Holiday News

Master list of Dallas restaurants open on 2021 Christmas Day and Eve

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If you're searching for who's open on Christmas.

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Christmas Day (and Christmas Eve) are often not big days for dining at restaurants, and most restaurants close down for the day. But some restaurants recognize that there will always be diners in need.

Give it up for Waffle House, Denny's, IHOP, and all your fast-food chains. Hotel restaurants are always reliable options, and just to make this list more masterful, it includes restaurants that are open on Christmas Eve as well.

(And if you want to get your Christmas meal to take home, we have a separate list for to-go.)

Here's the Dallas restaurants that are open on the Christmas holiday:

Commons Club at Virgin Hotels Dallas. Open Christmas Eve for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 5-10 pm. Open Christmas Day for brunch 11-2 pm, and Christmas Day dinner from 5-10 pm. Special menu items include prime rib with rosemary horseradish crust and a caviar creme fraiche mousse served with roasted garlic and leek potato ($84); and tableside s'mores kit for $46. Reserve via Open Table or 469-359-7700.

Copper & Steel Table and Bar. Open Christmas Eve 4-11 pm at Hyatt Regency Frisco with special dinner featuring baby gem salad with candied pecans, pineapple glazed ham, white cheddar mac & cheese, collard greens, glazed Brussel sprouts, candied yams with brown sugar and pecans, dinner rolls, mini chocolate yule log, and yellow cake with chocolate buttercream. $42. 469-598-1235.

Crescent Club at Hotel Crescent Court. Christmas Eve buffet includes hot & cold, carving, kids, and dessert stations. From lobster ravioli to bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin to a selection of sweets such as chocolate yule logs, eggnog panna cotta, and gingerbread cupcakes. $135. 5-8 pm. 214-953-4343.

Dakota's Steakhouse. Open Christmas Day from 5-10 pm with full menu plus special Whole Roasted Lamb Crown offered exclusively on the Christmas holiday. stuffed with sourdough and cranberry stuffing and served with lamb jus. $175, feeds 3-4. Call 214-740-4001.

Davio's. Open Christmas Eve 4-10 pm with special three-course Feast of the Seven Fishes featuring shrimp, oysters, & tuna crudo; lemon linguini with lobster and scallops; and sea bass with crab-asparagus risotto. $85. à la carte menu also available. 469-772-4810.

Ellie's Restaurant & Lounge. Open Christmas Day 11 am-8 pm with special a la carte menu with lobster bisque, duck breast with duck confit spätzle & Brussels sprouts, mushroom risotto with butternut squash, red velvet cake, and chocolate chile pot de crème with cinnamon sugar bizcochitos. Lounge menu also available on Christmas Day. Make reservations through Resy.

Elm & Good. Christmas Eve dinner 5:30-10 pm is a south of the border-inspired Feliz Navidad dinner with tamales with turkey carnitas or vegetarian mushrooms, a Christmas Enchilada Plate with three turkey breast enchiladas with red chile or three Oaxaca cheese with green chile with boracho Anasazi beans and cilantro rice, and a Mexican Vanilla Flan with caramel and orange zest. Reservations online or 469-498-2525.

Encina. Oak Cliff restaurant is open Christmas Eve 5-10 pm featuring three special dishes plus regular a la carte menu. 469-620-3644.

Fogo de Chão. Open Christmas Eve 11 am–9:30 pm and Christmas Day 11 am–9 pm

Four Seasons. Open Christmas Day for five-course brunch 10 am-2:30 pm, with choice of turkey, sea bass, venison with celeriac puree, or vegetarian harissa roasted carrots with hummus & lentils; and choice of butternut squash and chestnut volute, brioche French toast, or brisket benedict. Start with frisee salad and a seafood platter to share. Dessert is a trio with pumpkin indulgence, chocolate peppermint tart, and blood orange sorbet. $105. 972-717-2420.

Georgie by Curtis Stone. Open Christmas 5-11 pm with special three-course dinner including charcuterie, and choices from venison tartar, mushroom soup, oysters with roe, winer salad, beef Wellington, duck confit cassoulet, King salmon, Prime rib, or ricotta agnolotti with chestnut, plus mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts, with bread pudding and chocolate cremeux for dessert. 469-466-8263.

Gorji. Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 6-8 pm with 3- or 4-course meal featuring choices from garlic and Bulgarian feta with pita, chili & yogurt over grilled chilled avocado, baby greens & strawberries, Romaine & kale Caesar, turkey, pork chop, langoustine tails, sea bass & shrimp over cauliflower puree, 6-oz prime beef tenderloin with gorgonzola gnocchi, spinach cheese lasagna, strawberries and kefir, or flourless chocolate cake. $99 to $115, no-tip required. 972-503-7080.

Herd & Hearth. Open Christmas Eve for brunch 11 am-2 pm at Westin Dallas Stonebriar Golf Resort & Spa. Menu includes glazed ham, Angus beef strip loin, root vegetables, smashed Yukon potatoes, seasonal fruit, omelets, pancakes, pies and cookies. $45 or $22 for 12 and under. 972-668-8914.

