Where to Eat on Christmas Day

These are the best Houston restaurants open on Christmas Day

Enjoy a seafood boil at Shell Shack.

Photo courtesy of Shell Shack

From enchiladas to vindaloo to wagyu, hungry Houstonians can enjoy cuisine from all over the world on Christmas Day. We've rounded up a list of go-to favorites and hot spots that are sure to make for a tasty yuletide celebration. Dreading doing dishes? Try one of these restaurants open on December 25.

Alicia’s Mexican Grille
Texans do reach for the tamales on Christmas — it just feels right. The suburban Tex-Mex fave will serve its full menu on Christmas, including signature items like grilled panela cheese, Alicia’s molcajete (a massive entree of grilled chicken, shrimp, and beef fajitas designed to feed two), enchiladas suizas, and more. It probably won't be cold enough for a cocktail like the Misteltoe Warmer, but that's what frozen margaritas are for. Alicia’s is open 11 am to 9:30 pm. Multiple locations, check website for details.

Avenida Brazil Churrascaria Steakhouse
Fifteen all-you-can-eat meats walk into a bar; an ideal scenario, indeed. Avenida Brazil makes the meat dream happen this Christmas with a Brazilian-style rodizio lunch and dinner deal that includes salad bar and hot sides. Adults $49.90, children ages six to 10, $24.50, and under 5 complimentary. Multiple locations, check website for details.

Cleburne Cafeteria
Newly renovated Cleburne Cafeteria has Christmas comfort food covered. Chicken fried steak, poached salmon, glistening yeast rolls, and that dessert spread is not to be missed. Cleburne Cafeteria requests that holiday take-out orders be made in person. Open Christmas Eve 11 am to 2:30 pm and Christmas 11 am to 8 pm. 3606 Bissonnet St.; 713-667-2386

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
Dry-aged, bone-in, wagyu steaks make for good celebratory tools while sipping on signature cocktails like the Luxury Estate. Be sure to dive into the indulgent end of the wine list? Reservations recommended. Open 3 pm to 8 pm. 5061 Westheimer Rd.; 713-355-2600

EggHaus Gourmet
EggHaus takes care of Christmas breakfast with cage-free egg sandwiches served on buns baked daily. They have kolaches, breakfast tacos, and croissants, too. Sip a hot cup of coffee or a matcha tea and feel the city melt away. Or at least it provides a little fortitude before being surrounded by screaming nieces and nephews. Open 8 am to 12 pm. 2042 E T.C. Jester Blvd.; 713-489-6719

Himalaya Restaurant & Catering
Or how about some kababs? BYOB that special vintage and get down on some naan this Christmas at Himalaya. Chef Kaiser Lashkari's saag, vindaloo, and masala dishes are sure to pack the flavor. Even vegans will find good choices. Open 11:30 am to 9:30 pm. 6652 Southwest Fwy.; 713-532-2837

Kiran’s
The prix fixe Mistletoe Menu at Kiran’s starts off hot out of the gate with either duck egg Benedict or paneer cutlet on avocado toast. The mains offer something for everyone; choose from lamb shank, Rohan duck confit, Verlasso salmon, or paneer cannelloni. Similarly delectable appetizers and dessert courses flank the aforementioned. For full justice, check out the menu online; it just might become a new Christmas tradition entirely. $75 per guest, $35 for children under the age of 12, and complimentary for children under the age of 4. (Yes, they’ll have chicken tenders for the kiddos — tandoori style, even better.) The Mistletoe Menu is served from 11 am to 6 pm on Christmas. Reservations recommended. 2925 Richmond Ave.; 713-960-8472

Mastro’s Steakhouse
Don the bling — and the Manolos — and head over to this Galleria fave for Christmas dinner. In addition to its usual menu of prime steaks and top-notch seafood, Mastro’s is rocking a special long-bone prime rib for $140. Open 3 pm to 9 pm. 1650 West Loop S.; 713-993-2500

Saltgrass Steak House
The casual steakhouse will sling the whole — including pecan pie bread pudding dripping with New Year’s resolutions. Most locations are open from 11 am to 4 pm. Reservations recommended. Multiple locations, check website for details.

Shell Shack
Crackin’ crab legs is a lot like crackin’ glowsticks at this Christmas party. Shell Shack, open till the wee hours, provides cuisine a la crustacean for all the folks craving something a little less traditional. Shrimp boil, Crab boil, Naked, Diablo, that does sound like a good party now doesn’t it? Open at 11 am. 2412 Washington Ave.; 832-998-8000

Quattro
Add a touch of luxury to Christmas dinner with this fine dining spot at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown. The festive Christmas dinner includes truffles, beef carpaccio, or Maine lobster — and that’s just the first course. Raquel Cepeda will perform live and the valet is complimentary for dinner guests, although sometimes a hotel room is a good idea. Christmas dinner is $78 per person with optional wine pairings for an extra $40. Open 6 pm to 10 pm. 1300 Lamar St.; 713-276-4700

Enjoy a seafood boil at Shell Shack.

Photo courtesy of Shell Shack

Enjoy a seafood boil at Shell Shack.

news-you-can-eat holidays

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

italian cuisine wine fredericksburg hill country openings news-you-can-eat