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A Foodie's Guide to Thanksgiving in the Catskills — 2027 Edition
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday.
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 25, 2027, and the long weekend around it is one of the best times to eat your way through the Western Catskills. The leaves are down, the fires are lit, and the crowds of peak foliage season have gone home.
From West Kill, you're within a 40-minute drive of a Korean café, a legendary diner, two of the region's best farm-to-table dining rooms and a craft distillery. Here's where we'd eat, from first coffee to last nightcap.
Start with Korean toast in Arkville, then save one morning for the drive to Phoenicia's famous diner, and another for Fellow in Hunter.
Mornings in Arkville is a Korean café with a Brooklyn feel, run by Christina and Eric Kim, with Christina's mother doing the baking. Order a corn-cheese Korean toast sandwich, a bibimbap or a miso salmon bowl, and one of the playful lattes (sesame, strawberry). Kids are welcome, and families sometimes roll in still in pajamas. Leave a few minutes to browse the shelves of glassware, stationery and Korean skincare on the way out.
Breakfast & lunch · 43270 Route 28, Arkville · Map & hours
Phoenicia Diner in Phoenicia is the iconic chrome diner on Route 28, serving breakfast all day with ingredients from Catskills and Hudson Valley farms. It's first come, first served with no reservations, so on a holiday weekend arrive early or come mid-afternoon. Pair it with a walk along the Esopus Creek in Phoenicia.
Open 8am–6pm every day except Wednesday · 5681 Route 28, Phoenicia · 845-688-9957
Also worth the stop:
• Fellow in Hunter is a fun spirited and ultra cool breakfast/lunch place.
• Tomato Tomahto in Margaretville is an Italian diner and bakery with Neapolitan pizza from an 850°F wood oven, handmade pasta and focaccia sandwiches. The bread sells out most days, so pick up a loaf for the Thanksgiving table early. Open weekends; check Instagram for updates.
• Café Marguerite, Margaretville, is a Main Street coffee shop run by a husband-and-wife duo ex-Daniel Boulud in Manhattan. They are known for almond croissants and pastries, with local art on the walls.
The Catskills punch well above their weight at dinner, and the best tables book up fast over a holiday weekend.
Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room
The original farm-to-table restaurant of the Catskills, opened in 2003 by Devin and Marybeth Mills after years at Gramercy Tavern and other top New York kitchens. The menu changes with what local farms bring in, and the restored farmhouse has taxidermy, branch-built shelves, an outdoor fire pit with marshmallows and an indoor treehouse for kids. Book the main dining room on Resy; the Tap Room serves the same full menu, first come, first served. Peekamoose has served a Thanksgiving Day dinner in past years, so check their site in early November.
Fall hours: Thu, Sun & Mon 5–9pm; Fri & Sat 5–10pm; closed Tue & Wed · 8373 Route 28, Big Indian · 845-254-6500
Urban Cowboy Lodge
Three very different moods under one roof. The Dining Room, led by Chef Leah Detreville, serves a seasonal, chef-driven dinner built on local growers; reservations are recommended. The Parlor Bar does fireside cocktails and food daily. Down the hill, Ralph's Bar & Bowling has two old-school lanes, a pool table, hot dogs and brats, and weekend pizza from Auggie's Tiny Pizza Kitchen, no reservations needed. It's a great choice for the Friday after Thanksgiving, when everyone wants something different.
Dining Room 5–9pm daily · Parlor Bar Mon–Fri 3–10pm, Sat & Sun 1–10pm
Brushland Eating House — Bovina Center
Former Brooklynites Sohail Zandi and Sara Elbert run this cozy eating house on Bovina's tiny main street, cooking comforting classics with a Persian streak. Regulars rave about the "chicken toast" (half a roast chicken over grilled sourdough) and the homemade ice cream, and Brushland occasionally hosts Persian feast nights. Seating is small and reservations go quickly, so book as soon as your dates are set.
Dinner · 1927 County Highway 6, Bovina Center · 607-832-4861 · Map & hours
More for the foodies
• Bovina Farm & Fermentory, Bovina Center — Elizabeth Stark and Jacob Sackett cook a weekly family-style farm dinner by candlelight in the homestead they built, with produce from their gardens, often wild game, and beer brewed on site. Reservation only, and they still take bookings by email. If you can get a seat, it's the most memorable meal in the region.
