Sometimes all anybody needs to feel loved and supported by their community on Thanksgiving is a steaming hot plate of traditional holiday fare.
That’s where BlondZee’s Guest House Restaurant & Lounge in Salem at 4850 Portland Road N.E. comes in.
Every year since the early 1970s with the exception of the height of the Covid pandemic, the restaurant has opened its doors for a free Thanksgiving meal for anybody.
This year was no different.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the restaurant was packed with people from all walks enjoying the company, the camaraderie and the traditional Thanksgiving spread of turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, vegetables and stuffing.
The place was full of laughter and high energy but also warm and inviting.
Volunteers greeted guests and brought them to their tables. People sat together in booths and on stools at the breakfast bar chatting and enjoying each other’s company as smiling employees and volunteers bounced around the room, some carrying multiple plates at a time.
By noon the dozens of volunteers in the kitchen had pumped out 170 plates with many more on deck.
Carrie Patton is one of those volunteers. She is also an employee at BlondZee’s and has worked there for about three years. She said she volunteers for the Thanksgiving meal every year and brings her family with her.
“I think that our employees here are fantastic. To give up their Thanksgiving to come here and do this, to me, is so great. It is the fact that they are all giving it up and coming here,” Patton said. “My husband is here cooking, my son is there cooking. Everybody. It’s a big family affair.”
A few feet away Patton’s husband Cheyenne Patton and her son Zach Moore loaded plates with lightning fast efficiency. There was hardly time to stop as the line was out the door.
“I think that it is important for the people who don’t have what they need. Everybody gets to come in, get a free meal. Everybody that works here volunteers,” Patton said. “It really is super awesome and it makes you feel super good inside to be able to do this for everybody. It does. Most of these people are our customers, and are our neighbors. It does mean everything to me.”
Patton’s sister and niece were also volunteering Thursday, and she said instead of a family Thanksgiving event, her family volunteers at the restaurant. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
Mark Lucas is married to Melissa Lucas, the owner of BlondZee’s. Lucas was in the kitchen helping bring order to the chaos. He said last year the restaurant served about 250 people and that all kinds of people come out, from entire families, seniors, and homeless residents.
“We have people who walk for two days, where they are homeless. They’ll walk for two days to get here. Just for this,” Lucas said. “There’s a lot of people in need and we just want to help when we can…A lot of our seniors, it is too much to cook a big turkey and all that, so they come down and enjoy.”
Sandi Durham and her son Billy Hakes finished eating and were on their way home. They were joined by Durham’s partner, Tom Moss. The group said they are regular and longtime customers at BlondZee’s and decided to try the Thanksgiving meal for their first time.
“I think that people come here for all different reasons,” Durham said. “We basically didn’t have anywhere to go. Our families are doing other things. And we are regulars here. To be able to see the people that are able to get a free meal is really wonderful.”
Moss, from Silverton, said he was impressed with the food and appreciated the restaurant’s generosity.
“It’s getting rarer and rarer to see something like this,” Moss said.
Hakes agreed and said once you go inside the restaurant it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are from, “it’s Thanksgiving,” and everyone is welcome.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” Hakes said. “It should be known that it is kind and good hearted what these people do for the community. For real.”
Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.
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Joe Siess is a reporter for Salem Reporter. Joe joined Salem Reporter in 2024 and primarily covers city and county government but loves surprises. Joe previously reported for the Redmond Spokesman, the Bulletin in Bend, Klamath Falls Herald and News and the Malheur Enterprise. He was born in Independence, MO, where the Oregon Trail officially starts, and grew up in the Kansas City area.
