No stress, no mess: Leave 2017 Christmas cooking to suburban restaurants

If you'd rather not cook this year for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, here are some restaurants that will take care of everything for you. Even better, no cleanup! Make your reservations soon since the holiday is quickly approaching.

<b>Big Bowl:</b> 215 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 808-8880, and 1950 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-8881 or bigbowl.com/. If you're in the mood for bold or spicy on Christmas Eve, Big Bowl might be what you're looking for. The restaurant will be serving the regular menu in addition to daily specials from noon to 8 p.m. (Schaumburg) and noon to 9 p.m. (Lincolnshire). Reservations required.

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Bub City:</b> MB Financial Park, 5441 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 261-0399 or bub-city.com/rosemont/. Kick off Christmas Eve with Bub City's Southern BBQ brunch and DIY Bloody Mary Bar from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Don't miss the $5 draft beers on special all day long. Plus, the Sunday Rib Dinner will be available, too. Reservation requested.

<b>Chandler's Chophouse:</b> 401 N. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, (847) 885-9009 or chandlerschophouse.com/christmaseve-dinner-at-chandlers/. Open from 3 to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Chandler's will be serving a special menu that includes prime rib, surf and turf, carved leg of lamb, filet Oscar, lobster mac and cheese and more. Mimosas with dinner are $6.50. Reservations recommended.

<b>Chicago Prime Steakhouse:</b> 1444 E. Algonquin Road, Schaumburg, (847) 969-9900 or chicagoprimesteakhouse.com/specials. The restaurant will be serving up Christmas Eve and Christmas Day specials from noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 24 and 25. The full menu will be available both days. Reservations required.

<b>Chicago Prime Italian:</b> 1370 Bank Drive, Schaumburg, (847) 240-1414 or chicagoprimeitalian.com/. Look for the special Christmas Eve menu that will be served from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. Order from a variety of pastas, chicken, seafood, chops and sides, a la carte. From noon to 8 p.m. Christmas Day, the restaurant will be hosting a family-style dinner for $44.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids 12 and younger. Choose from asiago spinach crab fondue; a Caesar or house salad; pastas like rigatoni vodka, cavatappi Alfredo or penne marinara; a main course such as roasted pork served with sage stuffing and apple compote, broiled salmon topped with lemon butter sauce, or roasted turkey served with homemade cranberry sauce, sage stuffing and giblet gravy; sides of mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and more; and desserts such as tiramisu, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, cannoli or apple pie a la mode. Tax and gratuity not included. Reservations required.

<b>The Clubhouse:</b> 298 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 472-0600, and 1301 American Lane, Schaumburg, (847) 298-8200, or theclubhouse.com/. The Clubhouse in Oak Brook gives you one more chance to see Santa during its Christmas Eve Brunch. It's $39.95 for adults, $19.95 for kids 6-12 and free for kids 5 and younger. A limited a la carte lunch and dinner service also will be available; reservations are only being taken for the Christmas Eve Brunch with Santa. The Schaumburg location is closed on Sunday. Hours in Oak Brook are from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (final seating) Sunday. Both locations will be serving a Christmas Day buffet: Oak Brook hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (final seating) and Schaumburg hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (final seating). Choose from roast turkey, honey-glazed ham, banana walnut French toast, eggs Benedict, made-to-order omelettes, vodka pasta, salads, a seafood and raw bar, a chocolate fountain and more. It's $49.95 for adults, $24.95 for kids 6-12 and free for kids 5 and younger. Reservations required.

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Denny's:</b> Locations throughout the suburbs; see dennys.com/. Denny's will be open all day on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, serving the new pumpkin cream pancake breakfast and the new white chocolate raspberry pancake breakfast. Don't worry, the traditional turkey and dressing dinner also will be available all day long.

<b>Dover Straits:</b> 890 E. Route 45, Mundelein, (847) 949-1550 or doverstraits.com/. The restaurant will be serving holiday specials on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Sunday hours are noon to 10 p.m. and Monday hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations requested.

<b>Drury Lane:</b> 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, (630) 530-8300 or lucillerestaurant.com/holidays-and-special-events. Relax at Drury Lane's Christmas Day Brunch Buffet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday. Start off with a made-to-order omelette, pumpkin chai latte, Waldorf salad or hand-carved prime rib, and finish with the warm vanilla bread pudding with caramel-bourbon sauce. Plus, there are breakfast, savory, omelette and carving stations and a seafood bar, an ice cream station, a dessert table, a hot chocolate station and a bloody mary bar. It costs $50 for adults, $15 for kids 6-12, $10 for kids 3-5, and free for kids 2 and younger. Tax and gratuity is not included. Reservations required.

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Gene & Georgetti Rosemont:</b> 9421 W. Higgins Road, Rosemont, (847) 653-3300 or geneandgeorgetti.com/. The restaurant's holiday specials, available Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 21-24 and 28-31, include seafood salad, oysters Rockefeller, bacon-wrapped scallops, lobster ravioli garnished with a lobster confetti, Alaskan king crab legs, 18-ounce bone-in osso bucco and 14-ounce bone-in strip steak with three jumbo shrimp. Holiday cocktails, available until Jan. 6, include the hot toddy, wintermint and spiced hot cider. Reservations required.

