These restaurants are open on Christmas Day (and a few on Christmas Eve)
There’s a balance to all the holly and jollying. If the merry making and stocking stuffing leaves little time for ham glazing and yam mashing, holiday feasts abound in the Triangle, restaurants eager to host old traditions or start new ones.
Reservations may be necessary at some, but others can accommodate walk-ins. Note that some of these restaurants are open only on Christmas Eve. Check for hours if not specified.
Send updates to jdjackson@newsobserver.com
41Hundred Restaurant
4100 Main at North Hills St., in the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel, Raleigh. 919-278-1478 or 41hundredrestaurant.com.
Serving a Christmas Eve buffet from 3 to 6 p.m., including prime rib, red snapper and sides like truffled mac & cheese, collard greens and other vegetables, salads and desserts. The regular menu will be served Christmas Day.
Acme
110 East Main Street, Carrboro. 919-929-2263 or acmecarrboro.com.
Open Christmas Eve. and closed Christmas Day.
Bob Evans
Open for Christmas Eve dining, but most locations are closed on Christmas Day. bobevans.com.
Boston Market
Three locations in the Triangle, serving a Christmas Day menu of hand-carved ham with two sides, a dinner roll and a slice of apple pie for $12.99, in addition to other meal options. bostonmarket.com.
Braise Contemporary Southern
4500 Marriott Drive in the Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley, Raleigh. 919-781-7000.
Serving a breakfast buffet from 7 to 11 a.m. and a four course prix-fixe dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. for $40 per person. facebook.com/BraiseContemporarySouthern/
Cedar Fork Bistro
151 Tatum Drive in the Hotel Indigo, Durham. 919-474-3000,
Serving its regular menu for breakfast and dinner.
Cleveland Draft House
6101 N.C. 42 West, Garner; 461 Shotwell Road, Clayton.
919-771-2337 (Garner), 919-550-3723 (Clayton) or clevelanddrafthouse.com.
Serving its regular menu at both locations from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Crossroads Chapel Hill
211 Pittsboro St., in The Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill. 919-918-2777 or carolinainn.com.
Serving a Christmas brunch buffet from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring salads, antipasti, seafood, a carving station and a biscuits-and-gravy station with three gravy options. The cost is $75 for adults, $70 for seniors, and $40 for children 6 to 12.
Denny’s
Three locations in the Triangle will be open Christmas Day serving a regular menu. dennys.com.
Fearrington House
2000 Fearrington Village Center, Pittsboro. 919-542-2121 or fearringtonhouse.com.
Serving a four-course fixed-price menu for $105 on Christmas Day, with options including citrus cured hamachi, butter poached lobster and Beef Wellington.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
4325 Glenwood Ave., No. 5004, Raleigh. 919-571-6200 or flemingssteakhouse.com
The restaurant is serving a three-course dinner for $92 during the holidays. Closed Christmas Day.
Herons
100 Woodland Pond Drive, in The Umstead Hotel, Cary. 919-447-4200 or theumstead.com/dining/restaurants-raleigh-nc.
Open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, serving brunch from 7 a.m to 1 a.m. Herons will also host Christmas dinner service from 4 to 8 p.m.; reservations required.
IHOP
Nine Triangle locations. ihop.com/
They will be open on Christmas Day with a regular menu and seasonal specials.
Il Palio
1505 E. Franklin St., in the Siena Hotel, Chapel Hill. 919-918-2545 or ilpalio.com.
Serving a Christmas Day prix fixe menu from 1 to 7 p.m. for $85, including options like beef carpaccio, butternut squash ravioli, truffle tagliatelle and buttermilk panna cotta. The restaurant is also serving a Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner Dec. 21 and 22, consisting of seven courses for $84.
Irregardless Café
901 W. Morgan St., Raleigh. 919-833-8898 or irregardless.com.
Open Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve from 5 to 10 p.m. serving a special menu.
James Joyce Irish Pub
912 W. Main St., Durham. 919-323-9172 or jamesjoyceirishpub.com.
The kitchen is open Christmas Day from 6 to 10 p.m. The bar will stay open until 2 a.m. Ugly sweaters are encouraged.
Kababish Cafe
201 W. Chatham St., Suite 103, Cary. 919-377-8794 or kababishcafe.com.
Open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m., serving its regular menu and specials.
Macaroni Grill
3421 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh. 919-792-2515 or macaronigrill.com.
Open noon to 8 p.m. Christmas Day.
Mia Francesca
4100 Main at North Hills Street, Raleigh. 919-278-1525 or miafrancescaraleigh.com.
The North Hills trattoria will serve a Christmas Day buffet from noon to 8 p.m. for $46 for adults, $18 for children 12 and under.
Midtown Grille
4421-115 Six Fork Road, Raleigh. 919-782-9463 or themidtowngrille.com.
Open Christmas Eve until 8 p.m.
Plates Kitchen
301 Glenwood Ave. Suite 100, Raleigh. 919-828-0018 or plateskitchen.com.
Serving Christmas Eve and Chrsistmas Day dinner featuring prime rib, roast goose and figgy pudding.
Players Retreat
105 Oberlin Road, Raleigh. 919-755-9589 or playersretreat.net.
Open until midnight on Christmas Eve and opening Christmas Day at 5 p.m. for a potluck dinner. The PR will cook two large hams and guests are invited to bring a dish to share. The bar will be open.
Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen
500 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, in the Downtown Raleigh Marriott. 919-227-3370 or ryeraleigh.com/.
Open Christmas Day from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu includes seasonal snacks, ham, brisket and a variety of sides and desserts.
Starbucks
If caffeine is your cup of cheer, multiple Triangle Starbucks will be open Christmas Day.
Time-Out Restaurant
201 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill. 919-929-2425 or timeout247.com.
Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and every other day of the year.
Village Draft House
428 Daniels St., in Cameron Village, Raleigh. 919-833-1373 or villagedrafthouse.com.
Open Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. but closed Christmas Day.
Waffle House
Located throughout the Triangle, Waffle House is open 24 hours 365 a year, including Christmas.
Washington Duke Inn
3001 Cameron Blvd., Durham. 919-490-0999 or washingtondukeinn.com/Dining/dining.asp.
The Fairview Dining Room will serve Christmas Eve brunch and a four-course Christmas Eve dinner for $75 per person. There will be a Christmas Day buffet with seatings at noon, 3 and 6 p.m. featuring carved turkey and beef, seasonal sides, shrimp and crab cocktail, smoked salmon and other items for $82 per person and $25 for children 6 to 12.
Chinese restaurants
Banana Leaf
1026 Ryan Road, Cary. 919-468-9958 or bananaleafcary.com.
Open 11 a.m-9:30 p.m.
C & T Wok
130 Morrisville Square Way, Morrisville. 919-467-8860 or ctwokrestaurant.com.
Open 4:30-9:45 p.m.
China Palace
5210 Garrett Road, Durham. 919-493-3088 or mychinapalace.com.
Open 11 a.m-2:30 p.m., 4:30-10 p.m.
Goji Bistro
100 Maynard Crossing Court, Cary. 919-466-8888 or gojibistro.us.
Open 4-9 p.m.
Gourmet Kingdom
301 E. Main St., Carrboro. 919-932-7222 or thegourmetkingdom.com.
Open noon-3 p.m., 4:30-9:30 p.m.
Happy China
2505 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham. 919-237-2021 or happychinasushi.com.
Open noon-10 p.m.
Neo-Asia
6602-1 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh. 919-783-8383 or neo-china.com.
Open 4:30-9:30 p.m.
Neo-China
4015 University Drive, Durham. 919-489-2828 or neochinarestaurant.com.
Open 4:30-9:30 p.m.
Orient Garden
202 N.C. 54, No. 401, Durham. 919-806-3333.
Open 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 9:30 p.m.
Peace China
802 Smart Drive, Raleigh. 919-833-8668.
Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Peking Garden
126 East Millbrook Road, Raleigh. 919-848-4663 or pekinggardenraleigh.com.
Open 4:30-10 p.m.
Red Lotus
239 S. Elliott Road, Chapel Hill. 919-968-7778 or redlotusch.com.
Open 4-9:30 p.m.
Shanghai
3433 Hillsborough Road, Durham. 919-383-7581 or shanghaidurham.com.
Open 5 to 9:30 p.m.
Super Wok
1401-L SE Maynard Road, Cary. 919-388-8338 or superwok.wikidot.com.
Open 10:30 a.m.- 9:30 p.m.
Szechuan Garden
10285-300 Chapel Hill Road, Morrisville. 919-468-6878 or szechuangardennc.com.
Open 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 4:30-9:30 p.m.
Taipei 101
121 E. Chatham St., Cary. 919-388-5885 or facebook.com/carytaipei101.
Open 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Take-home meals
Offering a take home meal that can feed six to eight people for $159, including turkey, gravy, orange-cranberry relish, sides, bread and dessert. Orders must be placed by Thursday, Dec. 20 and picked up Monday, Dec. 24 between 1 and 6 p.m. Call 919-861-4318 to place an order.
Offering individual sides, snacks and desserts from among favorite dishes on the menu at Ashley Christensen’s Raleigh restaurants, from Poole’s pimento cheese to Beasley’s biscuits to Christmas morning quiche or cinnamon rolls. Orders must be placed four days in advance, and pickup is either Dec. 22 or Dec. 23 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at 1519 Brookside Drive in Raleigh. ac-restaurants.com/catering/ or email questions to xmas@ac-restaurants.com.
Acme
110 East Main Street, Carrboro. 919-929-2263 or acmecarrboro.com.
Taking to-go family style orders on Christmas Eve.
Driftwood
Making take home feasts for six to eight people and 12 to 16 people for $159 and $299, respectively. The meal includes beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes, brussels sprouts, salad, biscuits and bread pudding. Orders must be placed by Dec. 19 and picked up Sunday Dec. 23 from 3 to 5 p.m. Visit driftwoodraleigh.com/holidayfeast for more information.
Jack Tar & The Colonel’s Daughter
Take-home holiday pies are available, including egg nog chiffon, apple and cranberry harvest pie and French silk pie, each $25. Orders can be placed up to Dec. 22 and picked up Dec. 23. 202 Corcoran St., Durham. jacktar-durham.com or 919-682-JACK
Offering a take-home meal package that can feed up to six people, featuring roast turkey with gravy, glazed ham, parmesan mashed potatoes, salad, green bean casserole and figgy pudding. The package is $119, with pickup Monday, Dec. 24 between 12 and 5 p.m. Orders must be placed by Friday Dec. 21 by calling 919-828-0018 or emailing justin@plateskitchen.com.
This story was originally published December 12, 2018 at 12:38 PM.