• Union Grove Distillery, Arkville — Our pick for a nightcap close to home. Taste the Vly Creek vodka (from local apples and wheat), the maple spirit made with Arkville's own Tree Juice syrup, or the balsam-fir gin by the fire. Catskill Mountain Embers often fires pizzas here on Fridays and Saturdays, and kids are welcome. Check their website for current hours.
• Oakley's Wood-Fired Pizza & Grill, Arkville — A no-fuss family night of pizza, wings and burgers when nobody wants to dress up.
Both work beautifully here, but each one needs a little planning before you arrive.
Eating out. Holiday menus are usually announced in early November. Peekamoose has offered a Thanksgiving dinner in past years (3–8pm in 2024), and Urban Cowboy's Dining Room is open nightly, so check both and book the moment reservations open. Plenty of smaller spots close for the day, so don't count on a walk-in.
Cooking in. Our kitchen is ready for a feast, and the region makes shopping a pleasure:
• Pakatakan Farmers Market, in the historic Round Barn on Route 30 in Halcottsville, about 5 miles north of Arkville. It runs on Saturdays and holds a holiday market in November, with pasture-raised meats, trout, cheeses and breads. The Saturday before Thanksgiving is November 20, 2027.
• A local turkey. Delaware County farms take pre-orders for pasture-raised birds in the fall, and they sell out. Ask us in October and we'll point you to this year's options.
• Bread and dessert. Grab a loaf from Tomato Tomahto before it sells out, and pastries from Café Marguerite for Thanksgiving breakfast.
• The bar cart. A bottle of Union Grove's maple spirit or balsam-fir gin makes an easy local toast.
• Book dinners early. Brushland, Bovina Farm & Fermentory and Peekamoose fill up first on a holiday weekend. Reserve as soon as your stay is confirmed.
• Check holiday hours. Hours here are current as of fall 2026 and many places adjust for Thanksgiving week. A quick call or Instagram check saves a wasted drive.
• Mind the closed days. Peekamoose closes Tuesday and Wednesday; Phoenicia Diner closes Wednesday.
• Plan for dark, winding roads. Late-November nights come early, and deer are everywhere on Route 28. Pick a designated driver for distillery nights.
• Drive times in this guide are from our place and assume clear roads.
Got a favorite we missed, or want help with reservations? Ask us anytime. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at StayCatskills.
From West Kill, you're within a 40-minute drive of a Korean café, a legendary diner, two of the region's best farm-to-table dining rooms and a craft distillery. Here's where we'd eat, from first coffee to last nightcap.
Breakfast, coffee & lunch
Start with Korean toast in Arkville, then save one morning for the drive to Phoenicia's famous diner, and another for Fellow in Hunter.
Mornings in Arkville is a Korean café with a Brooklyn feel, run by Christina and Eric Kim, with Christina's mother doing the baking. Order a corn-cheese Korean toast sandwich, a bibimbap or a miso salmon bowl, and one of the playful lattes (sesame, strawberry). Kids are welcome, and families sometimes roll in still in pajamas. Leave a few minutes to browse the shelves of glassware, stationery and Korean skincare on the way out.
Breakfast & lunch · 43270 Route 28, Arkville · Map & hours
Phoenicia Diner in Phoenicia is the iconic chrome diner on Route 28, serving breakfast all day with ingredients from Catskills and Hudson Valley farms. It's first come, first served with no reservations, so on a holiday weekend arrive early or come mid-afternoon. Pair it with a walk along the Esopus Creek in Phoenicia.
Open 8am–6pm every day except Wednesday · 5681 Route 28, Phoenicia · 845-688-9957
Also worth the stop:
• Fellow in Hunter is a fun spirited and ultra cool breakfast/lunch place.
• Tomato Tomahto in Margaretville is an Italian diner and bakery with Neapolitan pizza from an 850°F wood oven, handmade pasta and focaccia sandwiches. The bread sells out most days, so pick up a loaf for the Thanksgiving table early. Open weekends; check Instagram for updates.
• Café Marguerite, Margaretville, is a Main Street coffee shop run by a husband-and-wife duo ex-Daniel Boulud in Manhattan. They are known for almond croissants and pastries, with local art on the walls.
Dinner destinations
The Catskills punch well above their weight at dinner, and the best tables book up fast over a holiday weekend.
