"It was like a mini post office," Jack Perna, the retired Montauk School superintendent, told The East Hampton Star when Herb's Market announced it would close. "People were always there." This November is the first Thanksgiving since 1963 without that counter at 778 Montauk Highway. The turkey now comes on a pre-order calendar, the shopping is spread across several addresses, and the town's public events cover the social side that a butcher counter used to handle on its own.
What Closed at 778 Montauk Highway
Harold "Herb" Herbert opened Herb's Market in 1963 as a grocery, deli and butcher shop. According to the Star, it became "an unofficial social center of Montauk." Gillian Mooney and Lucille Lenahan, a longtime employee, bought the business in the early 2000s. Ms. Mooney learned to cut meat from Mr. Herbert and passed that skill to Joe Ferraro, who took over in 2012. So the butcher counter carried one line of training across three ownerships and roughly six decades.
The Ferraro family announced the closing for the end of September and said they would sell the equipment and fixtures. As of mid-October, Spark Hamptons listed the market as closed after 63 years and reported that no replacement business had been announced. In early September, the Star noted the property did not appear to be listed for sale.
People remember the fried chicken, the coleslaw and the T-shirts that read "You can't beat Herb's meat." For Thanksgiving, though, the real loss is a walk-in butcher on Main Street. Every option that follows asks for a little more planning.
The Turkey Now Has a Pickup Window
Balsam Farms posted a Thanksgiving 2026 pre-order form for fresh D'Artagnan Green Circle turkeys and pies from the Milk Pail. The turkeys are free-range and raised without antibiotics or hormones on small farms in central Pennsylvania. The pies are made with apples and pumpkins grown on the Milk Pail's farm in Bridgehampton. The form lists two pickup locations, Montauk Market and the Amagansett Farm Stand, on four days: Sunday, Nov. 22 through Wednesday, Nov. 25.
One detail matters more than the menu. After you submit the form, Balsam emails a PayPal invoice, and the farm says it cannot guarantee an order until payment arrives. The form doesn't give a cutoff date. It does say extra pies will be for sale Thanksgiving week, but you need to pre-order to be sure of getting a particular Milk Pail pie. Questions go to [email protected]. Montauk Market is a seasonal stand, so confirm the pickup details with the farm when you order.
The other options for groceries, butcher cuts and seafood:
- Montauk IGA, 654 Montauk Highway. The store's site lists meat and poultry, seafood, produce and fresh food departments, with pickup, curbside pickup and delivery. It doesn't post hours or a holiday order deadline, so call ahead for a turkey.
- Naturally Good, 779 Montauk Highway. This year-round organic grocery and prepared-food counter sits across the road from the old Herb's. Its posted hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on every day except Friday, when it stays open until 8 p.m. The kitchen closes at 3 p.m. and reopens from 5 to 8 p.m. on Fridays.
- Gosman's, 484 West Lake Drive. The site lists a retail fish market and custom butchery, with the retail market at 631-668-5645. November hours aren't posted, so call first.
Lined up by street number, the Thanksgiving week stops cluster around the center of town:
| Address | Stop | Thanksgiving week role |
|---|---|---|
| 654 Montauk Highway | Montauk IGA | Groceries, meat, seafood, delivery |
| 662 Montauk Highway, Unit 1 | Balsam Farms Montauk Market | Listed turkey and pie pickup, Nov. 22–25 |
| 742 Montauk Highway | Montauk Chamber of Commerce and The Circle | Turkey Trot start, Nov. 26 |
| 778 Montauk Highway | Former Herb's Market | Closed, no replacement announced |
| 779 Montauk Highway | Naturally Good | Year-round groceries and prepared food |
| 871 Montauk Highway | Montauk Library | Holiday Fair, Nov. 28 |
Number 778 sits empty in the middle of that list. Groceries, meat and prepared food used to be available there under one roof.
Thanksgiving Dinner at Gigi's, Priced Against Its Own Off-Season Menu
For households skipping the oven, Gigi's at Gurney's is serving Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Nov. 26. Regular lunch runs 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a three-course prix fixe runs 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. It costs $145 per adult and $45 per child 12 and under, plus tax and gratuity. The menu includes a roasted turkey dinner with white and dark meat, stuffing, green beans and gravy.
Gigi's own off-season pricing is the useful comparison. Its fall and winter prix fixe is three courses for $65, Sunday through Thursday, from Oct. 12, 2026 through April 15, 2027, excluding holidays. So the holiday dinner costs a little more than twice the regular weeknight menu at the same tables. On a non-holiday weeknight, the 4 to 6 p.m. Sunset Hour at Gigi's Bar runs over the same months.
Thanksgiving Morning Starts at The Circle
Herb's had its regulars. The Star recalled "a few firemen standing outside chatting with Herb." The steadiest gathering on the holiday itself is the Turkey Trot, and it's even older than this year's change.
On Thanksgiving morning in 1976, John Keeshan and some friends ran from the Village Green to the Lighthouse and back. According to the event listing, that run grew into a yearly tradition and eventually became the annual event now run by the Town of East Hampton Recreation Department. This year's 50th Annual Turkey "Run For Fun" offers 3- and 6-mile run/walks starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 26, rain or shine, from the Montauk Chamber of Commerce and The Circle at 742 Montauk Highway. The first 600 people to pick up their bibs get T-shirts. The original 11-mile route from the Green to the Lighthouse and back is now a virtual-only option.
The timing works for anyone cooking. A 10 a.m. start leaves the afternoon free, and anyone with a Balsam order will already have picked up their bird by Wednesday.
The Saturday After, and the Weeks Before
Most of the community calendar falls on Saturday, Nov. 28. The Friends of the Montauk Library hold their free Holiday Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 871 Montauk Highway, with donated books, handmade goods and a mini raffle. That afternoon, the free Lighting of the Lighthouse runs from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at 2000 Old Montauk Highway.
The lighting also closes the Lighthouse season. The Montauk Historical Society says the museum and grounds close after Nov. 28, and the gift shop stays open on weekends through Dec. 20 with limited hours, depending on weather. The society's event list also includes Santa at the Light on Sunday, Nov. 29, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Because the grounds close the night before, check with the society for access details before you go.
The run-up to the holiday has its own events:
- Nov. 6, 13 and 20: The Montauk Library's free classic-film series shows Double Indemnity, Gilda and The Big Sleep, according to the Montauk Sun calendar.
- Nov. 6–8: Montauk Manor hosts a Murder Mystery Weekend at 236 Edgemere Street, starting at $760 per person, double occupancy.
- Nov. 11: A Veterans Day flag-raising at the Suzanne Koch Gosman Flagpole Garden outside the Playhouse, with local Scouts, a wreath laying and refreshments.
- Nov. 14: Girls' Night Out at Gurney's, a benefit for Lucia's Angels and the Coalition for Women's Cancers.
Put the dates in order and the month becomes easier to plan. Get the turkey order in early and paid, and pick it up on one of the four days Balsam lists before Thursday. Make sure everyone has a bib by 10 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, and save Saturday, Nov. 28 for the library fair in the morning and the Lighthouse at 4 p.m.
If Thanksgiving week is also when you close up a Montauk house for the winter or line up off-season care, Bill can help you plan it around the calendar above. Bill Williams has worked with East End owners through more than 25 off-seasons. Schedule a Market Consultation with Bill.
