Restaurants Open on Christmas Day: What to Know

Restaurants open on Christmas Day are fewer than on any other day of the year, and the ones that are open usually planned months ago. Hotels almost always serve, Chinese and other Asian restaurants are a well-known option, and a few diners, delis and family-run places serve the neighborhood on December 25.

Plan early, since the open kitchens fill first. Ask about a limited menu and whether walk-ins are welcome, and have a second option if the first is full.

Which restaurants open on Christmas Day?

Hotels almost always serve, because their guests need meals. Chinese restaurants are a well-known second group, along with Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Indian places, many of which treat December 25 as an ordinary business day. Some diners and delis stay open, and so do a few big-city institutions that run on the same schedule every year.

Casual chains and fast food counters follow their own rules, and the hours often shorten. Never assume that a place which was open last year will be open this year, because owners change their minds.

Why is Chinese food a Christmas tradition?

For many American Jewish families, a Christmas outing to a Chinese restaurant became a custom in the twentieth century, because Chinese restaurants were open when most others were closed and offered a menu with no ties to the holiday. The habit spread. Today the tradition is as much about being out in the world on a quiet day as it is about the food.

If you plan to go, expect a full room at the usual dinner hour and a shorter menu in some kitchens. Going early in the afternoon is often easier.

How do you confirm a place is serving?

Call. Do not rely on a listing that has not been updated, and do not rely on last year's memory. Ask three questions: are you open on December 25, what hours are you serving, and do you have a limited menu. If the answer is yes, ask whether walk-ins are welcome or whether the kitchen wants a name in advance.

A kitchen that picks up the phone and answers cleanly is a good sign. A recorded greeting that mentions the holiday schedule is better.

What about Christmas reservations?

Christmas reservations fill earlier than people expect, and restaurants that take them often fix the menu, the seating times or both. Ask whether there is a set menu, whether children are welcome at the table and whether there is a cancellation rule before you commit. Larger parties should say how many people are coming and whether anyone needs a high chair, a ramp or a seat away from stairs.

If you are choosing between a family favorite and an unfamiliar dining room, choose the familiar one. A quiet holiday is not the day to find out how a new kitchen handles its rush.

Is Christmas Eve dinner out an easier choice?

Often it is. Christmas Eve dinner out gives you more options, more open kitchens and a calmer mood, because staff and guests are still in the middle of the season rather than at the end of it. Many restaurants run a special menu that evening, and some close early so the team can get home.

Seafood menus are common on December 24, a nod to the Italian-American Feast of the Seven Fishes and to other meatless Christmas Eve customs. If someone at your table keeps that tradition, say so when you call, and ask about fish-forward dishes. The New Year's Eve dinner guide covers the same planning rules for the next holiday, and the Thanksgiving guide explains how the autumn table is built.

What if you need Christmas takeout instead?

Christmas takeout is the practical answer for households who want the meal but not the room. Many Chinese restaurants, delis and bakeries offer it, as do grocery stores with a prepared foods counter. Ask whether pickup is on the day or the day before, and whether the dishes are cooked and ready to eat or packed to finish at home.

Check the container as well as the food. A bag of hot rice and noodles will steam itself soft after twenty minutes in the car, so leave a short drive and a plan for reheating. If a tray is the main course, ask for the temperature or the oven time on a card.

How should you plan for a long table?

Decide who is coming, who is driving and when everyone needs to be home. Choose a restaurant with a menu that has something for the cautious eater and the adventurous one. Look at the road trip food guide if you are traveling on the day and want to eat on the way.

Then be generous with the people serving you. A patient order, a clear request and a warm thank you do more than any extra planning. For more ideas by city and by occasion, the US guides hub is a good place to browse.

How can Mosey help on Christmas Day?

Share a list from the Mosey app with the people you are eating with and each of you can add finds. After the meal, rate the dish while you remember it: a tag and a line take ten seconds and beat trying to recall the name of a plate a month later.

If you want to keep a record of where you ate this holiday, get the Mosey app, rate the dishes that surprised you and build a list of places that welcomed you when everywhere else was dark.