Trading turkey for tacos? North Texans going nontraditional this Thanksgiving
NORTH TEXAS — In North Texas, Thanksgiving consists of three things: food, family, and Cowboys football.
On Thursday, thousands of Cowboys fans converged in Arlington to watch the game and eat their pregame turkey dinner at J. Gilligan's Bar and Grill.
"It is a special feeling to see all these people come in," said owner Randy Ford.
Ford has opened his doors to patrons every game day and said Thanksgiving is always his busiest, and today is no exception.
"We have a turkey breast, we have dressing, stuffing, and mashed potatoes," Ford said. "So, we each got to get with that program and it's a fun day. It's a day of celebration."
J. Gilligan's even offers a shuttle to fans attending the fame in person, a tradition that's reached even beyond state lines.
"I came all the way here from New York to watch the Cowboys win," one restaurant patron told CBS News Texas.
While most North Texans will spend their Thanksgiving watching Cowboys football, some folks are choosing to go the non-traditional route and trade their turkeys for tacos.
This is the first year Miriam Cocina Latina has served customers on Thanksgiving. Assistant manager Paul Rios says more and more customers are choosing to dine out rather than stay in and cook.
"People are just not doing the traditional Thanksgiving and they're trying to save their money going to a restaurant," Rios said. "And why not be open and capitalize and serve our guests?"
This new trend has also led to dozens of other DFW restaurants staying open for the holiday. Rios says beyond the extra cash, their joy on this holiday always comes from their customers.
"We love to see customers taking their time away from their families, coming here and supporting us in our cause. To just see the joy after they take their first bite. We're serving our extended family," Rios said.