Every Bob's Burgers Thanksgiving Episode Ranked

The animated Fox comedy "Bob's Burgers" follows Bob Belcher and his family as they struggle to run their modest burger restaurant. With its sweet but wacky family dynamics, the show has a wide range of lovable elements: the endearing musical moments, the mile-a-minute puns, the camaraderie between the kids, and so much more. However, the cartoon is also known for its highly memorable annual Thanksgiving episodes. 

While Bob normally expresses his love for food through his beloved Burgers of the Day, Thanksgiving brings out another side of the chef as he works to make the perfect holiday meal every year. Of course, the Belchers being the Belchers, Bob doesn't usually succeed, but each Thanksgiving episode offers a unique twist on the holiday that makes for a fun way to celebrate Turkey Day. As such, we've compiled a complete list of "Bob's Burgers" Thanksgiving episodes and ranked them from worst to best. Read on, and see how your favorite stacks up.

This Season 10 episode sees Bob closer than ever to realizing his perfect Thanksgiving dinner when he scores a highly coveted heritage turkey. Of course, Bob's ideal meal continues to elude him as the gas goes out while he's cooking the prized turkey. A frantic Bob decides to roast the turkey on a spit in the alley, refusing to let go of the dream so close within reach. While Bob spins out and sends the kids to search for kindling, Tina is focused on finding meaning in the holiday with a gratitude tree. 

Though most of the "Bob's Burgers" Thanksgiving episodes position Bob as the Thanksgiving hero who falls victim to his family's antics, "Now We're Not Cooking with Gas" highlights Bob's mania around the holiday and the lengths he'll go to cook the perfect dinner, even at the cost of his family's happiness. While Bob's struggles to make the perfect meal are relatable, his realization about what makes the holiday truly special is even more so.

While most "Bob's Burgers" Thanksgiving episodes focus on Bob's love of the holiday, he's not the only Belcher who enjoys it. This Season 11 episode sees Gene quarantined in the bathroom with a case of stomach flu. For once, Bob's dinner goes off without a hitch, except for the fact that Gene is too sick to enjoy dinner, breaking the format of previous Thanksgiving episodes. 

Instead, "Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid" follows the style of other "Bob's Burgers" episodes in which the family regales each other with stories that take the viewer out of the immediate storyline, mimicking and paying homage to other pop culture moments with a loose narrative thread. In this case, while Bob cooks, Tina and Louise regale Gene with stories from the other side of the door to make him hate food so that he doesn't feel sad for missing Thanksgiving dinner. As the real cause of Gene's tummy troubles are revealed, the episode concludes with a tender reexamination of Bob and Gene's relationship that should warm anyone's heart.

This Season 3 episode finds Bob excited to make his annual turkey dinner, only to be thwarted by his eccentric landlord, Mr. Fischoeder. The struggling Belchers are always behind on the rent, and Mr. Fischoeder presents them with an opportunity they can't refuse: help him woo a former flame who's into married men by pretending to pose as his family. With Bob relegated to playing chef in the kitchen and preparing a Thanksgiving meal for everyone else to eat, he gets progressively drunker and watches on as his wife, Linda, pretends to be married to his landlord, and his kids vie for Mr. Fiscoheder's attention as they compete for a cash prize on top of the rent they're all promised. 

As "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal" progresses, Bob becomes more unhinged, with only his turkey to keep him company, and everything reaches a climax when Mr. Fischoeder's former flame chases Bob through the house, mistaking him for prey in a "Most Dangerous Game"-style trap. Ultimately, though, the episode culminates in a sweet message that reinforces traditional holiday themes.

This Season 7 episode is a departure from previous Thanksgiving episodes, as the focus is on the kids rather than on Bob and his meal. "The Quirkducers" follows Tina, Gene, and Louise's competing efforts to produce the Thanksgiving school play. While Gene and Louise are upset that school is in session for a full day and hope to tank the play to get out early, Tina has recently been the victim of some modest bullying during which she was called "quirky," and channels her experience into a genuine, if peculiar, artistic effort. 

Tina's play follows a "quirky turkey" who is mocked by a group of pigs that plan to eat her for Thanksgiving dinner, but takes a dark turn when Louise convinces Tina to write in a surprise act of vengeance and kill the pigs. While the episode is darker and more violent than the typical "Bob's Burgers" fare, the ending is surprisingly sweet and moving, providing for a surprising twist on the classic Thanksgiving episode that only "Bob's Burgers" could accomplish.

For Bob Belcher, the ultimate betrayal on Thanksgiving is his family not partaking in the traditional holiday festivities at all. This Season 5 episode sees Bob in that exact scenario, as Linda and the kids decide to go to a turkey run at the local amusement park, Wonder Wharf, instead of eating Bob's laboriously prepared meal. While Bob stays home, getting drunk and listening to Donna Summer in protest, Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise find themselves in a scenario straight out of a horror movie when the turkeys go wild and try to attack everyone at the carnival. 

In typical zombie movie style, they find more survivors, including "Bob's Burgers" favorites Teddy, Andy, Ollie, and Mickey, as Linda leads everyone out of the Wharf and back to the completely unaware Bob, who decides he wants to make a Thanksgiving meal after all. "Dawn of the Peck" features fantastic music and hilarious action sequences that make for a delightful spin on the traditional holiday fare.