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Take the year off from cooking with these holiday meals.
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A Guide to Holiday Dinners in the Twin Cities

These restaurants are serving Christmas feasts for takeout and dine in

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Take the year off from cooking with these holiday meals.
| Shutterstock

Tis the season to abandon the kitchen and let local restaurants do the holiday cooking. Many restaurants around Minneapolis and St. Paul are offering take-home Christmas feasts, from Southern-style smoked brisket and candied yams to Venezuelan feasts of hallacas, pan de jamon, and pernil. Others are serving dine-in meals on Christmas day, swapping in dishes like red wine-braised beef short ribs for the more traditional ham. Either way you plan it, don’t overlook these enticing holiday dessert options, either: butterscotch pudding, Honeycrisp apple crostata, and eggnog custard pie. Here are 13 places to order a holiday meal around the Twin Cities.

Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

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Revival St. Paul

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Serve a Southern-style Christmas meal with Revival’s take-and-bake meal package, which features a glazed ham ($165) or smoked brisket ($185), plus candied yams, Hoppin’ John, creamed spinach, mac and cheese, and dinner rolls. Add a pie for $30, with a choice of French silk, banana cream, pecan, or butterscotch. Order by December 20 for pickup at Revival’s St. Paul or Minneapolis locations on December 23.

Colossal Cafe

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Feast on homestyle cooking without the hassle thanks to Colossal Cafe’s holiday menu. Items include both individual ham dinners and a la carte entrees and sides sized for two to four people, plus brunch options and a Christmas cookie kit. Orders are accepted through December 17 or until sold out, with pick up on December 23 at the cafe’s Grand Avenue and Como Avenue locations.

Brasa Premium Rotisserie- Northeast Minneapolis

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Brasa’s holiday take home meal package can accommodate gatherings large and small — it’s available for two or increments of four, up to 28 people. Meals include rotisserie chicken, mustard and cider-glazed smoked ham, and a slew of sides — mashed potatoes and gravy, spinach salad, rice and peas, collard greens, and cornbread — plus butterscotch pudding for dessert. Everything but the cornbread is gluten-free.  Pickup is December 23 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Brasa’s catering kitchen, located directly behind Brasa Northeast.

A spread of holiday dishes on white plates in front of red garland.
Brasa’s holiday take-home meal.
Brasa Premium Rotisserie

The Herbivorous Butcher

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Plant-based diners and the vegan-curious can savor the Herbivorous Butcher’s Winter Holiday Feast, which serves eight to 10 people. For $105, each box includes a two-pound ham roast for the main course, plus bacon and Gruyère sauce, and caprese sausage and black garlic havarti to build a vegan charcuterie board. Order online for shipping on December 12 (recommended), December 19, or December 26, or pick up in-store December 15 through 23. 

Vegan caprese sausage slices on a wood board.
Vegan caprese sausage slices from the Herbivorous Butcher.
The Herbivorous Butcher

Butcher & The Boar

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Get a sneak peek at the new iteration of the Butcher & the Boar prior to its January opening with a holiday meal kit that includes a whole long rib with tabasco molasses and tortilla slaw, buffalo roasted Brussels sprouts, cornbread with miso honey, cheese grits, roasted sweet potato, and a muffuletta salad. Meal kits serve four and cost $195. Order online for curbside pickup at the restaurant on December 23.

Barbecue ribs and other dishes of food on a black background with springs of holly on the edges of the photo.
A holiday meal kit from Butcher & The Boar.
Butcher & The Boar

Mara Restaurant and Bar

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Chef Gavin Kaysen’s restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel will be serving a three-course Christmas meal from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. featuring traditional holiday favorites with Mediterranean flavors (think bacon wrapped monkfish and Za’Atar crusted prime rib), plus a dessert buffet.  Pre-paid reservations for parties of one to six are $165 per adult and $25 for kids 12 and under. 

Giulia, which is located in downtown Minneapolis’ Hotel Emery, will be serving Christmas dinner from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a special menu that includes red wine-braised beef short ribs with butternut puree, a rack of lamb with mint pesto and hay-smoked baby carrots, and for dessert, Honeycrisp apple crostata with vanilla bean gelato and apple syrup.

