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Stray from the traditional holiday meal this year and go for sushi instead. Open from 11:30am to 10pm on Christmas Eve, Azumi will serve its regular menu. Start with a seaweed salad and bites of tuna ceviche or yellowtail with serrano. Then, dive into maki, hand rolls, and nigiri.

Few holiday traditions feel as timeless—or as delicious—as Christmas Eve at Brennan’s. Here, a bright Southern citrus salad and chile-fried Gulf oysters kick off the experience, leading into mains like Gulf fish Pontchartrain and wood-grilled filet mignon. Elegant sides complement the meal: smoked Gouda-and-andouille macaroni and cheese, and glazed brussels sprouts with bacon lardons. Finish with the Brennan’s tableside bananas Foster. Reservations are available from 11am to 7pm. 

Diners can make their way into Brenner’s for its regular menu on Christmas Eve and Day, but those who crave a cozy holiday at home have options, too. Brenner’s is offering a to-go prime rib dinner—$135 for two, or $185 for four—which includes the house mixed-green salad, a Caesar salad, roasted prime rib, and sides like green beans, caramelized brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and smoked macaroni and cheese, plus a bottle of wine. Preorders must be placed by December 19.

Even on Christmas Day, this Montrose steakhouse remains devoted to its diners. Doris Metropolitan will offer its regular dinner service from 4 to 9pm, with steaks, sides, and themed cocktails like the Spiced Coquito and Boozy Hot Chocolate. 

Indulge in the comfort of Chinese food on Christmas Day with Duck N Bao. The local restaurant will serve classics such as crispy-skinned Beijing duck, dumplings, rice and noodles, and seafood and vegetable plates. Best of all? No reservations required. Walk-ins only. 

Houstonians can head to Uptown for a Christmas Eve lunch at this French institution, served from 11am to 3pm from its regular menu. Return for dinner from 5 to 9pm for the restaurant’s three-course spread, priced at $89 per person. Highlights include duck foie gras, Maine lobster bisque, breaded Reblochon cheese, seared strip sea bass or Maine diver scallops, veal medallions, and winter vegetable risotto. For dessert, end the night with the milk chocolate and passion fruit Christmas log. A kids’ menu for ages 10 and under will be available for $28. 

From 3 to 8pm on Christmas Eve, this Houston restaurant will serve its holiday lineup. Expect dishes such as dry-aged duck breast with foie gras, dirty rice, and Viet-Cajun curry butter; bluefin tuna belly tataki with roast tomato ponzu, baby bok choy, and pickled daikon; the pan-roasted Alaskan halibut; and a slow-roasted prime rib served with charred scallion, ginger au jus, and creamy horseradish. The restaurant will be closed on Christmas Day. 

Treat yourself to Hugo’s Buffet de Noche Buena this Christmas Eve from 5 to 8pm. For $55 per adult ($15 per child), diners receive a complimentary ponche and a full Christmas buffet with bites like tamales, brisket, enchiladas, and a carving station with picanha (steak), plus by live music starting at 5:30pm. Caracol, Urbe, and Xochi will also offer a Christmas Eve buffet (Urbe’s is priced at $45). Reservations are highly recommended. 

Prefer a feast at home? Hugo’s to-go menu includes a family meal for eight priced at $325, with an entrée choice of either pineapple-habanero whole spiral ham or roasted turkey breast with gravy. Sides include sweet potato puree, tamal Azteca tortilla casserole, and corn pudding, plus dessert (pumpkin cheesecake or tres leches de chocolate). A meal for two is available for $120, and tamales—pork, chicken mole poblano, and mushroom with pipián—are $28 a dozen. Orders must be placed by Monday, December 22, with pick-up at noon on Christmas Eve. 

This family-owned business has been a city mainstay for five decades, and its to-go Holiday Family Feast ($235) is just as dependable. Serving up to 10 people, this package includes oven-roasted turkey with brown gravy, corn bread stuffing, mashed potatoes with poblano-mushroom sauce, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and a seasonal pie. A 24-hour notice is required for orders. 

This Michelin-starred restaurant can help you skip cooking this Christmas Eve. A three-course lunch costs $130 per person, while a five-course dinner runs $190. Look for plates of lobster and chanterelle vol-au-vent, kale ricotta, gnudi, steelhead trout, and cranberry nougat. To elevate the experience, add on a wine pairing and festive cocktail with the classic ($75) or prestige ($150) experience. 

Want your Christmas Eve meal to feel like vacation? Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House is at your service. Dinner starts at 5pm, with plates of wood-fired oysters, chilled seafood platters, and other tide-to-table delicacies. The restaurant is also decking out its digs with snow machines, Santa’s sleigh, a Christmas tree, and live entertainment, featuring jazz and saxophone performances throughout the evening.

Have yourself a meaty holiday by ordering from the Pit Room’s Christmas BBQ to-go menu this year. Impress family and guests with options like a whole smoked turkey breast that’s been brined in brown sugar, sage, and apples ($105); a whole brisket ($125); or a honey-glazed smoked ham ($75). Tack on some of the assorted cookies or prebatched cocktails for a treat. 

The holiday season wouldn’t feel complete without Rainbow Lodge’s legendary offerings. On Christmas Eve, diners can escape to the restaurant’s 117-year-old log cabin for dinner from 5 to 9pm with a seafood and wild game–filled à la carte menu.

Take all that flavor home with a whole roasted turkey ($145), beef tenderloin ($249), bison tenderloin ($420), venison loin ($300), a rack of lamb ($120), a whole grilled Texas quail ($24), or whole roasted or smoked duck ($65). Sides, $24 each, include French green beans with shallots, wild mushroom risotto, Southern-style corn bread dressing, roasted brussels sprouts, and mashed potatoes, plus a croissant bread pudding with whiskey sauce for dessert. Orders must be placed three days in advance for pickup through December 23. 

This Montrose brunch destination is ready to host diners on Christmas Eve and Day with its special winter menu. Find festive plates like the Jingle Board (red and green pancakes with cream cheese drizzle and roasted marshmallows, served with eggs, bacon, sausage, and shrimp and grits); the Spicy Sleighers (red velvet waffles topped with crispy chicken tenders); the Mini Merry Cakes (red and green mini pancakes with sausage, bacon, eggs, and melted cheese); or the Merry Roll (made with bacon, avocado, egg, cucumber, cream cheese, tobiko, and sweet soy glaze). 

Splurge with a visit to this Downtown steakhouse on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The regular menu is on offer, but opt for something different with the chef specials, including a 12-ounce filet mignon, Iberico pork bone-in rib eye, Szechuan pepper-crusted tuna, and fried macaroni and cheese. 

Unlike Hugo Ortega’s other establishments, his newest Downtown restaurant offers its full dinner menu on Christmas Eve from 5 to 8pm, alongside live music and festive decor. The Caesar salad, prepared tableside, is an essential before digging into smaller plates like the taco de pato, compressed duck meat, duck skin chicharron, and date mole. Be sure to order some of the namesake zarandeado seafood dishes, including octopus, whole butterflied lobster, grilled shrimp, or catches of the day, all of which are cooked over fire and served with cucumber salad, housemade zaranda adobo, sobaqueras, and a trio of salsas. Reservations are recommended.