Knife Dallas. Open Christmas Day 5-10 pm with regular menu. 214-443-9339.

Kona Grill. Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 11 am-11 pm, with full menu as well as a Surf & Turf special with filet, NY strip, or ribeye with any Kona roll, $41; filet with lobster cream, $40, ham, $34; macadamia nut turkey, $34; and Prime rib dinner for two, $72. Kids' meal with turkey, gravy, mac & cheese, and green beans is $16. 214-945-2500.

Le Bilboquet. Open Christmas Day 5-11 pm with special menu including choices from mushroom soup, beet salad, tuna tartare, Cajun chicken, quail with polenta, lobster risotto, chocolate mousse, or fried bread pudding. 469-730-2937.

Macaroni Grill. Open Christmas Eve 11 am-10 pm and Christmas Day from 11 am-8 pm.

Monarch. Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 4-9 pm with regular menu plus special Feast of the Seven Fishes three-course menu with oyster and osetra caviar, scallop crudo with poached prawn, duck terrine, Texas Wagyu carpaccio with toast, ricotta & goat cheese gnudi, A Bar N Wagyu strip loin, black truffle panettone stuffing, delicata squash, stracatella & hazelnut/pepita aillade, and chocolate ornament with chocolate mousse, cake, cinnamon sable, & egg nog ice cream. Reservations online.

The Rustic. Open Christmas Eve 4-9 pm for annual celebration with tamales and beer. 214-730-0596.

Silver Fox. Open Christmas Eve 5-8 pm. Richardson 972-423-8121, Fort Worth 817-332-9060.

Sloane's. Open Christmas Eve 11 am-9 pm with regular menu plus surprise menu item. 214-484-1395.

Starship Bagels. Open straight through the Christmas weekend for all your holiday bagel needs: Christmas Eve 7 am-1 pm, Christmas Day 8 am-2 pm, Day After Christmas 8 am-2 pm.

3 Forks. Open Christmas Eve 4-8:30 pm. 972-267-1776.

Truluck's. Open Christmas Eve 11:30 am-2 pm, 4-9 pm. Uptown 214-220-2401, Southlake 817-912-0500.

12 Cuts Brazilian Steakhouse. Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 11 am-10:30 pm with entire regular churrasco experience featuring 12 cuts of meat, sides, salads, and desserts, plus special pork chop. $50.

Up On Knox. Open Christmas Day 5-11 pm with exclusive three-course dinner menu by resident chef Bruno Davaillon with choices from crab & butter lettuce salad, salmon gravlax, gnocchi with red kury squash, Texas beef filet with potato cake, scallops with fingerling potatoes, chicken breast, baked Alaska, and chocolate-pecan fondant cake. $95. 469-250-4007.

Villa Azur Dallas. Open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with a la carte menu and chef's specials including roast duck with chestnut stuffing and mushrooms, $90; cheese trio with truffle brie, drunken Manchebo, and Bucheron, $26; and Buche de Noel, $30. 5 pm-12 am. 214-389-2602.

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Lobster Roll News

Famous lobster sandwich shop rolls into Dallas near Victory Park

Mason's

Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls

A restaurant centered on lobster rolls is coming to Dallas: Called Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, it's a chain based in Maryland and will open its first location in Dallas in The Union building at 2301 N. Akard St. #260, near Victory Park in a space previously occupied by Creamistry, an ice cream chain.

Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls was founded in 2014 by Dan Beck, a former restaurant seafood buyer who opened his first location in Anapolis, Maryland. He began franchising in 2016. Once Dallas is open, the chain will have 37 locations, mostly up and down the East Coast, although none actually in New England. There is, however, one in Austin which opened in 2021.

The menu is centered on lobster rolls with five varieties that include both Maine and Connecticut styles:

Maine lobster roll with mayo and lemon butter
Connecticut roll with butter
Lobster salad roll, in which lobster is tossed in mayo with diced celery
Lobster BLT roll, with bacon
Bar Harbor, which has more lobster including a lobster tail

They also do a variety of other seafood rolls such as a crab roll, a crab cake roll, and a shrimp roll — all of which are served in a New England-style hot dog bun whose opening is on top of the bun rather than on the side, providing a better vessel for whatever is ladled into the bun.

Prices range from $17 to $27.

Other menu items include New England clam chowder, lobster bisque, and lobster mac & cheese.

The concept comes to Dallas via franchisee Thu Bui who discovered the concept while visiting the location in Austin.

"Just over a year ago, I tasted my first Mason’s Famous Lobster Roll, and I knew that I needed to bring their freshness and quality back home to Dallas,” Bui says. “It was unlike anything I’d ever tried before with the Mason’s New England Split Top roll and the high-quality lobster. I am excited for the Dallas community to experience their own taste of Maine with all of our delicious menu items whether they’re a lobster lover or they’re trying it for the first time!”

The Dallas location will celebrate a grand opening on December 13 with various giveaways including the opportunity to win free lobster rolls for a year.

One might think that a restaurant chain dedicated entirely to lobster rolls would be a one-of-a-kind deal, but Mason's actually marks the second lobster-roll chain that has come to Dallas: In November, a chain from Phoenix called Angie's opened its first location in Plano.

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