Thanksgiving in Shelby: From $15 Plates to $149 Feasts, Options Span Every Budget
Prices, deadlines, and where to order — from Walmart to Johnny Ray's
Shelby families staring down Thanksgiving Week face a familiar calculation: cook, order, or eat out. This year the math got sharper. Turkey prices dropped, but butter, cream, and sweet potatoes didn’t follow. A shopper can still walk out of Walmart with a full dinner for 10 people at $35 — Butterball bird, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie — but the clock is ticking on every other option.
Aldi matches the pitch at $39 for 10, 16-pound Farmer’s Choice turkey included, no membership card required. Both bundles stay live through December 24, though Walmart’s free express delivery expires November 30. For anyone planning to actually cook, those are the two lowest floors in town.
Step up to the deli counter and the numbers climb. Ingles will roast a 10- to 12-pound turkey, make stuffing and gravy, and hand it over for $59.98 — feeds four to six. Deluxe versions with ham or rotisserie chicken run higher. Orders go through the Ingles Deli website.
Golden Corral on East Dixon Boulevard opens its buffet at 11 a.m. Thanksgiving Day and runs until 9 p.m. Carved turkey, glazed ham, pork roast, the usual sides. Adults pay $17.99 to $21.99; seniors and kids get a break. The same kitchen sells “Feasts To Go” — turkey, ham, or pork roast plus sides and bread for six to eight — at $99 to $149. Deadline: 72 hours out.
Local specialists fill the gaps. Johnny Ray’s Smokehouse in Fallston takes a la carte orders — pulled pork, chopped brisket, chicken breast, sides, desserts — until 3 p.m. November 20. The Bread Lab on North Post Road sells pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies plus German chocolate, lemon, and coconut cakes; orders close November 22. The Bess Group LLC on Earl Road plates $15 dine-in or to-go meals (one meat, two sides, bread) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with whole hams and turkeys available by phone at 704-418-7166.
And if none of it appeals, both Waffle House locations — East Dixon and Kings Mountain — keep the griddle running 24 hours with the regular menu. No turkey, no dressing, just scattered, smothered, and covered.