<b>Hofbräuhaus Chicago:</b> 5500 Park Place, Rosemont, (847) 671-2739 or hofbrauhauschicago.com/. Avoid the stress of cooking a Christmas dinner with Hofbräuhaus' special German “Weihnachten” menu on Monday. Special dishes include: Bayrische Kartoffelsuppe (creamy Bavarian potato soup with vegetables, sliced sausage and croutons), HB rib eye und pfeffersteak (10-ounce grilled rib-eye steak with brandy peppercorn sauce and sauerkraut, “bratkartoffeln” German pan-fried potatoes with bacon and onions), Frische Knusprige Schweinshaxen (crispy pork shank served with Bavarian cabbage and bacon salad, potato and bread dumplings) and creme brulee. Reservations required.

<b>Mon Ami Gabi Oak Brook:</b> 260 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 472-1900 or monamigabi.com/news-events/?loc=oakbrook. Christmas Eve brunch runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, with an Ugly Sweater Party following from 3 to 9 p.m. Reservations recommended.

<b>Perry's Steakhouse and Grille:</b> 5 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 571-1808 or perryssteakhouse.com/menu-locations/chicago/oak-brook/. Perry's and Bar 79 will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24, for a special Christmas Eve meal. Perry's will be closed on Christmas Day. Reservations requested.

<b>Pinstripes:</b> 7 Oakbrook Center Mall, Oak Brook, (630) 575-8700; 100 W. Higgins Road, South Barrington, (847) 844-9300; 1150 Willow Road, Northbrook, (847) 480-2323. Pinstripes' Christmas Eve brunch buffet will be served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's $25 for adults; $12 for kids 6-12 and free for kids 5 and younger. Enjoy $4 mimosas and $7 Bloody Marys all day. The kitchen will close at 3 p.m. and the venue will close at 5 p.m. Sunday. Pinstripes is closed on Christmas Day.

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Reel Club:</b> 272 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 368-9400 or reel-club.com/. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve, Reel Club will be hosting a seafood brunch buffet featuring seafood and salad options, assorted sushi rolls, smoked fish, carved prime rib, an omelette station and a selection of homemade desserts. The regular dinner menu and daily specials will be available from 3 to 8 p.m. Reservations required.

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Restaurant Michael:</b> 64 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, (847) 441-3100 or restaurantmichael.com/. Chef Michael Lachowicz will be plating Christmas Eve dinner from 4 to 8:30 p.m. that will feature first-course selections like house-cured and smoked salmon with warm potato galette and lemon grass creme fraiche and four entree selections including the filet of Dover sole, lobster galantine, brown butter Brussels sprouts leaves, saffron potatoes and lobster fondue. Dessert will feature choices like the pistachio-white chocolate bombe, or the candy cane, banana rum or gingerbread souffles. Late reservations will not be rushed. Dinner is $75. A deposit of $20 per person will secure the reservations, which are required.

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Shaw's Crab House Schaumburg:</b> 1900 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 517-2722 or shawscrabhouse.com/schaumburg/ Start off Christmas Eve with a morning buffet at Shaw's. Build-your-own omelet stations, fresh fish, a raw bar, a dessert bar and more are on the menu starting at 10 a.m. Sunday. $45 for adults, $10 for kids 7-12, and free for kids 6 and younger. Reservations requested.

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Texas de Brazil:</b> 5 Woodfield Center, Suite D312, Schaumburg, (847) 413-1600 or texasdebrazil.com/locations/illinois/schaumburg/. The restaurant will be opening early on Christmas Eve, at 11 a.m., and will stay open until 9 p.m., offering the full rodizio-style dinner menu all day as well as the horseradish crusted rib-eye, which is a special holiday item. Dinner is $46.99 for adults, salad only is $24.99, half price for kids 6-12, $5 for kids 3-5, and free for kids 2 and younger. Reservations recommended.

<b>Trezeros Kitchen and Tap:</b> 302 W. Northwest Hwy., Mount Prospect, (847) 749-4020 or trezeros.com/. Trezeros is hosting a special Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve that includes dishes like baked clams oreganata, seafood chowder, lobster ravioli, pecan-crusted halibut, salted cod vesuviana style and much more. Specialty cocktails include eggnog punch. The regular dinner menu also will be available. Reservations requested.

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Wildfire:</b> 1250 E. Higgins Road, Schaumburg, (847) 995-0100; 1300 Patriot Blvd., Glenview, (847) 657-6363; 232 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, (630) 586-9000; 235 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 279-7900. wildfirerestaurant.com/. Let Wildfire do the cooking Christmas Eve. The restaurant will be serving the dinner menu plus daily specials and signature dishes like the Wildfire chopped salad, horseradish crusted filet, cedar planked salmon, Key lime pie and more. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 24. Reservations required.