36 Chain Restaurants Open On Easter

Easter will be here before we know it. Many people enjoy spending time with their family on Easter, and rather than cooking at home, they'd much prefer to go out to eat in a nice restaurant. Others who may not celebrate Easter may be looking to enjoy a tasty meal out as they enjoy their Sunday off from work. The only problem is that restaurants are often closed on Easter, which can make it a guessing game trying to figure which of your favorites will be open.

While several restaurants will be closed for Easter, a lot will remain open, including the ones featured here. Before heading to one of the restaurants listed below (in alphabetical order), be sure to call the local branch in your area to confirm its hours of operation, as this could vary from one location to another. If reservations are accepted, it may be a good idea to make one to ensure that you get seated in a timely manner on what could be a busy day.

Applebee's is a casual sit-down restaurant with locations in all 50 states. As with past years, the restaurant chain will be open on Easter Sunday — with most locations operating for their normal hours and serving lunch and dinner. Applebee's menu includes a wide variety of dishes, including salads, burgers and sandwiches, chicken, pasta, and more. It also offers a few desserts to give a sweet finish to a special holiday meal. This year, you can either dine in or order your holiday meal for carryout or curbside pickup. (Call to confirm local availability.) Visit Applebee's website before your Easter lunch or dinner to sign up for Club Applebee's, and you'll receive a free appetizer.

Benihana is a Japanese steakhouse that is certain to deliver an upscale dining experience on Easter. If you and your friends or family are looking for a more interactive dining experience, then you're certain to enjoy watching the expert chef prepare your meal right in front of your table. Benihana serves both lunch and dinner and offers delectable entrées, such as steak, shrimp, chicken, scallops, and the chain's special hibachi-style fried rice. You'll also find that the restaurant has a nice selection of appetizers, sushi, cocktails, and even kids' meals. There are 78 Benihana locations across the United States, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. If you've never been before, search to find the closest location.

Bob Evans will also be open for dining in, online order, and curbside pickup this Easter. In fact, the restaurant is offering special deals for customers. Order the Hot Easter Celebration Family Meal to enjoy smoked ham, roasted turkey, and various side dishes. If you're thinking about Easter brunch, Bob Evans also has you covered with its selection of pancakes, waffles, eggs, breakfast meats, and more. Bob Evans was founded in Ohio, but today there are close to 500 restaurants across the East Coast, Midwest, and Southeast of the United States. If you live in one of these regions, it's likely that you won't have to travel too far to find your nearest Bob Evans.

Bonefish Grill is traditionally open for Easter brunch, but you may want to confirm availability with your local restaurant. If you've never been to Bonefish Grill, it's a more upscale restaurant that serves fresh and delicious seafood creations. From the popular Bang Bang Shrimp to pastas, fresh fish, and more, there will be plenty of delicious options to choose from. Bonefish Grill also has a full bar and serves some delicious cocktails, including mimosas, bloody Marys, and sangria. This Easter, you can choose to place an order for carryout or bring your friends or family to eat in the dining room at the restaurant. In past years, the restaurant has offered special entrées for Easter, so be sure to contact the locations nearest you for details.

Whether you're looking for a casual meal out with a few friends or family members or want to have a large crowd over to enjoy a meal at your home, Boston Market can help. The restaurant will be open serving lunch and dinner this Easter. Plus, it will also be accepting orders for those who want to entertain in their own homes without all the hassle of cooking for a crowd. You can order a meal for pickup on or before Easter. Everything will be fully chilled and will include simple directions for heating and serving for you and your guests to enjoy. 

There are nearly 300 Boston Market locations across 24 states in the country. If you've never eaten at this casual fast food restaurant and you love rotisserie chicken, mac and cheese, and other comfort foods, you may want to find out if one is in your area.

