Charlotte restaurants open on New Year's Day 2026

Interested in not cooking for New Year’s Day 2026? Check out this list of restaurants in the Charlotte area that are open for the New Year holiday — Thursday, January 1, 2026. Some are offering New Year’s Day Brunch, and some are serving lunch and/or dinner.

Be on the lookout for restaurants serving a traditional lucky New Year’s Day meal! Several of the restaurants below have those items on their menu!

Pork
Collard greens
Black eyed peas
Corn bread

Most listed will be available for take-out as well, and, in some cases, delivery.

Some will serve a special New Year’s Day meal, and some will serve their regular menu. Reservations will fill up early for many of these spots. Most restaurants are also open for New Year’s Eve, and reservations are advised.

Make sure to check out our list of New Year’s Day events. There’s some free food on the list!

Charlotte Restaurants Open on New Year’s Day

Make sure to contact the restaurant to check on their hours, which might vary on New Year’s Day from regular hours, and to make reservations if needed. We’ve verified that each of these restaurants is open on New Year’s Day, either on OpenTable, their website or Facebook page, or a phone call.

Angeline’s

Angeline’s
303 Church Street, Charlotte, NC (Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel)
New Year’s Eve: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m, and 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.
New Year’s Day: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Make reservations here or call (704) 445-2540

Chili’s

Chili’s
Locations throughout Charlotte
Open on New Year’s Day for their regular hours.
Serving their usual menu. Also open for take-out and delivery.
Hours may vary by location, so call to verify.

City BBQ

City BBQ
Multiple locations in the Charlotte area
Open New Year’s Day, call your preferred location to confirm hours.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
4725 Piedmont Row Dr., Suite #170, Charlotte, NC 28210
New Year’s Eve: 4 to 11 p.m.
New Year’s Day: 4 to 9 p.m.
Make a reservation on their website or call (704) 552-5502

Denny’s

Denny’s
Locations throughout Charlotte
Open on New Year’s Day for their regular hours.
Serving their usual menu, but some locations may have holiday menu items. Also open for take-out and delivery.
Hours may vary by location, so call to verify.

Dos Caminos

Dos Caminos
601 S Tryon Street #135, Charlotte, NC
New Year’s Eve: 11 a.m. to midnight
New Year’s Day: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fleming’s Steakhouse

Fleming’s Steakhouse
210 E Trade Street
New Year’s Eve: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
New Year’s Day: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Make a reservation here.

Free Range Brewing

Free Range Brewing
2320 N. Davidson St.
10th annual free soup event starting at 11 a.m.
More information can be found here.

Hello, Sailor!

Hello, Sailor!
20210 Henderson Rd., Cornelius, NC 28031
Serving a brunch buffet
$37.99 per adult, $12.99 for children 12 and under
Make reservations here.

Hooters

Hooters
Multiple locations
Open their standard hours
Call your preferred location to confirm

KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot

KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
8652 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, NC
New Year’s Eve: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
New Year’s Day: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
AYE Korean BBQ, hot pot, or both
$34.99 adults/$18.99 kids 7-10/$14.99 kids 4-6

McDonald’s

McDonald’s
Locations throughout Charlotte
Open on New Year’s Day for their regular hours.
Most locations will be open, but hours may vary by location, so call to verify.

Morton’s the Steakhouse

Morton’s the Steakhouse
227 W Trade Street, Suite 150, Charlotte, NC
New Year’s Eve: 4 to 11 p.m.
New Year’s Day: 4 to 9 p.m.

Nana Morrison’s Soul Food

Nana Morrison’s Soul Food
2908 Oak Lake Blvd, Charlotte, NC
3824 Corning Place Unit A, Charlotte, NC
Open New Year’s Eve from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open New Year’s Day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Palm Charlotte

The Palm Charlotte
6705-B Phillips Place Court, Charlotte, NC
New Year’s Eve: 4 to 11 p.m.
New Year’s Day: 4 to 8 p.m.
Make reservations here or call (704) 552-7256

TGI Fridays

TGI Fridays
Locations throughout Charlotte
Open on New Year’s Day for their regular hours.
Serving their usual menu. Also open for take-out and delivery.
Hours may vary by location, so call ahead.

Waffle House

Waffle House
Locations throughout Charlotte
Open on New Year’s Day for their regular hours.
Hours may vary by location, so call ahead.

Double-Check Before You Head Out!

We make every effort to make sure that everything on Charlotte on the Cheap is 100% accurate.

However, sometimes things change without notice, and we are not always notified. It’s also possible that we can make a mistake.

Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.

Upcoming Events in the Charlotte area

Check out our full events calendar, where you can enter any date, or look at the events for the next few days here: