Fort Worth, Arlington restaurants open Christmas Day 2020

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LAW at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas is among hotels promoting a Christmas Day lunch.

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A few family restaurants will open Christmas Day after all.

After some uncertainty — and the sticker shock of hotel dinners like Bacchus’ $85 brunch for two or Toro Toro’s $75 tamales and birria — a few restaurants have announced openings.

Warning: Some don’t have heated patios, or any kind of patios. If you decide to take the highest risk and dine inside, keep a mask on around servers, and always sit or stand 6 feet away from absolutely anyone outside your own household.

As with other restaurants, try to go very early or very late, and never go anywhere crowded.

The timeworn but traditional Ol’ South Pancake House, 1509 S. University Drive, will open at 8 a.m. for breakfast and serve its regular menu all day.

The nearly 60-year Texas tradition features homestyle cooking and some new items: bacon-buckwheat pancakes, fried “bacon dippers,” a “Dutch baby” mini-German pancake sampler and chicken-fried chicken or steak with andouille gravy,

The Ol’ South also offers safer $19.99 take-out family dinners for four with chicken-fried chicken or steak, baked chicken or meatloaf. Order after 4 nightly except Christmas Eve; 817-336-0311, olsouthpancakehouse.com.

The Furr’s AYCE Marketplace in Arlington, a makeover of the 74-year-old West Texas cafeteria chain, will open at 10 a.m. Christmas Day and serve its new all-you-can-eat menu (about $14).

It’s at 300 E. Interstate 20, 817-467-7001; furrs.net.

(Luby’s Cafeterias are open throughout the holidays except Christmas Day, and they have a safe drive-through window.)

The always reliable Skillet N Grill, 1801 W Division St., Arlington, will be open just as it is every day.

The restaurant usually serves a turkey or ham special.

The simple Heaven’s Gate Restaurant buffet, 3820 N. Main St., will open at 8 a.m. for Christmas morning breakfast and then a $13,99 lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Heaven’s Gate has a few outdoor tables, but they may not be staffed; 817-624-1262.

The Fort Worth location of Missouri-based Romano’s Macaroni Grill will open; 1505 S. University Drive, 817-336-6676, macaronigrill.com,

Mexican restaurants

The tiny Amy’s Restaurant, 1537 N. Main St., a homespun little Mexican restaurant known for menudo, simple tamales and fresh salsas, will open at 8 a.m. for breakfast, then serve lunch untl 2 p.m.; 817-841-2896.

(Los Asaderos next door has opened some Christmases but owners have not said anything yet about this year.)

On the west side, Day Break Cafe and Grill, 2720 White Settlement Road, which features inexpensive Tex-Mex and American dishes, also usually opens daily including Christmas; 817-335-0805.)

Downtown’s best

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 815 Main St., will open at 11 a.m. and serve specials such as a $54.95 steak-and-lobster combo.

There’s also a $180 take-home tenderloin dinner for four; 817-338-0080, ruthschris.com.

Toro Toro, in the Worthington Renaissance at 200 Main St., will open at 11 a.m. and serve a $75 family-style dinner with short rib tamales, prime rib birria, carrots, leeks, poblano, potatoes, corn and huitlacoche, plus tres leches and churros; 817-210-2222, torotorofortworth.com.

Wicked Butcher, in the Sinclair Hotel lobby, 512 Main St., is scheduled to be open but has not announced any special menu.

Del Frisco’s Grille, 150 E. Third St., will open at 3 p.m. and serve a menu that includes a filet duo, lobster tails and prime rib.

(The Omni restaurants are not open. The new AC Hotel, 101 W. Fifth St., serves only breakfast.)

Grapevine, Irving, Southlake

In northeast Tarrant County and Irving, two Italian restaurants and several hotels will be serving.

Brio Italian in Southlake Town Square and nearby corporate cousin Buca di Beppo will be open.

Del Frisco’s Grille, 1200 E. Southlake Blvd., in Southlake Town Square, will be open at 3 p.m. (see Fort Worth info above).

In Irving, LAW at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, 4150 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, will serve a $95 brunch from 10 a.m.; fourseasons.com.

In Grapevine, Bacchus Kitchen + Bar at the Hotel Vin in Grapevine is promoting an $85 brunch for two and a $125 family-style Christmas EVe dinner with roast duck, prime rib, sides and banoffee pie (banana toffee); hotelvin.com.

Also, Riverwalk Cantina and Zeppole at the Gaylord Texan Resort, 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, will serve an $85 brunch from 11 a.m.; gaylordtexan.com.

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Columnist Bud Kennedy is a Fort Worth guy who covered high school football at 16 and has moved on to two Super Bowls, seven political conventions and 15 Texas Legislature sessions. Since 1985, he has also written more than 2,000 “Eats Beat” columns about Texas dining, restaurants and food.