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

Mastro's lone-bone wagyu prime rib will please any carnivore.

Courtesy photo

Mastro's lone-bone wagyu prime rib will please any carnivore.

news-you-can-eat holidays

firing up Montrose

New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

“My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

“Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

“It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

“We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.