Peekamoose Restaurant & Tap Room
The original farm-to-table restaurant of the Catskills, opened in 2003 by Devin and Marybeth Mills after years at Gramercy Tavern and other top New York kitchens. The menu changes with what local farms bring in, and the restored farmhouse has taxidermy, branch-built shelves, an outdoor fire pit with marshmallows and an indoor treehouse for kids. Book the main dining room on Resy; the Tap Room serves the same full menu, first come, first served. Peekamoose has served a Thanksgiving Day dinner in past years, so check their site in early November.
Fall hours: Thu, Sun & Mon 5–9pm; Fri & Sat 5–10pm; closed Tue & Wed · 8373 Route 28, Big Indian · 845-254-6500
Urban Cowboy Lodge
Three very different moods under one roof. The Dining Room, led by Chef Leah Detreville, serves a seasonal, chef-driven dinner built on local growers; reservations are recommended. The Parlor Bar does fireside cocktails and food daily. Down the hill, Ralph's Bar & Bowling has two old-school lanes, a pool table, hot dogs and brats, and weekend pizza from Auggie's Tiny Pizza Kitchen, no reservations needed. It's a great choice for the Friday after Thanksgiving, when everyone wants something different.
Dining Room 5–9pm daily · Parlor Bar Mon–Fri 3–10pm, Sat & Sun 1–10pm
Brushland Eating House — Bovina Center
Former Brooklynites Sohail Zandi and Sara Elbert run this cozy eating house on Bovina's tiny main street, cooking comforting classics with a Persian streak. Regulars rave about the "chicken toast" (half a roast chicken over grilled sourdough) and the homemade ice cream, and Brushland occasionally hosts Persian feast nights. Seating is small and reservations go quickly, so book as soon as your dates are set.
Dinner · 1927 County Highway 6, Bovina Center · 607-832-4861 · Map & hours
More for the foodies
• Bovina Farm & Fermentory, Bovina Center — Elizabeth Stark and Jacob Sackett cook a weekly family-style farm dinner by candlelight in the homestead they built, with produce from their gardens, often wild game, and beer brewed on site. Reservation only, and they still take bookings by email. If you can get a seat, it's the most memorable meal in the region.
• Union Grove Distillery, Arkville — Our pick for a nightcap close to home. Taste the Vly Creek vodka (from local apples and wheat), the maple spirit made with Arkville's own Tree Juice syrup, or the balsam-fir gin by the fire. Catskill Mountain Embers often fires pizzas here on Fridays and Saturdays, and kids are welcome. Check their website for current hours.
• Oakley's Wood-Fired Pizza & Grill, Arkville — A no-fuss family night of pizza, wings and burgers when nobody wants to dress up.
Thanksgiving Day: eat out or cook in?
Both work beautifully here, but each one needs a little planning before you arrive.
Eating out. Holiday menus are usually announced in early November. Peekamoose has offered a Thanksgiving dinner in past years (3–8pm in 2024), and Urban Cowboy's Dining Room is open nightly, so check both and book the moment reservations open. Plenty of smaller spots close for the day, so don't count on a walk-in.
Cooking in. Our kitchen is ready for a feast, and the region makes shopping a pleasure:
• Pakatakan Farmers Market, in the historic Round Barn on Route 30 in Halcottsville, about 5 miles north of Arkville. It runs on Saturdays and holds a holiday market in November, with pasture-raised meats, trout, cheeses and breads. The Saturday before Thanksgiving is November 20, 2027.
• A local turkey. Delaware County farms take pre-orders for pasture-raised birds in the fall, and they sell out. Ask us in October and we'll point you to this year's options.
• Bread and dessert. Grab a loaf from Tomato Tomahto before it sells out, and pastries from Café Marguerite for Thanksgiving breakfast.
• The bar cart. A bottle of Union Grove's maple spirit or balsam-fir gin makes an easy local toast.
Before you go
• Book dinners early. Brushland, Bovina Farm & Fermentory and Peekamoose fill up first on a holiday weekend. Reserve as soon as your stay is confirmed.
• Check holiday hours. Hours here are current as of fall 2026 and many places adjust for Thanksgiving week. A quick call or Instagram check saves a wasted drive.
• Mind the closed days. Peekamoose closes Tuesday and Wednesday; Phoenicia Diner closes Wednesday.
• Plan for dark, winding roads. Late-November nights come early, and deer are everywhere on Route 28. Pick a designated driver for distillery nights.
• Drive times in this guide are from our place and assume clear roads.
Got a favorite we missed, or want help with reservations? Ask us anytime. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at StayCatskills.
Whether you're visiting for the first time or a Catskills regular, there is always something new to discover. We hope to see you at the Barnhouse soon.