SD Restaurants Open Christmas Eve & Day, Plus To-Go Specials 2023

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — To keep your holidays merry, bright and hassle-free, while still indulging in a Christmas feast, check out the variety of offers from San Diego-area restaurants.

We've rounded up some of the best — festive restaurant dining and easy takeout specials — in our annual guide with something for all tastes and budgets.

So peruse the list, scroll through the images above for visual inspiration, and find the offers and sweet treats near you.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays, from Patch!

-----------

APPLEBEE'S: Keep feasting easy with newly launched Holiday Combos, starting at $13.99 & available for limited time for dine-in, to-go & delivery. Meals include two proteins, plus garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli & crispy onions. Options include: Honey BBQ Chicken Breast & Double Crunch Shrimp; Blackened Cajun Salmon & Double Crunch Shrimp; Sirloin & Double Crunch Shrimp; & Riblets & Honey BBQ Grilled Chicken. Plus, the holiday $5 Mucho Cocktails are back, along with $6 Stella Artois Brewtus draft beers. Details. Location finder here.

-----------

BLACK ANGUS STEAKHOUSE: Dine-in & takeout options offered for Christmas Eve festivities. Along with holiday-centric drinks, specials include: Lobster & Potato Fritter starter ($12.99), with lemon aioli, hot honey & microgreens; and entree Steak Oscar ($49.99) — NY Strip, bearnaise sauce, lobster, asparagus, microgreens & two sidekicks. Also available from to-go Meat Market to cook at home: four-pound, raw prime rib ($110), with au jus, horseradish, creamy horseradish sauce & seasoning. New Year’s Eve in-restaurant dining deal planned, too, for Dec. 31: Surf 'n' Turf Dinner for Two ($115), with two filet mignons, two lobster tails, a starter, sides, molasses bread, dessert & two Prosecco splits. Info/ordering/reservations. Find locales in Chula Vista, El Cajon, Escondido.

-----------

BLAZE PIZZA: Here's a don't-miss holiday deal: an 11-inch, original dough Double Pepperoni pizza (approximately 32 slices of pepperoni!) for $8.99 through Dec. 31. Purchase online, via app or in store & no code needed. Website. Locations statewide.
------------------

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN: Two new dishes & festive cocktail on CPK holiday menus through Dec. 31. The innovative Neapolitan Burrata Pizza features creamy burrata & slow-roasted cherry tomatoes. Shaking Beef Pasta is hot, savory dish with seared filet & garlic-sesame soy sauce. And this year's specialty cocktail is Hand-Shaken Espresso Martini. Details here. Find locales here.

--------------

DICKEY'S BARBECUE PIT: Holiday heat-and-serve meals make for hassle-free, at-home feasts. Takeout options: Complete Feast (serves 10–12) with smoked or Cajun turkey, prime rib or ham, with sides of cornbread dressing, gravy, baked potato casserole, green beans & rolls; Dinner Feast (for 8–10) with ham, turkey or prime rib, dressing, gravy & rolls; Holiday Big Yellow Box (for 10-12) 4 pounds of sliced turkey & large sides; or À La Carte Menu for individual meats & sides. New to this year's menu is Classic Sweet Potato Casserole. Find shops near you.
------------

EL POLLO LOCO: Festive Family Meals start at $24, with eight pieces of chicken, three sides & tortillas. Also launched is limited-time, pork carnitas holiday menu. With nod to Mexican heritage, options include: Carnitas Tacos (corn-blend tortillas, pork carnitas, avocado salsa, cabbage, cilantro, onion & fresh avocado) ; Carnitas Wet Burrito covered in green enchilada sauce & cheese; and Carnitas Stuffed Quesadilla. Plus, two items available only via Loco Rewards app: Pork Carnitas Nachos & Pork Carnitas Tostadas. Ordering links. Find locales statewide.
-------------

EL TORITO: Dine Christmas Day with all-you-can-eat brunch, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., with tri-tip & ham carving station, made-to-order omelets, taco station, other Mexican faves, dessert bar, unlimited champagne & $5 margaritas & beers. Regular menu available 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. $38/adults & $12/kids, (excluding Redondo Beach, Monterey & Marina del Rey, where buffet pricing is $40/adults & $12/kids. Plus, holiday tamales can be ordered online or at restaurants with 24-hour notice through Jan. 1. One dozen is $26 with chicken, carnitas, sweet corn or mix & match in increments of six. Website. Eatery in La Mesa.

