Looking for a special restaurant in the DC area for Thanksgiving meal with husband, parents and 12 year old son. we are flexible on time and would like something informal yet delicious with good atmosphere. does not have to be traditional thanksgiving fare. we like all kinds of food and are willing to experiment as long as the 12 yr old has options for picky eater.

A lot of the regular restaurants are open for thanksgiving but some are closed. The hotels pretty much all offer thanksgiving dinners running all afternoon, some buffet, some not. We've had some really nice meals out on that day and some just so-so. My advice would be to zero in on some type of restaurant--area or cuisine--and ask for recommendations. Then you can check if they're open on thanksgiving.

A few hours south is Williamsburg, VA, the historical village. They have 4(?) refurbished taverns serving authentic period food and traditional turkey family meals. Wouldn't it be cool to be dining on Thanksgiving in an original 1700s tavern that our founding fathers got intoxicated on while crafting "the" revolution?

Do a web search to find those names... I've only visited once and ate lunch at one of the old beer halls.

My brother has attended at least 7 Thanksgivings there, trying a different dish each time. Although RSVPs are usually filled for months in advance, give some phone calls a try--you never know who cancels and when. The one year he didn't get in, but visited a close by 4-star restaurant/hotel. Again, the names elude me.

Best!

Thanks for the help everyone. the williamsburg idea is very appealing. maybe we'll rent a car and give that a try. thanks again.

They have big ads for Thanksgiving dinners in the Wash Post in the Friday Weekend section but I can't recall when they start; probably beginning of Nov for sure, if you have access to that paper. If you don't do the Williamsburg thing, I might suggest the Tabard Inn on N St downtown; it has a great atmosphere, cozy old townhouse, fireplace, sofas, etc., like being in someone's home. The food is good although I've heard complaints it's overpriced, but I enjoyed it very much when I ate there. It is not super-expensive; creative American menu.

I sure wouldn't recommend driving to Williamsburg from DC for Thanksgiving dinner unless you plan to stay over one or more nights. That is the heaviest travel weekend and the route south from here to Williamsburg on the day before Thanksgiving will be unbelieveably congested. It might be better on Thanksgiving itself but it's still not a trip I'd care to make on that weekend. There are lots of good restaurants in DC and the area.