Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral Christmas Hours: Looking For A Cheap Holiday Meal? 10 Restaurants Open Christmas Day

If cooking Christmas dinner isn’t your thing, there are a number of sit-down and buffet-style restaurants open with many of them offering a cheap holiday meal that won’t put a strain on your wallet.

According to Eater, the search for “restaurants open on Christmas” has been on the rise over the past few years, with more people opting to enjoy their holiday meal at a restaurant — perhaps to avoid the time and effort (and the dishes) involved with cooking Christmas dinner.

So, where can you eat out on Christmas Day and are budget-priced restaurants like Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, Hometown Buffet, Boston Market open on December 25? Here’s the low-down on where you can eat on Christmas without spending too much cash.

Order our Heat n’ Serve Holiday Family Meal To-Go and prepare a holiday spread in just three hours or less. https://t.co/8ux9QTEbMM pic.twitter.com/sl0e6tlC7M

— Cracker Barrel (@CrackerBarrel) December 2, 2016

There are a number of options for those who want to venture out for a cheap bite to eat after opening gifts, but if Cracker Barrel tops your list, you will have to pick another restaurant on the list below — the country-themed restaurant will be closed on Christmas Day. However, you can order take-out or a heat-and-eat Meals to Go ahead of time and pick up your meal on Christmas Eve as long as you get there by the 2 p.m. closing time.

With Cracker Barrel off the list, here are 10 options for restaurants offering budget-friendly meals on Christmas Day.

Golden Corral is a popular choice, with many locations offering a full holiday buffet. The restaurant chain has special Christmas hours that vary by location.

Old Country Buffet and Hometown Buffet restaurants will be open on Christmas, but a call to the Bakersfield, California location reveals that most locations will only be open from 10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. and the buffet will feature holiday dinner selections.

Shoney’s will be offering an all-you-can-eat Christmas feast but their holiday hours vary by location.

Want to eat breakfast for Christmas dinner? Stop by your local IHOP restaurant for some eggnog pancakes or toasted marshmallow hot chocolate — or anything else on the menu. According to Heavy, all IHOP locations are independently owned, so hours will vary but normal hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Denny’s is another popular breakfast spot, but much like IHOP, they also have a variety of lunch and dinner menu items. Fortune reports that Denny’s holiday hours are no different than any other day — stop by 24/7 to fill up on some reasonably priced chow.

Sizzler restaurants will be open December 25 but only at select locations in Arizona and California.

Buca di Beppo isn’t dirt cheap, but the restaurant will be offering their Italian-American fare starting at 11 a.m. on Christmas Day. Call ahead for reservations.

Waffle House will be open ’round the clock at all locations across the U.S. if you’re in the mood for some non-holiday food like scrambled eggs, smothered hash browns, or a cheeseburger on toast.

Some Panda Express restaurants will be open on Christmas, but according to Go Banking Rates, the store manager of each location determines whether the fast-food Chinese restaurant will be open or closed. Consumers can expect the Panda Express locations in mall food courts to be closed right along with the retails stores.

Applebee’s will be hit-or-miss on Christmas Day. According to MLive, whether or not the popular restaurant chain will be open is up to the franchisee that owns each unit, so play it safe and call ahead before you head out for holiday grub.

Will you be heading out to eat on Christmas Day? Take the poll below.

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