The Ozark Mill in Ozark, Missouri, has opened reservations for its November 26 Thanksgiving buffet, with citrus-brined smoked turkey, honey glazed ham and a menu that gives the traditional holiday plate some very persuasive competition.
Finley Farms released bookings October 12 at 10 a.m. The advertised price is $38 for adults, $18 for children ages 4–12 and complimentary for ages 3 and younger. Reservations are required for the riverfront restaurant’s holiday service.
The published Thanksgiving menu puts turkey and ham under “From the Smoker,” with sage gravy and cranberry sauce accompanying the turkey. Elsewhere on the spread, cedar plank salmon comes with citrus beurre blanc and bourbon glaze, while chicken and waffles bring hot honey, bourbon maple and sorghum butter into the conversation.
The sides include cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole, honey citrus glazed carrots and Boursin whipped mashed potatoes. Mac and cheese uses shell pasta, smoked cheddar sauce and herb breadcrumbs. That is a respectable amount of work for the first plate, before anyone remembers the ham.
Early seatings also have a breakfast station, served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with scrambled eggs, housemade sausage, bacon and scratch biscuits and gravy. Biscuits first and turkey afterward is a perfectly defensible holiday itinerary.
Dessert makes room for green tomato cake bites, pumpkin pie, flourless chocolate cake and bourbon apple cobbler with whipped cream, alongside assorted dessert bars and house-baked cookies. Green tomato cake is a nicely Ozarkian reason to leave a little room.
The setting has its own history. The original mill dates to 1833, and commercial milling ended in 1992. Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris purchased the property the following year; the preservation project later grew into Finley Farms with his daughter, Megan Stack. The Ozark Mill Restaurant opened in September 2021, overlooking the Finley River.
Buffet service is already part of the restaurant’s routine: its regular Saturday and Sunday brunch is advertised at $34 for adults. Thanksgiving gets a separate menu and a $38 adult price, with the smoker doing much of the holiday’s heavy lifting.
The restaurant is at 802 Finley Farms Lane. Bookings are available through the official Thanksgiving event page; Finley Farms advises reserving online and says it cannot add phone reservations when online availability is exhausted.