-------------

FLEMING'S PRIME STEAKHOUSE & BAR: Celebrate with three-course, limited-time, winter menu of salmon poke wonton amuse bouche, followed by citrus frisée salad, filet mignon, lobster tail & espresso martini chocolate mousse. And new to menu: Chilled Shellfish Tower of East & West coast oysters, crab legs, lobster & shrimp, with cocktail, creamy mustard & brandy mustard sauces. Reservations. Locations listed here, including San Diego.
--------------

FOGO DE CHAO: Reservations underway at the Brazilian restaurant for Christmas Eve & Day or New Year's Eve & Day dining. Prix-fixe feasts offer continual service of meats, carved tableside by gaucho chefs, along with salads, soup, vegetables, charcuterie & more. Location in San Diego.

--------------

GARIBALDI AT INTERCONTINENTAL SAN DIEGO: Celebrate Christmas Eve with Italian tradition — Feast of the Seven Fishes. Served one night only, Sunday, Dec. 24., with seafood buffet featuring seven dishes, plus antipasto, salads & desserts. Included: Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with Sturgeon Caviar; Octopus Potato Salad; Shellfish Blue Zone Minestrone; Sheepshead Acqua Pazza; Smoked Trout Gnudi; Malloreddus al Tonno; Swordfish alla Ghiotta. Guests receive bottle of “Samas” wine from Sardinian winemaker, Agricola Punica, & complimentary bag of raw housemade pasta, too. $105/person. Reservations. At 901 Bayfront Court, San Diego.

------------

GALPAO GAUCHO: Dine Christmas Eve & Day & New Year's Eve & Day with Brazilian experience of endless rounds of 17 different cuts of meat (including Picanha sirloin, salmon, lamb, pork loin & bacon-wrapped chicken), plus gourmet salad bar, side dishes & desserts. Bookings. Locations here in San Diego.
------------

GELSON'S MARKETS: Takeout orders are due by Dec. 23 for Christmas dinners, with Dec. 21-24 pick-up, and by Dec. 29 for New Year's with pick-up Dec. 30-Jan. 1. Pre-cooked, to-go options include roasted turkey, prime rib, brisket, salmon, ham & plant-based celebration and hazelnut cranberry roasts, with such festive sides as mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole & rolls. Also offered are seafood selections, à la carte dishes, wines & Champagnes. See ordering info here. Find stores near you.

--------------

GEORGE'S AT THE COVE: Enjoy Christmas Day dinner at the iconic eatery with floor-to-ceiling, ocean view and four-course, prix-fixe menu from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. Among menu options: eye of ribeye; striped bass; cauliflower steak; plus dessert array of petit fours. $110/person. Also, George’s rooftop Ocean Terrace & open-air Level2 will serve Christmas Day lunch from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Reservations/menus. At 1250 Prospect St., La Jolla.

---------

GOLDEN CORRAL: Multiple options at this buffet-style chain. Dine-in for Holiday Buffet, featuring seasonal specials of turkey, ham, beef roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, rolls, pie & more. Or select Holiday Feasts To-Go for six to eight with turkey, ham or beef roast, trimmings, sides, rolls & pie. Pre-order online or via app. Holiday A La Carte Items To Go offer individual options. Plus, get $10 bonus card with $50+ purchase. Details. Location finder here.
-----------

HOTEL DEL CORONADO: Celebrate Christmas Eve & Day at The Del, with dining in the historic grande dame's Southpointe Ballroom. Elegant buffet served Christmas Eve with traditional favorites, plus salad, poke, vegan curry, charcuterie, carving stations & desserts. For Christmas Day brunch, diners are treated to buffet of traditional breakfast fare, along with holiday tamales, charcuterie & salad stations, chilled seafood & "Butcher Block" station of prime rib, salmon, turkey, lamb, vegan dishes & more. Reservations. At 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado.

-----------

HUNTRESS: The upscale, modern steakhouse is prepping Christmas Eve (5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.) & Christmas Day (4 p.m. - 8 p.m.) dinners with its regular menu, plus such chef specials as venison Wellington ($55) & lobster risotto ($38). Reservations. At 376 Fifth Ave., San Diego.

-----------

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN: Unique, holiday-themed buckets are back — a tradition since the 1960s — with 2023 theme of “Secret Recipe of Joy.” Plus, two items on menus: Mac & Cheese Wrap & Colonel’s Homestyle Brownie. Info/website.

