where to eat on Christmas Day

More than 20 Houston restaurants that will be open on Christmas Day

On December 25, families all over Houston will gather for home-cooked Christmas Day feasts. We wish all of them a Merry Christmas.

For any number of reasons, not everyone will have that experience. This guide is for you. It contains a range of cuisines, locations, and price points to satisfy a range of tastes.

Of course, many restaurants in Chinatown and other Asian-oriented business districts will be open. Call your favorites to confirm their hours.

Afuri Ramen
Newly opened in the Heights, the restaurant will be serving steaming bowls of noodles, sushi rolls, and Basque cheesecake for its regular hours of 11 am - 10 pm.

Aga’s Restaurant & Catering
Nothing says Merry Christmas like goat chops and other Indo-Pak fare at this Southwest Houston restaurant that was recently featured in the New York Times. The restaurant will be open during its regular hours on Christmas.

Baso
The Heights restaurant will be open for its regular hours of 4-10 on Christmas. Expect the usual menu of chef-driven, Basque-influenced fare from chefs Max Lappe and Jacques Varon.

The Burger Joint
All three Houston-area locations will be serving sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes beginning at 11 am on Christmas.

Chow Wok
The Chinese American restaurant will be open its regular hours on Christmas. Since the restaurant will likely be busy, order your General Tso’s chicken, fried rice, shrimp rolls, dumplings, and more via its website.

Cleburne Cafeteria
The Houston institution will be open on Christmas Day from 11 am-8 pm with all of its comfort food favorites like chicken fried steak, roast turkey, and liver and onions. Don’t miss the freshly baked cakes and pies.

Davis St. at Hermann Park
Chef Mark Holley’s globally inspired restaurant will offer a four-course, $70 menu with lots of choices for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Start with dishes such as gumbo, corn and crab chowder, chargrilled oysters, or crispy Thai shrimp. Entree choices include blackened redfish, turkey dinner, and grilled lamb chops ($14 supplement). Four dessert choices are available, but those in the know will opt for coconut cake.

Doris Metropolitan
The Israeli-inspired steakhouse will be open from 12-8 pm with its familiar menu of dry-aged steaks and Houston’s best bread service. Since December 25 is also the first night of Hanukkah, the restaurant will light a menorah at sundown.

Duck N Bao
For those craving Peking duck, soup dumplings, or Sichuan dishes, all three locations will be open their regular hours, 11 am - 9:30 pm.

Gold Tooth Tony's
Both locations of the Detroit-style pizzeria will open at 4 pm — just in time for the second half of the Texans game.

Hamsa
Rice Village’s modern Israeli restaurant will be open Christmas Day to serve its hummus, falafel, and other Mediterranean-inspired fare. Since December 25 is also the first night of Hanukkah, the restaurant will light a menorah at sundown.

Photo by Jenn Duncan

Live your own version of The Christmas Story at Duck N Bao.

Hongdae 33
This Korean restaurant in Chinatown’s Dun Huang Plaza will be open regular hours on Christmas Day, which means diners will be able to grill their meats tableside from 11:30 am all the way until midnight. The all-you-can-eat restaurant from the owners of Duck N Bao offers its full menu for $22 per person at lunch and $33 at dinner.

Juliet
The Galleria-area steakhouse will serve a Christmas Day buffet from 1-8 pm. Priced at $79 per adult, $48 for kids under 12, and free for children 5 and under, the buffet includes dishes such as hickory smoked ham, filet mignon, mashed potatoes, candied yams, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, lobster bisque, and dessert.

Karne
The upscale Korean steakhouse in the Heights will be serving up bulgogi, wagyu, and other grilled meats from 5-10 pm.

Kiran’s
The beloved Indian fine dining restaurant will serve its extravagant Christmas buffet ($110) with a wealth of choices that includes roasted duck, leg of lamb, cedar plank salmon, turkey pot pie, chicken tikka masala, a range of vegetable sides, and desserts. Reserve online.

La Griglia
The upscale Italian restaurant will be open from 12-6 with its usual menu plus specials such as short rib cappelletti, mushroom risotto, and grilled branzino.

Leo’s River Oaks
The upscale steakhouse and supper club will serve its regular menu that includes lobster bisque, seared scallops, grilled octopus, veal milanese, and more from 2-10 pm on Christmas Day.

