Holiday News

Best Dallas restaurants for dining out on Christmas Eve in 2023

Where to dine on Christmas Eve.

Lake Lawn

In Dallas, the window of Christmas holiday dining is wide. It could start in early December with a preliminary holiday tea. Or maybe a brunch with Santa.

This list is about dining out on Christmas Eve, the night before, whether for a chance to catch your breath, or an opportunity to start the holiday early. In 2023, Xmas Eve falls on a Sunday, providing the perfect opportunity for brunch. In Dallas, you never pass on brunch.

(And if you're looking for places to eat on Christmas Day itself, that list is here. Our New Year's Eve list is here, and New Year's Day is here.)

Here's the Dallas restaurants that'll be open on Christmas Eve in 2023:

Blue Mesa. Brunch with ginger chipotle glazed ham, prime rib, red chile salmon, red & sweet potatoes, broccolini, poblano mac & cheese, Chimayo corn chicken, black bean Adobe Pie, blue corn cheese enchiladas, and a build-your-own street taco station. Breakfast items feature made-to-order omelets, huevos rancheros, Belgian waffles with berries or fried chicken, biscuits & gravy. Sweets station includes bite-size sweets, mini flans, banana pudding, fruit cobbler, and bread pudding with cajeta sauce. 9 am-4 pm. $35, or $10 for 12 and under. Addison 972-934-0165, Fort Worth 817-332-6372, Plano 214-387-4407.

Coupes. Dallas wine bar is not hosting an official holiday event but it is hosting its weekly Sunday afternoon brunch with its chicken caesar salad, crab croquettes, breakfast pie gratin, French Toast bananas foster, caviar, cocktails, and plenty of bubbly. 12-4 pm. 214-434-1347.

Eddie V's. Open with regular menu from 12-9 pm. Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano.

Elm & Good. Restaurant at the Kimpton Pittman features Christmas Eve dinner plated specials 5-10 pm. 469-498-2500.

Fearing’s. 3-course brunch at Ritz-Carlton Dallas includes starter, main course, and dessert trio with choices from filet mignon, sea bass, or lamb osso bucco. $185, $90 for vegetarian, $50 for 12 and under. 5-9 pm. 214-922-4848.

Ferah Tex- Med Kitchen. Brunch buffet features prime rib carving station plus chicken, mashed potatoes, cast iron vegetables, Greek salad, assorted meze dips, pita, breakfast Danish & croissants, fruit, scrambled eggs, sausage & bacon, dessert bar. 11 am-3 pm. Regular lunch/dinner menu is available at 3 pm. $32, or $13 for 12 and under. Christmas Eve dinner with 12-oz Prime rib, mashed potatoes, asparagus. 3-9 pm. $38. Garland 972-496-0201.

The Finch. 3-course meal with salad, choice of prime rib or ham with sweet potato casserole, and choice of chocolate cake or coconut pudding. $55, plus $25 for optional wine pairing. 11 am-10 pm. 469-893-0990.

Hall Arts Hotel. Christmas Eve jazz brunch features a 3-course menu with baked acorn squash fondue, sturgeon or peppercorn filet mignon, and red velvet cake with currants and white chocolate sauce. $85. A la carte menu also available. 5-10 pm. 214-953-1717.

Haywire. Signature Hill country brunch includes the ranch hand breakfast, biscuits & gravy, or chicken fried steak. Prices a la carte. 10 am-2 pm. Reserve at haywirerestaurant.com or call Plano 972-781-9473 or Uptown 469-501-5522.

Isabelle’s. Hotel Swexan eatery will be open 7 am-11 pm, with a brunch from 7 am-4 pm, plus a caviar tasting menu for $105 with caviar French toast, crab tart, crab fritter, 40-day dry aged steak tartare, and sweet corn custard. Reserve online. 469-405-1911.

Knife Dallas Christmas Eve special is a Prime rib in two cuts: 14 ounces or 16 ounces. 5-10 pm. Regular menu also served. 214-443-9339.

Knife Steakhouse Plano. Christmas Eve special is a Prime rib in two cuts: 14 ounces or 16 ounces. 5-10 pm. Regular menu also served. Additionally, the restaurant will feature special dishes such as the 44 Farms Prime Rib offered in two cuts: 14 ounces and 16 ounces, and the 120 day dry aged Tajima Wagyu Ribeye. 5 -10 pm. 214-299-5943.

Maggiano’s. 3-course holiday menu features refined Italian classics with choices from salads, 14 starters, 10+ pastas, and 11 entrees ranging from stuffed mushrooms, Italian sausage & peppers, lobster fondue, branzino crab Imperial, beef tenderloin medallions, 4-cheese ravioli, NY Strip with garlic mashed potatoes, and chocolate profiteroles with peppermint ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. $46 or $18 for 12 and under. 11 am-6:30 pm. Dallas 214-360-9061, Plano 972-781-0776.

Mansion on Turtle Creek. 4-course menu include choices from winter salad, lobster spaghetti with black truffle, Miyazaki A5 Wagyu striploin glazed in ponzu sauce, and chocolate peppermint yule log. 5:30-9:30 pm. $160, or $75 for 12 and under. 214-559-2100.