----------

KRISPY KREME: To commemorate 20th anniversary of holiday classic “Elf,” the chain unveils its first-ever “Elf” Doughnut Collection. Offered for limited time at participating shops, the line includes: "Buddy Snow Globe Doughnut" with chocolate “Elf” piece; "Buddy Makes Breakfast Doughnut," cake batter spaghetti buttercreme, candies, sprinkles & maple drizzle; "Christmas Lights Doughnut," with icing, sprinkles & chocolate “Elf”; plus return of popular "Santa Belly Doughnut," with Cookies & Kreme filling & Santa belt buckle candy piece. Details here.

-------------

MARCO'S PIZZA: Keep this deal in mind for post-Christmas dining! Take 30% off regularly priced pizzas Dec. 26-30, when ordering via mobile or online using code GIFT30 — no limit on toppings. Website. Locales in San Diego County.

---------

MORTON'S THE STEAKHOUSE: Make it a memorable holiday with "Chateaubriand Dinner for Two" offered only Dec. 24-31. Three-course, prix-fixe menu with winter salad, tableside-sliced Chateaubriand, deluxe sides, plus dessert. $179 for two. Add-on options include lobster tails & mini crab cakes. Reservations. Also through Dec. 31, limited-time "Best Steak Anywhere" promo allows guests to try steaks from Japan, Australia & U.S. (like A5 Niigata Snow Wagyu Filet Mignon from Japan) to learn of various flavors & aging processes. See locale in San Diego.

----------

PENDRY SAN DIEGO: Christmas Eve & Day options at two venues. Lionfish is serving Christmas Eve dinner, featuring Chef JoJo Ruiz's Holiday Cast Iron menu that includes duck à l’orange, duck fried rice, moo shu wraps & pickled vegetables. Christmas Day brunch at Provisional Kitchen is prix-fixe with carving & dessert stations, chocolate fountain, entrée choice & live music. ($85/adult & $30 per child, 12 & under.) Christmas Day dinner also planned at Provisional Kitchen, Dec. 25, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m., with special, three-course menu from Chef Brandon Sloan. ($105/adult & $40/child 12 & under.) Info/reservations. At 550 J St., San Diego.

---------------

PIATTI: Feast of the Seven Fishes, a classic Italian-American Christmas tradition, will be served Christmas Eve. ($100-$115/person, depending on location.) Four-course options, which do vary by locale include such selections: smoked salmon pate or carpaccio; crab or shrimp arancini; branzino; oven-roasted salmon; Dungeness crab bucatini; linguine & clams or salmon; cannellini bean & fennel ragout with rockfish, scallops & prawns; plus sorbet & cannoli. Reservations. See site in La Jolla.

------------

PIEOLOGY PIZZERIA: Here's a gift that keeps on giving for Pie Life Rewards members! Order a "Craft Your Own Pizza" by Dec. 31 & you'll be eligible to unlock "Pies and Perks" offer, which sends a daily "Perk" of choice (such as side salad, cookie, or non-alcoholic beverage), alongside pizza purchases through 2024. Details. Locations statewide.
-----------

RANCHO BERNARDO INN: Four-course, prix-fixe dinners will be served Christmas Eve & Christmas Day in AVANT restaurant, along with Christmas Day buffet in the Bernardo Ballroom. Dinners are 4 p.m. - 8 p.m., Dec. 24-25, with entree options for honey-glazed duck, Alaskan halibut, Wagyu strip loin. ($125/adult & $65/child.) Holiday buffet offered Dec. 25, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., with seasonal favorites, carving stations, salmon, chicken & dessert array. Live entertainment, too. $135++ per adult *inclusive of sparkling and still wine, beer & spirits / $55++ per child (aged 12 & younger). Diners also can stop & marvel at life-size gingerbread house on display in the resort lobby. Reservations. At 17550 Bernardo Oaks Drive, San Diego.

