Restaurants open on Christmas Day and Eve 2026
Christmas Eve is Thursday, December 24 and Christmas Day is Friday, December 25, 2026. Here is which restaurant chains open, close early or close, with the source for every answer. Tap a chain for its holiday hours.
Open on Christmas Day
- Huddle House Open
- Red Lobster Open
- Qdoba Most locations open
- El Pollo Loco Some locations open
- Ruby Tuesday Some locations open
- Sonic Some locations open
Varies by location
These chains leave Christmas Day hours to each restaurant, so call yours before you go.
- Dairy Queen Varies by location
- Panda Express Varies by location
Closed on Christmas Day
- Cracker Barrel Closed
- Del Taco Closed
- In-N-Out Burger Closed
- Olive Garden Closed
- Outback Steakhouse Closed
- Raising Cane's Closed
- Texas Roadhouse Closed
- Wingstop Closed
Open on Christmas Eve
Thursday, December 24, 2026. From Christmas Eve 2025 reports.
- Cracker Barrel Open · Closes 2 p.m. local time
- Del Taco Open
- In-N-Out Burger Open · Limited hours; most locations close around 11 p.m.
- Olive Garden Open
- Raising Cane's Open · Possibly limited hours
- Red Lobster Open
- Sonic Open
- Texas Roadhouse Open
- Outback Steakhouse Most locations open
- Panda Express Some locations open
Every chain, with sources
| Chain | Christmas Day | Christmas Eve | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huddle House | Open 2025 report | Not confirmed | qz.com |
| Red Lobster | Open 2025 report | Open 2025 report | Day: yahoo.com · Eve: yahoo.com |
| Qdoba | Most locations open 2025 report | Not confirmed | digital-release.krqe.com |
| El Pollo Loco | Some locations open 2025 report | Not confirmed | today.com |
| Ruby Tuesday | Some locations open 2025 report | Not confirmed | today.com |
| Sonic | Some locations open 2025 report | Open 2025 report | yahoo.com |
| Dairy Queen | Varies by location 2025 report | Varies by location 2025 report | yahoo.com |
| Panda Express | Varies by location 2025 report | Some locations open 2025 report | Day & Eve: yahoo.com · Day: ktvu.com |
| Cracker Barrel | Closed 2025 report | Open Closes 2 p.m. local time 2025 report | Day: yahoo.com · Eve: yahoo.com |
| Del Taco | Closed 2025 report | Open 2025 report | patch.com |
| In-N-Out Burger | Closed 2025 report | Open Limited hours; most locations close around 11 p.m. 2025 report | yahoo.com |
| Olive Garden | Closed 2025 report | Open 2025 report | fox5dc.com |
| Outback Steakhouse | Closed 2025 report | Most locations open 2025 report | Day: yahoo.com · Eve: yahoo.com |
| Raising Cane's | Closed 2025 report | Open Possibly limited hours 2025 report | yahoo.com |
| Texas Roadhouse | Closed 2025 report | Open 2025 report | Day: yahoo.com · Eve: yahoo.com · Eve: yahoo.com |
| Wingstop | Closed 2025 report | Not confirmed | ktvu.com |
Christmas Day hours FAQ
What restaurants are open on Christmas Day 2026?
Based on Christmas Day 2025, the latest season we could confirm: Huddle House and Red Lobster were open, most Qdoba locations were open, and some El Pollo Loco, Ruby Tuesday and Sonic locations were open. 2026 hours weren't announced when we checked. Hours can differ by restaurant, so call ahead.
What fast food is open on Christmas Day 2026?
Fast food chains we track, based on Christmas Day 2025, the latest season we could confirm: most Qdoba locations were open, and some El Pollo Loco and Sonic locations were open. 2026 hours weren't announced when we checked.
Which restaurants are closed on Christmas Day 2026?
Based on Christmas Day 2025, the latest season we could confirm: Cracker Barrel, Del Taco, In-N-Out Burger, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, Raising Cane's, Texas Roadhouse and Wingstop were closed. 2026 hours weren't announced when we checked.
Which restaurants are open on Christmas Eve 2026?
Based on Christmas Eve 2025, the latest season we could confirm: Cracker Barrel, Del Taco, In-N-Out Burger, Olive Garden, Raising Cane's, Red Lobster, Sonic and Texas Roadhouse were open, most Outback Steakhouse locations were open, and some Panda Express locations were open. 2026 hours weren't announced when we checked.
Every answer comes from the chain's own website or a news report about that chain, and the label shows which season it was reported for. Holiday hours can differ by restaurant, so call ahead. Checked November 1, 2026. See how we check.
Restaurants open on Thanksgiving → Restaurants open on New Year's Day → Regular restaurant hours → All menus →