Buca di Beppo is currently accepting reservations for Easter Sunday, so you might want to get your name on the list while there's still availability. Buca serves authentic Italian dishes, such as fried mozzarella, cheese manicotti, spaghetti with meat sauce, chicken parmesan, and prosciutto-stuffed chicken. These meals are served in family-size portions, perfect for sharing with small or large groups. Buca also accepts online orders for in-store or curbside pickup. If you're within a 10-mile radius of the restaurant, you can purchase some of the "Party Pans" with your favorite dishes to be delivered directly to your home for a $25 delivery fee. Buca di Beppo serves lunch and dinner, but you'll want to contact your local restaurant to confirm its Easter hours.

There are more than 1,200 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in the United States, and most should be open on Easter Sunday. Buffalo Wild Wings can be a good place to plan your holiday meal if you're looking for a more laid-back atmosphere or want to pick up some wings, boneless wings, appetizers, or other options to serve your guests at an Easter gathering at your home. Most restaurants should be offering dine-in and carryout. If you're looking to take your order to go, you can place it ahead of time online or through the Buffalo Wild Wings app.

Do you want to enjoy an exquisite Easter meal in a fine dining establishment? If so, then The Capital Grille may be the perfect restaurant for this special holiday. The Capital Grille is traditionally open on Easter, serving a delicious brunch with favorites such a New York strip steak and eggs, filet mignon, or lobster frittata. Contact your local franchise for more information about this year's brunch menu. The Capital Grille can be found in 28 states with 65 locations total. If you've never enjoyed a steak from this restaurant, you're missing out. The restaurant dry-ages each of its steaks for 18 to 24 days to enhance the flavor and texture.

The past few years, Carrabba's has offered some tasty Easter specials, allowing customers to truly enjoy a holiday meal without worrying about cooking it. Most locations should be open for dining in and carryout, with some also offering curbside pickup or delivery. Carrabba's has an extensive menu featuring salads, soups, pastas, steaks, seafood, and more. If you're looking to bring food home for entertaining guests, you could also consider one of the family bundles designed to serve up to four people. Carrabba's serves lunch and dinner. This sit-down chain restaurant currently has over 200 locations in nearly 30 states across the U.S. Is there one near you to try this Easter?

Chili's offers an extensive lunch and dinner menu with fajitas, burgers, ribs, sandwiches, tacos, salads, appetizers, desserts, cocktails, and so much more. It could be the perfect destination for your Easter Sunday meal this year. Chili's is a large fast-casual chain. With over 1,200 locations across nearly all 50 states, there is likely a restaurant close to you. Chili's is typically open on Easter, though this may not necessarily be true for all locations. Call or email the Chili's nearest you to find out whether it will indeed be open this year and what its hours will be.

If you want down-home cooking without actually cooking anything yourself this Easter, head to Cracker Barrel for a holiday meal. The restaurant will be open, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For those who have never dined at a Cracker Barrel before, the chain's menu offers a very wide selection of different entrées — from all-day breakfast to burgers to seafood and more. In past years, Cracker Barrel has also offered special Easter heat-and-serve meals to be ordered and picked up for guests at your home. Cracker Barrel can be found in 567 cities across the country, so chances are one isn't too far from you right now.

Denny's will be open on Easter Sunday, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Denny's is another restaurant with a menu featuring an assortment of dishes, from country fried steak and eggs to chicken, biscuits and gravy, burgers, pot roast, steaks, salmon, and more. It can be a good choice if you'll be dining with young children. The chain has a kids' menu and offers a more laid-back and unpretentious atmosphere. Chances are that you know where a Denny's is near you. What started as a single restaurant in Lakewood, California, in 1953 has grown to a large chain with over 1,400 restaurants in all 50 states.

First Watch is known for scrumptious breakfast and brunch. In fact, this restaurant is only open for these two meals, and Easter Sunday won't be any different. In addition to brunch and breakfast classics, such as eggs Benedict, omelets, pancakes, quinoa bowls, salads, and sandwiches, First Watch also offers a seasonal menu with limited-time offerings you may want to try out. The chain also serves freshly made juices to give your day a little extra boost of beneficial nutrients. First Watch can get busy on a normal weekend day; Easter is likely to be even busier. If you download the First Watch mobile app, you can check on the current wait time and even "get in line" remotely.

