Kid-Friendly Restaurants Open on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve in Chicago

1. Eataly- River North

Price range: $-$$

Menu Style: Standard Menu

Why Families Love It: Both La Pizza & La Pasta and Vino & are open on Christmas day and taking reservations. Pizza and pasta are always great kid-friendly options, which make for a relaxing holiday meal out. If you need a little wine for your holiday, there's similar foods, plus more extensive small plates and a few entrees at Vino &.

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Cut 158 Chophouse offers its traditional dinner menu and some special seasonal treats on Christmas Eve.

2. Chicago Chop House- River North

Price Range: $$$

Menu Style: Family Style or ala Carte

Why Families Love It: Enjoy a classy family-style chateaubriand, prime rib, or stuffed salmon with crab meat with steakhouse takes on traditional sides like sweet potato casserole, stuffing, cranberries, and green beans. 

3. The Peninsula — Streeterville

Price Range: $$$$

Menu Type: Brunch Buffet

Why families love it: The Peninsula knows how to do Christmas. This beautifully decorated hotel lobby is the ideal backdrop for Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas Day brunch. The luxe Christmas Eve menu features prime rib, Maine lobster, scallops, and more for adults. Kids can visit the special children's buffet station. Santa will be available for photos, and a string quartet makes the environment extra classy for this indulgent experience.

Kid-Friendly Restaurants Open on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve Near Chicago

4. Grill on 21- The Loop

Prince Range: $$$

Menu Style: Pre fixe

Why Families Love It: If you're looking for an elegant meal with lots of options, this is it. Pick a soup or salad, appetizer, entree, and dessert while enjoying the view of the Loop lights from the 21st floor.

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5. Fogo de Chao - River North, Rosemont, Oak Brook, and Naperville

Price Range: $$$

Menu Type: Churrasco

Why Families Love It: The full churrasco experience includes continuous tableside carving of a half dozen meats. This steakhouse goes all out for the holidays, offering festive desserts and drinks to pair with an already wide variety of menu items. Locations are open for brunch, lunch, and dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

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Harry Caray’s in River North (Chicago) and Rosemont are open on Christmas Eve.

6. Harry Caray’s — River North, Mag Mile, Rosemont, and Lombard

Price Range: $$

Menu Type: Regular Dinner Menu

Why Families Love It: From spaghetti and meatballs to steak, mac ‘n cheese, and lasagna, there’s something for everyone at these iconic Chicago staples. Plus, kids menu items include an ice cream sundae, which you can have served in a keepsake helmet for an extra $2!

7. Francesca's — Multiple Locations

Price Range: $$

Menu Type: Limited ala Carte

Why Families Love It: Francesca's has more than a dozen locations across Chicago and the suburbs, and is offering Christmas dinner after 3 p.m. on Christmas day. The seafood forward menu includes choices like linguine and risotto, and ends with a festive sticky toffee pudding.

Kid-Friendly Restaurants Open on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve in Suburban Chicago

8. Villa Olivia — Bartlett

Price Range: $$

Menu Style: Buffet

Why Families Love It: This Bartlett Park District facility has both brunch and skiing available on Christmas Day! Hit the slopes before or after a brunch with a carving station, entrees, breakfast favorites, a soup and salad bar, and seasonal music.

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9. Lucille at Drury Lane - Oak Brook

Price Range: $$$

Menu Style: Buffet

Why Families Love It: The festive holiday decor compliments a massive array of brunch specialties. Kids' favorites include a sundae bar, hot chocolate station, and made-to-order crepes, doughnuts, and waffles. Grown-ups may enjoy the bloody Mary bar, or unlimited champagne, mimosas, bellinis, and egg nog.

RELATED: Best Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays and Holiday Lights in Chicago

10. Miru- River East

Price Range: $$$

Menu Style: Buffet

Why Families Love It: This east Asian restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel celebrates the Japanese tradition of fried chicken on Christmas day. The brunch buffet includes chicken and waffles, sushi, and fried rice with dinner service starting in the late afternoon.

11. A Thousand Tales— Mount Prospect 

Price Range: $$

Menu Style: Buffet

Why Families Love It: Choose a brunch buffett or an open buffet in the afternoon and evening hours at this Mediterranean hot spot in the northwest suburbs. Pick from pancakes and waffles or specialty baked pastries like simit, poğaça, and böre on the brunch buffet or a variety of kebabs at the dinner buffet.

One night on a Buddy the Elf diet never hurt anyone. Photo courtesy of Westin Chicago Northwest

12. The Buddy The Elf Christmas Pop-Up Experience at 400 Park Bistro - Itasca

Price Range: $$

Menu Style: Ala Carte

Why Families Love It: Where else would your kids meal come with a baggie full of pasta covered in maple syrup? The festive decor compliments the kids-first Elf themed menu, which features Mr. Narwhal's Fish & Chips, a Buddy Burger, or a Grinch Grilled Cheese. Grown-ups can enjoy a candy cane caprese salad, Son of a Nutcracker lamb chops, or World's Best Cup of Irish Coffee, along with other nods to the movie.

13. Travelle at the Langham — River North

Price Range: $$$$

Menu Style: Buffet

Why Families Love It: In true Travelle style, this lavish brunch needs three pages to describe all of the items on the buffet. Check out its hand rolled pasta, sushi, dim sum, hand carved meats, and kids station, topped off with hot cocoa, egg nog, and gingerbread bars.

14. JoJo's Shake Bar — River North, Naperville, Fulton Market

Price Range: $

Menu Style: Ala Carte

Why Families Love It: If your holiday wouldn't be complete without something sweet, visit JoJo's for its Winter Wonderland decorations and crazy big milkshakes. There's also a snack menu and brunch items available if you don't want to cook a meal at home.

15. Bavette's Bar & Boeuf - River North

Price Range: $$

Menu Style: Ala Carte

Why Families Love It: This French steakhouse is fancy, but not too fancy. It serves holiday meals to go or at its River North location featuring steaks, seafood sides and a full bar.

What to Know Before Dining Out on Christmas Day in Chicago

Start making reservations now for these special Christmas Day experiences — many of them will sell out. Most of these locations are open for limited hours or a small number of seatings, so decide if you're looking for brunch or dinner before you commit to restaurant. If you're heading out to a seated meal, bring small toys or activities to entertain children while you wait.

Tips for a Stress-Free Christmas Meal Out with Kids

Check the cancellation policy on these meals before completing the reservation. Some require you to put down a credit card and may charge you if you cancel too close to the time, which can be an ordeal if there's a snowstorm or if someone has a post-present opening meltdown and doesn't want to leave the house. Check for allergy friendly menus or accommodations for dietary restrictions.

FAQ – Dining Out on Christmas Day with Kids in Chicago

What restaurants are open on Christmas Day in Chicago?

There are dozens of restaurant open on Christmas day! These are a few of our favorites or restaurants with special menus, but you can check out others on Open Table or Yelp.

Do any Christmas Day restaurants offer kids’ menus?

Some restaurants serve their regular menu, others put out a special buffet or a fancy pre fixe meal. Buffets usually include something fun for kids. If you know your kid won't make a pre fixe menu worth it, look into restaurants serving ala carte or family style.

Do I need to make reservations for Christmas Day dining?

We would recommend it. Most places where you would want to get a special Christmas meal won't have space for walk-ins.

What’s the average price for Christmas dinner at restaurants in Chicago?

This is heavily dependent on where you go. Some places on this list are $30 per person, some are $300.

Unless noted, photos courtesy of the restaurants.