New York Deli
Both the deli and its companion bagel bakery will be open their normal hours of 7 am - 4 pm on Christmas.

Ojo de Agua
This Mexico City-based restaurant in River Oaks District will be open from 11 am - 8 pm on Christmas Day with its regular menu that includes breakfast dishes such as chilaquiles as well as sandwiches, tacos, salads, and more. Don’t miss the signature Açaí Bowl.

Phat Eatery
Katy’s acclaimed Malaysian restaurant will add Wagyu Rendang Wellington to its regular menu, 11 am - 9 pm. The Woodlands location is closed on Christmas.

The Palm
In addition to its regular menu, the downtown steakhouse will offer prime rib specials of 16 and 22 ounces ($69 or $79). , and a bone-in cut that weighs a hefty 32 ounces. Add a lobster tail to complete the experience, 12-8 pm.

Red Lion Pub
Head to the Anglo-Indian pub for dishes such as Shepherd’s Pie, fish and chips, and chicken tikka masala as well as a Christmas Day turkey dinner special with turkey, stuffing, yams, Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and more ($38). It will be open for regular hours on Christmas Day (11 am-12 am).

Rudyard's
The favorite Montrose pub will open at 5 pm. Catch a free comedy show upstairs at 8 pm.

The Taco Stand
Both locations of the casual taqueria will be open from 8 am until midnight, because even Santa’s helpers deserve to start their day with breakfast tacos and finish it with canned margaritas.

Three Brothers Bakery
This bakery that's a staple of Houston's Jewish community will be open on December 25 from 9 am - 5 pm with plenty of treats for both Christmas and Hanukkah, which begins at sundown. Braeswood location only.

Toro Toro
The pan-Latin steakhouse at downtown's Four Seasons Hotel will serve a four-course, $120 menu from 11 am - 3 pm. Choices include coconut butternut squash soup, baby kale salad, family-style entrees of Chilean sea bass and beef filet, and a dessert trio. Reservations are required.

The Warwick
The Galleria-area restaurant will be open on Christmas Day from 4-10 pm with its regular menu of elevated Southern fare.

Willie G’s
This seafood restaurant next to the Post Oak Hotel will serve an expansive Christmas buffet that’s priced at $69 for adults and $29 for children. Expect a full spread that includes prime rib, stuffed leg of lamb, a wide array of starters and sides, and an extensive raw bar with oysters, smoked salmon, peel & eat shrimp, and sushi rolls. Breads, pastries, and a couple of kid-specific dishes round out the offerings. 11 am - 7 pm

news-you-can-eat holidays christmas

food news round up

12 things to know in Houston food: Openings, closings, and meal deals

Photo by Carla Gomez

Diners at Maximo can take a culinary tour of San Luis Potosí through the five course tasting menu inspired by Chef Adrian Torres’ home state.

In this edition of CultureMap’s look at the latest Houston restaurant news, a successful hand roll restaurant continues to grow, a Chinese American restaurant quietly signs off, and a popular Houston chef shows off his Peruvian heritage. Plus, Houstonians can eat cold noodles for a good cause.

Read on for all the food news Houstonians need to know.

Openings and Closings

Houston-based Duckstache Hospitality, the group behind restaurants such as Doko and Himari, is adding three new Houston locations of the hand-roll and sushi bar concept Handies Douzo. As CultureMap has previously reported, the restaurant will be the first dining establishment to open at Central Park Post Oak in Uptown and at 1107 Hutchins Street in EaDo as pat of the East Blocks project. In addition, the company announced plans for a West U. outpost at 3908 Bellaire Boulevard. All three are expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027.

Photo by Carla Gomez

Diners at Maximo can take a culinary tour of San Luis Potosí through the five-course tasting menu.

Comfort Foodies, the Latin-Caribbean and Southern soul food restaurant, has relocated from Cypress-Fairbanks to a larger space in Missouri City. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant seats more than 50 people and adds a full bar with specialty cocktails. Owners Elsa and Jeff Matthews launched Comfort Foodies in 2020 as a food truck. The restaurant also offers takeout, delivery, catering, and frozen empanadas. Comfort Foodies is located at 8731 Highway 6.

Chinese American restaurant Qin Dynasty has quietly closed its location near West U. although the restaurant's website remains active, all signage has been removed from its location at 5115 Buffalo Speedway. Open since 2001, the neighborhood staple was known for dishes such as pork dumplings, chicken lettuce wraps, and spicy and tangy chicken.

Upcoming Food Events

Sunday, September 13

Better Together: New Orleans Brunch at Camaraderie
The Heights restaurant is paying tribute to New Orleans brunch culture with a $35 prix fixe menu featuring dishes inspired by iconic NOLA restaurants, including shrimp etouffee from The Herbert Hotel, beignets from Cafe du Monde, and grillades and grits from Arnaud’s. Brunch runs from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Monday, September 14

Keylan Rutledge at The Pit Room Memorial
Hopefully, the Texans first round draft pick will be celebrating a victory over the Buffalo Bills when he makes an appearance at the Memorial location of the popular barbecue joint. In between bites of ribs, Rutledge will pose for pictures and sign autographs for fans from 6-8 pm.

September 18-October 4

Karbachtoberfest at Karbach Brewing Co.
Karbach Brewing Co. brings Oktoberfest to Houston for three weekends with stein-hoisting contests, wiener dog races, live music, German food, and its seasonal Karbachtoberfest Märzen lager. The event runs September 18-20, September 25-27, and October 2-4 at the brewery’s Biergarten, 2032 Karbach Street.

Thursday, September 14

Pepitas Pop-Up at Agnes and Sherman
Craft Pita founder, chef Raffi Nasr, and his mother, Claudia Nasr, are popping up at the Michelin-recommended Asian American diner in the Heights to debut Pepitas, their new Peruvian-inspired pop-up series. For this edition, they're collaborating with Agnes and Sherman chef and co-owner Nick Wong on a menu of Chifa-inspired dishes, including fried wontons with sweet-and-sour sauce; Salchipapas Wong, fries topped with Peruvian sauces and Chinese sausage; Arroz Chaufa, Peruvian-Chinese fried rice with shrimp, chicken, and hot dog; and Lomo Saltado, wok-fried steak with garlic corn rice and fries. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

Tuesdays in September

September Cold Noodles Club
Eight Row Flint's original location in the Heights is partnering with I’ll Have What She’s Having for a monthlong cold noodle fundraiser. Every Tuesday from 6 pm until sold out, a Houston chef will serve a favorite cold noodle dish, with all proceeds benefiting preventive healthcare services for hospitality workers through IHWSH. The lineup includes Christine Hà of The Blind Goat on September 15, Niki Vongthong (formerly of Hidden Omakase) on September 22, and Suu Khin of Burmalicious by Suu on September 29.

New menus and experiences

After being discontinued during the 2020 pandemic, Noon Mirch Kitchen + Bar has brought back its Indian lunch buffet. The Clear Lake restaurant serves its buffet daily from 11 am to 3 pm for $17 Monday through Thursday and $20 Friday through Sunday. An expanded Grand Buffet will be offered on holidays and special occasions for $25. To mark the return of the buffet, the first 100 buffet diners each day will receive a complimentary mimosa.

Diners at West U. Mexican restaurant Maximo can take a culinary tour of San Luis Potosí through the five-course tasting menu inspired by chef Adrian Torres’ home state. Highlights include zacahuil, a banana leaf-cooked communal tamal that the James Beard Award winner has reimagined to feature a masa marbled with mole rojo and served with pressed short rib. The menu is $50, with optional wine or cocktail pairings for $35. A donation of $5 will be made for each tasting menu to Caritas in San Luis Potosi, a charity that provides food and clothing to those in need.

51fifteen in the Galleria is launching a new Friday night experience for those who like to get an early start on the weekend. From 6-10 pm in the Tulip Room, a live DJ spins tunes from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, while diners can order food and drinks from the bar menu in between hitting the dance floor.

Warehouse 72 is celebrating its seventh anniversary with “7 Years, 7 Ways to Experience Warehouse 72,” a lineup of weekly dining experiences. Highlights include Taco & Tequila Tuesdays with three tacos and a margarita flight for $39, Wine Wednesdays with 30 percent off wines, Thursday steak specials, and a seven-course tasting menu for $85 on Fridays.

Saturdays feature monthly cooking classes with chef Jaime Salazar, while Sundays offer a family-style dinner for four for $80. The restaurant has also added lunch, including poke and Peruvian chicken bowls, and customizable bento boxes. Patrons who complete five of the seven experiences will receive an invitation to an exclusive VIP anniversary celebration at the end of the year.

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