For a truly spectacular dining experience this Easter, consider heading to Fogo de Chão. This Brazilian Steakhouse is a very upscale restaurant that takes a different approach to ordering and serving. Rather than limiting yourself to one entrée choice, you can sample a wide range of different meats and poultry. The servers walk around with filet mignon, pork chops, top sirloin, pork ribs, beef ribs, bacon-wrapped chicken and steak, and a variety of other entrée selections, and you can request slices of whatever sounds appealing to you. Eat as much meat as you'd like and visit the market table for fresh salads, smoked salmon, cheeses, vegetables, and more. 

Fogo de Chão also offers individual entrées, which can be ordered for dine-in or carryout, if you'd prefer. In past years, the chain has also offered special Easter packages for carryout, so be sure to check with your local restaurant to find out more details.

Golden Corral is another restaurant that offers all you can eat. Compared to many buffets, it is more reasonably priced and may be a good choice for those looking for a more casual dining experience. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and should be open this year on Easter. With all the options — such as the omelet station, bacon, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, and French toast on the breakfast buffet and fried chicken, pizzas, dumplings, soups, and veggies on the lunch and dinner buffets — everyone in your party should be able to find something to strike their fancy. Don't forget to finish your holiday meal off with a brownie, soft-serve ice cream, pie, or another special dessert. 

In addition to the dine-in all-you-can-eat buffet, Golden Corral also offers curbside pickup, delivery, or weigh-and-pay options for those who would prefer to enjoy their Easter meal from the comfort of their own home.

Start your Easter off right with a tasty breakfast from IHOP or finish off a long day with a late dinner or midnight snack. IHOP will be open on Easter, and many locations are open for 24 hours. IHOP stands for International House of Pancakes, so it only stands to reason that it should offer breakfast entrées. You can try the chain's buttermilk pancakes, omelets, French toast, Belgian waffles, and other favorites. 

However, while the restaurant's name may make you think of breakfast, this certainly isn't the only type of food you can find at IHOP. You can also enjoy lunch and dinner options, such as pot roast, battered shrimp, country-fried steak, chicken parmesan, or fish and chips. IHOP has nearly 1,700 locations in the U.S.; we bet you know exactly where the one closest to your house is.

LongHorn Steakhouse will be open for normal hours on Easter, but calling to confirm is always a good idea. LongHorn will be serving lunch and dinner, with dine-in and carryout options available. Some locations may also offer curbside pickup, if you're looking to really simplify your life when grabbing a delicious meal to bring home and share with family or friends. As a steakhouse, LongHorn's menu features some delicious cuts of beef, including filets, ribeyes, New York strips, and more. The chain also offers non-red meat options, such as parmesan-crusted chicken, salmon, grilled shrimp, soups, and salads. 

Keep in mind that LongHorn doesn't take reservations, so you may want to prepare for a bit of a wait if you plan to go during a peak time. However, the chain does have call-ahead seating, which can help you get your name on the list when you're on your way. If you're interested in this, simply call your local restaurant to add your name to the waitlist.

Romano's Macaroni Grill is traditionally open on Easter and serves lunch and dinner. Contact your local branch to see if it will also be offering brunch specials, like the chain has offered in years past. The casual sit-down restaurant, founded by Phil Romano, has locations in 15 states across the United States. Macaroni Grill serves Italian-inspired appetizers, soups, salads, entrées, and desserts, including calamari fritti, bruschetta, chicken marsala, fettuccine alfredo, and lasagna Bolognese. You can even create your perfect pasta dish by customizing the type of pasta, sauce, toppings, and proteins added ... yum! Macaroni Grill does accept reservations through OpenTable, so you can make sure you and your group will be able to be seated in a timely manner.