Beef short ribs in a yellow sauce on a plate.
Beef short ribs from Giulia.
Giulia

Monello

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Monello will be offering a special three-course Christmas meal from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a main course choice of smoked ham or prime rib served with potato puree and caramelized brussels sprouts with pancetta. Prepaid reservations are $72 for adults and $30 for kids 12 and under.

The Lynhall No. 2640 LynLake

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Enjoy a lineup of holiday classics with a twist from the Lynhall, with Christmas breakfast items like challah French toast casserole and a la carte sides including warm duck confit salad, crème fraiche mashed potatoes, and mushroom gravy. Save room for dessert, with treats such as chocolate peppermint swirl cheesecake and eggnog custard pie. Many items are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free. Order by December 18 for pickup on December 23 or 24 at the LynLake location.

Arepa Bar

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Build your own Venezuelan feast for a solo holiday or a group of 20 with the Arepa Bar’s Christmas menu. Items include hallacas (smoked plantain leaves filled with pork, chicken, beef, raisins, olives, red wine, and almonds), pan de jamon (rolled bread with bacon, ham, raisins, olives, and cane sugar syrup), pernil (slow-roasted pork), and chocolate cake. Pick up is available December 15, 23, and 30.

A close-up angle of pan de jamon.
Pan de jamon from Arepa Bar.
Arepa Bar

Reverie Cafe + Bar

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Whip up a plant-based meal with Reverie Cafe’s winter holiday meal kits, which serve four to six people. Pick from a snack board appetizer kit ($50) with horseradish pepper jack cheese, smoked bean dip, crostini, crackers, dilly beans, and more, or a multi-course meal kit ($140) with a lemongrass matcha-dressed salad, bread, squash apple soup, baked yucca frites, roasted beets, and smoked gouda mac and cheese. Some assembly is required, and detailed instructions are provided. Pick up December 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (alternative pickup options may be available by request).

Old Southern BBQ - 44th & France

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Choose from a hickory-smoked turkey with sage gravy or a double-smoked, brown sugar-glazed ham ($74.99 each). Make it a meal for $129.99 and add mashed potatoes, fire-roasted creamed corn, and honey-buttered cornbread muffin tops. Pick up December 22 through 24 at Old Southern BBQ’s Minneapolis, Arden Hills, Rice Lake, Hudson, or Shakopee locations.

Red Cow Uptown

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Savor surf and turf with Red Cow’s Christmas meal kit, which includes a Manhattan loin, shrimp scampi, roasted carrots, pecan and agave brussels sprouts, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, bread, and a chocolate cake. Meal kits are $259 and serve six to eight people. The Christmas menu also features charcuterie boards and a la carte entrees, sides, and desserts. Place orders by December 20 for pickup on December 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Red Cow’s Uptown location.

Revival St. Paul

Serve a Southern-style Christmas meal with Revival’s take-and-bake meal package, which features a glazed ham ($165) or smoked brisket ($185), plus candied yams, Hoppin’ John, creamed spinach, mac and cheese, and dinner rolls. Add a pie for $30, with a choice of French silk, banana cream, pecan, or butterscotch. Order by December 20 for pickup at Revival’s St. Paul or Minneapolis locations on December 23.

Colossal Cafe

Feast on homestyle cooking without the hassle thanks to Colossal Cafe’s holiday menu. Items include both individual ham dinners and a la carte entrees and sides sized for two to four people, plus brunch options and a Christmas cookie kit. Orders are accepted through December 17 or until sold out, with pick up on December 23 at the cafe’s Grand Avenue and Como Avenue locations.

Brasa Premium Rotisserie- Northeast Minneapolis

Brasa’s holiday take home meal package can accommodate gatherings large and small — it’s available for two or increments of four, up to 28 people. Meals include rotisserie chicken, mustard and cider-glazed smoked ham, and a slew of sides — mashed potatoes and gravy, spinach salad, rice and peas, collard greens, and cornbread — plus butterscotch pudding for dessert. Everything but the cornbread is gluten-free.  Pickup is December 23 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Brasa’s catering kitchen, located directly behind Brasa Northeast.

A spread of holiday dishes on white plates in front of red garland.
Brasa’s holiday take-home meal.
Brasa Premium Rotisserie

The Herbivorous Butcher

Plant-based diners and the vegan-curious can savor the Herbivorous Butcher’s Winter Holiday Feast, which serves eight to 10 people. For $105, each box includes a two-pound ham roast for the main course, plus bacon and Gruyère sauce, and caprese sausage and black garlic havarti to build a vegan charcuterie board. Order online for shipping on December 12 (recommended), December 19, or December 26, or pick up in-store December 15 through 23. 

