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Restaurants Open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2026
On Christmas Day 2026 (Friday, December 25), your best bets are Waffle House, Denny's, IHOP, local Chinese restaurants and hotel restaurants, plus select locations of chains like Applebee's and Golden Corral. Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) is much easier: most restaurants open, though many close early.
Because the two days work so differently, this guide covers them separately. The chain information comes from news coverage of the 2025 holiday, mainly Axios's Christmas Day roundup and a PureWow list. Plans for 2026 are usually announced in December, so call your local restaurant to confirm.
Christmas Eve (Thu, Dec 24): what's open
Christmas Eve is a normal workday for many people, so the majority of restaurants open for lunch and early dinner. The catch is the evening: lots of places close early so employees can be with family.
What to expect:
- Casual chains: Most are open, some with reduced hours. In 2025, Olive Garden, TGI Fridays, Buffalo Wild Wings and KFC were reported open on Christmas Eve, while Chili's and Dave & Buster's ran reduced hours.
- Cracker Barrel: Reported open on Christmas Eve 2025, with dine-in generally ending early in the afternoon, and closed on Christmas Day.
- Fast food: Mostly open, though some locations close early.
- Fine dining and Italian restaurants: Many run special Christmas Eve dinners, often fixed-price and by reservation, including Feast of the Seven Fishes menus in some areas.
If you want dinner after 7 PM on December 24, call to confirm the last seating time.
Christmas Eve planning tips
- Book special dinners early. Restaurants running a Christmas Eve menu often fill their tables in early December.
- Eat earlier than usual. A 5 PM dinner gives you far more choices than an 8 PM one.
- Order takeout before mid-afternoon. Kitchens that close early stop taking orders well before they lock the doors.
- Grab tomorrow's coffee and breakfast supplies. Many cafes and bakeries will be closed or busy on Christmas morning.
Open in Google Maps: “restaurants open christmas eve”
Christmas Day (Fri, Dec 25): what's open
Christmas Day is the hardest day of the year to find a restaurant. Many independents close, several big chains close entirely, and fast-food franchises make their own decisions. Here is the general pattern:
| Type of place | Christmas Day outlook |
|---|---|
| 24-hour diners and breakfast chains | Best odds; many locations open |
| Chinese restaurants | Many family-run spots open |
| Hotel restaurants | Usually open; reservations recommended |
| Steakhouses and upscale chains | Some open with holiday menus |
| Coffee chains | Many open with limited hours |
| Fast food | Location by location; many closed |
| Casual chains | Mixed; several closed |
| Independent restaurants | Mostly closed |
Because Christmas falls on a Friday in 2026, it creates a three-day weekend for many workers. That may mean busier restaurants on Saturday, December 26, as people who stayed home on the 25th head out.
Chains that usually open
These chains were reported open on Christmas Day 2025, usually at select or participating locations. None of this is a guarantee for 2026.
| Chain | Christmas Day 2025 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Waffle House | Open | 24/7 service is part of the brand; most locations keep it |
| Denny's | Select locations | Check if your location is 24 hours |
| IHOP | Select locations | Some with limited hours |
| Applebee's | Select locations | Limited hours or menus possible |
| Golden Corral | Select locations | Buffet availability varies |
| Perkins | Participating locations | Reduced hours reported |
| Red Lobster | Open, holiday hours | Shorter day than normal |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Select locations | Reports were mixed; confirm locally |
| Starbucks, Dunkin' | Many open | Limited hours; some closed |
| McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Subway | Some locations | Franchise-dependent |
| Domino's, Papa John's | Select locations | Delivery can be slow |
Sources: Axios and PureWow coverage of Christmas 2025; Waffle House's year-round schedule is described in AOL's Christmas 2025 report.
Reported closed in 2025: Chick-fil-A (closed every Christmas, Thanksgiving and Sunday), Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden and Chili's, plus most KFC locations, according to the same coverage. For a year-round view, see our holiday restaurant hours guide.
If you need food very late on Christmas night or early on the 26th, our guide to restaurants open 24 hours explains which places truly stay open overnight.
Where else to look on December 25
Travel plazas on major highways, airport food courts and hospital cafeterias tend to stay open on Christmas because their customers have nowhere else to go. Casinos usually keep their restaurants running as well. Movie theaters, which are often open on Christmas, sometimes sit near restaurants that open for the moviegoing crowd.
