Dining out on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2011

Update (11/27/2012): We’re working diligently to complete our new, updated list for 2012 and hope to have it published within the next few days. In the meantime, please use this 2011 list as a guideline, if you wish, but be aware that there are quite a few changes afoot for 2012. At least three restaurants on last year’s list have closed their doors, for instance.

This is the fifth year we’ve compiled a list of restaurants open in the Madison area on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

This list began four years in 2007 as a blog post listing Chinese restaurants open on Christmas (on another blog). It proved to be incredibly popular, drawing thousands of visitors. The following year, in 2008, we expanded the list by adding non-Chinese restaurants.

Reading that 2008 blog post will also provide you with some background information on what has become a very popular holiday tradition for us: We’ve welcomed thousands and thousands of visitors during the holiday season who are looking for this information — and learned that lots of people don’t dine at home on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day.

Posted below is the most recent draft of the 2011 list. This year, there are fewer non-Chinese options available. A good number of restaurants from last year’s list are no longer open for business.
Update (12/20/2011):  Thanks to our readers who contacted us, we’ve added quite a few new restaurants to the list!

Adhering to tradition, the list is divided into two sections: The first features Chinese restaurants; the second features other Madison-area restaurants, some of which serve festive Christmas brunches and others which serve from their regular menus.

Important: Even though a restaurant is open on December 24th and/or December 25th, it may have limited hours or menu options. Please call ahead to confirm details.

Part I: Madison-area Chinese restaurants open December 24th and December 25th

A-8 China, 608 University Avenue, 608-250-8888
Open December 24th

Chang Jiang, 948 W. Main Street, Sun Prairie, 608-825-9108
Open December 24th and 25th

China Buffet, 3579 E. Washington Avenue, 608-241-9978
Open December 24th and 25th

China Inn, 4702 Cottage Grove Road, 608-222-8829
Open December 24th and 25th

China Kitchen, 6608 Mineral Point Road, 608-826-4432
Open December 24th (regular hours) and 25th (4 p.m. to 8 p.m.)

China One Buffet, 518 Grand Canyon Drive, 608-833-5288
Open December 24th and 25th (Reservations suggested)

China Wok Buffet, 6913 University Avenue, 608-826-0333
Open December 24th and 25th

Fugu Asian, 411 West Gilman Street, 608-286-7277
Open “regular hours” on December 24th and 25th

Great China, 617 N. Sherman Avenue, 608-244-9988
Open “regular hours” December 24th and 25th

Hong Kong Cafe, 2 S. Mills Street, 608-259-1668
Open December 24th (Lunch only); closed December 25th

Imperial Garden West, 2039 Allen Boulevard, Middleton, 608-238-6445
Open December 24th (Lunch: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Dinner 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.); closed December 25th

Oriental Wok, 532 S. Park Street, 608-255-1288
Open December 24th and 25th

P.F. Chang’s, 2237 Deming Way, Middleton, 608-831-2488
Open December 24th

QQ Asian Buffet, 1291 North Sherman Avenue, 608-819-8448
Open December 24th and 25th

Tai’s Asian Bistro, 638 S. Whitney Way, 608-667-8889
Open “regular hours” December 24th and December 25th

World Buffet, 2451 W. Broadway, 608-222-2962
Open December 24th and December 25th

Yes Buffet, 3038 S. Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg, 608-273-3038
Open December 24th and 25th (20% discount Christmas Day)

Part II: Additional Madison restaurants open on December 24th and December 25th

Admiralty Dining Room, Edgewater Hotel, 666 Wisconsin Avenue, 608-661-6582
Special holiday buffet on December 24th from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and December 25th from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Reservations recommended)
Note: Current LivingSocial deal for The Admiralty is NOT valid on Holidays. -Closed during hotel renovation and constriction. Anticipated re-opening is in 2014.

