What Restaurants Are Open on Christmas Day 2021?

Growing up one of our favorite traditions was going out for Christmas breakfast. We would all wake up early, have our coffee at home while opening presents, and then head out together for a family meal. Of course, most restaurants aren’t open on Christmas Day, but we always knew which ones we could count on. Other people prefer a Christmas meal, either in a restaurant or one that they can pick up from a restaurant to have at home. So, what restaurants are open on Christmas Day?

What Restaurants Are Open on Christmas Day 2021?

There are two types of restaurant openings on Christmas Day. On one hand are restaurants are open for in-store dining. These include a mixture of regular hours, limited hours, and special meal deals. On the other hand are restaurants aren’t open for in-store dining but do offer holiday meal pickup, which you typically must order in advance. Here are what restaurants are open on Christmas Day 2021 in both categories:

Restaurants Open for Sit-Down Meals on Christmas 2021

These restaurants have sit-down hours at many of their locations. However, you should check in advance to make sure that your location is the same:

Applebee’s restaurants are usually open regular hours on Christmas Day.
Benihana is open on Christmas Eve for a non-traditional holiday meal.
Boston Market has dine-in options on Christmas Day.
Buca di Beppo is open on Christmas for family-style dining.
Buffalo Wild Wings will be open at some location on Christmas Day. Check your location in advance.
Cracker Barrel is open until 2 pm on Christmas Day. It’s a good breakfast or brunch spot for the holiday.
Del Taco locations are typically open on Christmas.
Denny’s is open on Christmas Day. Most locations have regular hours. They’ll offer a turkey dinner special in addition to their regular menu.
Domino’s has varied hours between stores with some locations open on Christmas Day. Pizza is usually a good choice for the holidays.
Dunkin Donuts, like Domino’s will be open at some locations only.
Fogo de Chao is open on Christmas Day.
Golden Corral has an annual Christmas Day buffet at most locations.
Huddle House is open on Christmas at most locations.
IHOP is open regular hours on Christmas Day. This spot and Denny’s were my own family’s usual go-to Christmas breakfast spots.
Joe’s Crab Shack is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a unique ham special.
Kona Grill is open on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They have special pricing on holiday meals for both kids and adults.
McCormick and Schmick’s seafood restaurants are open for a Prix Fixe dinner on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
McDonald’s is open on Christmas Day but hours vary by location.
Morton’s Steakhouse is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a special dinner-for-two meal.
The Palm is open on Christmas Day with a Bone-In Prime Rib holiday meal for $99 per person.
Panda Express is usually open on Christmas Day.
Romano’s Macaroni Grill is open with a three-course special dinner meal on Thanksgiving for just $25 per person.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurants will be open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Shoney’s is open with a buffet for Christmas.
Sonic Drive-In locations are usually open on Christmas.
Starbucks is open on Christmas Day. Get your coffee and some of their snacks.
Steak ‘n Shake is open regular hours on Christmas Day at most locations.
Sullivan’s Steakhouse is open with their regular menu on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Texas de Brazil is open for all-you-can-eat dining on Christmas Day.
Waffle House is open regular hours at all locations on Christmas Day.

Check Local Restaurants, Too

Don’t forget to check with your favorite local restaurants as well. For example, here in San Francisco The Cavalier is open on Christmas Day with a four-course prix fixe menu for $100 per person. Similarly, Top of the Mark has a buffet brunch on Christmas Day for $169 per adult (including unlimited bubbly) and $65 for kids.Plus, a variety of Pier 29 restaurants are open for both reservation-only and walk-in meals on Christmas Day.

Another example is Cleveland, where restaurants open on Christmas Day include 1890 Restaurant and Lounge, Adega, and The Burnham among many others. Lots of places are open but with limited hours. Your local newspapers and websites will have more information for you!

Restaurants Open for Take-Out on Christmas 2021

Here are restaurants that will be open for pick-up orders on Christmas Day; a few of these offer take-out in addition to their in-store seating mentioned above. Order these in advance:

Boston Market offers heat ‘n serve meals for families of varied sizes.
Chart House has meals for 3-4 people including meat and sides for pickup on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Claim Jumper has holiday meals available for pickup including some locations with Christmas Day service.
Cracker Barrel has heat ‘n serve meals in various sizes available for pickup 12/21/21 – 12/28/21
McCormick and Schmick’s seafood restaurants offer meal pickup from 10-noon on Christmas Day.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House offers meal pickup on Christmas Day.
Shoney’s has take-out meals available on Christmas Day.

Again, also check out your location options. In San Francisco, you can order Jaranita and Lazy Susan (among others, of course) for Christmas Day pickup.

Delivery Meals on Christmas Day 2021

Many of the restaurants that are open for take-out only on Christmas Day also offer delivery services. The restaurants that have meal deals (feasts for 4 or 6 or 10 people) frequently offer this service. Usually, you do need to order your delivery in advance. Some of the above restaurants that offer delivery service in at least some locations on Christmas Day include Boston Market and McCormick and Schmick’s .

If you’re looking for a last-minute bite on Christmas Day, though, then your best bet is to use one of the popular delivery apps to see what’s available in your area. This will give you the best combination of local restaurants without having to check each individually to see what restaurants are open on Christmas Day near you. For example, GrubHub, Uber Eats, Postmates, DoorDash, etc. are all good options to try. Remember that service might be limited and therefore delivery wait times could be longer than usual for all restaurants.

Deals and Freebies for Christmas 2021 (including lots of great restaurant gift card deals!)
7 Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget for Christmas Decorations
Target Holiday Schedule 2021 and Store Hours

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

Check out these helpful tools to help you save more. For investing advice, visit The Motley Fool.

Kathryn Vercillo

Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.