Special Report

Best Restaurants for Christmas Dinner in Every State

Rawpixel / Getty Images

Christmas, like Thanksgiving, is a family holiday, a time for friends and relations to gather around a festive table to eat and drink and celebrate. While Thanksgiving dinner is usually a reasonably casual affair, prepared at home, Christmas dinner doesn’t have to be.

Whether a nighttime feast on Christmas Eve or a leisurely afternoon or evening repast on the day itself, Christmas dinner is a good excuse to let somebody else do the cooking. Christmas season is a busy one, with all the shopping and wrapping, all the parties and preparations leading up to the day itself. If you eat Christmas dinner out, you won’t have to spend the day, or even part of it, prepping and cooking — and you won’t have to clean up afterwards.

24/7 Wall St. has identified the best restaurant in every state that’s open for dinner Christmas Eve or Christmas Day or both. We reviewed for each state user reviews on Google, Yelp, and other restaurant rating sites.

A number of these are hotel restaurants or Asian eateries; some are upscale and others are very casual. Note that hours may be limited, especially on Christmas Day; that some restaurants offer only fixed-price holiday menus for the occasion; and that reservations are usually essential and should be made as soon as possible.

Click here to see the best restaurants for Christmas dinner in every state.
Click here to see our detailed findings.

Photo by Tre F. via Yelp

1. Alabama: Bellini’s Ristorante & Bar
> Location: Birmingham

Stylish spot for steaks, homemade pastas, and Tuscan fare.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Jon L. via Yelp

2. Alaska: Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill
> Location: Anchorage

Surf ‘n’ turf go-to with panoramic views.

Photo by Norm W. via Yelp

3. Arizona: The Turquoise Room & Martini Lounge at La Posada
> Location: Winslow

Creative Southwestern fare with Arizona-inspired decor.

Photo by Meri M. via Yelp

4. Arkansas: Fantastic China
> Location: Little Rock

Longtime favorite for Chinese staples.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by Dena N. via Yelp

5. California: Le Vallauris Restaurant
> Location: Palm Springs

Elevated French-Mediterranean dining.

Photo by Megan A. via Yelp

6. Colorado: Relish
> Location: Breckenridge

Innovative American and wild-game dining experience.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Steven P. via Yelp

7. Connecticut: The Mill on the River
> Location: South Windsor

Continental cuisine in a rustic old mill.

The Cafe on 26 / Facebook

8. Delaware: The Cafe on 26
> Location: Ocean View

Quaint bistro serving farm-to-fork fare.

Photo by Hilde H. via Yelp

9. Florida: The Pearl Restaurant
> Location: Treasure Island

Upscale seafood with some Moroccan specialties.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by Vanessa N. via Yelp

10. Georgia: The Olde Pink House
> Location: Savannah

Lowcountry cuisine in an 18th-century mansion.

Photo by Thuong D. via Yelp

11. Hawaii: Azure
> Location: Honolulu

Fine seafood dining on the beach.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Joshua K. via Yelp

12. Idaho: Barbacoa Grill
> Location: Boise

Open-fire Spanish and Mexican fare.

Photo by Daniel D. via Yelp

13. Illinois: Booth One
> Location: Chicago

New American fare in a reborn Chicago classic.

Photo by Seth D. via Yelp

14. Indiana: The Capital Grille
> Location: Indianapolis

Upscale chophouse chain with clubby look.

[in-text-ad-2]

Angry Goldfish Pub and Eatery / Facebook

15. Iowa: Angry Goldfish Pub & Eatery
> Location: Des Moines

Sandwiches and pub fare in a lively setting.

Photo by Caroline N. via Yelp

16. Kansas: Newport Grill
> Location: Wichita

Seafood-focused grill overlooking a small lake.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Vivian B. via Yelp

17. Kentucky: RIVUE Restaurant & Lounge
> Location: Louisville

Rotating views and American-French fare.

Photo by Rudy O. via Yelp

18. Louisiana: Tujague’s
> Location: New Orleans

Traditional Creole cooking in a historic restaurant founded in 1856.

Photo by Clay Hill Farm via Yelp

19. Maine: Clay Hill Farm
> Location: Cape Neddick

Upscale, leafy destination dining.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by Sheila C. via Yelp

20. Maryland: Old Angler’s Inn
> Location: Potomac

Neighborhood staple with modern American fare.

Photo by DI S. via Yelp

21. Massachusetts: Bar Boulud
> Location: Boston

Handsome French bistro from celebrity chef Daniel Boulud.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Gee K. via Yelp

22. Michigan: The Apparatus Room
> Location: Detroit

Craft cocktails and New American food in industrial-chic surroundings.

Photo by Missi V. via Yelp

23. Minnesota: Lela
> Location: Minneapolis

Steaks and pasta in a sleek environment.

Courtesy of Chancellor's Grill & Lounge Restaurant

24. Mississippi: Chancellor’s Grill & Lounge Restaurant
> Location: Oxford

White-tablecloth hotel steakhouse.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by Stock Hill via Yelp

25. Missouri: Stock Hill
> Location: Kansas City

Contemporary steakhouse in a fashionable setting.

Courtesy of Café Kandahar

26. Montana: Café Kandahar
> Location: Whitefish

Creative fine dining and an extensive wine list.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Dusti F. via Yelp

27. Nebraska: Railcar Modern American Kitchen
> Location: Omaha

Rustic-chic New American bar and grill.

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

28. Nevada: STK Las Vegas
> Location: Las Vegas

Hip, contemporary hotel steakhouse.

Photo by Paul M. via Yelp

29. New Hampshire: Hanover Street Chophouse
> Location: Manchester

High-end steak and seafood place with a clubby bar.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by Ashley S. via Yelp

30. New Jersey: Lambertville Station
> Location: Lambertville

Locally sourced American fare in a restored 19th-century train station.

Photo by Anasazi Restaurant & Bar via Yelp

31. New Mexico: Anasazi Restaurant
> Location: Santa Fe

Upscale Southwestern fare in a historic hotel.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Lawrence C. via Yelp

32. New York: Marea
> Location: New York City

Elegant Italian seafood restaurant with homemade pastas.

Photo by Messer K. via Yelp

33. North Carolina: Talullas
> Location: Chapel Hill

Turkish specialties in cozy quarters.

Photo by Wei L. via Yelp

34. North Dakota: Izumi Sushi & Hibachi
> Location: Fargo

Casual all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by Sally S. via Yelp

35. Ohio: The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek
> Location: Gahanna

Country-chic steakhouse plus seafood.

Photo by Adam P. via Yelp

36. Oklahoma: Kitchen No. 324
> Location: Oklahoma City

Elevated comfort food in an industrial-style café and bakery setting.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Tiffany B. via Yelp

37. Oregon: Urban Farmer Portland
> Location: Portland

Country-chic modern Northwestern steakhouse.

Photo by Paramour via Yelp

38. Pennsylvania: Paramour
> Location: Wayne

Modern American food in sophisticated surroundings.

Photo by Alma C. via Yelp

39. Rhode Island: Mill’s Tavern
> Location: Providence

Upscale steak and seafood house in a historic building.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by Magnolias via Yelp

40. South Carolina: Magnolias
> Location: Charleston

Traditional Southern cooking in a refined environment.

Photo by Vertex Sky Bar via Yelp

41. South Dakota: Vertex Sky Bar
> Location: Rapid City

Comfort food and craft cocktails in a rooftop club.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Aaron L. via Yelp

42. Tennessee: Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant
> Location: Sevierville

Casual landmark restaurant serving Southern comfort food.

Photo by Alice Y. via Yelp

43. Texas: Wu Chow
> Location: Austin

Sichuan cuisine in a contemporary space.

Photo by Lucky H Bar & Grille via Yelp

44. Utah: Lucky H Bar & Grille
> Location: Salt Lake City

Casual venue for seafood and steaks.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by The Copper Grouse via Yelp

45. Vermont: Copper Grouse
> Location: Manchester

Swanky tavern serving pub fare.

Photo by Andy D. via Yelp

46. Virginia: Peter Chang
> Location: Glen Allen (Richmond)

Sichuan specialties in a family-friendly strip mall location.

[in-text-ad]

Photo by Mimi P. via Yelp

47. Washington: Ray’s Boathouse
> Location: Seattle

Dockside institution serving local seafood.

Photo by Gwoping Y. via Yelp

48. West Virginia: Bavarian Inn
> Location: Shepherdstown

German and American dishes in Alpine decor overlooking the Potomac.

Photo by Lauren W. via Yelp

49. Wisconsin: Mader’s
> Location: Milwaukee

Classic German cuisine and Bavarian decor.

[in-text-ad-2]

Photo by Jeremy S. via Yelp

50. Wyoming: The Kitchen
> Location: Jackson Hole

Seasonal meat and seafood specialties in a warm setting.

Detailed Findings

Many restaurants offer a “traditional” Christmas menu. But what does that mean? Christmas traditions, culinary and otherwise, vary from place to place. In the American South, collard greens, biscuits, and pimento cheese might well be on the table (black-eyed peas, too, though those are more traditional for New Year’s).

In some southern Italian and Italian-American households, the traditional meal is the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes, or La Vigilia (The Vigil), involving seven kinds of seafood. (In observant Catholic households, adherents used to avoid meat until after midnight on December 24th, so this was a way to have a festive meal without animal flesh.)

Christmas fare in other countries varies widely. In the predominantly Christian Philippines, Christmas Eve, or Noche Buena, means hamón (honey-cured ham), rellenong manok (deboned chicken stuffed with meats, eggs, and other ingredients), and, for reasons nobody seems to remember, queso (or keso) de bola — a red-wax-covered ball of Edam cheese from the Netherlands.

In Central and Eastern Europe, the holiday meal often includes fried or roast carp. It’s roast duck, pork, or goose with red cabbage in Denmark, baked ham in Finland, roast pork belly in Norway, roast capon or some other large bird and the elaborate cake called bûche de Noel (Yule log) in France, tamales in Mexico and Central America.

If you visit restaurants in the U.S. featuring the cuisines of any of these places on or around Christmas, you’ll likely encounter foods like these. In restaurants serving American food, however, tradition is often defined as including luxury ingredients (foie gras, truffles, lobster), roast turkey or goose (Americans eat about 22 million turkeys on Christmas every year, about half as many as on Thanksgiving), and elaborate holiday-themed desserts.

Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)

Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?

Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.