Next up is another popular Italian restaurant chain. Maggiano's Little Italy started as a single location in Chicago in 1991, quickly became popular, and soon expanded. Today, there are more than 50 Maggiano's Little Italy restaurants across 24 different states. The restaurant is known for its family-style meals, though it also offers individual portions as well. Some favorites from the menu include rigatoni, eggplant parmesan, lasagna, ravioli, shrimp scampi, linguine di mare, and filet mignon. This Easter, you can choose to dine in at your local Maggiano's Little Italy, or, if you'd prefer, you can order an Easter meal for delivery. Carryout family meals designed to serve two or four are also available.

McCormick & Schmick's is a classy steak and seafood restaurant serving fresh and sustainably sourced entrées. This year, McCormick & Schmick's will be open to serve lunch and dinner. It's even offering a special prix fixe Easter Sunday menu featuring your choice of a soup or salad (Caesar salad, walnut mixed greens salad, or New England clam chowder), entrée (Chilean sea bass, center-cut filet mignon, crab- and shrimp-stuffed salmon, or twin lobster tails), and dessert (cheesecake, upside down candied walnut apple pie, or chocolate silk pie). The cost of the meal ranges from $50 to $65 per person, depending on the entrée selection. While McCormick & Schmick's doesn't have as many locations as some other chains, there are still 26 different restaurants across the United States.

When you think of chain restaurants, McDonald's is probably one of the first names that comes to mind. After all, there are over 13,000 locations in all 50 states. And, it's probably no surprise that many McDonald's will be open for Easter this year. However, because most locations are independent franchises, you may want to confirm with the restaurant closest to you. If your local McDonald's will indeed be open, you can eat inside the restaurant, order through the drive-thru, place an order through the app for in-store or curbside pickup, or even request delivery (where available). As per usual, McDonald's will be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some locations are even open 24 hours.

If you live on the West Coast, you might not have heard of Metro Diner. However, if you're from the South — particularly Florida, Alabama, or North Carolina — you're likely familiar with this casual dine-in chain. There are even a few Metro Diners farther north and west in Delaware, Kentucky, and Indiana. The restaurant will be open, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this Easter. Dine in or place an order for pickup or delivery (if available in your area). If you're not already a member, consider visiting the Metro Diner website to sign up for the E-Club to receive special offers for your next meal out.

Olive Garden is a popular Italian restaurant chain with locations in 712 cities across the U.S. Most locations should be open for normal hours this Easter, making it a great choice for enjoying a delicious lunch or dinner with friends or family. Olive Garden serves soups, salads, pasta dishes, and more. Some of the available options include chicken alfredo, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, herb-grilled salmon, chicken and gnocchi soup, and minestrone soup. Olive Garden also offers family-style meals, which may be a good option if you're serving a crowd! 

Choose to dine in, take your order to go, or even schedule a delivery in some locations this Easter. If you choose to dine in, you could even take advantage of Olive Garden's Never Ending Soup, Salad, & Breadsticks offer to get as much as you can eat of these three favorites.

If you're craving a hearty meal this Easter, consider dining at Outback Steakhouse. This restaurant chain is in 46 states and serves lunch and dinner. Outback takes an Australian-inspired approach to the steaks, chicken, seafood, pasta, and appetizers it offers. The chain is known for offering a more casual dining experience complete with delicious entrées, such as ribeyes, prime rib, grilled chicken on the barbie, ribs, grilled salmon, lobster tails, and more. Don't forget to add the restaurant's signature appetizer — the Bloomin' Onion — to your order. Outback also has a full bar with several cocktail offerings. This year, you can dine in or take your order to go. Depending on where you live, delivery may also be available.

P.F. Chang's is an upscale restaurant serving delicious Chinese-inspired dishes. It was founded in 1993 and has since grown to have over 220 locations across 40 different states and territories. The menu offers a mix of traditional and modern Asian entrées and appetizers, including BBQ pork spare ribs, lettuce wraps, dumplings, spring rolls, sushi, wonton soup, sweet and sour chicken, Mongolian beef, sesame chicken, and more. Many locations will be open this Easter, but you should call to confirm, as some may remain closed. If open, dine-in, carryout, and delivery may all be available. This could also vary by location, so check before finalizing your plans.

