Thanksgiving Away from Home: Private Chef Holiday Meals on 30A
- Marrow Private Chefs
- Dec 29, 2025
- 5 min read
Thanksgiving on 30A means a week with family in a beach house, long walks after meals, and time to actually catch up. But here's what most families don't plan for: a five-day holiday weekend requires more than one meal.
You'll find plenty of options for Thanksgiving Day itself—restaurants offering special menus, private chefs, buffets, and delivery services. That one meal is covered.
But what about Wednesday night when everyone arrives? Friday breakfast after the beach? Saturday dinner when no one wants to cook again? The snacks your family raids between meals?
That's where we come in. We don't serve Thanksgiving dinner—we're closed that day so our team can spend the holiday with their families. But we specialize in everything else your group needs during a Thanksgiving stay on 30A.
The Reality of a Thanksgiving Weekend
Most families arrive Wednesday and stay through Sunday. That's five days, which means roughly 12-15 meals plus snacks for a group of 8-12 people.
Thanksgiving Day is one of those meals. The other 11-14 still need to happen.
You didn't come to 30A to spend your vacation cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen or coordinating grocery runs for a group. You came to be together without the usual responsibilities.
We handle the food for the rest of your stay—the nights before and after Thanksgiving, the breakfasts, the deliveries, and the snacks that keep everyone satisfied between meals.
How Families Structure Their Thanksgiving Stays
There's no single formula, but most families create a blend of experiences across the week. Here's what that typically looks like:
One Signature Private Chef Night
This is your elevated evening—a multi-course dinner where the chef prepares everything in your rental kitchen, plates each course, and handles full service. It's the night your family dresses up slightly, gathers around the table, and enjoys a restaurant-quality meal without leaving the house.
Common timing: Wednesday or Friday night, when the group wants something special but low-effort.
One Family-Style Night
A more relaxed approach where dishes are served on platters and passed around the table. Think our Chophouse Dinner with prime beef and Gulf seafood, or our Southern Supper with roasted pork and scratch-made sides.
Family-style works well for larger groups (12-20 people) and creates a communal, casual atmosphere while still delivering chef-prepared food.
Delivery Meals
For nights when the group wants good food without the full service experience, we offer delivery options. Our Shrimp Boil, Southern BBQ, and Tex-Mex Tacos arrive hot and ready to serve—no cooking, no cleanup, just quality food delivered to your door.
Fridge Stocking
This is the part most families overlook: what happens between meals. When someone gets hungry mid-afternoon or late evening, they open the fridge and find... whatever's left from grocery store runs.
We stock your fridge with scratch-made snacks and appetizers that your group can enjoy throughout the stay:
Smoked Fish Dip — Gulf fish smoked in-house, served with crackers
Black-Eyed Pea Hummus — Southern twist on a classic, perfect with vegetables
Ham & Pimento Cheese Sliders — Ready to serve
Signature “Snacks” (Charcuterie) Board — Curated selection of cheeses, cured meats, fruits, house pickled bites, roasted vegetables, and accompaniments
These aren't pre-packaged snacks from a grocery store. Everything is prepared by our chefs and delivered ready to enjoy.
What a Full Thanksgiving Stay Looks Like
Here's how a typical family might structure a five-day Thanksgiving stay with Marrow:
Wednesday Evening (Arrival Night)
Delivery meal: Southern BBQ for 12 people. The family arrives throughout the afternoon, unpacks, and settles in. Dinner arrives at 6:30 p.m.—pulled pork, brisket, mac and cheese, collard greens, cornbread, and peach cobbler. No cooking required on the first night.
Thursday (Thanksgiving Day)
The family handles their own Thanksgiving meal. Plenty of local options available—restaurants with special menus, other private chefs who specialize in Thanksgiving, or delivery services. We're closed this day to spend the holiday with our own families, but we’re happy to recommend options if you like.
Friday Evening
Private chef experience: Signature Private Chef dinner for 12. After a long beach day, the family gathers for a four-course plated meal—Gulf oysters, caesar salad, seared snapper with lemon beurre blanc, and key lime pie. Our chef arrives at 5:00 p.m., prepares everything, serves the meal, and handles cleanup. The family never leaves the table.
Saturday Evening
Family-style Chophouse Dinner. Less formal than Friday but still elevated. Prime filet, Gulf shrimp, roasted Brussels sprouts, garlic mashed potatoes, and chocolate pot de crème served on platters and passed around the table. Service time: 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Throughout the Stay
Fridge stocked with smoked fish dip, black-eyed pea hummus, sliders, and a charcuterie board. Anytime someone's hungry between meals, there's something scratch-made and ready to enjoy.
Sunday Morning
The family departs. No one spent more than an hour in the kitchen all week. Every meal was chef-quality. The time together happened without food logistics interrupting it.
Why This Approach Works
Thanksgiving weekend isn't about one meal. It's about five days together.
When families book us for the full stay, they're not worried about grocery runs, meal planning, or who's responsible for cooking. They're focused on the time together—beach walks, games, conversations, and the kind of connection that only happens when logistics disappear.
We're not replacing your Thanksgiving dinner. We're making sure every other meal during your stay is just as good, without any of the work.
Booking for Thanksgiving Weekend
Thanksgiving week books up early—often 8-12 weeks in advance. Families planning 30A Thanksgiving stays reach out in August and September to secure their dates.
If you're planning a Thanksgiving stay and want to handle food for the full week, here's how to approach it:
Start with Your Arrival and Departure Dates
Let us know when your group arrives and when they leave. We'll design a plan that covers the meals you need—whether that's two dinners and fridge stocking, or full multi-day service with breakfasts, dinners, and snacks.
Confirm Your Guest Count
How many people will be staying? Guest count determines portions, service style, and which menus work best for your group.
Discuss Your Preferences
Do you want formal plated dinners, casual family-style meals, or a mix? Are there dietary restrictions we should accommodate? Any favorite dishes or must-haves?
We'll build a plan around your preferences and handle all the details from there.
Beyond Thanksgiving: Holiday Stays on 30A
This same approach works for any extended holiday stay:
Christmas week (we're closed Christmas Day but available for all other meals)
New Year's week
Spring break
Summer family reunions
Anytime you have a large group staying for multiple days, we can design a multi-day food plan that removes the burden of cooking and lets you focus on being together.
Pricing and Planning
Multi-day service is priced based on the meals and experiences you choose. A combination of delivery meals, private chef dinners, and fridge stocking typically runs less than you'd expect—and far less than coordinating restaurant reservations or catering for a group of 12+ people.
Visit our menus page to explore individual meal options and pricing, or contact us to discuss a custom plan for your Thanksgiving or holiday stay on 30A.
The Point of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is about gratitude, connection, and time with the people who matter most.
When you're cooking, coordinating, and managing logistics, you're not fully present. You're thinking about the next meal, the grocery list, and whether there's enough food in the fridge.
We remove that mental load. You show up. Your family enjoys every meal. And the week becomes what it should be: time together, without interruption.
That's what we do. Not just for Thanksgiving Day, but for every other meal your family needs during your 30A holiday stay.
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