Vegan caprese sausage slices on a wood board.
Vegan caprese sausage slices from the Herbivorous Butcher.
The Herbivorous Butcher

Butcher & The Boar

Get a sneak peek at the new iteration of the Butcher & the Boar prior to its January opening with a holiday meal kit that includes a whole long rib with tabasco molasses and tortilla slaw, buffalo roasted Brussels sprouts, cornbread with miso honey, cheese grits, roasted sweet potato, and a muffuletta salad. Meal kits serve four and cost $195. Order online for curbside pickup at the restaurant on December 23.

Barbecue ribs and other dishes of food on a black background with springs of holly on the edges of the photo.
A holiday meal kit from Butcher & The Boar.
Butcher & The Boar

Mara Restaurant and Bar

Chef Gavin Kaysen’s restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel will be serving a three-course Christmas meal from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. featuring traditional holiday favorites with Mediterranean flavors (think bacon wrapped monkfish and Za’Atar crusted prime rib), plus a dessert buffet.  Pre-paid reservations for parties of one to six are $165 per adult and $25 for kids 12 and under. 

Giulia

Giulia, which is located in downtown Minneapolis’ Hotel Emery, will be serving Christmas dinner from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a special menu that includes red wine-braised beef short ribs with butternut puree, a rack of lamb with mint pesto and hay-smoked baby carrots, and for dessert, Honeycrisp apple crostata with vanilla bean gelato and apple syrup.

Beef short ribs in a yellow sauce on a plate.
Beef short ribs from Giulia.
Giulia

Monello

Monello will be offering a special three-course Christmas meal from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a main course choice of smoked ham or prime rib served with potato puree and caramelized brussels sprouts with pancetta. Prepaid reservations are $72 for adults and $30 for kids 12 and under.

The Lynhall No. 2640 LynLake

Enjoy a lineup of holiday classics with a twist from the Lynhall, with Christmas breakfast items like challah French toast casserole and a la carte sides including warm duck confit salad, crème fraiche mashed potatoes, and mushroom gravy. Save room for dessert, with treats such as chocolate peppermint swirl cheesecake and eggnog custard pie. Many items are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free. Order by December 18 for pickup on December 23 or 24 at the LynLake location.

Arepa Bar

Build your own Venezuelan feast for a solo holiday or a group of 20 with the Arepa Bar’s Christmas menu. Items include hallacas (smoked plantain leaves filled with pork, chicken, beef, raisins, olives, red wine, and almonds), pan de jamon (rolled bread with bacon, ham, raisins, olives, and cane sugar syrup), pernil (slow-roasted pork), and chocolate cake. Pick up is available December 15, 23, and 30.

A close-up angle of pan de jamon.
Pan de jamon from Arepa Bar.
Arepa Bar

Reverie Cafe + Bar

Whip up a plant-based meal with Reverie Cafe’s winter holiday meal kits, which serve four to six people. Pick from a snack board appetizer kit ($50) with horseradish pepper jack cheese, smoked bean dip, crostini, crackers, dilly beans, and more, or a multi-course meal kit ($140) with a lemongrass matcha-dressed salad, bread, squash apple soup, baked yucca frites, roasted beets, and smoked gouda mac and cheese. Some assembly is required, and detailed instructions are provided. Pick up December 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (alternative pickup options may be available by request).

Old Southern BBQ - 44th & France

Choose from a hickory-smoked turkey with sage gravy or a double-smoked, brown sugar-glazed ham ($74.99 each). Make it a meal for $129.99 and add mashed potatoes, fire-roasted creamed corn, and honey-buttered cornbread muffin tops. Pick up December 22 through 24 at Old Southern BBQ’s Minneapolis, Arden Hills, Rice Lake, Hudson, or Shakopee locations.

Red Cow Uptown

Savor surf and turf with Red Cow’s Christmas meal kit, which includes a Manhattan loin, shrimp scampi, roasted carrots, pecan and agave brussels sprouts, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, bread, and a chocolate cake. Meal kits are $259 and serve six to eight people. The Christmas menu also features charcuterie boards and a la carte entrees, sides, and desserts. Place orders by December 20 for pickup on December 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Red Cow’s Uptown location.

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