What’s open Christmas Day in Fort Worth? Some new choices for a holiday Sunday brunch

Bud Kennedy
·6 min read
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For 15 years, Amy Flores has opened her tiny north Fort Worth menudo cafe on Christmas mornings.

“Not everyone is blessed to have a family,” she said last week after serving breakfast chilaquiles, posole and tamales-and-eggs at Amy’s Restaurant, 1537 N. Main St.

Opening Christmas “is not an inconvenience at all,” she wrote. “We love to see everyone’s faces and hope to light up their day.”

But Amy’s Restaurant is among only a handful that are open on holidays.

Big hotels serve big buffets. Think the Gaylord Texan or Omni Fort Worth.

But the prices are big, too — and some are booked.

If you’re just now making Sunday brunch plans for Christmas, here are a few pricey or practical choices (and by the way, book soon for New Year’s and Valentine’s Day):

Shrimp cocktail aguachile at Toro Toro in Fort Worth.
Shrimp cocktail aguachile at Toro Toro in Fort Worth.

More hotels offering brunch

▪ This is good news: For the first time in 12 years, the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth restaurant will serve a holiday buffet.

Colorado chef Richard Sandoval’s $75 buffet at Toro Toro, 200 Main St., will be Latin-style, with prime rib, ham, flatiron chimichurri steak-and-eggs and breakfasts such as arepas-and-eggs, along with salads, chilled seafood, sides and desserts.

Don’t sweat parking. Toro Toro’s valet is always free; 817-975-9895, torotorofortworth.com.

The 97 West entrance has a neon cowboy under the old-time “Drover” sign.
The 97 West entrance has a neon cowboy under the old-time “Drover” sign.

▪ The lavish Hotel Drover in the Stockyards is serving brunch in its 97 West Kitchen restaurant.

The $49 meal includes cast-iron cinnamon rolls, duck-confit eggs Benedict and chicken-and-waffles. The menu was just revealed, so the Drover, 200 Mule Alley Drive, probably still has tables available.

Call 682-255-6497 and be surprised; 97westkitchenandbar.com.

Pan-seared duck with glazed root vegetable, parsnip purée, and cranberry gastrique at Wicked Butcher at The Sinclair in downtown Fort Worth.
Pan-seared duck with glazed root vegetable, parsnip purée, and cranberry gastrique at Wicked Butcher at The Sinclair in downtown Fort Worth.

▪ Wicked Butcher, the steakhouse in the Sinclair Hotel, 512 Main St., is showcasing its best menu dishes.

There’s a rack of lamb with balsamic reduction ($56), duck breast ($46), roast chicken with potatoes and artichokes ($34) and a variety of other entrees, steaks and seafood.

It’s Sunday, so street parking is free and easy; 817) 601-4621, wickedbutcher.com.

Hotel Vin in Grapevine’s ballroom brunch as seen on Thanksgiving 2022.
Hotel Vin in Grapevine’s ballroom brunch as seen on Thanksgiving 2022.

▪ In Grapevine, Bacchus Kitchen + Bar at the Hotel Vin, 215 E. Dallas Road, is serving a $90 special featuring prime rib; 817-251-3040, bacchustx.com.

Family restaurants

Barbie Stanislawski decorated her Heaven’s Gate Restaurant for the holidays. She renamed the restaurant after recovering from an illness. She will serve an inexpensive all-you-can-eat buffet Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Barbie Stanislawski decorated her Heaven’s Gate Restaurant for the holidays. She renamed the restaurant after recovering from an illness. She will serve an inexpensive all-you-can-eat buffet Thanksgiving and Christmas.

▪ Heaven’s Gate Restaurant, 3820 N. Main St., is a 46-year-old cafe serving a country-cooking lunch buffet every day with entrees such as meat loaf, roast pork and chicken-fried steak, plus some Tex-Mex.

The staff will carry on despite the death last week of owner “Miss Barbie” Stanislawski. The $19.99 lunch buffet usually opens at 10 a.m. Christmas. It’s near Meacham Airport, 2 miles south of Loop 820 or 2 miles north of the Stockyards; 817-624-1262, heavensgaterestaurant.com.

The Iron Skillet Restaurant at a Weatherford truck stop has an old-timey, long soup-and-salad bar.
The Iron Skillet Restaurant at a Weatherford truck stop has an old-timey, long soup-and-salad bar.

▪ The Iron Skillet Restaurant, 2001 Santa Fe Drive, Weatherford, draws lines every Christmas for turkey and dressing, ham, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie.

It’s a 24-hour truck stop in growing Parker County, with online ordering — a big plus — for anyone who can’t stay and enjoy the ambiance. There’s a full menu of breakfasts, burgers and even steaks; ta-petro.com.

The mini German pancakes “Dutch Babies sampler” at Ol’ South Pancake House.
The mini German pancakes “Dutch Babies sampler” at Ol’ South Pancake House.

▪ Ol’ South Pancake House, 1509 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, and 225 E. Renfro St., Burleson, is the Benson family’s 60-plus-year Texas breakfast tradition and also serves plate lunches, dinners, burgers and chicken-fried steaks.

Both locations will open at 8 a.m. Christmas Day and serve their regular menu; 817-336-0311 or 817-989-9090, olsouthpancakehouse.com.

