Thanksgiving dinner with the bartender from the pub down the street, the strung-out neighbor, and bussers, cooks, and dishwashers from work.

I'm cooking the turkey again this year, and I hope I don't screw it up. I have a checkered history with the holiday bird, so it wouldn't be the first time things have gone awry. I blame my father.

For a holiday with a relatively fixed menu and, in most homes, an unrivaled predictability, Thanksgiving still manages to surprise us year after year. Whether it's a burnt turkey, one parent's dramatic antics, or an unforeseen tragedy, we've seen our share of Thanksgivings go horribly awry. Of course, that's not counting the triumphs—the rescued birds, the perfect expat's dinner, the communal moments you actually treasure, no matter how corny. In either case, the one thing Thanksgiving always is? Memorable. We asked the Serious Eats staff about the very best and worst Turkey Days they've experienced. Here's what they had to say.