Restaurants open Christmas Day?

Question

Hello,

We will be in the area on Christmas Day and are wondering if anyone knows of any restaurants that will be open and serving dinner on Christmas Day. I have searched online without success thus far. Thank you in advance for your help.

Answer

Good question. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be much reliably documented information about restaurants *in Ruskin, FL* that are guaranteed to be open for dinner on Christmas Day. I found very few local options, and for most places, the holiday hours are not clearly published or confirmed. That said, here’s what I found — plus some nearby alternatives — and advice for how to maximize your chances.

Here’s a rundown:

Sunset Bar & Grill at Little Harbor — This is right in Ruskin (602 Bahia Del Sol, Ruskin). Their regular hours are until 10 PM (11 PM on weekends).
Caveat: I did not find any publicly posted notice that they are open on Christmas Day. Their website does not clearly list special holiday hours. It’s worth calling them ahead of time to verify.
Old Castle Restaurant — A German restaurant in Ruskin / Sun City Center, at 3830 Sun City Center Blvd. - According to their reservation listing, their “public holiday” hours are 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM. - This suggests they *may* be open on Christmas Day, but again, confirming by phone is highly recommended, because “public holiday” could mean a range of holidays, and may not guarantee Christmas specifically.
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s – Sun City Center (Ruskin-area) — A casual, family-style chain located in Sun City Center. - Their normal Sunday hours run until 10 PM. - However, I did *not* find any source explicitly confirming they are open on Christmas Day.

Since the local options in Ruskin are limited and not reliably confirmed for Christmas, here are some nearby / Tampa-area restaurants that are *more likely* to be open, especially for a holiday meal (though again, always call):

Columbia Restaurant – Ybor City (Tampa) — Listed on OpenTable among restaurants open for Christmas Day in the Tampa / Central Florida West region.
Timpano Hyde Park (Tampa) — Also named in a list of local Tampa restaurants open on Christmas.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Tampa — According to past reports, their “Fresh Harvest Buffet” is open Christmas Day.

Tips to increase your chances:

Call the restaurant directly a few days before Christmas to verify their holiday hours.
Use OpenTable or another reservation app — sometimes restaurants list special “Christmas Day” seatings.
Be flexible — consider driving a little into the wider Tampa Bay area if local options are closed.
Have a fallback: fast-food or chain restaurants (e.g., Starbucks, McDonald’s) may have franchise locations open, depending on the area.

In summary: there's no sure bet in Ruskin itself from publicly available sources, though *Old Castle Restaurant* shows the strongest indication of being open. Your safest move is to call ahead early and confirm.

Restaurants open Christmas Day?

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