Where to eat on Christmas

11 best Houston restaurants open and serving on Christmas Day

For most people, Christmas Day means staying home, spending time with the family, and enjoying a home-cooked meal.

However, not everybody wants to cook on Christmas. For those people, we offer this list of restaurants (and one bar) that will be open on the holiday. Since these hardworking Houstonians are taking time away from their families to feed strangers, we recommend tipping generously. After all, it’s Christmas!

Our annual suggestions of Chinese restaurants for those celebrating “Jewish Christmas” will appear next week.

The Annie Cafe & Bar
Ben Berg’s refreshed take on Cafe Annie will be open for lunch and dinner from 10 am to 7 pm. Expect its regular menu (try the lumache pasta and Gulf crab meat tostadas) plus a few specials created by executive chef Robert Del Grande. 1800 Post Oak Blvd.; 713-804-1800

Bori
Located in Spring Branch, this restaurant elevates the typical Korean barbecue experience in a couple of ways. First, the well-trained staff oversees the traditional tabletop cooking. Second, they offer a number of high quality meats, including dry-aged ribeye and Japanese wagyu. On Christmas, the restaurant will be open from 5pm to 11 pm. 1453 Witte Rd.; 832-740-4350

The Burger Joint
If late-night hunger strikes, this Montrose restaurant can help. The Burger Joint will be serving its full menu from 11 am to 12 am on Christmas Day. Try this month’s special Jalapeño Ranch Bacon Burger (befe patty, bacon, Muenster, red onion, garlic pickles, and homemade jalapeño ranch). 2703 Montrose Blvd.; 281-974-2889

Cleburne Cafeteria
Recently named the best cafeteria in America, this Houston institution will be open from 11 am to 8 pm on Christmas Day. Choose from the restaurant's full range of offerings, which always include turkey and dressing, as well as fried chicken, fish, and more. Take-out will also be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. 3606 Bissonnet St.; 713-667-2386

Himalaya
Skip the usual ham or turkey and let chef Kaiser Lashkari feed the family masala-spiced fried chicken, Hunter’s Beef, and garlic naan. Recently named to GQ’s list of 22 new classic restaurants, Himalaya will be open from 11:30 am to 9:30 pm. 6652 Southwest Fwy; 713-532-2837

Kiran's
The Upper Kirby favorite serves a decadent buffet on Christmas Day. Priced at $75 for adults and $35 for children 4-10, the offerings include rosemary and garlic roasted leg of lamb, tandoor-roasted turkey with apricot and cranberry stuffing, chicken korma, mixed breads, and plenty of desserts. Choose from one of three seatings: 10:30 am, 1 pm, and 3:30 pm. 2925 Richmond Ave.; 713-960-8472

Peli Peli
All four locations of the South African restaurant will be open on Christmas from 2pm to 8 pm. In addition to its regular menu, chef Ryan Stewart is offering two specials: a 14-ounce double bone-in pork chop with carrot bredie and an 8-ounce beef Wellington served with Drakensburg legumes. See website for address and phone numbers.

Phat Eatery
Check out the Malaysian restaurant’s newly expanded dining room from 11:30 am to 8 pm on Christmas Day. Not only is chef-owner Alex Au-Yeung serving some of the finest Roti Canai and Curry Laksa in town, but the lack of traffic on the holiday means the drive to Katy will never be easier. 23119 Colonial Pkwy (Katy); 832-913-6382

Present Company
Houston’s most-Instagrammable bar will be open from 7 pm to 2 am. If hunger strikes, the kitchen will be serving a limited menu until midnight. 1318 Westheimer; 281-974-4752

Shun Japanese Kitchen
The innovation Japanese restaurant will be open for normal dinner hours on Christmas (5-10 pm). In addition to its regular menu of nigiri, hand rolls, and shareable plates, the restaurant will offer a four-piece fried chicken special with mashed potatoes, truffle mac and cheese, biscuits, and two glasses of champagne for $25. 2802 S Shepherd Dr.; 832-409-5888

Verandah Progressive Indian Restaurant
Chef Sunil Srivastava will serve a three-course, $65 prix-fixe menu at his stylish Upper Kirby establishment. The restaurant promises lots of tempting choices for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Open 6-9 pm (last seating 8:30). 3300 Kirby Dr.; 281-501-0258

The Annie Cafe is decorated for the holidays.

Photo by Jacob Power

The Annie Cafe is decorated for the holidays.

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4 Houston restaurant closings to know: Doughnuts, schnitzel, and Dogwood

Dogwood Houston Facebook

The Dogwood is closing this Sunday, July 5.

This year’s refrain of bar and restaurant closings continues this week, as three more establishments have either announced their final dates of service or quietly shuttered. These announcement follow other recent closures, including Southern-inspired restaurant Killen’s, which is closing July 19, and Mexican staple Picos, which will serve its final meals on August 30.

Here are four more closings to know about this week.

Blue Tuba
The Heights restaurant known for its Eastern European cuisine closed after service on Saturday, June 27, musician David DaLuca shared on Instagram. Opened in the spring of 2024, owners Vlado Kolenic and Giga Leszayova created Blue Tuba after operating a restaurant in New York. Kolenic, a former professional musician (that’s him playing bass on ‘80s classic “Somebody’s Watching Me”) divided his time between the kitchen and the restaurant’s stage, where he’d perform any number of classic hits. Its menu included European specialities rarely seen on Houston menus, such as Hungarian goulash, schnitzel, and chicken paprikash.

The Dogwood
The lively Midtown patio bar will close on Sunday, July 5, according to a post on Instagram. Open since April 2013, the Austin-based concept drew patrons thanks to its indoor-outdoor format and the views from its second story.

Co-owner Jason Carrier paid tribute to the establishment with his own Instagram post, writing in part: “Admittedly, I held on too tight for too long and I’m personally paying the price for that. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Opening our Dogwood in Houston allowed me to get back to my roots and was a place where my extended family and I had a place we could all connect regularly. I’m so fortunate and lucky that the Astros’ success mirrored Dogwood’s success for those years and Christina was cool with me ‘working’ so much during all the playoff and World Series runs!”

Dogwood will mark its closing with a party on July 4. It will feature live music, drinks, and a view of the fireworks from the second floor.

Istanbul Grill
The celebrated Turkish restaurant is saying goodbye on Sunday, July 19. Part of Rice Village for almost 30 years, the restaurant is closing “due to lease circumstances beyond our control,” according to a message on Facebook. Fan favorite dishes include the meze tabagi mixed appetizer plate, well-cooked kebabs, and fluffy, Turkish-style pizzas (lahmancun).

Voodoo Doughnut
Both the Montrose and Katy locations of the Portland, Oregon-based doughnut shop have quietly closed, Chron reports. That leaves Houston with only one Voodoo outpost — its original Houston location at 3715 Washington Avenue. Open 24 hours a day, Voodoo Doughnut is known for treats such as the such as the Bacon Maple Bar, the Diablos Rex with a vanilla frost pentagram, and the signature Voodoo Doll with raspberry jelly filling.

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