Most Panera Bread locations should be open to customers this Easter Sunday. Panera offers customers an alternative to typical fast food restaurants while still providing quick service and a comfortable dining experience. The restaurant got its start in St. Louis, but today you can find Panera Bread in over 1,200 cities across the United States.

Panera serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu includes favorites like broccoli cheddar soup, bacon and turkey sandwiches, Mediterranean veggie sandwiches, Fuji apple salad with chicken, and BBQ chicken salad. Panera also offers special family feast meals that you can customize with your choice of four half-sandwiches, one large salad, one large soup, and one French baguette. This might be a welcome addition at your table on Easter. Place your order at the counter to dine in, order online or through the app for rapid pickup, or place a delivery order where available.

While there may be fewer Perkins locations than there once were, the chain still operates 265 restaurants in 31 different states, with most locations clustered around the North and Midwest. Perkins is a casual family dining restaurant that got its start in 1958. It prides itself in its extensive breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu offerings, which include all-day breakfast, burgers, steak, shrimp, chicken strips, pork chops, and more. One of the things Perkins is best known for is its desserts. From delicious pies to cookies, cheesecakes, and muffins, if you want a sweet treat to finish off your Easter meal, you'll find something to tickle your taste buds.

While many Perkins restaurants should be open this Easter, some may not be, so it's a good idea to call and confirm. Stop by for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner, or place your order for carryout, curbside pickup, or delivery.

What do you think about when you think of Red Lobster? Its calm and pleasant atmosphere? Tasty seafood entrées? Artfully crafted cocktails? Warm and soft Cheddar Bay Biscuits? There really are plenty of reasons to love Red Lobster, and luckily, most restaurants should be open to serve lunch and dinner this Easter.

Red Lobster can be found in 44 different states and more than 500 cities across the country. If you enjoy dining at Red Lobster, consider signing up for My Red Lobster Rewards. You'll earn points for each order, which you can redeem for special discounts and other offers. You can always eat in Red Lobster's dining room, but if you'd prefer to bring a seafood feast home this Easter, the restaurant also accepts online orders for carryout or delivery (where available). Consider one of the family feasts — like the Seaside Shrimp Trio, Bar Harbor Lobster Bake, or Admiral's Family Feast — if you'll be feeding a crowd this year.

Ruth's Chris Steak House will be open for lunch and dinner on Easter Sunday. In fact, the popular chain is accepting reservations for the holiday, so you may want to act quick before they fill up. Ruth's Chris Steak House offers an upscale dining experience with high-quality cuts of meat that are expertly prepared and beautifully served. The menu features steaks and chops, such as filets, ribeyes, New York strip steaks, tomahawk ribeyes, and more. However, while it is a steakhouse, you can find more than just red meat on the menu. Some of the other delectable options include the lobster tail, stuffed chicken breast, and crab cakes.

The chain — which was notably founded by a single mother in 1965 — has over 150 locations around the world, many of which are in the United States. If you want to eat at home, you can place an order for pickup or delivery. Or, if you're looking for a truly enjoyable Easter meal where others wait on you and handle all the cleanup, bring your group to dine in.

If you've never been to a Shake Shack, then you're missing out. Fortunately, most locations should be following their regular hours on Easter. Shake Shack serves delicious burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, french fries, and more. As you may be able to guess based on the name, the chain is also known for its hand-spun milkshakes made using frozen custard. Other frozen treats, such as a cup of vanilla or chocolate custard, root beer and creamsicle floats, and special seasonal shakes, are also available for purchase.

As it's a fast food restaurant, you won't need to worry about making a reservation at Shake Shack. However, some locations can get pretty busy, so you may want to consider ordering ahead online to make sure that your food is ready when you arrive. You can eat in the dining room or take your order to go. Delivery may also be available in some areas if you want to have your Easter lunch or dinner brought directly to your home.

