Christmas without cooking? These Sacramento-area restaurants serve up holiday meals, takeout
Between purchasing groceries, cooking and cleaning up afterward, holiday dinners can be a drag.
There is no need to stress, however. There are ways to enjoy a decent meal without spending a ton of time in the kitchen.
Sacramento-area restaurants and shops offer several options for folks looking for dine-in, takeout or catered holiday meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 2024.
Here’s where to go:
Where can I eat out on Christmas in Sacramento area?
Going out to eat? These Sacramento-area restaurants are open for dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — Tuesday, Dec 24, and Wednesday, Dec 25:
Sheldon Inn, 9000 Grant Line Road in Elk Grove, will be open on Tuesday, Christmas Eve. The three-course brunch menu costs $42 per person and includes options such as beignets, quiche, French toast, fried chicken, omelettes and smoked salmon Benedict. For dessert, the restaurant is serving chocolate crinkle cookies, raspberry crinkle cookies and snickerdoodle cookies with persimmon jam.
The restaurant is closed Wednesday for Christmas Day.
Firehouse Restaurant, 1112 Second St. in Sacramento, invites families to attend a three-course dinner on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. It costs about $100 per person, or about $38 for children age 12 and under. Dinner seatings are available from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The menu features a wedge salad and your choice of cioppino, pancetta-wrapped pork tenderloin, grilled New York steak, slow-roasted maple leaf duck breast and roasted root vegetable gratin. Dessert options are cranberry tart or mascarpone caramel pear.
The kids menu offers wedge salad, grilled salmon, New York steak and tortellini Alfredo, with chocolate mouse cake for dessert.
Ming Dynasty, 1211 Broadway in Sacramento, will be open on Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant offers traditional and modern Cantonese cuisine, combining dim sum with comforting seafood dishes.
Scott’s Seafood is open on Christmas Day from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. for breakfast and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for dinner. The restaurant will serve a prime rib dinner in addition to its regular dinner menu.
Mia Restaurant, 1475 Eureka Road in Roseville, will be open on Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Italian restaurant offers lunch and dinner favorites such as ravioli, lasagna, fettuccine and mushroom risotto. Sides include gratin potatoes, sauteed spinach, sauteed vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes.
Tower Cafe, 1518 Broadway in Sacramento, will be open on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Diners can enjoy brunch dishes such as french toast, steak, eggs and potatoes.
The Butterscotch Den, 3406 Broadway in Sacramento, will open on Christmas Eve from 4 p.m. to midnight. The cocktail bar will be closed on Christmas Day.
The 7th Street Standard, 1122 Seventh Street in Sacramento’s Downtown Commons Plaza, is offering a special holiday meal.
Although the restaurant is booked for dinner on Christmas Day, an employee told The Bee that patrons can still make reservations for brunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m, the restaurant said.
Rose Park Bistro, 1017 Galleria Boulevard in Roseville, will be open on Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The restaurant told The Bee on Tuesday that there will be “likely a prime rib option” in addition to its regular menu.
Where can I get takeout holiday dinners?
Here are some local restaurants and grocery stores offering catered meals on or around Christmas Day:
Safeway has takeout holiday meals for about $70 that feed six to eight people and include turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. Everything is fully cooked and needs two to three hours to reheat. Contact your local store for more information.
Whole Foods is offering several holiday meal options, including a $260 prime rib meal with citrus-herb asparagus, creamed spinach and truffled Parmesan mashed potatoes and a $160 maple bourbon ham served with green bean casserole, maple mashed sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Each serves eight people. Other options include a shrimp cocktail platter and an array of desserts.
Online orders should be made by Sunday, Dec. 22, for pickup, the grocery store chain’s website said. The pre-made meals are available at Whole Foods locations in Folsom, Roseville and Sacramento.
Cracker Barrel, 4630 Sierra College Blvd. in Rocklin, offers to-go holiday meals between Dec. 21 and Dec. 28. The restaurant is serving a $149 meal with sugar-cured ham, dressing, gravy, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, green beans, yeast rolls and macaroni and cheese that serves four to six people.
For $209, you can enough food for 8 to 10 people, as well as apple streusel and pecan pie. A prime rib meal that feeds four to six people is available for $174.
Raley’s, which has multiple locations in the Sacramento area, is offering a holiday meal for $149 that feeds six to eight people. It includes a cooked, whole Diestel turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey gravy, green beans almondine, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, dinner rolls and cranberry sauce. Pre-orders can be made online for pickup or delivery between Saturday, Dec. 21, and Tuesday, Dec. 24.
The Hidden Table, 1767 Tribute Road, Suite D, in Sacramento, offers a herb-roasted turkey dinner meal for $265 and a rib roast dinner for $565, among other options. Those meals include side dishes such as mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing and baked rolls. Holiday meals serve up to 12 guests. Orders can be picked up on Monday, Dec. 23. To make an order, call 916-337-8613.
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 6:00 AM.