McRae’s American Bistro & Cocktails. East dallas restaurant will celebrate Christmas Eve two ways: brunch from 11 am-2 pm, and a 4-course dinner from 4-8:30 pm, featuring choices from Southern deviled eggs, tenderloin crostinis, tomato soup, Granny Smith salad, cream leek blue cheese chicken, almond-crusted salmon, filet mignon, flourless chocolate espresso cake, or bourbon pecan pie. 214-792-9944.

Mercat Bistro. Brunch with a special Christmas-themed ambiance. 10 am-3 pm. 214-953-0917.

Mexican Bar Co. Plano restaurant will be open for brunch and dinner, plus a special 5-course shared menu for two featuring tocino guacamole, quesa birrias, chile en nogada, 18 oz. ribeye, and Atole Azul y Buñuelos. (This special menu is also available on Saturday, December 23.) $100. 972-972-4466.

Oceanaire Seafood Room. Full menu with seafood, oysters, raw bar, sushi, chowder. 12-9 pm. 972-759-2277.

Pappas Bros. Serving full dinner menu with steak, seafood, salads. 5-9 pm. 214-366-2000.

La Parisienne. 4-course menu includes butternut squash soup, mushroom Boursin soup, Caesar salad, artichoke asparagus salad, chicken breast roulade, steak au poivre, scallop pasta, Rocher praline, and Napoleon. $75. Plus regular brunch menu 9 am-3 pm, and dinner menu 3-8 pm. 469-200-5411.

Pearl. Sushi and holiday cocktails with a Japanese twist. 5-10 pm. 972-803-6686.

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille. 3-course menu with soup or salad, Prime rib, and sides. $79. 5:30-10 pm. 214-855-5151.

The Porch. Open for brunch and lunch with the last seating at 4 pm. 214-828-2916.

The Pyramid. Restaurant at the Fairmont Dallas will serve a special Christmas Eve brunch featuring gingerbread spiced doughnuts with Bavarian cream, chestnut bisque with mushrooms Bananas Foster French toast with caramel sauce, red velvet waffle & fried chicken, Smoked Prime Rib with truffle mashed potatoes, and citrus Peppermint Chocolate Mousse with orange gelee and raspberries. Prices a la carte. 11 am-2 pm. 214-720-5249.

Republic Texas Tavern. Special Christmas Eve menu features Texas chowda ($14), brisket bites ($16), lobster ravioli ($27), sea bass Milanaise ($32), bacon-wrapped Petite filet ($37), and smoked prime rib ($45). Reservations start at 4 pm. 972-385-6004.

Saint Ann. Brunch with Santa includes brunch plus photo with Santa. 10 am-3 pm. $55, or $35 doe 12 and under. 214-782-9807.

Starship Bagel. Artisan bagel shop will be open at both locations in Lewisville and downtown Dallas on Christmas Eve, from 7 am-1 pm, with bagels, coffee, and bagel sandwiches including cucumber, lox, and avocado with tomato, cucumber, red onion, and sprouts.

Stillwell’s. Hotel Swexan restaurant will feature a Beef Wellington special, wrapped in puff pastry, filled with a spinach and mushroom duxelle, accompanied by carrots, potato puree, and bone marrow bordelaise sauce. $98. 5-9 pm. 469-405-1911.

Table 13. 4-course meal includes choices from deviled eggs, bacon-wrapped dates, house salad, lobster bisque, tenderloin lobster Oscar, filet with shrimp, sea bass, Prime ribeye, lemon caper chicken, pecan-crusted salmon, candy cane cheesecake or chocolate cake. $99. 5-10 pm. 972-789-9558.

Urban Seafood Co. Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes Wine Dinner featuring seven courses paired with seven wines. $125. 5:30 pm. 214-251-8771.

Villa Azur. Christmas Eve dinner includes a 3-course chef's menu featuring oysters, bison filet with mushroom casserole, and La Buche de Villa - dulce de leche, passion fruit lime, and vanilla mousse. 5 pm-12 am. 214-389-2602.

Whistle Britches. Brunch menu includes chicken & waffles, chicken fried steak, and cream corn skillet cornbread. 10 am-4 pm. 214-299-5971.

lists bests holidays

Comings and Goings

It's a big week for restaurant openings and closings in Dallas

Alara

Deconstructed baklava at Alara.

The headline says it best: It's a big week for restaurant openings and closings in Dallas. Sometimes forces come together to make a week like this busy, whether it's the alignment of the stars or just a Dallas code compliance inspector who finally decides to give a thumbs up.

But along with the good news of openings comes the not-so-good news of closings. Let's do good news first with openings, followed by closings.

OPENINGS

Alara, a Mediterranean restaurant from Turkish-born chef Onur Akan, has opened in Dallas' Design District at 1628 Oak Lawn Ave. #120, in the former Pakpao Thai space. Akan, who previously worked as a chef at Nonna and had his own catering company, is calling it "modern Mediterranean," with twists such as deconstructed baklava and the so-called Caesar salad, whose gem lettuce, fried anchovies, and green goddess dressing make it seem like not a Caesar at all. During lunch, Alara will feature a casual European cafe-style menu with mezze, doner kebab, sandwiches, and salads. Dinner service expands into a larger menu with nightly specials.

