These 5 Rockford-area restaurants will be open for Thanksgiving meals. What to know

While many families stay home on Thanksgiving or visit relatives' homes, some prefer to let someone else do the cooking and cleaning.

There are several options for getting a traditional Thanksgiving dinner served up buffet style or plated at Rockford area restaurants on Thursday.

Here are a few that plan to be open.

Embassy Suites Rockford Riverfront

Rockford's downtown Embassy Suites hotel, 416 S. Main St., will be serving a Thanksgiving buffet in the Ziock Ballroom with two seatings — 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday.

The buffet will feature roasted crispy turkey, smoked prime rib, Newsky's smoked ham, smoked Gouda and garlic mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.

The cost is $39 for adults and $19 for children 12 and under. Reservations can be made by calling 815-668-7878 ext. 5004.

Franchesco's Ristorante

Rockford's Franchesco's Ristorante, 7128 Spring Creek Road, will open at 11 a.m. on Thursday to serve Thanksgiving dinner.

Reservations are required; 815-229-0800 or franchescosrestaurants.com. The cost is $35.99 for adults, $12.99 for children under 12 and four and under free. Individual dinners to-go will be $29.99 each.

The meal will feature a traditional plated dinner with your choice of oven-roasted turkey (white or dark meat) or succulent honey glazed ham served with aromatic stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, homestyle gravy, green beans almondine, cranberry sauce, artisan Italian bread and pumpkin pie.

Thunder Bay Grille

Call 815-397-4800 to make your Thanksgiving Day reservations at Rockford's Thunder Bay Grille, 7652 Potawatomi Trail.

Thunder Bay will be serving buffet-style from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adults will pay $32. Children are $15.

The buffet will include turkey, ham and apricot-dijon pork loin, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, corn, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and pie.

GreenFire Restaurant Bar & Bakery

GreenFire, 6795 E. Riverside Blvd., will be open on Thanksgiving Day with a limited menu and a traditional Thanksgiving meal, dubbed the Harvest Feast.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations can be made at 815-316-3473.

The Harvest Feast will feature all natural, free-range, Amish roast turkey, gravy, sage stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, garlic mashed potatoes and apple or pumpkin pie for $36 per person.

Cimino's Little Italy

Cimino's, 421 Challenge St. in Freeport, will host its annual Thanksgiving Day buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

The buffet is all-you-can-eat featuring roasted turkey, glazed ham and fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, baked macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce and rolls, salad bar, assorted salads, seasonal fruit salads, pastries and desserts.

Cost is $19.99 per person for adults, $10.99 for 12 and under and three and under free.

For reservations, call 815-235-8700. Cimino's also will be offering a to-go Thanksgiving meal for 8-10 people for $199.99.