ALLGuide
12 Restaurants & Bars With Over-The-Top Holiday Decorations
photo credit: Tanner McLaughlin
The holiday season? Here. The bars? Decorated with enough string lights to power your parents’ 1980s double-flip waffle maker on Christmas morning. And you? Just trying to get into the holiday spirit by consuming a questionable amount of eggnog and Fireball in the same glass. Here are a dozen festive restaurants and bars around the country that’ll turn even the biggest Grinch into Cindy Lou Who. Some of them even keep the halls decked year-round.
THE SPOTS
Some people put up Christmas lights as soon as they clear the Thanksgiving table, and then there’s Rolf’s. This German restaurant is decked out in colorful lights, wreaths, ornaments, and dolls all year, so by the time you add a fresh dusting of Christmas cheer in December, it fully transforms into the Grinch’s 7th circle of hell. Rolf’s should definitely be on your New York bucket list, but if you don’t already have a reservation for dinner this month, plan on waiting for a spot at the bar or trying your luck with lunch.
New York City
If Rolf’s is like a Martha May Whovier joint, then The Springs is more of a Charlie Brown Christmas. This Greenpoint Bar goes all out every year with their Holiday Lounge pop-up, when they fill the whole space and each booth with a hodgepodge of lights, trinkets, and stockings. The whole thing feels a bit more scrappy (and far less crowded) than the spectacle of Rolf’s, like it’s a labor of love they’ve gifted to their Greenpoint regulars. Come during Happy Hour for spiked hot cocoa and other special holiday cocktails, and check their Instagram to see when Santa is stopping by for a nightcap.
Whether you like it or not, Craftsman Row Saloon in Center City is Philly’s hottest club right now. They’re serving 13 holiday-themed cocktails, including a shockingly drinkable cranberry margarita, as well as milkshakes that look like they were designed by Buddy the elf. If you’re the kind of person who wishes it was Christmas 365 days a year, make a reservation to sit in a pine cone-lined booth while everyone sings along to Ariana Grande Christmas bops.
Philadelphia
Think of this as the bar manifestation of your uncle who rocks a Christmas lights sweater at the dinner table—it's a festive sh*t show. Someone might be passed out on the holiday throne. You'll wait 10 minutes for a drink that contains more sugar than alcohol. Club rats and retirees rip shots of butterscotch schnapps and orange juice before posing with a seven-foot Santa. Just know that nobody will be dancing, since the music consists of sleigh bell sounds over air horns. Bring cash for the $10 cover, or use the ATM next door at Finn McCools.
The holidays always bring about a strong sense of nostalgia, and not just the kind that involves problematic Christmas songs. Frontier, a pioneer-themed restaurant decorated like an 1800s cabin, is determined to take us back when buffalo check plaid was worn unironically. And it succeeds—the large wood-burning fire on the festive all-season patio provides a perfect backdrop for the game-heavy menu, with dishes like braised elk shank, or wild boar with pineapple giardiniera.
Chicago
It wouldn’t be the holidays without nonstop car ads starring couples on very different financial pages, and invitations to dinners with friends trying to avoid their families. For the latter, there’s Club Lucky in Bucktown. This old-school Italian spot feels like a supper club with large portions that are great for groups, and it’s especially fun during the holidays. The loud, crowded dining room, string lights, and an entire elementary school’s supply of paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling really sell the idea that this is a wonderful time of year.
For most of the year, The Ordinarie in downtown Long Beach is…pretty ordinary. But that changes come the holidays when this American pub transforms into a Christmas-themed pop-up called “The Miracle At The Ordinaire.” The metamorphosis happens on November 24th, after which you can expect cocktails like the “Christmapolitan” and the “Snowball Old Fashioned,” take-home mugs, and aggressively kitschy decor—picture the most intensely done-up house from your childhood neighborhood. This place is extremely popular, so we recommend snagging a reservation well in advance.
Los Angeles
When you hear of a restaurant “going all out for the holidays,” chances are you’re envisioning the scene at Dal Rae. This classic steakhouse in the southeastern LA city of Pico Rivera transforms its massive dining rooms into what’s essentially a 10,000-square-foot festival of lights. Twinkling strands cascade from the ceilings, there are Christmas trees in every direction, and lighted garland covers every available surface. Is it too much? Only for Grinches. This place is the definition of cheer, and when combined with a big slab of pepper steak and a tableside caesar salad, you’ve got a holiday dinner straight out of a made-for-TV movie.
Christmas Dive Bar is a seasonal pop-up located inside The Woods, and you can expect vintage string lights, quirky ornaments, and a wall completely covered in gift bows that’s perfect for a holiday card photo op. You can sip on an eggnog espresso martini while sharing nostalgic holiday snacks like crockpot little smokies, a tin of holiday popcorn, and for some reason, a Hungry-Man TV dinner that costs $30. (That one we’re still scratching our Santa hats over.) But aside from the overpriced frozen food, this place is a great time. Keep an eye on their Instagram to find out more about the events they’ll be doing all month long—think ugly sweater night and an Après-ski party.
It’s always Christmas at Lala’s: festive lights, drink specials, and little elves hanging from a string on the ceiling that dance when you open the restroom doors are on display year-round. But despite their permanent presence, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is always especially festive. It’s a strip mall dive bar in Brentwood, so don’t come in expecting anything fancy: just a good holiday atmosphere, all the time.
Austin
Every year around the holidays, Nickel City on East 11th turns into Sippin’ Santa, a Christmas-themed tiki bar. It’s one of the more popular holiday bars in Austin, so you’ll want to show up a little early (in the season and in the day) if you can. Otherwise, wrangle a big group and make a proper reservation via email, so you don’t have to worry about securing a space for you and your little gang of reindeer friends.
Nashville
Santa’s Pub remains one of Nashville’s weirdest and best dives. This Christmas-themed double-wide trailer is decorated with holiday spirit all year round—and by holiday spirit we mean twinkly lights, karaoke, cheap beer, and an owner who is the most Santa-looking man we’ve ever seen outside of a mall. The crowd’s an interesting one—you’ll find the Wedgewood-Houston cool kids downing beers next to the Brentwood soccer moms. And it all just works, especially in December.
