Utah restaurants open on holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Pioneer Day

Holidays change who is open in any state, and Utah has one that most states do not: Pioneer Day on July 24. Here is what to expect on the holidays that matter to diners, and how to find a meal. Holiday hours change every year, so always call or check the restaurant's own page.

What is Pioneer Day, and why does it matter for dining?

Pioneer Day is a Utah state holiday on July 24. It commemorates the arrival of Brigham Young's group of pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. It is not a federal holiday, so the post office stays open, but state agencies, banks, libraries and many city and county offices close, and so do state liquor stores. Locally run businesses may be closed, so call ahead. Restaurants differ: some close for the day, others open for parade crowds and fireworks. The celebration runs for more than a week in Salt Lake City, with a rodeo and a parade down State Street.

What should you know about Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November, is a family day in Utah as elsewhere. Many independent restaurants close. Hotels, resorts and some large restaurants serve a Thanksgiving menu, often a fixed price with turkey, stuffing and pie, and they usually need a reservation weeks ahead. If you are traveling, ask your hotel for its dinner, or look for a Thanksgiving takeout meal from a grocery store or caterer, which you can order a week or more before. Grocery stores close early on the day itself, and some close all day. Fast food is mixed, and Chinese and other Asian restaurants are often open.

How is Christmas different in Utah?

Christmas Day is the quietest day of the year for restaurants. Resort towns such as Park City are the exception during ski season, when the holiday week is the busiest of the year and restaurants are open and often booked. Reserve Christmas-week dinners well in advance. In Salt Lake City, hotel restaurants and some Chinese and Mexican restaurants are usually open. Christmas Eve is a busy dinner night, and some places close early. As with Thanksgiving, call or check the website before you go.

What about New Year's Eve and Day?

New Year's Eve is a night for special menus, usually fixed price with a champagne or sparkling cider toast. Prices are higher, and a deposit is common. In Utah, restaurants without a liquor license have a quiet night, and some offer sparkling juice. New Year's Day is a slow morning, and brunch restaurants may open late. If you want to eat out on New Year's Day, book or arrive after noon.

How do Sundays and holidays combine?

When a holiday falls on a Sunday, expect the least choice. Many places close on Sundays anyway, so a Sunday holiday can leave a few hotel restaurants and some national chains. The guide to Sunday dining in Utah in this series explains the pattern. If a holiday falls on a Monday, many restaurants close on Sunday evening or Monday, so you may have a long weekend with a short list.

How do you find a table on a holiday?

Start with your hotel concierge, who knows what is open. Search for the restaurant's own page or social account, which usually posts holiday hours. Call and ask about the menu, because holiday menus can be limited. Reserve online if you can, and read the cancellation terms, since holiday reservations may need a deposit. Have a backup: a grocery store hot counter, a Chinese restaurant, or a picnic from the day before.

What about alcohol on holidays?

State liquor stores close on state and federal holidays, including Pioneer Day. Plan ahead if you want wine or spirits for a holiday meal at home. Restaurants and bars follow their own licenses, and many serve alcohol on holidays, but check, since some restaurants do not serve alcohol at all.

What should you do about tipping and service charges on a holiday?

Holiday servers work on days others are off, and many diners tip generously. The normal range is 18 to 20 percent at a table-service restaurant, and some restaurants add a service charge or a holiday surcharge on special days. Read the menu or the reservation terms to see if one applies. If a charge is automatic, check whether it replaces the tip or whether you should add one.

If you are visiting from abroad, remember that US holidays are not all the same everywhere. Thanksgiving is centered on a large family meal, and the day after, Black Friday, is a shopping day, so restaurants near malls are busy. Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day are long weekends when families travel, and Utah's parks and lakes are crowded, so lunch spots near the water and in the canyons may have long waits. Independence Day often has fireworks displays in Salt Lake City, Park City and Provo, and restaurants with a view may take reservations months ahead. Plan around crowds as you would for any busy weekend.

How do you remember a holiday meal that worked in Utah?

The restaurant that was open and welcoming on a holiday is worth remembering for next year. Mosey is a food app for finding, rating and sharing places to eat, and it rates by the dish, so rate the Thanksgiving plate or the Pioneer Day brunch and add a tag such as Family Friendly or Group Dining.

Keep the tagged ratings in a list called "Holiday backups", share its invite link with family who travel with you, and follow friends who stay in Utah over the holidays. Next November, you start with answers instead of a phone tree.

Rate your holiday dish in the Mosey app and tag it for next year.

More guides to read next:

• Are Utah restaurants open on Sundays? What to expect and how to plan
• Utah food words: fry sauce, pastrami burgers and funeral potatoes
• Ordering a drink in a Utah restaurant: what to expect

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.