Olive Garden Christmas Hours 2026: Open, Closed & Full Holiday Menu Guide
Is Olive Garden Open on Christmas Day 2026? No, Olive Garden is closed on Christmas Day (December 25) at all U.S. locations. This is a company-wide policy, not a location-by-location decision, so you won’t find a nearby exception. Every one of Olive Garden’s roughly 900+ restaurants nationwide shuts down for the full day so staff can spend the holiday with their families. Dine-in, takeout, and online ordering are all unavailable on December 25. The app and website simply won’t let you place an order.
If you’re craving Italian on Christmas Day itself, plan around it: order your holiday meal a day or two early, or line up a backup like Cracker Barrel (limited locations) or a grocery store hot bar.
| Christmas Day Snapshot | Details |
|---|---|
| 🎄 Dine-in | Closed nationwide |
| 🥡 Takeout / To-Go | Closed nationwide |
| 📱 Online Ordering (App/Website) | Disabled, orders won't process |
| 👨🍳 Catering Delivery | Not available |
| 📍 Exceptions | None for continental U.S.; Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam & international locations should be called directly |
| 📅 Reopens | December 26, regular hours |
Olive Garden Christmas Menu 2026
Olive Garden doesn’t run a separate “Christmas menu.” The full year-round menu, including seasonal specials that happen to be active in December, what’s served on Christmas Eve, and after Boxing Day. There’s no dedicated turkey-and-trimmings Christmas dinner the way you’d see at a steakhouse chain.
What is true for the season:
| Holiday Dining Option | What's Included |
|---|---|
| 🍝 Classic Entrées | Full year-round menu (Chicken Alfredo, Lasagna Classico, Chicken Parmigiana, etc.) |
| 🥗 Soup, Salad & Breadsticks | Included with dine-in orders as always |
| ✨ Seasonal Specials | Rotating limited-time items, varies by month, check current in-app specials |
| 👨👩👧 Family-Style Meals | Available for holiday takeout and catering |
| 👧 Kids Menu | Available, $6.99 - $9.28 |
| 🌾 Gluten-Sensitive Options | Available across most pasta categories |
If you’re picturing a special Christmas prix-fixe, that’s not how Olive Garden runs the holidays. The value is in ordering family-style ahead of time, not a seasonal dish.
Olive Garden Christmas Menu & Family Meal Prices
Prices vary by state and even by store, so treat these as planning ranges. Always check the app or your local restaurant for the exact local price before ordering.
| Item | Serves | Estimated Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| 👨👩👧 Family-Style Entrée Bundle | 4 - 6 people | $44 to $66 |
| 🍝 Individual Catering Pan (Chicken Alfredo, Lasagna, etc.) | 4 - 6 people | $43.99 to $64.99 |
| 🥗 Meal Combination (Entrée + Salad + Breadsticks) | 8 - 14 people | ~$135 to $227.50 |
| 🥗 Jumbo House Salad + 12 Breadsticks | 6 people | ~$22.99 |
| 💲 Per-Person Catering Estimate | Varies | $10 to $18 per person |
| 🍰 Dessert Trays | 8 to 12 people | $30 to $45 |
Note: These are national averages pulled from current 2026 pricing guides, your local Olive Garden may run higher or lower depending on state and market. Confirm exact totals in the app before placing a holiday order.
Olive Garden Christmas Eve Hours 2026
Is Olive Garden open on Christmas Eve 2026? Yes, Olive Garden is open on Christmas Eve (December 24), but expect an earlier closing time. Unlike Christmas Day, this isn’t a fixed national policy. Each restaurant’s local management decides how early to close based on expected traffic, so hours genuinely differ by city and even by neighborhood.
| Christmas Eve Detail | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| 🕚 Opening Time | Normal, typically 11:00 AM |
| 🌙 Closing Time | Early close, commonly between 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (varies by location) |
| 🍽️ Dine-in | Available, but tables fill fast in the afternoon |
| 🥡 Takeout / Online Orders | Available until closing, cut off earlier than usual |
| 📅 Reservations | Strongly recommended |
| 📍 How to Confirm Your Local Time | Use the Olive Garden app locator or call your restaurant directly |
Pro-Tip: Christmas Eve is one of the busiest dine-in days of the year. If you see a line forming outside by early afternoon and staff are already prepping to-go bags in bulk near the host stand, that’s your visual cue that the kitchen is running a compressed holiday ticket queue. Order ahead or arrive right at opening to skip it.