Bojangles, the Carolina chicken chain, opened a location in Plano at 3840 SH-121, in a newly-constructed building west of Kroger Marketplace at the corner of Coit Road. Bojangles specializes in fried chicken, biscuits, and Southern sides such as dirty rice, mac & cheese, and Cajun pinto beans. They made their Dallas-area debut in 2023 with the usual fanfare that first surrounds a chain, followed by the usual fading fanfare that surrounds a chain after it has opened multiple locations. In this case, Plano marks the company’s ninth location in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Maman, the New York café chain making a big expansion in Dallas, opens its new location at Hillside Village, the centrally situated center at Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Road, on April 23 in the former Palmer's Hot Chicken space, with pastries, sandwiches, coffee, and exclusive Texas menu items. Opening day will feature an 8 am ribbon cutting with complimentary cookies for the first 100 customers who make a purchase. They made their Texas debut in November 2025 when they opened a location in the Plaza at Preston Center. There are also plans for locations in Frisco, Casa Linda, and the Design District.

PopUp Bagels, a buzzy bagel concept from the Northeast, will make its Texas debut on April 24, opening its first location in Dallas at Inwood Village, in the former I Heart Yogurt shop next to the Inwood Theatre at 5450 W Lovers Ln. #143. PopUp started as a backyard project during the pandemic. Their menu is limited — no sandwiches— and their bagels are sold whole only, not sliced, leading to their nickname "rip and dip," in which customers rip the bagels in half and dip them into spreads. (Their texture is softer and lighter than the traditional New York dense bagel, making them easier to "rip.") On opening day only, they'll serve a Lemon Pepper Schmear that's a collaboration with Wingstop.

Portillo's, the Chicago-based street food chain, opened a location in Frisco at 16499 FM Rd. #423 on April 21, with Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries, salads, shakes, and chocolate cake. Hot dogs come in regular, chili cheese, Polish sausage, and Maxwell Street Polish sausage with mustard and grilled onions. The location features Portillo's "restaurant of the future" design, comprising a smaller, more efficient footprint. It is the 11th location of Portillo's in Dallas-Fort Worth and first in Frisco; the first opened at the Grandscape development in The Colony in January 2023.

CLOSINGS

Super Duper Cookie Co., a social enterprise that employs people with disabilities, is closing its storefront in May. The shop, which opened in 2024 in the former Baldo's Ice Cream space across from SMU at 6401 Hillcrest Rd., will be closing on May 1, according to a post on Instagram. Company founder Benjamin Crosland told the DMN that they're closing because they couldn't afford to stay in business. "We are sad to go but we know that we have made an impact in our community," their post said. "We will be here until May 1, so come and say goodbye and get a cookie and dance under the disco ball one last time."

Bon bons by Kate Weiser Chocolate. Photo courtesy of Kate Weiser Chocolate

Dozo Omakase. Omakase sushi restaurant at Trinity Groves closed on April 14, after a little more than a year. The sushi spot opened in early 2025 with an embrace of the then-trendy multi-course omakase style of dining, in small or large versions with basically four options: 7 or 15 courses, plus hand rolls and a nigiri-handroll combination, with prices ranging from $28 to $120. They had a cool happy hour with a new menu nearly every month, but it wasn't enough. In their closure announcement, they said it was a difficult decision but invited fans to visit their sister restaurant Dozo Sushi in Richardson.

Kate Weiser Chocolate, Dallas' renowned chocolatier famous for its colorful and artistic chocolates, is closing down. That includes all four locations: its flagship at Trinity Groves as well as NorthPark Center, Fort Worth, and Southlake, as well as online sales. Founder Kate Weiser, a pastry chef who founded her chocolate company in 2014 as part of the "incubator" program at Trinity Groves, told the DMN that Trinity Groves' investors owned 60 percent of the company, and that they hadn't been profitable in four years. She's arranged for her signature "Carl the Snowman" hot chocolate kit to have one final Christmas season with Central Market for the 2026 holiday.

Stirr, the brunchy restaurant from Dallas-based Milkshake Concepts, has closed its final location in Addison. According to a post from the owners, they decided not to renew their lease; April 19 was their last day of service. Stirr made its debut in Deep Ellum in 2016, serving chef-driven dishes and cocktails. A second location opened in Fort Worth in 2019, then closed in 2021. Milkshake seems to be in a time of transition. In 2025, they closed Citizen, their lounge on Swiss Avenue and recently replaced it with a dance-music venue called Ctrl Room. They also own the small Mexican chain Vidorra, Serious Pizza, and The Finch, an American grill with locations in Dallas, Grand Prairie, and Nashville.
---
Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

closings desserts bagels trends openings

Holiday News

Best Dallas restaurants for dining out on Christmas Eve in 2023

Comings and Goings

It's a big week for restaurant openings and closings in Dallas

Texas homeowners have one month to protest and lower their property taxes

All the best Dallas restaurants to celebrate Mother's Day 2026

Uptown Dumpling debuts in North Dallas with dumplings and Peking duck