Thanksgiving in DC feels different from anywhere else in the country. Museums stay open, restaurants serve holiday feasts, and the city settles into a slower rhythm. Whether you want a turkey dinner someone else cooks or a day of sightseeing between courses, Thanksgiving in Washington, DC delivers. This guide covers where to eat, what to do, and how to celebrate on Thursday, November 26, with walking and rideshare distances from Arlo Washington DC at 333 G Street NW.
Altair at Arlo Washington DC
The easiest Thanksgiving dinner in Washington, DC sits right inside the hotel. Altair, the restaurant inside Arlo Washington DC at 333 G Street NW, is serving a Thanksgiving dinner in 2026. The New American menu builds its dishes around earth, fire, water, and air, and guests choose between the glass atrium, the lounge, or the main dining room. Reserve your table at Altair DC, and check the site for menu and hours. Your table sits steps from your room, so you skip the rideshare.
Founding Farmers & Distillers
Among the DC restaurants open on Thanksgiving, Founding Farmers & Distillers sits closest to the hotel. The restaurant at 600 Massachusetts Avenue NW serves a three-course prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and its regular menus step aside for the day. It also serves Thanksgiving breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. You can walk there from Arlo Washington DC in about 10 minutes, roughly half a mile, and you can reserve online.
Carmine’s
Carmine’s, at 425 7th Street NW, brings the family-style tradition to Penn Quarter. The Italian restaurant takes Thanksgiving reservations, keeps its regular menu available, and sells a $245 to-go feast with a 16-to-18-pound turkey that serves six to eight people. Plan on a 12-minute walk, about 0.6 miles from the hotel. Book by phone at 202-737-7770 or through OpenTable.
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe at 999 E Street NW serves a Thanksgiving dinner of roasted turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potato mash, and buttermilk stuffing from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The cafe offers limited quantities, so reserve in advance. It sits about 0.7 miles from Arlo Washington DC, so choose a 15-minute walk or a five-minute rideshare.
Reserve Your Washington, DC Thanksgiving Dinner Early
Plan ahead for a Washington, DC Thanksgiving dinner, and lock in your table soon. Founding Farmers, Carmine’s, and Hard Rock Cafe all take reservations, and Altair accepts bookings through its website. Check each restaurant’s hours first, because the Thanksgiving menus at Founding Farmers and Hard Rock Cafe end at 8 p.m. If you prefer to cook at home, Founding Farmers and Carmine’s both sell to-go feasts, though Carmine’s quantities run limited.
Things to Do on Thanksgiving in DC
Start the morning with the Georgetown Turkey Trot, a 5K that begins at 8 a.m. at 3530 Water Street NW. It sits roughly four miles from Arlo Washington DC, about a 20-minute rideshare. Afterward, visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery at 8th and F Streets NW, about 0.6 miles from the hotel. Most Smithsonian museums stay open every day except December 25, but check holiday hours before you go. The DowntownDC Holiday Market on F Street NW opens November 13, though it closes on Thanksgiving Day.
Keep the Celebration Going Through the Weekend
Founding Farmers & Distillers serves Black Friday brunch, and the holiday market welcomes shoppers again with gifts and seasonal treats. Museums draw some of their biggest crowds the day after Thanksgiving, so visit on Thursday if you can.
How to Celebrate Thanksgiving in Washington, DC
A DC Thanksgiving works best when you plan the whole day, not just the meal. Book a morning activity, reserve dinner for the afternoon or evening, and keep a rideshare app handy for anything beyond a mile.
Here is one sample day: run the Georgetown Turkey Trot at 8 a.m., tour the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery by late morning, and sit down to Thanksgiving dinner at Altair.
Arlo Washington DC makes the plan easy. The hotel occupies the restored Harrison Apartment Building, which dates to 1888–1890, and adds a modern 12-story structure with 445 rooms. Judiciary Square Metro station sits a five-minute walk away, and Gallery Place-Chinatown station sits ten minutes away. After dinner, you can return to a comfortable room and rest up for Black Friday.
Book your stay at Arlo Washington DC today, and spend Thanksgiving in DC close to the food, the museums, and the holiday market.