Olive Garden Regular Hours
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| 📅 Monday–Thursday | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| 🎉 Friday–Saturday | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| ☀️ Sunday | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
Hours vary by location. Check your local Olive Garden hours here for the exact schedule near you.
Olive Garden Holiday Hours: Full Season Overview
| Holiday | Status |
|---|---|
| 🦃 Thanksgiving Day | ❌ Closed |
| 🎄 Christmas Eve | ✅ Open, early close (varies) |
| 🎁 Christmas Day | ❌ Closed |
| 🥂 New Year's Eve | ✅ Open, regular or slightly reduced hours |
| 🎉 New Year's Day | ✅ Open, regular hours |
| 🐣 Easter Sunday | ✅ Open, regular hours |
Christmas Takeout & Catering
Olive Garden takeout and catering are open right up until Christmas Eve closing time, then fully closed on Christmas Day.
| Ordering Method | Availability |
|---|---|
| 📱 Online (App/Website) | Open through Christmas Eve closing time; disabled on Christmas Day |
| 📞 Phone Order | Available until the restaurant closes on Christmas Eve |
| 👨🍳 Catering | Book by Dec. 22 - 23 for Christmas Eve pickup or delivery (48-hour advance notice recommended) |
| 🚚 Delivery | Minimum order of ~$100, plus a 10% fee on orders up to $500 (5% beyond) |
| 🥡 Pickup | No extra fee |
Pro-Tip: For catering, portion recognition matters; a pasta tray meant for “8 – 10” is genuinely tight if your group eats full portions rather than sides. If you’re feeding a hungry family gathering rather than an office lunch, size up one tray level from what the menu recommends.
Making a Christmas Eve Reservation
| Reservation Detail | What to Know |
|---|---|
| 📱 Platform | Reserve through the Olive Garden app or website |
| 📅 Best Booking Window | Book 1 - 2 weeks ahead for December 24 |
| 🚶 Walk-ins | Possible, but expect a wait, especially between 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM |
| 👨👩👧 Large Parties (8+) | Call ahead, some locations require advance arrangements for groups this size on Christmas Eve |
| ❌ Cancellation | Cancel promptly if plans change, Christmas Eve tables are in high demand |
Family Dinner at Olive Garden for Christmas
If you’re hosting a festive family meal instead of cooking, Olive Garden’s family-style bundles are built for exactly this: one entrée pan, a full salad, and breadsticks feed a table without the kitchen work. The trade-off versus a dedicated holiday caterer: no turkey-style centerpiece dish, but significantly lower cost per person and zero prep time.
| Group Size | Recommended Order |
|---|---|
| 👨👩👧 4 - 6 People | 1 Family-Style Entrée Bundle + Salad + Breadsticks |
| 👨👩👧👦 8 - 14 People | 1 Meal Combination Package |
| 🎉 15+ People | 2+ Meal Combinations or a custom catering order (call ahead) |
Olive Garden Thanksgiving & Christmas Closures: The Full Pattern
Olive Garden’s holiday closure policy isn’t random. It follows the same rule both times a year.
| Holiday | Status | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 🦃 Thanksgiving Day | ❌ Closed nationwide | Company-wide policy so staff get the full day off |
| 🍂 Day Before Thanksgiving | ✅ Open, regular hours | Normal service, often busier than usual |
| 🎄 Christmas Eve | ✅ Open, early close (store discretion) | Local management sets closing time based on expected traffic |
| 🎁 Christmas Day | ❌ Closed nationwide | Same company-wide policy as Thanksgiving |
| 📅 Day After Christmas (Dec. 26) | ✅ Open, regular hours | Full normal schedule resumes |
Pro-Tip: These are the only two guaranteed full-closure days on Olive Garden’s entire calendar. Every other holiday like New Year’s, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, the restaurant stays open, so if you’re planning a big holiday season around Olive Garden, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two dates to build your calendar around first.
