OC Restaurants Open For NYE & New Year's Day Brunch & Dinner 2023-24

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — It's nearly time to ring in 2024! And restaurants throughout Orange County are ready to help you do just that with a slew of dining options for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

We've rounded up a variety of the festive offers — for in-restaurant celebrations and takeout feasts— in our annual dining 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.

And Happy New Year, from Patch!

• ALSO SEE: OC Weekend: NYE Fireworks; New Year's Eve Celebrations; Family Hike

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ACAPULCO: Place your orders for holiday tamales 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. Find locale in Costa Mesa.

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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.
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BAYSIDE RESTAURANT: Ring in 2024 in style Dec. 31 with live music & NYE prix-fixe, surf & turf dinner featuring filet mignon & scallops & harborside views. A la carte menu also offered. 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Music begins 8 p.m. Details. At 900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach.

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BISTANGO: The Ghoukassian Family invites diners to join them for their 36th year & to ring in New Year with live music, libations & prix-fixe, NYE menu Dec. 31 on open-air, heated patio or in dining room. Among selections: Wagyu beef-black truffle ravioli; oysters; Chilean sea bass; filet mignon "Oscar"; veal osso buco; lamb chops; & Black Forest cake. Details. At 19100 Von Karman Ave., Irvine.

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BLACK ANGUS STEAKHOUSE: New Year’s Eve in-restaurant dining deal planned 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/reservations. Find locales in Buena Park, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana.
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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.

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BRUNOS ITALIAN KITCHEN: Count down to New Year’s with weekend dining special, Dec. 29-31, of three-courses ($50), plus complimentary party favors New Year’s Eve. Menu: appetizer choice of farmer's market winter salad or butternut squash soup; entree of flat iron steak & shrimp or lobster & crab fettuccine; and dessert. Details. At 210 W. Birch St., Brea.

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CAFE SEVILLA: Multiple options here for festive New Year's Eve with Spanish flair. Select from: three-course, prix-fixe dinner with live music; or Flamenco show & three-course dinner; or NYE Tapas Bar Table Package, with reserved seating, live Latin music, DJ, dancing, specialty food & cocktails, party favors & midnight champagne toast. Bookings/info here. At Triangle Square, 1870 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa.
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CALACA MAMAS CANTINA: Limited-time, holiday menu at the Día de los Muertos-themed eatery, across from Disneyland, includes such traditional Mexican Christmas cuisine as: Atole de Coco $8 (Add Grand Marnier or Hennessey – $16); Crema de Calabaza pumpkin soup with Mexican squash $14; and Gorditas de Platano (banana plantain, black beans, condensed milk, mint) $14. Open until 1 a.m. New Year's Eve & Day. Menu offered through Jan. 7. Info. At 1550 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim.

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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.
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CHA CHA'S LATIN KITCHEN: Ring in New Year Dec. 31 with Cha Cha’s-style fiesta, featuring three-course, special menu, plus live music & complimentary party favors! Reservations. In Brea & Irvine.

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CHART HOUSE: NYE diners can select takeout Dinner for Two ($110) or on-site, prix-fixe menu with three courses served Dec. 31. To-go option includes clam chowder, Caesar salad, two filets, grilled shrimp & cheesecake. Takeout orders due Dec. 29. Details/reservations. Find locale in Dana Point.

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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.
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EL POLLO LOCO: Festive Family Meals start at $24, with eight pieces of chicken, three sides & tortillas. The chain also launches 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 with green enchilada sauce & cheese; and Carnitas Stuffed Quesadilla. Plus, two items available only via Loco Rewards app are Pork Carnitas Nachos & Pork Carnitas Tostadas. Ordering links. Find locales.

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EL TORITO: 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. Eateries in OC.

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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 here in Anaheim, Newport Beach.
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FOGO DE CHAO: Reservations underway at the Brazilian restaurant for 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. Locations in Brea, Huntington Beach, Irvine.
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GELSON'S MARKETS: Takeout orders are due 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.
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GOLDEN CORRAL: Multiple options at this buffet-style chain. Dine-in for endless 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 offers individual options. Plus, $10 bonus card offered with $50 or more purchase & redeemable Jan. 8 to Feb. 13. Details. Location finder here.

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HYATT REGENCY HUNTINGTON BEACH: Dine out New Year's Eve, with unparalleled oceanside views, at resort’s signature Watertable restaurant with exquisite, four-course dinner 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Menu highlights: creamer potato cakes; bone marrow; wedge salad; apple & green tomato salad; 8-ounce prime New York; Chilean sea bass; tofu, fennel & squash; plus, coffee cake & orange almond cake desserts. $120/person. And don't miss lobby, holiday tradition— 9-ton, sand sculpture by artist Lucinda Wierenga. Reservations. At 21500 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach.

