednesday shopping trip, but dinner can't start until someone has driven downtown during the 4 to 9 p.m. window.
Thursday, Nov. 26: The Tables
If the weekend slips by, Thanksgiving in Bellevue becomes a dinner reservation. Four downtown restaurants have published menus for this year:
| Restaurant | Where | Hours on Nov. 26 | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Grill Bellevue | 700 Bellevue Way NE | All day | Three courses, plus full menu | $75 adults, $26 under 12 |
| Cypress Lounge & Wine Bar | The Westin Bellevue, 600 Bellevue Way NE | 4 to 9 p.m. | Three courses, plus regular menu | $58 adults, $32 under 12 |
| Amuse Bar + Restaurant | Seattle Marriott Bellevue, 200 110th Ave NE | 2 to 7 p.m. | Buffet | $75 adults, $40 ages 10 and under |
| 13 Coins | Bellevue Place, 900 Bellevue Way NE, Suite 100 | From 11 a.m. | Thanksgiving menu with drink pairings, plus everyday menu | See restaurant |
Prices are before tax and gratuity where the restaurants say so.
The menus explain the price differences. Water Grill's 2026 Thanksgiving menu starts with clam chowder or mixed greens. The main is Diestel turkey with mashed potatoes, sourdough apple-celery stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, and dessert is pumpkin cheesecake or caramel bread pudding. Diestel is also the farm behind PCC's organic birds, so missing Sunday's grocery deadline doesn't have to mean a different turkey, just a different table.
The Amuse buffet at the Seattle Marriott Bellevue has the widest spread of the four. It includes garlic-herb roast turkey, a baby kale salad, cornbread stuffing, wild mushroom risotto, garlic mashed potatoes, broccolini and other seasonal vegetables, and desserts, with a complimentary glass of bubbly for adults. For a group with mixed appetites, that format makes up for the 2 to 7 p.m. window. Water Grill's all-day service suits the opposite case: a household that wants a late lunch and a quiet evening at home.
The Seattle Times has said its 2026 regional guide to restaurants open on the holiday comes out in mid-November. Watch for it if none of the four fits.
Getting Downtown on the Day
All four restaurants are within a few blocks of each other along Bellevue Way and 110th Avenue NE. If someone in your group would rather skip driving after dinner, keep in mind that King County Metro, the Sound Transit buses Metro operates, and the Link 1 and 2 Lines all run on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day, according to Metro's holiday service page. Check the return trip against Sunday times, not the weekday times you're used to.
The day after, Metropolitan Market opens its December holiday reservations on Friday, Nov. 27, with an updated menu. Those close at midnight on Monday, Dec. 21.
Holiday hosting is when a home's layout gets its most honest test: where the coats go, how many people fit around the island, whether the oven can keep up. If this season has you thinking about a kitchen that works harder for gatherings, or about getting a home ready to show well in the new year, Carissa Saffel is glad to talk through timing and preparation with you. Schedule a Consultation whenever it suits your calendar.
