Late lunch? Early dinner? Sundown?
Different homes. Different rules. Different palates.
So when is the best time to serve Thanksgiving dinner?
Food & Wine asked 15 chefs. The consensus? Fourteen said the best time to serve a Thanksgiving meal is between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Of those, 11 said 3 p.m.
The reasons range from prep time for the host to late-night leftovers.
“If you’re like me, you’ve been grazing on everyone’s dishes all day in anticipation,” says 2025 Food & Wine Best New Chef Kelly Jacques, owner of Ayu Bakehouse in New Orleans. “If you delay dinner much longer, there will be nothing left — including your appetite.”
What does Martha say?
Martha Stewart says 2 p.m. is the perfect time to dine.
“Two o’clock in the afternoon,” Stewart told the TODAY show. “People are hungry and they’re starting to circle the kitchen if you have a bunch of guests. You don’t want to wait until it’s nighttime.
“You can eat and watch the big games and then have more drinks and have fun and eat dessert later.”
But why?
History offers a clue, according to the kitchn. Mealtimes weren’t always what they are today. “Dinner” used to be the day’s primary meal, typically served around one or two in the afternoon, while “supper” was a lighter bite — sometimes just a snack — eaten around sundown.
Planning a 3 p.m. dinner changes the rhythm of the day. Eating earlier sets a more relaxed tone for the celebration — and it leaves plenty of time to digest before bedtime.
“The best time for Thanksgiving dinner, if I’m in charge, is 3 p.m.,” Chef Jody Adams, who owns restaurants in Boston, told Food & Wine. “It gives me time to get the cooking done without waking up at 3 a.m. It also means I have time to escape, shower, and wash off the butter and turkey fat before we all gather around the table.”
