Posted by: Whether you've been naughty or nice, diners can cross a stress-free holiday meal off their wish list. A number of restaurant chains will be open Christmas Day. So, once the presents are opened, it's OK to leave the mess for later.
Following are some helpful ideas of places to eat. Oh, and we're fairly certain that most restaurants inside hotels will be open to serve guests and visitors alike but don't forget call ahead to confirm. Times and availability are subject to change.
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Here are some low-cost and moderate-price options. As always, we urge you to call ahead and confirm, as some independently-operated franchises opt to close on Christmas or limit their hours.
- Benihana: There are 10 restaurants that will be open at 11 a.m. in all three counties.
- Denny's: Christmas is actually the diner chain's busiest day of the year. Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all 24-hours of Christmas Day.
- Dunkin‘: Some are open and others have limited hours.
- IHOP: Open all day (24-hours restaurants will keep to schedule, hours may vary at other locations).
- Golden Corral: Some locations are open but varies by restaurant. Call ahead to confirm.
- McDonald's: The ones that are corporate-owned are open while franchises may be closed
- Red Lobster: Most locations are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hours may vary by location.
- Starbucks: Most Starbucks are open on Christmas Day and you can pick up some breakfast, lunch, dinnbistro er, and of course coffee. Hours vary by location
- TGI Fridays: There are 11 locations in South Florida that will open at 11 a.m.
- TooJay's Deli & Bakery: There are 11 locations in Broward and Palm Beach counties that will be open
- Waffle House: Waffle House is open on Christmas Day, also following their 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week normal schedule.
NOTE: Look to your neighborhood ethnic restaurants. Many Asian and Indian spots are open on Christmas for lunch and/or dinner, as are some Jewish delis.
Following is a sample list of moderately priced local eateries:
Restaurants open on Christmas Day
Broward County
- Batch New Southern Kitchen & Bar (Contemporary Southern Food), 525 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale – open at noon batchsouthernkitchen.som
- Brio Italian restaurants will be open on Christmas. Guests can enjoy the a la carte menu. Reservations can be made online
- Buca di Beppo (Family-style Italian), 3355 S. University Drive in Davie, will be serving up generous portions of your favorite Italian dishes from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. dineatbuca.com
- Del Frisco's, (American Grille) located at 501 E. Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale, will be open from noon to 8 p.m. and serving an a la carte menu featuring holiday favorites. For more information and to book a reservation, call (754) 312-3235.
- El Camino (Contemporary Mexican), with multiple locations throughout South Florida (Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Ration) will be serving up your Mexican food favorites from noon to midnight. May we suggest the Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita paired with the Carnitas Tacos and chips and guacamole and you're set for a festive night out. elcaminofla.com
- Havana 1957 (Cuban), with locations in Pembroke Pines and throughout Dade County, will be serving up classic Cuban dishes from noon until 10:30 p.m. in an atmosphere that allows you to relive the glamour of Cuba from the 1950's.
- Piola (Italian), with multiple locations throughout Dade and Broward, will be open until 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; piolausa.com
- Taverna Opa (Greek), located at 410 N Ocean Drive in Hollywood has reservations available on Christmas Day from 12:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. There will be a belly dancing show from 7 – 10:15 p.m. tavernaopa.com
- TooJay's (Jewish deli) with multiple locations throughout Broward and Palm Beach Counties will be offering up a 3-course Christmas Dinner for $25.99 on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day complete soup or salad; turkey, ham or brisket and all of the fixings; and a slice of Pumpkin Pie or Cheesecake for dessert. (The restaurant will also be offering up a 3-course Hanukkah prix-fixe for $26.99 per person from December 25 to January 2.); toojays.com.
Miami-Dade County
- Piola (Italian), with multiple locations throughout Dade and Broward, will be open until 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; piolausa.com
- Red Rooster Overtown (Soul Food), 920 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami will serve an a la carte holiday dinner on Christmas Eve and a $65 Christmas Day brunch buffet from 2-9 p.m. Christmas Sangria and glasses of Coquito will be available for an additional charge; redroosterovertown.com
- Tropical Acres (Steakhouse): For steakhouse quality food without the fancy holiday prices that you might find in other restaurants, Tropical Steakhouse is a safe bet. This Miami mainstay will be serving up their traditional a la carte menu, along with a Young Turkey Dinner (including a soup/salad, entree and dessert) for $39. tropicalacres.com
Palm Beach County
- Cafe Centro (Italian) in West Palm Beach's Northwood Village at 2409 N Dixie Highway will be open on Christmas Day from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Guests will enjoy the restaurant's regular a la carte menu that includes a selection of traditional Italian appetizers, pizzas, pastas, entrees and luscious desserts. For more information, call (561) 514-4070.
- Deck 84 (Contemporary American on the waterfront) will be serving up their regular a la carte menu, along with holiday specials from 12 to 7:30 p.m. in downtown Delray Beach. As a bonus, the restaurant will also be offering happy hour drink pricing on Christmas Day with the purchase of entrée at the bar top only. Reservations can be made by calling 561-665-8484 or visiting sevenrooms.com/reservations/deck84
- El Camino (Contemporary Mexican), with multiple locations throughout South Florida (Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Ration) will be serving up your Mexican food favorites from noon to midnight. May we suggest the Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita paired with the Carnitas Tacos and chips and guacamole and you're set for a festive night out. elcaminofla.com
- All Lemongrass Asian Bistro locations (Thai & Sushi) will be open on Christmas Day from 5 p.m. until close. The restaurants will be serving up their regular a la carte menu, complete with a variety of sushi rolls and sashimi, curries, rice bowls, classic Thai dishes and more. Lemongrass Asian Bistro has locations in Boynton Beach, Wellington, Boca Raton and Delray Beach.
- Park Tavern will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. on Christmas Day and will serving up the restaurant's regular a la carte menu complete with your favorite cocktails, salads, sandwiches, burgers, entrees and more. Book your reservations early, as time slots are filling up quickly. Park Tavern is located 32 E Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.
- TooJay's (Jewish deli) with multiple locations throughout Broward and Palm Beach Counties will be offering up a 3-course Christmas Dinner for $25.99 on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day complete soup or salad; turkey, ham or brisket and all of the fixings; and a slice of Pumpkin Pie or Cheesecake for dessert. (The restaurant will also be offering up a 3-course Hanukkah prix-fixe for $26.99 per person from December 25 to January 2.); toojays.com.
We will be updating this list often, so be sure to check back.
Looking for a more formal dining experience? Check OpenTable. The online restaurant reservations site lists upscale restaurants (the kind that take reservations) open on Christmas Day. You can search by city.
Information from our parent site, Living On The Cheap, was used to supplement this article
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