6 Best Restaurant Chains for Easter Sunday, According to Chefs
Easter Sunday is all about gathering with loved ones and sharing a memorable meal—but deciding where to go can be a challenge. To make things easier, Eat This, Not That! asked Melanie Portman, chef and recipe developer with Droolrecipes.com, to weigh in on the best restaurant chains for the holiday, from family-style Italian feasts to comforting Southern classics. Whether you’re dining out for brunch or picking up a meal to enjoy at home, these six chains stand out for their festive menus, crowd-pleasing dishes and stress-free options.
Buca di Beppo
Known for its laid-back, fun atmosphere, kitschy décor, and massive portions, Buca di Beppo celebrates the hearty cooking of Southern Italy. The chain always delivers bold flavors and family-style dishes perfect for sharing, making it an ideal spot for Easter brunch with family and friends. Guests can gather around the table and enjoy a festive, communal dining experience, complete with generous platters of classic Italian favorites.
To make the season even more special, the restaurant has also introduced a limited-time spring menu featuring fresh, flavorful new drinks, entrées and lunch items.
It’s a spot Chef Melanie can’t recommend enough.
“Buca di Beppo is the kind of Easter restaurant my family would have chosen — loud, generous, and built around the table,” she says. “The family-style portions mean nobody’s waiting for a plate to arrive; everything comes to the center, and you pass it around, which is exactly how a holiday meal should work.” She shares, “This Easter, they’re open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the new spring menu has some really compelling additions. The Shrimp Scampi Linguini — large shrimp in lemon garlic butter over linguine finished with Parmesan — is the dish I’d order first.” Chef Melanie adds, “The Garlic Roasted Chicken with crispy potatoes slow-roasted in garlic butter is the kind of thing my nonna would have made on a Sunday. For a chain, the Italian comfort food here is the real deal, and Easter Sunday is exactly the occasion it was made for.”
Cracker Barrel
Beloved for its Southern home cooking-inspired dishes, Cracker Barrel is offering options this Easter. You can dine in and enjoy a traditional ham or turkey meal, plus the regular menu. Or if you’d prefer to stay home, but don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen, Heat n’ Serve meals that require little preparation.
“Cracker Barrel on Easter just makes sense — the entire restaurant is built around the kind of comfort food families want on a holiday,” says Chef Melanie. “Their dine-in Easter menu brings back seasonal specials alongside the classics like country ham, biscuits, and fried apples.” But what really sets them apart is the Heat n’ Serve option: fully prepared dinners starting around $99.99 that feed up to 10 people and are ready in under three hours.” She explains, “You pick up a complete meal — protein, sides, rolls and dessert — and serve it at home without spending your morning in the kitchen. For families torn between eating out and cooking at home, Cracker Barrel lets you do both.”
Golden Corral
Everyone loves a good buffet and Golden Corral has always served a tasty variety of choices, but when you’re dining with a large group on a holiday, it’s a chain that makes sense. Not only will Golden Corral offer Easter specials, but you can also order meals to go that serve 6 to 8 people and are available for pickup starting March 30.
“If you’re feeding a big family with picky eaters of all ages, Golden Corral on Easter is the smartest play,” says Chef Melanie. “The buffet eliminates the stress of picking one restaurant that works for everyone — grandma wants carved glazed ham from the carving station, the kids want mac and cheese, your brother-in-law wants prime rib, and everybody’s happy.” She adds, “They open at 8 a.m on Easter so you can do brunch or dinner, and the dinner buffet runs around $18.99 per adult with kids under 3 eating free.” For a table of eight, that kind of value is hard to beat at any sit-down restaurant on a holiday.”
Bonefish Grill
Bonefish Grill offers a mix of quality food, a relaxed yet upscale vibe, and a memorable dining experience. If you’re planning to dine out for brunch on Easter, this is the place to go, according to Chef Melanie. “This is my pick for families who want Easter to feel like an occasion without the white-tablecloth price tag,” she says. “Bonefish opens an hour early on Easter Sunday at 10 a.m. for brunch service, and the menu is a step up from what most chains offer.” She explains, “The Bang Bang Shrimp Eggs Benedict is worth the trip alone — crispy shrimp on a toasted English muffin with poached eggs and a spicy cream sauce.” Chef Melanie adds, “They also have a Grand Marnier French Toast with fresh whipped cream and strawberries that ends the meal on a high note. Everything on the brunch menu comes with bacon and seasoned breakfast potatoes, so the value is solid.”
The Cheesecake Factory
According to the chain’s website, The Cheesecake Factory has added 20 new menu items just in time for Easter. The chain already had an expansive menu, but it just got better.
“The Cheesecake Factory on Easter is almost unfairly convenient because the menu is so massive that literally everyone at the table will find something they love,” says Chef Melanie. “Sunday brunch runs from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. with items like the Bruleed French Toast and a full Eggs Benedict lineup, and prices are surprisingly reasonable — most brunch plates are under $13.” She explains, “But the real move is this: everyone orders brunch, then you cap it with a slice of cheesecake for the table. It turns a standard meal into an event. With over 250 items on the regular menu and brunch specials, the hardest part is deciding—which is a much better problem to have than “nobody likes this restaurant.”
Bob Evans
Bob Evans is known for hearty, country-style meals like biscuits and gravy, fried chicken, pot roast, and classic breakfast plates. The food is simple yet impressive. It’s another chain that’s offering complete meals to go for Easter.
“Bob Evans is the underrated Easter pick, especially for families who lean toward homestyle comfort food,” says Chef Melanie. “Their dine-in menu hits all the right notes — slow-roasted turkey, country-fried steak, pot roast. But where they really shine is the Farmhouse Feast: a full take-home Easter dinner starting at $89.99 for up to 8 people.” She explains, “You get your choice of hickory-smoked ham or slow-roasted turkey, sides like mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans with ham, fresh-baked rolls, and a whole pie.” Chef Melanie adds, “The larger option feeds 8 to 10 for $159.99, and there’s a Pot Roast Feast at $169.99 if your family prefers beef. They also have an individual Easter Celebration Platter for $15.99 if you want a plate for yourself. Pre-order now for pickup through Easter Sunday.”