Several dining rooms across Mesquite will serve turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pie on Thursday, November 26, and the posted prices run from $19.99 to $45. At Eureka, a player's club card level can change the cost of the same meal by up to $10 before tax. CasaBlanca and Virgin River list one price for everyone. Which card you carry, and where it works, makes a bigger difference than usual next week.
That matters from Crimson Ridge because Thanksgiving is one week from today. A few of the decisions below have to be made before the holiday: a reservation, a grocery order, or whether to sign up for a card.
The Thursday menus, side by side
These prices come from Eureka's own holiday flyer and from a November roundup by Mesquite Entertainment, which runs CasaBlanca and Virgin River, published on St. George News.
| Where | Thanksgiving offering | Hours listed | With a card | Without a card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka | Plated turkey and/or ham dinner with soup or salad | 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., until sold out | $40 Gold, plus tax | $45, plus tax |
| Eureka | Holiday buffet with turkey and ham | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. | $19.99 Onyx, $24.99 Exclusive, $27.99 Gold, plus tax | $29.99, plus tax |
| Eureka | Turkey and/or ham plate with all the trimmings | Noon until sold out | $19.99 Gold, plus tax | $26.99, plus tax |
| Jersey Joe's Diner, CasaBlanca | Turkey breast plate with soup or salad and pie | Not listed | $20.99 | $20.99 |
| Katherine's Steakhouse, CasaBlanca | Classic turkey dinner entrée | Not listed | $38 | $38 |
| Virgin River Café | Turkey plate with soup or salad and pie | Not listed | $20.99 | $20.99 |
| Virgin River Buffet | Thanksgiving buffet with prime rib, turkey, ham and crab legs | 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. | $29.99 | $29.99 |
| Virgin River Buffet | Regular breakfast buffet | 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. | $14.99 | $14.99 |
The table splits into two pricing systems. For a guest with no card, the lowest-priced turkey plate in town is $20.99, at either Jersey Joe's Diner or Virgin River Café. Eureka's comparable noon plate is $26.99 plus tax for that same guest. With a Eureka Gold card, the plate drops to $19.99 plus tax, the lowest dinner price on the list.
Eureka's buffet has the widest spread. It runs $19.99 at the Onyx level and $29.99 with no card, a $10 difference for the same food on the same afternoon. That $29.99 no-card price matches the Virgin River Buffet's Thanksgiving price, and Virgin River's spread adds prime rib, crab legs, shrimp, salmon and a pasta station to the turkey and ham.
The two priciest plates sit $2 to $7 apart. Katherine's Steakhouse at CasaBlanca lists its classic turkey entrée with white and dark meat at $38. Eureka's plated dinner starts with butternut squash soup or a house salad and includes Miss Roo's Cornbread Stuffing. It costs $40 with a Gold card and $45 without, plus tax.
Two card systems, and what each one covers
Eureka's flyer names its tiers directly: Onyx, Exclusive and Gold. Each one prints its own Thanksgiving price. Eureka's holiday events page lists Thanksgiving dining at three of its restaurants, Gregory's Mesquite Grill, Mason Street and Town Square, and the flyer recommends reservations. Before booking, ask which restaurant is serving which of the three menus and which card level the quoted price assumes.
CasaBlanca and Virgin River share the Mesquite Journey Rewards program. According to the same Mesquite Entertainment roundup, you can sign up at the rewards desk at either property with a valid ID. Their Thanksgiving plates carry one price for everyone, so a Journey Rewards card does nothing for the turkey dinner. It does matter two days from now. Virgin River's Boots & Buckles line dancing night with Joey Vitale is Saturday, November 21. Doors open at 7 p.m., the show starts at 8 and runs until 11. Entry is free for Journey Rewards members who bring their card, and the event is 21 and over.
The CasaBlanca casino bars are also running a Thanksgiving Day special of $3 Bloody Marys. CasaBlanca is at 950 W. Mesquite Blvd.
The table inside Sun City has no posted price
One Thanksgiving meal is inside Sun City Mesquite itself. Conestoga Golf Club has added a Thanksgiving Brunch at its 1880 Grille to its calendar for November 26, and the listing is labeled "Reservations Only." The event page shows the date and an all-day time slot. It doesn't list serving times, a menu or a price, so call the club for those details and to reserve.
If you'd like brunch close to home, make that call this week.
The free dinner is on Wednesday
Your budget for the week can include a meal that costs nothing. The City of Mesquite hosts its annual Complimentary Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Wednesday, November 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mesquite Senior Center, 102 W. Old Mill Road. The city's listing gives 702.346.5295 as its contact number. Because it's on Wednesday, you can go to the community dinner and still book a table, or cook your own meal, on Thursday.
First Baptist Church holds a church-wide Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, November 22, at 4 p.m. Guests are asked to register and choose a food item to bring.
Eating at home without cooking, and the store hours that shape it
If you'd rather eat at home without doing the cooking, the deadline is Tuesday. Smith's is taking Thanksgiving orders through 11/24. Its holiday meal categories include dinner bundles, proteins, sides, rolls, cakes and pies. The Mesquite store is at 350 N. Sandhill Blvd., and its store page handles deli and bakery orders.
Plan your last shopping trip around one closure. The Walmart Supercenter at 1120 W. Pioneer Blvd. lists itself as closed on Thursday, November 26. If the cranberry sauce is still missing Thanksgiving morning, the Pioneer Boulevard store won't be an option.
After the turkey, the tickets have fixed prices
From the weekend after Thanksgiving through mid-December, the calendar returns to one price per seat:
- Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28: Mesquite Community Theatre presents LIGHTS ON! A Hollywood Christmas Variety Show at 150 N. Yucca Street, Suite 22. The Friday show starts at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, November 28: Justin Sullivan and Karen Hester perform a Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton tribute at the Virgin River Event Center. Doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7, and tickets start at $41.90. Must be 21 or older.
- Thursday, December 3: The City's Parade of Lights runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Mesquite Boulevard between Arrowhead and Willow, with the theme "Home for the Holidays."
- Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5: The Mesquite Toes Dance Troupe's Christmas Spectacular plays at 1 p.m. at Mesquite Community Theatre, 150 N. Yucca St. General admission is $20.
Two Sun City HOA events complete the stretch at the Event Center. The Sun City Sounds holiday concert on Tuesday, December 8, has shows at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Guests pay $5 or use a guest pass, and everyone is asked to bring a non-perishable food item. The Holiday Hoe Down on Thursday, December 10, starts with cocktails at 4 p.m. and dinner at 5, with a country-western menu and music by Rick Wall. Admission is $32 per person.
Thanksgiving is the one day on this calendar when a club card can save you up to $10 at the same table. On the Hoe Down and the theater nights, everyone pays the same.
If family is flying in for the holiday and you'd like help planning where everyone should eat, from brunch at Conestoga to the Wednesday dinner at the Senior Center, I'm happy to talk it through. Stephanie Cannon is just a call or message away. Let's Connect.
