# Austin Dopers--Restaurants open on Christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 12, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austin-dopers-restaurants-open-on-christmas/740268 "2015-12-12T20:06:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austin-dopers-restaurants-open-on-christmas/740268/1 "2015-12-12T20:06:33Z")
Hello Austin dopers! I’m spending Christmas day in Austin with my heathen family. After we go to the movies, we’re thinking of going out to eat. I assumed we could go eat Chinese food with all the nice Jewish people, what’s the big deal? Also, it’s Austin. Plenty of people who don’t celebrate Christmas. My mother swears that they tried to do that about five/six years ago and that there were only like two places and an over an hour wait. That doesn’t even sound possible or probable. I’m using my Google-fu and trying to find some places, but I thought some locals may know some good places off-hand. (We do have two vegetarians (usually not a problem in Austin) and we are kinda cheap, but are willing to splurge.) We’re all big fans of all kinds of ethnic food. Thanks for any help! ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austin-dopers-restaurants-open-on-christmas/740268/2 "2015-12-12T22:03:18Z")
First Chinese BBQ (my favorite Chinese in town) was open but had a pretty long wait when we went there a few years ago…you might consider killing two birds with one stone by going to the Alamo Drafthouse for a movie and dinner. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austin-dopers-restaurants-open-on-christmas/740268/3 "2015-12-12T22:06:59Z")
Also, you might check the Chronicle to see if they post a list of restaurants that will be open (they did before Thanksgiving.) ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austin-dopers-restaurants-open-on-christmas/740268/4 "2015-12-12T22:44:00Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > First Chinese BBQ (my favorite Chinese in town) was open but had a pretty long wait when we went there a few years ago…you might consider killing two birds with one stone by going to the Alamo Drafthouse for a movie and dinner. The original idea WAS to go to Alamo Drafthouse, but basically it’s all Star Wars? Which The Fella and I will have seen on the 18th. I did say I’d see it again, \ but she’s found some other theater. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austin-dopers-restaurants-open-on-christmas/740268/5 "2015-12-12T23:07:01Z")
> [@BrassyPhrase](#): > > The original idea WAS to go to Alamo Drafthouse, but basically it’s all Star Wars? Which The Fella and I will have seen on the 18th. > > I did say I’d see it again, \ but she’s found some other theater. > > Thank you! I _think_ they’ll be showing other movies, they just haven’t released their schedule for them this far out yet - you might call and ask. ---
**Author:** ![Anaptyxis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anaptyxis/32/3171_2.png) [@Anaptyxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaptyxis)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austin-dopers-restaurants-open-on-christmas/740268/6 "2015-12-13T00:00:14Z")
Heh, I had this exact same problem last year. Christmas, Austin Texas, in need of dinner. We ended up at Russian House downtown. Funky doesn’t even begin to describe it, but I did enjoy it. (Disclosure: I have a lot of experience with Russian culture, so the menu didn’t confuse me and I knew to avoid the crazier vodka infusions.) They have a good selection of Central Asian dishes as well as the Moscow standards. I think they take reservations; I’d recommend you do that if you decide to go this route. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austin-dopers-restaurants-open-on-christmas/740268/7 "2015-12-13T02:30:22Z")
Among the few I know are open, there’s Buca de Beppo, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and McCormick & Schmick. Carmelo’s is usually open on Christmas.