The Chinese food tradition
Eating Chinese food on December 25 is one of the most familiar American Christmas customs. It started in early 20th-century New York, where Jewish and Chinese immigrant communities lived close together and neither celebrated Christmas. Chinese restaurants stayed open when nearly everything else closed, and a 1935 New York Times story already described a restaurant owner delivering chow mein to a Jewish children's home on Christmas, according to Wikipedia's history of the custom.
Today the tradition is shared by all kinds of families, which means Chinese restaurants are often very busy on Christmas. A few tips:
- Order early. Place takeout orders in the early afternoon before the dinner rush.
- Call instead of using an app. Some restaurants pause delivery apps when the kitchen is slammed.
- Pick up yourself. Delivery waits can run long on Christmas evening.
Find nearby spots with our Chinese food open now guide.
Open in Google Maps: “chinese food open now”
Hotel restaurants and reservations
Hotel restaurants serve guests every day of the year, which makes them one of the most dependable Christmas Day options. Many welcome outside diners, and larger hotels often serve a holiday brunch or a set Christmas dinner.
How to book:
- Search for hotel restaurants nearby and check whether they list a Christmas menu.
- Call or use a reservation app as early as possible; holiday seatings fill up.
- Ask whether the meal is a fixed-price menu, whether there is a kids' price, and whether a credit card is required to hold the table.
- Confirm the exact seating time, since many hotels run timed sittings.
Upscale steakhouse chains are worth a look too. In 2025, Del Frisco's Grille, Morton's and Smith & Wollensky were reported open at some locations on Christmas Day.
Christmas dinner to go
If you want a holiday meal at home without cooking, plan ahead:
- Pre-order a holiday meal from a restaurant or grocery store. Most require ordering several days before, with pickup on December 23 or 24.
- Pick up before the 25th. Many places that sell holiday meals close on Christmas Day itself.
- Ask about reheating. Most pre-ordered holiday meals are picked up cold; plan oven time for the roast and sides.
- Have a Christmas-night backup. Pizza delivery and Chinese takeout are the most common options on the day.
After Christmas, the next big dining day is New Year's. Our guide to restaurants open on New Year's Day covers both New Year's Eve dinner and January 1 brunch.
Quick summary
- Christmas Eve 2026 is Thursday, Dec 24: most restaurants open, many close early.
- Christmas Day 2026 is Friday, Dec 25: diners, Chinese restaurants, hotels and select chain locations are your best options.
- Waffle House, Denny's, IHOP and Golden Corral were open at many or select locations in 2025; Chick-fil-A, Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden were reported closed.
- Book hotel and steakhouse Christmas meals early.
- Call your local restaurant to confirm hours, since franchises set their own.
Frequently asked questions
What restaurants are open on Christmas Day?
In 2025, news coverage listed Waffle House, Denny's, IHOP, Applebee's, Golden Corral, Perkins and Red Lobster among chains open at select locations (reports on Buffalo Wild Wings were mixed), plus many Starbucks and Dunkin' stores and some fast-food franchises. Many local Chinese restaurants open too. Call your local restaurant to confirm before Friday, December 25, 2026.
Is McDonald's open on Christmas Day?
Some McDonald's restaurants open on Christmas Day, often with reduced hours, while others close. Because most locations are franchises, each owner decides. Check the McDonald's app or your map listing for holiday hours, and call ahead if you are counting on it, especially early in the morning or late at night.
Why do people eat Chinese food on Christmas?
The custom grew in early 20th-century New York, where Jewish and Chinese immigrants lived side by side and neither community celebrated Christmas. Chinese restaurants stayed open when most others closed, and Jewish families found them welcoming. Over time it became a widely shared American Christmas tradition for anyone looking for a meal out.
Are restaurants open on Christmas Eve?
Yes, most restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but many close earlier than usual so staff can be home in the evening. Upscale and Italian restaurants often run special Christmas Eve dinners that require reservations. If you plan to eat after about 7 PM, call to confirm the closing time and last seating.
Is Starbucks open on Christmas Day?
Many Starbucks stores open on Christmas Day, but with limited hours, and some close entirely. Licensed stores inside grocery stores, airports or hotels follow the host location's schedule. Check the store's hours in the Starbucks app or your map app, and call ahead if you are relying on an early-morning coffee run.
Information can change. Always confirm hours and details directly with the business.
Sources
- Axios: What restaurants are open Christmas Day 2025
- PureWow via AOL: 41 Restaurants Open on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve in 2025
- AOL: Will Waffle House open on Christmas 2025
- Wikipedia: Jewish-American patronage of Chinese restaurants
- Wikipedia: Chick-fil-A
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays