Celebrating Thanksgiving in Brisbane, Australia

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Australia is not a thing, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Even though we live in Brisbane now, I make sure to celebrate Thanksgiving each 4th Thursday of November.

We moved to Australia in 2020. Our first Thanksgiving was spent in Cooroy, near the Sunshine Coast. I cooked dinner, even though it was hard to find all of the correct Thanksgiving meal supplies.

For the past few Thanksgivings, we have lived in Brisbane and have gone out to dinner.

If you are looking for a great place to eat Thanksgiving dinner in Brisbane, there are a few options.

Unfortunately, some places have closed in the past few years, but keep reading if you want to find out which restaurants that are currently open serve a Thanksgiving meal.

Thanksgiving in Brisbane 2025

As usual, it is hard for us to celebrate American Thanksgiving in Brisbane, but it is not for lack of options.

We can not eat out on Thanksgiving or host a meal, as my oldest has a band and choir concert. While there are options for Thanksgiving meals at Brisbane restaurants all week, I am recovering from surgery and not up for a big meal.

In the next week or two, I will host our American friends for a better late than never Thanksgiving meal.

If you are looking for somewhere to go on Thanksgiving in 2025, here is what I have found:

• Lennon’s has a jazz Thanksgiving from 5 pm until 9 pm. A 2-course meal is $54. This includes turkey, stuffing, carrots, potatoes, gravy, fried Brussels sprouts, salad, and pie.
• Creole Soul Kitchen has Thanksgiving specials all week. Their menu includes fried turkey, turducken jambalaya, fried turkey po-boy, and turkey gumbo.
• If you are feeling fancy, SK Steak and Oyster has a 3-course meal for $180 per person. This includes various seafood dishes along with traditional turkey, sides, and pie.
• The Harvard Club is hosting a dinner for $149 per person. This includes a 3-hour drink package.

Thanksgiving in Brisbane 2024

After a kind of disappointing Thanksgiving dinner last year, we all decided that Thanksgiving 2024 should be a home-cooked meal.

To be fair, we went to a new restaurant that was serving Thanksgiving dinner to a whole lot of people for the first time, and it appears that they have learned from their mistakes and have made changes, but with kids, it just makes sense to have a meal at home.

If you are looking to eat out in Brisbane on Thanksgiving in 2024, you have some options.

Here is what I have found so far:

1. Claw BBQ on King Street has a 5 pm seating and a 7:30 pm seating for their Thanksgiving buffet on Thursday, November 28. Adult meals are $75, and children’s meals are $35. The buffet includes turkey and brisket as well as prawns, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, mac & cheese, and claw salad. Pumpkin pie is for dessert.
2. Lennon’s Restaurant and Bar on Queen Street is hosting a dinner from 5 pm until 9:30 pm on Thanksgiving. The meal includes turkey with stuffing and veggies as well as a choice of pumpkin pie or apple pie. A Thanksgiving meal at Lennon’s is $54.
3. Harvard Club of Australia is hosting a dinner for alumni, members, and guests at The Brisbane Club at Post Office Square. Early bird tickets can be purchased for $185, and there is a discount for groups of 8. Dress is formal at this event, and there is entertainment in addition to Thanksgiving dinner.
4. SK Steak and Oyster on James Street in Fortitude Valley is serving a 3-course family-style meal for $160 per person. Start with a seafood platter before the mains, which include both turkey and ham. Traditional sides include green bean casserole, sweet potato mash, creamy Brussels sprouts, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Pumpkin pie is available for dessert.
5. The American Australian Association is hosting a meal on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It costs $110 for members and $120 for non-members.

Thanksgiving in Brisbane 2023

If you are looking for where to eat Thanksgiving dinner in Brisbane in 2023, here is what I have found.

1. Claw BBQ, a new spot on King Street in Bowen Hills, is having a Thanksgiving buffet. There are 2 seatings, 5:30 pm and 7 pm. The buffet includes turkey, chicken, shrimp, and brisket as well as sides including mac and cheese, corn, potato salad, slaw, and “swamp dip.” Pumpkin pie is available, and each adult gets a Southern Spiced Spritz. The Claw BBQ Thanksgiving Buffet is $59 for adults, half price for kids 9-12, and free for kids 8 and under.
2. Lennon’s Restaurant in the Brisbane CBD is having Thanksgiving dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The meal costs $49 and includes a 2-course dinner of turkey, stuffing, and vegetables as well as the choice between pumpkin and apple pie.
3. Creole Soul Kitchen in Spring Hill is serving a turkey dinner all week. A variety of turkey options will be available for about $30 a plate.
4. Walter’s Steakhouse in Brisbane City will have a 3-course Thanksgiving dinner for $170 per person. Reservations begin at 5 p.m.
5. SK Steak and Oyster on James Street in Fortitude Valley is planning a family-style Thanksgiving dinner with 2 appetizers, 2 main dishes, 4 sides, and a dessert for $140 per person.
6. The Australian American Association is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, at 7 p.m.

We ended up booking a table with friends at Claw BBQ for Thanksgiving 2023.

Unfortunately, as we had recently moved from the area, we had to find parking, and Claw BBQ did not let their diners know that there was a Post Malone concert at the Brisbane Showgrounds, which is right next door, and parking would be hard to find.

The night didn’t get much better, but I am hoping that is just because it is a new restaurant.

We were seated about 40 minutes late for our 7 pm booking, which is already late with kids, but we had after-school sports until 6:30.

The buffet was out of Swamp Dip. We did not get dessert, which seemed to be a misunderstanding, as we could see others getting both pumpkin pie and brownies, but no matter how many times we asked, we were told to keep waiting. In the end, we were partially refunded as they ran out of dessert.

Unfortunately, the food was not great, but again, hopefully, that will change for Thanksgiving 2024 when they have more experience.

Thanksgiving in Brisbane 2022

For those looking for a place to eat Thanksgiving dinner in Brisbane in 2022, now that Reuban’s has closed, here is what I have found.

1. Creole Soul Kitchen in Spring Hill is having a Thanksgiving dinner option all week. From Monday to Friday, they are offering a Thanksgiving special. I contacted them and was told that the mains will be between $28-30. The options include a smoked turkey leg with sweet potato and slaw, fried turkey with green bean stuffing, cranberry salsa, and mash, turkey gumbo with cornbread, and turducken jambalaya. They will also have pumpkin pie whole or by the slice.
2. The Australian American Association is hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Thursday in Spring Hill. The meal is $98 a person for a 4-course meal. In addition to turkey, there is a beef or vegan option. There is a guest speaker at the event, speaking about Rolls-Royce and World War 2, which means it is not family-friendly.
3. SK Steak and Oyster at the Calile Hotel on James Street in Fortitude Valley is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for $140 a person. This is the most upscale version of Thanksgiving that seems to be available and includes Thanksgiving classics and upgraded versions of favorite dishes.
4. Pie Town in West End offers Thanksgiving Pies.

Frozen turkeys are available in most grocery stores and at butcher shops. I purchased a frozen turkey breast at Aldi just in case, but will be saving it as we booked a table at Creole Soul Kitchen.

While I was able to find whole cranberries in the frozen section at Woolworth’s last year, I haven’t spotted them yet this year. Jarred cranberries are available year-round as are dried cranberries. I saw a recipe for rehydrating dried cranberries, though I haven’t tried it.

USA Foods sells boxed stuffing mix, or you can make your own. They also sell canned pumpkin, fried onions, canned cranberries, cornbread mix, and Thanksgiving decorations.

We ended up at Creole Soul Kitchen for Thanksgiving 2022. It is the most affordable restaurant that serves Thanksgiving dinner in Brisbane. Plus, they serve Thanksgiving dinner all week, so if you can’t go on Thursday, you won’t miss out.

Service was slow, but it didn’t seem like anyone minded.

I had made pecan pie, so we did not order dessert.

Our Typical Thanksgiving Celebration

It’s funny because when we are in the States, we do not celebrate “normally.”

There is a Turkey Trot, and I have participated in the 1-mile walk every single year since I was born.

I spend every Wednesday before Thanksgiving helping my mom prepare to host a breakfast after the Turkey Trot.

We are never sure how many people come but it is usually over 50. Multiple races end at different times, so people come over throughout the morning.

Our Thanksgiving 2022

We ended up booking a table at Creole Soul Kitchen in Spring Hill for Thanksgiving dinner. Their menu was available about a week in advance and was significantly less expensive than the other options in Brisbane.

The regular menu was available at Creole Soul Kitchen, as was a special menu that included 4 Thanksgiving mains.

I chose my dinner based on the sides and decided to go with the Cajun fried turkey. It was served with mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberries.

We chose the smoked turkey leg for the kids and asked to substitute fries for the sides. It arrived with slaw and fries instead of the baked sweet potato.

Mark opted for the Day After Turkey Gumbo.

Creole Soul Kitchen offered a slice of pumpkin pie for dessert in addition to their regular dessert options, but I made 2 pies, so we went home.

I planned on making an apple pie, but at the last minute, made a pecan pie as well.

We bake cookies for months leading up to Thanksgiving and serve them with bagels, cream cheese, egg salad, tuna salad, lunch meats, deviled eggs, noodle pudding, and platters of cheese, fruit, and vegetables.

The food takes up the entire dining room table (with the insert in).

Additional food is dispersed throughout the house, on the porch table, kitchen table, and on side tables.

One of the best parts is the trail mix of peanuts, raisins, and M&M’s.

I was writing this post before Thanksgiving, and my mom started texting me about what she was making. While she isn’t having a big party, she is providing food for my siblings and their families and is including a trail mix bag. It is worth a trip back to the store for me.

Our “Typical” Thanksgiving Dinner

We graze throughout the day and usually don’t eat dinner until around 6.

Growing up, we would go to my grandparents’ house for dinner, but even then, I do not remember having the typical Thanksgiving sides.

My siblings go to their in-laws’ houses for dinner, but since we don’t have anywhere else to be, I have always eaten dinner with my parents.

My mom buys a premade turkey, and the sides depend on the year, but often she will make plain sweet potatoes and fresh cranberry sauce.

For the past couple of years, she has made boxed stuffing, which I thought I would hate, but love.

Otherwise, we just eat whatever is left over from breakfast.

2020 Tried To Cancel Thanksgiving

I have never spent a Thanksgiving away from my parents’ house until now.

I knew months ago that the Turkey Trot would not be happening for us.

Even if the city hadn’t canceled it, there was no way that we were going to have so many people over.

I did not know until September that I would not even be in the US for Thanksgiving 2020.

Our Australian Thanksgiving Celebration Starts With Breakfast

Here I am, in Australia, with my in-laws who have never celebrated Thanksgiving.

My husband has only celebrated it my way, as have our children.

My oldest is in school all day.

I decided we would have bagels for breakfast, even though they aren’t a big thing here. There isn’t a bagel shop in town, though a few cafes sell bagels.

I decided to get some at the grocery store, but they were all out of every kind except whole grain and blueberry, so we went to another town and found the last bag of poppy seed onion bagels.

They are not Clearwater Bagels, but my kids were excited.

Australian Thanksgiving Dinner 2020

My husband was in charge of the turkey and mashed potatoes. The stores are starting to carry turkeys as Christmas is coming. He went to the butcher and asked for a smoked turkey.

After searching in a few different grocery stores for cranberries, I found that I would never find fresh cranberries in Australia.

I haven’t seen canned cranberries either, but that is okay. The stores do have jars of cranberry sauce.

I also made applesauce as Mark thought that is what we are supposed to have with our turkey.

We always have leftover applesauce that my mom serves at dinner. Apple sauce is so easy to make. I use my grandma’s recipe of simply boiling chopped apples, skin on, and smashing them. You can blend them and add sugar, but I never do.

Boxed stuffing is another thing I didn’t find here, so I decided to make a recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Half-baked Harvest.

Originally I wanted a more traditional recipe, but this one looks delicious and it isn’t something that I would normally make. It has been pinned on my Pinterest board for a while now.

The only other stuffing I had pinned had cranberries in it, which are impossible to find here. I made the herby mushroom croissant stuffing despite Mark and the kids not liking mushrooms. Mushrooms are delicious and I never cook with them. Usually, I am the only one eating the stuffing anyway. Gruyere was impossible to find here, so I used Jarlsberg as Google suggested.

Australian Thanksgiving dessert

I went back and forth with dessert.

Cookies are my norm, pie is a Thanksgiving norm.

My friend suggested these salted caramel apple pie bars, so I went with those, but full disclosure, I bought the caramel sauce. I am sure fresh is better, but I just want to take the easy route.

How Was Your Thanksgiving Different in 2020?

Temperature-wise, it is pretty much the same here in Queensland as it is in Florida right now. Hot days, cooler mornings, and nights. It is always weird with it being warm for the holidays, but at least I am used to it.

Here in Australia, we are done with Thanksgiving before the day begins in the US.

What did you make for Thanksgiving this year? How was it different than your usual Thanksgiving? I didn’t feel like I was making that much food, but we had tons of leftovers.

Thanksgiving in Australia Again, 2021

We hadn’t planned on being in Australia for another year, but here we are.

The only difference from last year is that we moved to Brisbane.

Both kids are in school, so I was alone for most of Thanksgiving.

We had bagels and lox for breakfast and played the Rocky theme song.

I made trail mix and put it into individual bags for each person in the family. Mark’s didn’t have raisins in it. The kids brought them to school for snack time.

Full disclosure, I have been eating trail mix all week.

For dinner, we went out to Reubens, an American Restaurant in Paddington.

I would have cooked and invited family over, but our refrigerator isn’t even large enough to hold our regular food, much less food for a party.

Reubens has a special Thanksgiving menu with 2 seatings, one at 5 p.m. and the other at 7:30 p.m.

Books about Thanksgiving

If you would like to read more about Thanksgiving, here are some of our favorite children’s books.

Thanksgiving on a Thursday (Magic Treehouse)

Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving

Little Critter Just a Special Thanksgiving

Thanks for Thanksgiving

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving