Thursday, December 24, 2026
Restaurants open on Christmas Eve 2026
On Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 2026, 15 of the 27 restaurant chains we checked are open (some with shorter hours): Denny's, Waffle House, Red Lobster, Buffalo Wild Wings, The Cheesecake Factory and 10 more. 12 are open at some locations, including IHOP, Olive Garden, Applebee's, Texas Roadhouse and Golden Corral.
No chain here has announced its 2026 Christmas Eve hours yet, so these follow what each did in past years. We update the page as they announce.
Open (7)
Denny's
Denny's restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025; hours vary by location, so check yours.OpenWaffle House
Waffle House restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025, though holiday hours can vary by location.OpenRed Lobster
Red Lobster restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025; check your restaurant's holiday hours on Red Lobster…OpenBuffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025; check your restaurant's hours.OpenThe Cheesecake Factory
All Cheesecake Factory restaurants open on Christmas Eve, the company's FAQ says; check with your local resta…OpenChick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025, a Wednesday, but hours can vary by restaurant, so ch…OpenTaco Bell
Taco Bell restaurants are open on Christmas Eve, as they were in 2025, though hours vary by location.Open
Denny's restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025; hours vary by location, so check yours.OpenWaffle House
Waffle House restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025, though holiday hours can vary by location.OpenRed Lobster
Red Lobster restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025; check your restaurant's holiday hours on Red Lobster…OpenBuffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025; check your restaurant's hours.OpenThe Cheesecake Factory
All Cheesecake Factory restaurants open on Christmas Eve, the company's FAQ says; check with your local resta…OpenChick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025, a Wednesday, but hours can vary by restaurant, so ch…OpenTaco Bell
Taco Bell restaurants are open on Christmas Eve, as they were in 2025, though hours vary by location.Open
Open with shorter hours (8)
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel stores close early, at 2 p.m., on Christmas Eve, as they did in 2023, 2024 and 2025.LimitedOutback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse restaurants were open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve 2025, according to FOX Television…LimitedChili's
Chili's opens on Christmas Eve with reduced hours that vary by restaurant, as it did in 2025, so check your r…LimitedLongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants close early, at 8 p.m., on Christmas Eve, according to LongHorn's FAQ.LimitedBob Evans
Bob Evans said its restaurants would open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve in 2021 and 2024, and they were o…LimitedChipotle
Chipotle restaurants closed early on Christmas Eve 2023, at 3 p.m. local time, a company representative told…LimitedWhataburger
Whataburger said its restaurants would stay open until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve in 2022, the most recent holid…LimitedKrispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme shops open on Christmas Eve; they closed early, at 6 p.m. local time, in 2023 and 2024, and FOX…Limited
Cracker Barrel stores close early, at 2 p.m., on Christmas Eve, as they did in 2023, 2024 and 2025.LimitedOutback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse restaurants were open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve 2025, according to FOX Television…LimitedChili's
Chili's opens on Christmas Eve with reduced hours that vary by restaurant, as it did in 2025, so check your r…LimitedLongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants close early, at 8 p.m., on Christmas Eve, according to LongHorn's FAQ.LimitedBob Evans
Bob Evans said its restaurants would open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve in 2021 and 2024, and they were o…LimitedChipotle
Chipotle restaurants closed early on Christmas Eve 2023, at 3 p.m. local time, a company representative told…LimitedWhataburger
Whataburger said its restaurants would stay open until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve in 2022, the most recent holid…LimitedKrispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme shops open on Christmas Eve; they closed early, at 6 p.m. local time, in 2023 and 2024, and FOX…Limited
Depends on the location (12)
IHOP
IHOP restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but hours vary by location, so check your local IHOP's hours.VariesOlive Garden
Olive Garden restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but each restaurant's managers may close early depending on b…VariesApplebee's
Applebee's restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but most close earlier than usual and hours vary by location, t…VariesTexas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but hours vary by location, the company told FOX Televisio…VariesGolden Corral
Golden Corral says Christmas Eve hours vary by location; check GoldenCorral.com or call your restaurant.VariesMcDonald's
McDonald's restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025, but hours varied by location, so check the McDonald's…VariesBurger King
Burger King restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025, but hours vary by franchised location.VariesWendy's
Wendy's restaurants were open through the 2025 Christmas holidays, with hours varying by location, according…VariesDomino's
Domino's doesn't require its stores to open on Christmas Eve, a spokesperson told CBS News in 2025, so check…VariesCulver's
Culver's restaurants are generally open on Christmas Eve, possibly with reduced hours, but it varies by locat…VariesJersey Mike's
Jersey Mike's says Christmas Eve hours vary by location, so check your store in the Jersey Mike's store locat…VariesDunkin'
Dunkin' has said most of its U.S. locations are open on Christmas Eve, but hours vary by location, so check t…Varies
IHOP restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but hours vary by location, so check your local IHOP's hours.VariesOlive Garden
Olive Garden restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but each restaurant's managers may close early depending on b…VariesApplebee's
Applebee's restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but most close earlier than usual and hours vary by location, t…VariesTexas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse restaurants open on Christmas Eve, but hours vary by location, the company told FOX Televisio…VariesGolden Corral
Golden Corral says Christmas Eve hours vary by location; check GoldenCorral.com or call your restaurant.VariesMcDonald's
McDonald's restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025, but hours varied by location, so check the McDonald's…VariesBurger King
Burger King restaurants were open on Christmas Eve 2025, but hours vary by franchised location.VariesWendy's
Wendy's restaurants were open through the 2025 Christmas holidays, with hours varying by location, according…VariesDomino's
Domino's doesn't require its stores to open on Christmas Eve, a spokesperson told CBS News in 2025, so check…VariesCulver's
Culver's restaurants are generally open on Christmas Eve, possibly with reduced hours, but it varies by locat…VariesJersey Mike's
Jersey Mike's says Christmas Eve hours vary by location, so check your store in the Jersey Mike's store locat…VariesDunkin'
Dunkin' has said most of its U.S. locations are open on Christmas Eve, but hours vary by location, so check t…Varies
Not announced yet (17)
Also on Christmas Eve
Restaurants on other holidays
From each chain's announcements and store pages, and news reports of its hours; each chain's page gives the source. Hours at your local restaurant can differ. What's open on Christmas Eve · All holiday hours