Seasons 52 may be the ideal destination for a delicious Easter meal. This upscale chain restaurant has 46 locations in 21 states. In past years, it has offered a special Easter brunch menu, along with its full lunch and dinner menu, providing several tantalizing options to enjoy. Some of the delicious entrées on the lunch and dinner menus include flatbreads, lobster bisque, Maui tuna crunch salad, wood-grilled shrimp and grits, caramelized grilled sea scallops, and filet mignon and Maine lobster tail. Finish off your meal with one of Seasons 52's Mini Indulgences dessert cups, or order a flight of six Mini Indulgences to share with your group.

Finding out whether Starbucks will be open on Easter is a pressing question for many. Fortunately, most locations will be open, allowing customers to avoid having to attend church or family gatherings without their dose of caffeine. You sometimes hear that there is a Starbucks on every corner, and while that may not be completely accurate, there are over 15,000 locations across the United States.

Head into your local Starbucks to place your order at the counter. If you have the app, you can also order through it so that your food or drinks will be ready and waiting for you when you arrive. Some locations even have drive-thrus to help you get your fix without getting out of your car. While Starbucks is obviously known for coffee and other beverages, the chain does also serve some food, including breakfast wraps and sandwiches, muffins, croissants, bagels, oatmeal, yogurt, lunch sandwiches, and various snacks and treats.

With over 600 locations in 540 cities across the United States, you might not have to drive far to find a Texas Roadhouse. This year, most Texas Roadhouse locations should be following their regular hours on Easter Sunday. The steakhouse's menu offers a wide assortment of lunch and dinner entrées from ribs and steaks to salads, burgers, chicken, seafood, and more. Depending on your preferences and those of the others in your group, you can dine in or place an order for carryout. While Texas Roadhouse doesn't accept reservations, you can join the waitlist online when you're on your way to cut down on how long you'll have to wait for a table. If you regularly dine at Texas Roadhouse (or think you might start doing so), you might want to consider joining the chain's VIP Club to have special offers and savings emailed to you.

The Cheesecake Factory has a rather extensive and eclectic menu. You can find everything from flatbread pizzas to seafood, steaks, pasta, hamburgers, tacos, and more. In addition to serving lunch and dinner, the restaurant also offers a large breakfast and brunch menu with omelets, breakfast burritos, Belgian waffles, pancakes, eggs Benedict, and more. With most locations open on Easter Sunday, you and your group can enjoy one of these or the several other delicious entrées. And, you can't forget that it isn't called The Cheesecake Factory for nothing. In addition to all the tasty breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner options, you'll also be able to choose from several types of cheesecake and other desserts. What's not to love?

Waffle House is another popular chain restaurant that you may want to try this Easter. Most locations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so chances are good that you'll be able to stop by your local restaurant to enjoy a nice meal with friends or family. If you've traveled around the country, particularly around the South and East Coast, it may not come as a surprise that there are nearly 2,000 Waffle House locations in the U.S. — it seems like you see one on nearly every food sign on the highway. Waffle House serves breakfast favorites, such as waffles (duh!), omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and egg breakfasts, all day. You can also grab a tasty sandwich, hash brown bowl, or chicken, pork, or sirloin meal for lunch or dinner.

Yard House is a growing chain with 87 restaurants across 27 states. Most of its locations are concentrated in California, but there are also several along the East Coast and a few other areas in the U.S. While a few locations may be closed on Easter, most Yard Houses will be open to serve lunch and dinner.

Take a quick look at Yard House's menu, and you'll realize that the restaurant offers something for almost everyone. From hearty dinner salads to tacos, pizzas, burgers, steaks, pastas, and more, the menu is quite extensive. It also offers several options for children, which may make the restaurant a good choice if you'll have little ones in your party. You can dine in or place an order online for pickup. Delivery may also be available in select areas. Some locations accept reservations, but others do not; contact your local Yard House to see if reservations are offered.