Avenue Bar, 1128 E. Washington Avenue, 608-257-6877
Open December 24th until 2 p.m and December 25th from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Benvenuto’s Italian Grill, 1849 Northport Drive, 608-241-1144
Benvenuto’s Italian Grill, 2949 Triverton Pike Drive in Fitchburg, 608-278-7800
Both locations open December 24th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bonfyre American Grille
2601 West Beltline Highway, (608) 273-3973
Open from noon until 9 p.m. on December 24th

Café Costa Rica, 141 South Butler Street, 608-256-9830 (Reservations requested)
Open December 24th

Cilantro,
7005 Tree Lane, (608) 203-8073
Open December 24th – Restaurant has closed its doors

Club Tavern
1915 Branch Street, Middleton (608) 836-3773
Open December 24th and December 25th (6 p.m. until normal bar closing)
No food service on the 25th other than a Packer game special, which is 4 brats and a pitcher of Miller High Life for $10.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 750 North Midvale Boulevard, 608-233-9550
Open December 24th from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Reservations recommended)

Gus’s Diner, 630 North Westmount, Sun Prairie; 608-318-0900
Open December 24th from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m. and December 25th from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Click here to print a coupon for 10% off your purchase.

Hilton Monona Terrace, 9 East Wilson Street, 608-255-5100
Capitol Chophouse open December 24th (Reservations recommended)

Lillana’s, 2951 Triverton Pike in Fitchburg, 608-442-4444
Open for dinner December 24th and December 25th

Maharani, 380 W. Washington Avenue, 608-251-9999
Open December 24th and 25th

<Moe’s Tavern and Grill, 118 State Street, 608-280-9999
Open December 24th and 25th – Restaurant is no longer in business

Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, 2089 Atwood Avenue, 608-244-8505
Open December 24th from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Old Chicago, 7702 Mineral Point Road, 608-827-0033
Open December 24th until 3 p.m. and December 25th (6 p.m. until bar time)

Pancake Cafe, 6220 Nesbitt Road, Fitchburg; 608-204-7040
Open December 25th from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Special Christmas brunch served from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.)

Restaurant Muramoto
225 King Street, 608-259-1040
Open December 24th

Samba Brazilian Grill, 240 West Gilman Street, 608-257-1111
Open December 24th

Sheraton Hotel Madison, 706 John Nolen Drive, 608-251-2300
Harvest Lounge and Heartland Grill
Open December 24th and 25th

Sushi Muramoto
546 North Midvale Boulevard, 608-441-1090
Open December 24th

Swagat, 707 N. High Point Road, 608-836-9399
Open December 24th and 25th

Taj Indian Restaurant, 1256 South Park Street, 608-268-0772
Open December 24th and 25th

Takara Japanese Restaurant – Downtown, 315 State Street, 608-268-0188
Open December 24th

Takara Japanese Restaurant – West Side, 696 South Whitney Way, 608-270-1188
Open December 24th and 25th

Taste of India, 2623 Monroe Street, 608-218-9200
Open December 24th and 25th

Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace, 2009 Atwood Avenue, 608-242-1800
Open December 24th from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The Great Dane Pub-Downtown, 123 East Doty Street, 608-284-0000
Open December 24th (11 a.m. to midnight)

The Great Dane Pub – Eastside, 876 Jupiter Drive, 608-442-1333
Open December 24th (11 a.m. until bar time)

The Great Dane Pub-Fitchburg, 2980 Cahill Main, 608-442-9000
Open December 24th

The Great Dane Pub-Hilldale, 357 Price Place, 608-661-9400
Open 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. on December 24th and 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. on December 25th

The Old Feed Mill
114 Cramer Street, Mazonmanie; 608-795-4909
Open December 24th from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a holiday buffet dinner

Tully’s II Food and Spirits, 6401 Monona Drive, Monona; 608-222-4995
Open December 24th and 25th

If you know about a Madison-area restaurant that will be open on December 24th or December 25th, please share the information with us by using our contact form, or sending an email to us at madisononthecheap

Last updated 11/27/2012