Jacksonville Restaurants Open on Easter 2026, Full List Available

Easter Sunday brings one of the year's most unpredictable dining landscapes: some of Jacksonville's most-loved restaurants pull out special menus and extended brunch hours, while others lock the doors so staff can spend the holiday at home. For the 2026 holiday, a local dining guide rounded up confirmed operating status across a wide range of Jacksonville establishments, from national chains with corporate-mandated schedules to independent spots that made their own calls on the day.

Full-Service and Upscale Dining

At the higher end of the table, Morton's The Steakhouse at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront in Downtown set special Easter hours of 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, a significant shift from its standard Sunday schedule. Seasons 52, the Fresh Grill location with a strong local following, offered Easter brunch service from 9:00 AM through 2:00 PM, then transitioned to full dinner menu service for the rest of the day. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill extended its hours on the holiday, running from 10:00 AM through 10:00 PM.

For sit-down dinners, Yelp's Jacksonville Easter dining data pointed to strong local interest in River & Post, Town Hall, Stonewood Grill & Tavern, The Reef, Whiskey Cake Jacksonville, and Le Petit Paris - Southside, all of which drew Easter customers. Casa Marina Hotel & Restaurant and Copeland's also appeared as popular local choices for holiday meals. The Reef, in particular, drew guests for Easter brunch, with diners noting the breadth of the menu and attentive service. Because many of these spots operate independently or as smaller regional concepts, hours were set at the location level, making a quick call ahead an essential first step before making the drive.

Easter Brunch: A Growing Jacksonville Tradition

Easter brunch has become a genuine dining event in the First Coast market, with several venues offering prix-fixe or specialty menus designed around the holiday. Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian steakhouse with a Jacksonville location, offered Easter service from 11:00 AM through 9:00 PM. First Watch, known for its daytime-only model, also remained open for the holiday. North Italia kept regular hours.

For families with young children, the local Easter brunch scene extended beyond city limits. A lavish Easter Garden Brunch at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, set within the hotel's ballroom and running from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, drew Jacksonville-area families willing to make the short drive north.

Metro Diner, the Jacksonville-born concept with locations across Northeast Florida including its original San Marco spot, confirmed it would be open on Easter Sunday with one key caveat: all locations would close by 6:00 PM, earlier than the chain's typical weekend windows. For families planning a mid-morning or early-afternoon meal, Metro Diner remained a reliable option.

National Chains: Consistent Choices Across the City

For those who prioritize predictability over ambiance, several major national chains publicly confirmed that all locations would hold standard operating hours on April 5. Cracker Barrel, IHOP, Waffle House, Denny's, Bob Evans, Whataburger, and Krispy Kreme all fell into this category. Waffle House, which operates on a 24-hour model and has never closed in its history, remained open as usual.

Quick-service chains including McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King were generally expected to operate, though hours at franchised locations can vary. Domino's confirmed Easter operations for delivery and carryout customers, and Starbucks and Dunkin' locations across the Jacksonville metro area maintained their schedules, with some individual stores operating on adjusted Sunday hours.

Ford's Garage, a concept with a strong presence in the Northeast Florida market, confirmed regular hours. Outback Steakhouse locations planned to be open, though hours were listed as varying by location, reinforcing the value of a quick phone call or website check before heading out.

Closures and Limited Hours to Know

Not every restaurant stayed open, and the guide flagged that certain quick-service and specialty locations scale back on Easter. Some Fazoli's locations planned limited hours, while others closed entirely. National chains that operate primarily within shopping centers sometimes adjusted hours to match reduced mall traffic on the holiday. The guide also noted that fast-casual concepts tied to specific retail centers were less predictable than freestanding locations, making the "call ahead" advice especially relevant for that category.

Tips for Dining Out on a Major Holiday

A few practical realities shaped the Easter dining experience across Jacksonville this year:

• Reservation-required venues, particularly upscale spots and hotel dining rooms, were likely fully booked days in advance. Walk-in tables were scarce at popular Easter brunch destinations.
• Arriving earlier than usual at any brunch service, especially at high-volume chains, made a measurable difference in wait time. By mid-morning on holidays like Easter, IHOP and Cracker Barrel locations typically see wait lists.
• Takeout windows and third-party delivery apps often operated on adjusted schedules even when a restaurant's dining room was open. Confirming takeout availability separately from dine-in status saved confusion.
• Several restaurants packaged family meal bundles specifically for Easter, offering pre-portioned take-home options designed for households that wanted restaurant food without the table reservation. Boston Market, for instance, offered heat-and-serve family meals suited to pickup after morning Easter activities.
• Because the original guide was published April 1, the four-day gap before Easter Sunday was long enough for individual locations to update their plans. Checking the restaurant's website or calling directly on April 4 or the morning of April 5 remained the most reliable verification method.

Jacksonville's Easter dining landscape in 2026 reflected the broader national pattern: major chains stayed largely consistent, local independents made their own calls, and the most in-demand tables required advance planning. The variety available across the city meant that whether the priority was a leisurely upscale brunch in Downtown, a quick family breakfast near the Southside, or takeout to bring back to a holiday gathering, there were confirmed options across every price point.