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The traditional hotel ballroom Christmas buffets always sell out.
But there might be a table right next door.
Both the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine and the Worthington Renaissance hotel in downtown Fort Worth will serve in their restaurants as well as grand ballrooms.
And it's cheaper.
For the first time, the Gaylord's Riverwalk Cantina will serve a Christmas buffet with carving stations, omelets and a chocolate fountain.
The price is $49, compared to $68 in the ballroom.
The Gaylord's Lone Star Christmas exhibit also includes the ice sculptures of ICE! featuring DreamWorks' Shrek the Halls, and Kung Fu Panda snow-tubing.
The Gaylord doesn't have a famous chef, but it's flashy: 1.5 million lights, a 52-foot tree and 12,000 ornaments.
It's at 1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine; 817-722-9024, gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-texan.
In Fort Worth, the Worthington Renaissance might still have a few tables early or late for its $46 ballroom brunch.
The Vidalia's dining room downstairs will serve a regular menu, then switch at 3 p.m. to a Christmas menu, including a choice of prime rib or ham for $29; 200 Main St., 817-210-2222. Book at opentable.com.
Nearby, Mercury Chop House will open and serve its regular lunch and dinner menus of $9-$15 salads and $20-$40 steaks; 301 Main St., 817-336-4129, fortworthchophouse.com.
Ferré restaurant will open at 4 p.m. and serve a dinner menu featuring tenderloin or lavender lamb chops ($45) and pumpkin pie bread pudding; 215 E. Fourth St., 817-332-0033, ferrerestaurant.com.
( Cast Iron at the Omni Fort Worth is mostly booked, but give it a try. The brunch features bison tenderloin, pine nut-crusted swordfish, breakfasts, desserts and more for $45; 1300 Houston St., 817-350-4106.)
Other Christmas choices include Buca di Beppo Italian restaurant in Southlake, Copeland's of New Orleans in Southlake Town Square, Vance Godbey's buffet in Lakeside and the Iron Skillet Restaurant buffet in Weatherford.
Humperdinks Restaurant & Brewery in Arlington serves a turkey dinner for $17.99 beginning at 10 a.m.; 700 Six Flags Drive, 817-640-8553, humperdinks.com.
Most Luby's cafeterias will open. Same for the Furr's Family Dining buffets.
Bud Kennedy's Eats Beat appears Wednesdays in Life & Arts and Fridays in DFW.com Weekend. 817-390-7538
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