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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.
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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.
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LAGUNA CLIFFS MARRIOTT RESORT & SPA: Special menu planned New Year's Eve at beachfront resort's The Restaurant. Seatings 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.,with complimentary access ($50 cover value) to New Year's Eve party in OverVue Lounge 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Reservations. At 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point.
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LAS BRISAS: Treat the family New Year's Eve to elegant, prix-fixe brunch & dinner at the iconic cliffside eatery. On Dec. 31, brunch is four courses, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. ($85/person), with three-course NYE dinner menu & Champagne toast 3 p.m. - 11 p.m. ($130/person). Menu highlights: sea scallops; smoked salmon or spicy tuna tostadas; barramundi; prime rib with mole-potato purée; lamb chops; & tres leches cake with toasted coconut. Upgrades offered for "Ocean Front Champagne Experience" with oceanfront table, keepsake champagne flute & chilled bottle of bubbly. Menus/reservations. At 361 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach.
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MARCO'S PIZZA: Snag this deal before NYE! 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 OC.
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MAYOR'S TABLE: Two New Year fests planned: New Year’s Eve Soiree, Dec. 31 with 5 p.m. or 8 p.m. seatings; & New Year's Day brunch, Jan. 1, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. NYE dinner features such dishes as beet carpaccio, lamb, braised short rib & more, plus decadent desserts. (5 p.m. seating: $129/person; $50/child and 6 & under free. Or 8 p.m. seating: $149/person; $65/child & 6 and under free.) New Year's Day brunch stars buffet of pastries, donut wall, omelet & waffle stations, chicken-jalapeño sausage, breakfast potatoes, freshly pressed juices, "Garden of Eden" salad bar, chilaquiles bar & Chef’s Sweets Stations. ($115/person; $40/child; 6 and under free.) Reservations. At Lido House, 3300 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach.

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MIGUEL'S JR.: The holiday-fave tamales are back through NYE! Featuring co-founder Mary Vasquez’s secret family recipe for chicken or chile rojo pork, at $3.59 a la carte, or $37.99 for dozen. Offered through Dec. 31. And while they're here, go off-menu with a tamale hack: Order burrito with tamale inside; "Mexican Flag" it up & dress tamale in enchilada sauce, sour cream & guacamole; "Wet Style" douse tamale in enchilada sauce & cheddar cheese; or ask for "Deep Fried" & dipping sauce. See menu/ordering info. Find locales in Orange County.
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MORTON'S THE STEAKHOUSE: Make it a memorable NYE with "Chateaubriand Dinner for Two" offered only through Dec. 31. Three-course, prix-fixe menu with winter salad, tableside-sliced Chateaubriand with roasted shallots, red wine demi reduction, Bearnaise & au jus, 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 locales in Anaheim, Santa Ana.

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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.

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POSTINO WINECAFE: Celebrate New Year’s Eve with "Boujee Board & Bottle" event Sunday, Dec. 31 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. with DJ, dancing, shareable bruschetta board & premium bottle of featured bubbles. $50/person or $40 for Wine Cult club members. Festive cocktail attire encouraged. Walk-ins welcome, but reservations offered at 949.336.2600. Info. At 2981 Michelson Drive, Irvine.

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RANDY'S DONUTS: Keep the holidays sweet with two, new box dozens, featuring the iconic chain's Christmas Tree, Snowman & Holiday Sprinkles doughnuts. Offered in "Classic" or "Premium Holiday" box sets. Available through Dec. 31. See shops throughout Southern California.
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RED LOBSTER: Make it 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 side of brioche, Cheddar Bay, bacon & mushroom. 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 all five sides & receive two dozen Cheddar Bay Biscuits free. Find restaurants in Orange County.
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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 Anaheim, Irvine.
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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 Costa Mesa.

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7-ELEVEN: Don't miss these holiday deals: Whole pizzas are $6 for 7Rewards members on 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.

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SPLASHES AT SURF & SAND RESORT: Chef Ron Fougeray is prepping a four-course, New Year's Eve dinner for the shoreline eatery. Champagne toast included. $175/person. Reserve via OpenTable. At 1555 South Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach.

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TGI FRIDAYS: Book holiday get-together at the restaurant by Dec. 31 & get 15% off Party Packages. Options for appetizers, two-course & three-course menus. Details here. Locations listed in OC.

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THE BLIND PIG KITCHEN + BAR: On Dec. 31, the RSM locale is planning Studio 54-themed bash with Hollywood-esque live music & such indulgent specials as NYE Lobster Thermidor. Complimentary champagne toast at midnight, too. $50 minimum per seat. Book here. At 31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy., Rancho Santa Margarita.

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VEA NEWPORT BEACH: Celebrate New Year's Eve, Dec. 31 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., with three-course prix fixe dinner at VIEW Restaurant & Lounge. $120/person. Entree courses offer choice of prime filet, duck breast or scallops. Or on New Year's Day, enjoy Hangover Brunch at VIEW (6 a.m. - 11 a.m.) with a la carte brunch menu. Reservations via OpenTable. At 900 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach.

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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 Irvine.
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ALSO SEE:

OC Weekend: NYE Fireworks; New Year's Eve Celebrations; Family Hike

OC Guide To Outdoor, Ice Skating Rinks: Holidays 2023-24