American food in Amsterdam: tacos, NFL, turkey

You moved to the land of stroopwafels and fresh herring, and some Sunday you'll still want nachos and the Chiefs game. Amsterdam can handle it. You just have to know where to look and how to read the time difference.

The short version

NFL and NBA: Satellite Sports Café on Leidseplein lists NFL games, NFL RedZone, college football and NBA tip-offs on its weekly schedule [1].
US chains: Taco Bell has an Amsterdam restaurant at Osdorpplein in Nieuw-West [2], and Five Guys runs restaurants in the Netherlands [3].
Time zones: Amsterdam is usually six hours ahead of New York, so 1 p.m. ET kickoffs start at 7 p.m. local time [1].
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Order a whole turkey (kalkoen) from a poultry butcher (poelier) well ahead.
Groceries: US brands turn up on international shelves, but expect import prices and gaps.

Sports bars for the NFL and NBA

Watching American sports from Europe means late nights and an alarm clock you'll learn to hate. But a good bar makes it a party.

Satellite Sports Café

Satellite Sports Café sits at Leidseplein 11, right on Amsterdam's busiest nightlife square, and calls itself the city's "ultimate sports bar" [1]. Its site promises 40+ HD screens and lists "Football, UFC, F1, NFL" among what it shows [1]. When we checked its weekly schedule in early November 2026, it listed [1]:

Sunday NFL games at 7 p.m. and late-afternoon games after 10 p.m., plus NFL RedZone
an NFL game in Madrid at 3:30 p.m. Amsterdam time
college football on Saturday evenings, including SEC games running past midnight
NBA games at 1 a.m., with the bar listed as "open till 03:00"
NHL games and UFC cards

That's about as close to a stateside sports bar as Amsterdam gets. For big games, book a table or show up early.

Coco's Outback

Coco's Outback, at Thorbeckeplein 8-12 near Rembrandtplein, is a bar that lists a long menu of live sports, including basketball and baseball [4]. Its site doesn't say whether it shows the NFL or NBA specifically, so call ahead before you plan your Sunday around it [4].

Doing the time-zone math

The Netherlands is usually six hours ahead of the US East Coast, with a week or two each spring and fall when the gap is five hours because Europe and the US switch clocks on different dates.

US kickoff (ET)	Amsterdam time (usual)
NFL Sunday early games, 1 p.m.	7 p.m.
NFL Sunday late games, 4:05 or 4:25 p.m.	10:05 or 10:25 p.m.
Sunday Night Football, 8:20 p.m.	2:20 a.m. Monday
NBA evening tip-off, 7 p.m.	1 a.m.

Thanksgiving Day NFL games run from the Amsterdam evening into the small hours, so the early game fits nicely around a turkey dinner. The Super Bowl kicks off around half past midnight on Monday morning local time, so plan to take Monday off.

US chains in Amsterdam

Taco Bell

Taco Bell's Dutch site lists an Amsterdam restaurant at Osdorpplein 1011 in Nieuw-West, open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday [2]. Its other Dutch locations include The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Eindhoven [2]. The menu features familiar names like the Crunchwrap Supreme and Cheesy Gordita Crunch [2]. It's a trek out of the center, but if you've been craving a Crunchwrap, the tram ride is worth it.

Five Guys

Five Guys runs a Dutch site with a restaurant locator and online ordering [3]. We couldn't pull up specific Amsterdam addresses, so check the locator before you head out.

The usual suspects

McDonald's, KFC, Domino's and Starbucks are part of the Amsterdam landscape and need no map. They taste a little different from back home; recipes and portion sizes vary by country.

US groceries: the taste-of-home list

Dutch supermarkets carry plenty of familiar things, and some keep a small international shelf with American brands. Peanut butter is easy; the Dutch love it (pindakaas). Harder finds include:

canned pumpkin for pie (stock up in October; it vanishes before Thanksgiving)
boxed mac and cheese, cake mixes and frosting
graham crackers, Hershey's and root beer
corn syrup, brown sugar the way you know it, and Crisco

Expect sticker shock on imported items. For the rest, many Americans learn Dutch substitutes: speculoos cookies stand in for graham crackers in a pie crust, and Dutch brown sugar (basterdsuiker) works in most recipes.

Specialty import shops come and go, so we're not naming any we couldn't confirm. Ask in our community group for Americans in the Netherlands, where members swap the current best spots for canned pumpkin and Thanksgiving fixings every fall.

Thanksgiving in Amsterdam

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. It's a regular workday in the Netherlands, so many Americans celebrate on the weekend instead.

Getting the bird

Dutch kitchens and ovens are smaller than American ones, and whole turkeys aren't a supermarket staple. Here's how to pull it off:

Measure your oven first. Many Amsterdam apartments have a combination microwave-oven that won't fit a 20-pound bird. A turkey breast or a smaller bird may be the realistic choice.
Order early from a poulterer. Ask a poelier (poultry butcher) or a good butcher at your local market for a whole kalkoen at least two or three weeks ahead. Say whether you want it fresh or frozen, and what weight.
Ask about the weight in kilos. 5 kg is about 11 pounds; 7 kg is about 15 pounds.
Hunt the sides early. Cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin and French's fried onions are the usual gaps.
Or let someone else cook. Some restaurants may offer a Thanksgiving menu. Ask around in early November, and book.

Friendsgiving, Dutch style

Your Dutch friends may never have seen a Thanksgiving table. Invite them. Explaining stuffing and green bean casserole to people who've never had either is half the fun, and they'll usually bring something excellent from the local bakery.

Eating out: what's different from back home

Even when the food is American, the restaurant habits are Dutch. A few heads-ups:

Service is slower, on purpose. Nobody will rush you out, and nobody will bring the check until you ask for it. Catch the server's eye and ask for "de rekening."
Tipping is modest. Service is included in Dutch prices, and rounding up or leaving a little extra for good service is plenty. Forget the 20% reflex from home.
Free refills aren't a thing. Neither is a giant iced tea. Tap water may need to be requested, and some places charge for it.
Splitting the bill is normal. Going "Dutch" is literally a thing here, and paying separately by card is routine.
Cards rule. Many places prefer debit cards, and some refuse cash. A US credit card usually works, but carry a backup.
Kitchens close early. Outside the busy nightlife areas, many restaurants stop taking orders well before the bars close. If the game ends late, eat first.

Other American food cravings

Bagels: Amsterdam has bagel shops, but styles vary. Ask locally for the closest thing to New York.
BBQ and ribs: Satellite Sports Café advertises unlimited ribs in its site's title [1]. For proper smoked brisket, ask around; spots open and close fast.
Mexican food: Tex-Mex is easier to find than it used to be, though heat levels are often toned down.
Brunch: American-style brunch with pancakes and eggs Benedict is popular in neighborhoods like De Pijp and Jordaan. Weekend lines are real.

American food in Amsterdam: where to find tacos, Sunday football and a Thanksgiving turkey