-----------

RED LOBSTER: Locations will be open Christmas Day for a shellfish holiday with limited-time, shrimp & lobster specials. Choose: Lobster & Shrimp Holiday Feast (lobster & shrimp in orange-rosemary sauce); Lobster & Cheddar Bay-Stuffed Shrimp; or Lobster & Shrimp Overboard (lobster tail, linguini & shrimp skewer). Cheddar Bay Stuffing is new this year. Plus, new seasonal cocktails: Snowglobe Sangria; Seaside S'mores Martini; Cinnamon Whiskey Sour. For hosting at home, see to-go Holiday Side Bundles, Party Platters & Family Meals. Purchase Holiday Side Bundle with five sides & two dozen, free Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Find restaurants in San Diego County.
-----------

RUSTIC ROOT: Special menu planned Christmas Eve (4 p.m. - 9 p.m.) & Christmas Day (2 p.m. - 8 p.m.)at the stylish farm-fresh Gaslamp eatery, starring honey baked ham with sides of mac ‘n cheese, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, crispy fried Brussels sprouts and cheddar & roasted chili corn bread. Meal also offered as to-go family meal (80, serves four) if ordered by Wednesday, Dec. 20. Info/reservations. At 535 Fifth Ave., San Diego.

---------

RUSTICUCINA: Hillcrest’s farm-to-neighborhood, Sicilian restaurant is hosting $55/person pre-fixe feasts on Christmas Eve & Day and New Year's Eve with special holiday menu. Among offerings: shared plates of fresh bruschetta, calamari, Sicilian-style sautéed artichokes & meatballs; lobster ravioli; pollo ripieno alla parmigana; brasato di manzo with risotto; salmon; truffle fries; Brussels sprouts; & limoncello cake. A la carte options also offered, including the signature Cheese Wheel. Menu/reservations. At 3797 Park Blvd., San Diego.

---------------

RUTH'S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE: "Celebration Surf & Turf" holiday dinner, filet & twin tails, served Dec. 22–24 & Dec. 29-31. Plus, festive, family-sized salads & sides can be ordered for takeout until Dec. 23, with 48-hour notice. See sites in Del Mar, San Diego.

--------------

SEASONS 52: Keep New Year's simple with Green Box to-go dinners, serving four to six. With choices for wood-grilled tenderloin or cedar plank-roasted salmon, plus marble potatoes, French green beans, salad & six Mini Indulgence desserts. Pre-orders required 24 hours in advance. Plus, two, new low-calorie mocktails on seasonal menus: Citrus Sparkling Refresher – Seedlip Grove 42 (citrus blend), blood orange puree, soda water & rosemary; and Botanical Smash – Seedlip Garden 108 (herbal blend), white cranberry juice, cucumber, lime & soda water. Website. See locale in San Diego/UTC.
-----------

7-ELEVEN: Don't miss these holiday deals: Whole pizzas are $6 for 7Rewards members on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day. And rewards members also can score a large coffee & doughnut for $2 for a limited time. Rewards info here.

--------------

THE SMOKING GUN: Don't miss Chef Navor Martinez's third annual Chinese Christmas Dinner, with special dishes including deep-fried green beans, Smoking Gun Fried Rice, honey walnut shrimp, beef broccoli, spicy honey garlic chicken, wagyu beef brisket cumin soup & fried wontons with wasabi-soy ginger cream cheese. Prices vary by dish, from $11.99 to $15.99. Service begins 5 p.m. Dec. 25. Reservations. In Gaslamp neighborhood, 555 Market St., San Diego.

--------------

TOUS LES JOURS: French-Asian bakery café chain offers festive, “Merry Wiggle Christmas” collection of holiday cakes, including playful treats from partnership with Korean lifestyle brand Wiggle Wiggle. Set a Christmas table with such creations as the Winter Tree Cake, Snowman Cake, Rudolph Cake or classic Buche de Noel, chocolate log roll cake filled with rich chocolate ganache cream. Order details. Find shops.
-------------------

VEGGIE GRILL: Vegetarian, holiday-dining alert! Check out two, limited-edition specials offered through New Year's Eve: the Turk’y Cranwich; and Harvest Mushroom Stew. Sandwich features Prime Roots’ Cracked Black Pepper Koji-Turkey, cranberry aioli, “turkey” gravy, cranberry stuffing, lettuce, tomato on grilled sourdough. Stew is hearty with Fable mushrooms, potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, rosemary & thyme. Info. Find locale in Carlsbad.

-----------

FOR REGION-SPECIFIC HOLIDAY DINING:

• Christmas Brunch & Dinner: Orange County Restaurant & Takeout Specials
• Christmas Brunch & Dinner: Los Angeles Restaurant & Takeout Specials
• Christmas Brunch & Dinner: San Francisco Bay Area Restaurant & To-Go Offers
• Christmas Brunch & Dinner: Inland Empire Restaurant & Takeout Specials

------------

ALSO SEE: San Diego Guide To Outdoor, Ice Skating Rinks: Holidays 2023-24