Chinese food for Christmas dinner is a classic Jewish tradition for a day when everybody else might be at home having a traditional feast. The joke goes that if God were really looking out for the Jewish people, pork dumplings at classic Chinese restaurants wouldn’t be so delicious. But maybe you just want to keep it lowkey for the holidays and eat out instead of cooking at home. A Chinese Christmas Day meal will do the trick. So, check out these Chinese restaurants in Pittsburgh open on Christmas Day.
Growing up in New York, Chinese takeout was the ultimate comfort food. I still get a hint of nostalgia from ordering a plate of dumplings on Christmas. No holiday on the calendar is everybody’s holiday, so we need more than one way to celebrate. It’s also Hanukkah, so enjoy a Chinese food brunch before digging into some latkes and lighting candles later!
Try These Pittsburgh Chinese Restaurants Open on Christmas
Taiwanese Bistro Café 33
1711 Shady Avenue
Café 33 has a wide-ranging, affordable menu and is great for a big group of friends. Brave the boldly titled Fried Stinky Tofu (No Refund). It’s delicious! Or, a perhaps you could try scented scallion pancakes, braised firm tofu, or turnip cake. Café 33 is a friendly, warm restaurant that’ll keep you in the holiday spirit without hurting your wallet.
Chengdu Gourmet
5840 Forward Avenue
Chengdu has become something of a cult classic in the Pittsburgh food scene. It’s a hole in the wall in Squirrel Hill with cozy vibes and big portions. Try the regional cuisine of Chengdu or stock up on Americanized Chinese food comfort classics. The menu’s host of fried rice dishes will keep your stomach and your heart full on Christmas Day.
How Lee
5888 Forbes Avenue
Enjoy some hot dry chicken, braised tofu, or egg rolls at one of Squirrel Hill’s most beloved Chinese restaurants on the corner of Forbes and Murray. How Lee serves s staples like sweet and sour sauce, egg drop soup, and kung pao chicken along with less common items like tri-spice woodear mushroom and hot and sour sweet potato noodles
Everyday Noodles
5875 Forbes Avenue
A favorite of several Pittsburgh chefs, Everyday Noodles delivers what promises: a menu of wonderfully spicy and savory hand-pulled noodles, plus dim sum-style service. Xiao long bao (soup dumplings), oxtail soup, and radish cakes are just some of the menu items you might include in a Christmas feast.
Chinatown Inn
520 Third Ave
On the site of Pittsburgh’s historic Chinatown, you can sit down for a slightly more upscale but still casual and homey experience of hot and sour soup, a special deal on wonton for two for only $7.25, and egg foo young. Plus, while you nosh, learn a bit of local history about the city’s Chinese community, which dates back to the mid-19th century.
Story by Emma Riva / Photo courtesy of Everyday Noodles
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine’s print edition
