Plan Ahead: Reserve Your Thanksgiving Turkey and Ham Now
The best turkeys and hams go fast every November. Here is our guide to sizing your order, when to reserve, and how to pick between a whole turkey and a spiral-cut ham for your table.
It feels early, but the shops that wait until November to think about Thanksgiving are the ones scrambling for a turkey the week before. Here is exactly how we recommend planning your holiday order — and why now, not later, is the right time to reserve.
Why reserve now
We order our holiday turkeys and hams from local growers weeks in advance, and the largest and highest-quality birds are always the first ones spoken for. Reserving in September or October means you get to pick your size instead of taking whatever is left in the case the weekend before the holiday.
How much turkey to order
- Plan on 1 to 1.5 pounds of whole turkey per guest if you want generous leftovers.
- A 12–14 lb turkey comfortably feeds 8–10 people.
- Hosting 15 or more? We can order two smaller birds instead of one giant one — they cook faster and are easier to carve.
Turkey or ham, or both?
Many of our regulars order both — a turkey for tradition and a spiral-cut ham for the guests who show up hungry before the bird is even carved. If your crowd skews smaller, a ham alone feeds a table beautifully and reheats better than turkey for next-day sandwiches.
Oven Roasted Turkey
Prefer to skip the roasting entirely? Our oven-roasted turkey from the deli case is ready to slice and serve.
Your reservation timeline
- 1
Now through mid-October
Call or stop by either counter to reserve your turkey size and, if you want one, your ham. This is when you have the most sizes to choose from.
- 2
Early November
We will confirm your order and pickup window. This is also the time to add sides like our house sausage or bacon for the big breakfast the next morning.
- 3
The week of Thanksgiving
Pick up your order fresh — no freezer, no thawing math, no stress. Just carve and serve.
“Nobody remembers the turkey that came from a warehouse freezer. They remember the one that came from a real butcher who knew their name.”
— The Crystal Creek Counter
Call either shop or stop by the counter to lock in your size today. Reservations fill up fast once October hits, and we would rather save you a bird now than tell you we are out later.
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