The Houston-based Saltgrass Steak House chain, with seven Tarrant County locations, will be open and serving the regular menu of steaks, seafood and desserts; saltgrass.com.

Breakfast at Skillet & Grill, now in its new Arlington location.
Breakfast at Skillet & Grill, now in its new Arlington location.
Skillet & Grill, an Arlington breakfast diner, moved into a former Tex-Mex restaurant and events hall on West Division Street.
Skillet & Grill, an Arlington breakfast diner, moved into a former Tex-Mex restaurant and events hall on West Division Street.

▪ Skillet N’ Grill, 1801 W. Division St., Arlington, is a busy breakfast and lunch cafe that opens holidays and usually serves a turkey or ham plate lunch special along with the regular menu.

Breakfast is the most popular item, but in Arlington, any day can be a Skillet N’ Grill day; 817-795-8682, facebook.com/SkilletnGrill.

▪ The Missouri-based Applebee’s chain, South Carolina-based Denny’s and California-based IHoP restaurants also will be open Christmas Day.

On the smaller side

These smaller cafes are open Christmas:

Eggs “tamaleros” is a menu item at Amy’s Restaurant in north Fort Worth.
Eggs “tamaleros” is a menu item at Amy’s Restaurant in north Fort Worth.

▪ Amy’s Restaurant, 1537 N. Main St., is Flores’ little menudo cafe open weekends as a north side insiders’ hangout for breakfast or lunch.

It’s a classic “local pequeño” — a little local place. It opens at 7 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays, plus holidays, serving migas, chilaquiles, omelets, soups and stews; 817-841-2896, facebook.com.

A taco lunch plate (two soft, one crispy) at Day Break Cafe in Fort Worth.
A taco lunch plate (two soft, one crispy) at Day Break Cafe in Fort Worth.

▪ Day Break Cafe, 2720 White Settlement Road, is a simple American and Tex-Mex grill opening at 5 a.m. every day of the year, for early breakfast burritos after Santa has barely made his stops.

Owner Mario Garcia serves a regular menu of breakfasts, burgers and plates lunches. The special every Sunday is spaghetti and meatballs.

It’s the kind of place where you can order chilaquiles verdes with a side of pancakes, or chicken-fried steak with bacon, tacos and apple pie; 817-335-0805, facebook.com/DayBreakCafeandGrill.

A “red” California roll, spicy tuna roll, “Caterpillar” roll and “Tiger” roll at Akarii Revolving Sushi.
A “red” California roll, spicy tuna roll, “Caterpillar” roll and “Tiger” roll at Akarii Revolving Sushi.
A conveyor belt rotates sushi past tables equipped with iPads at Akarii Revolving Sushi.
A conveyor belt rotates sushi past tables equipped with iPads at Akarii Revolving Sushi.

Ethnic restaurants

▪ Akarii Revolving Sushi, 628 Harrold St., Fort Worth, and 3341 E. Broad St., Mansfield, will open and serve its menu of self-service sushi, sashimi, salads and more from a revolving conveyor belt that passes each booth in the dining room; (817) 332-8888 or (817) 473-6888, akariirevolvingsushi.com.

Thanksgiving dinner at Brio Italian Grille in Southlake.
Thanksgiving dinner at Brio Italian Grille in Southlake.

▪ The Ohio-based Brio Italian chain, 1431 Plaza Place, Southlake, is open and serving Sunday brunch along with its regular menu; 817-310-3136, brioitalian.com.

▪ The Florida-based Buca di Beppo chain, 2701 Texas 114 East, Southlake, is open and serving its regular menu of family-style pastas, lasagnas and pizzas; 817-749-6262, bucadibeppo.com.

▪ First Chinese BBQ, 5310 E. Belknap St., Haltom CIty, is the highest-rated restaurant open Christmas Day, serving a vast menu of more than 200 items including roast duck; 817-834-1888.

▪ Galilee Falafel & Shwarma, 6116 Lake Worth Blvd., is serving turkey shawarma Christmas Day along with its regular menu of falafel, grilled chicken or beef in a bowl, atop a salad or as a wrap; 817-585-1167, facebook.com/GalileeLakeworth.

Bella the robot cat delivers orders at Japan House in North Richland Hills.
Bella the robot cat delivers orders at Japan House in North Richland Hills.

▪ Japan House, 7536 Boulevard 26, North Richland Hills, is an all-you-can-eat hibachi and sushi restaurant with robot servers; 817-537-2223, japanhousedfw.com.

▪ Colorado-based Romano’s Macaroni Grill, 1505 S. University Drive, will serve its regular menu of pastas and grill dishes; 817-336-6676, macaronigrill.com.

More picks

Other restaurants open for Christmas lunch:

▪ Fort Worth: Burgers n Beyond, Cast Iron, il Modo at the Kimpton Harper, Melis Taqueria, Mercury Chophouse, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Saltgrass Steak House, Texas de Brazil.

▪ Arlington: Cut & Bourbon.

▪ Southlake: Jellico’s, Sky Creek Kitchen.

If you know a Christmas lunch restaurant not listed here, email bud@star-telegram.com, call 817-390-7538 or message @diningguy on Facebook, @eatsbeat on Twitter or @budkennedy on Instagram..