Red Lobster vs Olive Garden Christmas: Which Is Open?
Both seafood and Italian fans run into the same holiday problem. Here’s how the two chains actually compare for Christmas week.
| Comparison | Olive Garden | Red Lobster |
|---|---|---|
| 🎄 Christmas Day (Dec. 25) | ❌ Closed nationwide | ❌ Closed at nearly all locations (rare exceptions like the NYC Times Square store may run limited hours) |
| 🎅 Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) | ✅ Open, early close (varies by store, often 6:00 - 8:00 PM) | ✅ Open, early close (varies by store, often 6:00 - 8:00 PM) |
| 🦃 Thanksgiving Day | ❌ Closed nationwide | ❌ Closed at nearly all locations |
| 🥡 Holiday Takeout / Catering | Family-style bundles, per-person catering ($10 - $18) | Individual entrées and combo platters; catering menu varies by location |
| 📅 Reservation Demand on Christmas Eve | 🔥 High, book ahead | 🔥 High, book ahead |
| ⭐ Best For | Family-style group meals, pasta lovers | Seafood centerpiece meals, surf-and-turf fans |
The holiday closure pattern is nearly identical between the two, both shut down completely on Christmas Day and both run reduced Christmas Eve hours set by local management. The real decision comes down to cuisine, not availability.
Finding an Olive Garden Open Near You on Christmas
Since every U.S. location closes on Christmas Day, a locator search won’t turn up an open store, but it’s the right tool for Christmas Eve hours specifically, since those vary by city.
- Open the Olive Garden app or website locator
- Enter your ZIP code
- Check the listed hours for December 24 (not the default weekly hours)
- Call the location directly if the app hours look outdated, mall-based and travel-hub locations especially often run different schedules.
FAQs: Olive Garden Christmas Hours & Menu
Does Olive Garden serve Christmas dinner?
Not in the sense of a dedicated holiday menu. Olive Garden is closed on Christmas Day entirely, so no dine-in or takeout “Christmas dinner” is served that day. On Christmas Eve, the full regular menu, including family-style bundles is available until early closing.
Can I order Olive Garden for Christmas Eve delivery?
Yes, through the app or website, up until your local restaurant’s Christmas Eve closing time. Order early in the day, since delivery windows fill up fast as the evening close approaches.
Is Olive Garden open on Christmas Eve near me?
Almost certainly yes, but with an earlier closing time that’s set locally, commonly somewhere between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Use the app locator or call ahead to confirm your specific restaurant’s hours.
What time does Olive Garden close on Christmas Eve?
There’s no single national time. Many locations close around 8:00 PM, but this is decided store-by-store based on expected business, so it’s worth confirming with your local restaurant.
Is Olive Garden open on Christmas Day anywhere in the U.S.?
No. All continental U.S. locations are closed. Only Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and international locations may have different policies. Contact those restaurants directly.
Can I still book a Christmas Eve reservation this late?
Often yes for smaller parties, though popular time slots (5:00 PM to 7:00 PM) book up fastest. Larger groups should call the restaurant directly rather than relying on the app.
Conclusion
Olive Garden is closed all day on Christmas but open on Christmas Eve with an earlier, locally-set closing time, so plan your holiday meal around the 24th, not the 25th. For groups, family-style bundles and catering pans are the most budget-friendly way to feed a crowd without cooking. Always confirm your exact local hours and prices through the app before you head out.