Oh, yes, after the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving dinner in your home, you don’t want to spend the Christmas holidays being stressed. If you spent Thanksgiving dinner in your favorite restaurant, you will want the low-stress experience for Christmas Day, too.
But where do you go on Christmas Day? Well, here’s a list of the restaurant chains open on Christmas Day that you and your family and friends can hit for breakfast, lunch and even dinner! Just remember to read through to the next section for tips on making your holidays-in-the-restaurant experience enjoyable for everybody, from your family and friends to the restaurant staff.
Hit These Places on Christmas Day
Be sure to set a budget and ask for everybody’s opinion about their food preference on December 25 before making your reservations, if necessary.
Legal Sea Foods
Since most Legal Sea Foods restaurants were open during the Christmas holidays in 2018, we expect that the chain will also keep their doors open in 2019. Fish and seafood galore makes the chain a must-visit place for people who want to skip the pork, beef and chicken dishes that are traditionally served during the holidays, usually starting from Thanksgiving. Fish and seafood, after all, are less fatty than most meats yet these have a meaty mouth-feel.
Smith & Wollensky
If you’re into upscale steak dining experiences, then Smith & Wollensky may well be your best choice.
IHOP
Come on! There’s nothing more traditional than stacks upon stacks of pancakes and waffles on Christmas morning. Instead of being buried under flour, eggs and butter, just head off with your family to the nearest IHOP and order everything that your heart desires.
But if IHOP isn’t in your neighborhood or an IHOP restaurant has reduced hours, you can go to a Waffle House restaurant since the chain ensures that its locations are open 24/7, 365 days of the year.
Buffalo Wild Wings
Why stick to tradition? Going the unconventional route by chowing down on hot chicken wings may well be your new tradition! Besides, roast turkey overload can be remedied by enjoying your fill of chicken wings smothered in your choice of spicy sauce.
Cracker Barrel
But if you don’t want to hit a restaurant on Christmas Day because you want to spend it in the cozy comfort of your home, you can still get restaurant meals. Cracker Barrel offers heat-and-serve meals that you can order online and then pick up a couple of days before Christmas. You can choose from several meal packages but all of them comes with a large ham, several sides, and pies for dessert – and the great thing about it is that you can prepare everything in less than a couple of hours. Talk about low-stress holidays.
Denny’s
Dine out at Denny’s and your Christmas Day will be better for it! After all, you have everything you need to start the special day right, from their pancakes to their entrées and desserts including decadent milkshakes. Leave your calorie counting self at the door – it’s the holidays, man!
Other restaurants open on Christmas Day are Starbucks, Boston Market, Buca de Beppo, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and Ruby Tuesday. For sure, you will also find several restaurants in your area that are open on Christmas Day. But Christmas Eve is another matter altogether since many, if not most, restaurants will close on that night.
Hit These Tips for a Great Experience
Keep in mind, nonetheless, that your great dining experience in your favorite restaurant on Christmas Day partly rests on your choices before you show up at the place and during your meal.
- Make your reservation a week or two before! While this is stating the obvious, many people still fail to reserve a table for Christmas Day and then blame the restaurant for not being allowed entry. You don’t one to be among them.
Bonus tip: Be flexible with your time. You may want an 8:30 p.m. reservation but the restaurant manager recommends either 8:15 p.m. or 9:15 p.m. and it isn’t because he’s just being bitchy. Your preferred slot may already be fully booked so you may have to choose another slot.
- Inform the restaurant manager about special requests, both food-related and not. You may have a family member who has nuts allergy, another who has mobility issues, and another who requests a set meal. You will find that the more informed the restaurant about your preferences, the more likely you will have a great experience; just be polite and reasonable about your requests though since it isn’t your private restaurant.
- Arrive at least 15 minutes early than your appointment. This way, the restaurant manager can facilitate the process and make it smoother for everybody concerned to get to their tables and get their orders.
And don’t forget to bring your smiles, positive attitude and polite phrases to the restaurant! It’s Christmas Day and it’s a great day to be happy, not the grouchy Grinch.