The best late-night food joints in 40 major US college towns
Fat Sal's Deli—Los Angeles, California
Koronet Pizza – New York City, New York
Popular with: Columbia University
An average piece of pizza from Koronet Pizza is about the size of a human face, which is one of the things that makes this late-night slicery so great. And for a pie-size slice, you're spending $4.50 — less than an actual pie, and perfect for a college budget.
Freebirds World Burrito—Isla Vista, California
Popular with: University of California, Santa Barbara
With fresh options like chicken quesadillas stuffed with cheese, beans, and pico de gallo to crispy loaded nachos, Freebirds is the go-to spot after a night of long partying on Isla Vista. The best part is it’s open until 3a.m so you can get your late-night fix.
Trujillo’s Taco Shop—San Diego, California
Popular with: San Diego State University
With so many top-notch places to get Mexican food in San Diego, Trujillo’s stays on top by ensuring fresh ingredients. When you bite into their burritos, the meat is still piping hot, the cheese continues to melt, and the pico de gallo packs a bite.
Are U Hungry – State College, Pennsylvania
Popular with: Penn State University
Are U Hungry is the place to get convenient comfort food at Penn State. You'll find a number of "fat sandwiches" — big hoagie rolls filled with meat, veggies, cheese, and french fries — which are made to pair with any of the items on the "munchies menu."
Big Mamma's Burritos – Athens, Ohio
Popular with: Ohio University
Big Mamma's Burritos isn't just a late-night eatery, it's a rite of passage for Ohio University students. Those daring enough (and hungry enough) to complete the Mega Mamma Challenge — about 5 lbs of burrito in 20 minutes or less — get their burritos comped, free T-shirts, and instant campus stardom.
RU Hungry – New Brunswick, New Jersey
Popular with: Rutgers University
RU is known for its "grease trucks," particularly RU Hungry, which serves up massive sandwiches overstuffed with meat, cheese, and, sometimes, veggies. As with Are U Hungry at Penn State, RU Hungry also fills its "fat sandwiches" with fries.
Mamoun’s Falafel—New York City, New York
Popular with: New York University
Mamoun’s Falafel has several locations in New York City, all of which get packed. Making high-quality Middle Eastern food since 1971, Mamoun’s whips up delectable falafel, shawarma, and kebabs. Enjoy them on a plate or stuffed in a sandwich and filled with goodies like hummus.
Shakespeare's Pizza – Columbia, Missouri
Popular with: University of Missouri
Expect delectable piping hot pies with dough made in house. Stanislaus' pizza sauce is made with tomatoes instead of concentrate, and fresh toppings. Though they’ve changed locations, they’ll be moving back to their original location near the campus next year.
Antonio's Pizza—Amherst, Massachusetts
Popular with: University of Massachusetts Amherst
With late night slices for super cheap, Antonio’s Pizza is a favorite in Amherst. Their pizza variety is wild, with gourmet pesto pizzas topped with tortellini, vegetarian pizzas, and meat pizzas smothered in BBQ steak, cilantro, tomato, nachos, sour cream, and cheddar.
Guthrie’s of Tallahassee—Tallahassee, Florida
Popular with: Florida State University
Guthrie’s is famous for its box that is stuffed with golden fried chicken fingers, crispy french fries, creamy cole slaw, buttery Texas Toast, and a signature sauce. It even has a drive-thru to make getting a late night snack a breeze.
Cosmic Cantina – Durham, North Carolina
Popular with: Duke University
Cosmic Cantina serves food made with pink Himalayan salt and mountain water and is open until 5 a.m. because they're "committed to providing healthy food at a time when it is sorely needed (especially after drinking)." And the soft, homemade tortillas are built for absorbing alcohol.
Collegetown Bagels—Ithaca, New York
Popular with: Cornell University
With mouthwatering sandwiches, homemade entries, delectable bagels, and good coffee, Collegetown Bagels is a favorite stop both in the morning and late at night. Try the classic Nova Lox and cream cheese on a Long Island bagel or go for one of their other bagels, some were even invented by past students.
Fuel and Fuddle – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Popular with: Carnegie Mellon University/University of Pittsburgh
From 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. you get $5 brick oven pizzas, wings, burgers, and other signature items. Make sure to try their smashed potato pizza with bacon and buttermilk ranch dressing. Plus, they’ve got 10 beers on tap and 100 bottled selections if you want to keep the party going.
New York Pizzeria ("Slices") – Hamilton, New York
Popular with: Colgate University
Colgaters know this place only as "Slices," and it's the go-to place for late-night eats in Hamilton. Their slogan is "slices come plain only," so don't even try asking for anything fancy.
The Grill – Athens, Georgia
Popular with: University of Georgia
After a late night out at the bars, you can find UGA students migrating toward The Grill. It's open 24/7 and decorated like an old-time diner. Its fries with feta dressing and a shake are a midnight go-to.
Top Dog – Berkeley, California
Popular with: University of California – Berkeley
Berkeley students flock to this hot dog hot spot, which stays open until 3 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Top Dog offers 12 different types of dogs that range from veal and pork to chicken, and that are topped with everything from marjoram to eggs.
[B]Ski's – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Popular with: University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Open until 4 a.m. on the weekends, [B]Ski's has revolutionized the idea of the standard wrap sandwich. [B]Ski's offers an assortment of grilled wraps to satisfy all your tortilla-wrapped cravings.
Woodstock’s Pizza—Davis, California
Popular with: University of California, Davis
Customize your own pizza with a choice of whole wheat, gluten-free, or white crusts, a variety of sauces that range from pesto to creamy sriracha, and finally add your toppings for a personalized bite that’s delicious.
Casola’s Pizzeria & Sub Shop – Miami, Florida
Popular with: University of Miami
Casola's is a pizzeria and a sub shop all rolled into one. Not only can you enjoy free pizza samples while you wait for your order, but the University of Miami go-to is open until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays to meet your late-night cravings.
Kurt's Lunchbox – New Durham, New Hampshire
Popular with: University of New Hampshire
Dubbed one of the coolest places on campus, Kurt's Lunchbox, a food truck, is where you'll bump into just about everybody after a long night out. The food truck offers a wide array of fried foods and encourages students to stop by to "develop your french fri [sic] chi" every weekend.
Kerbey Lane Cafe – Austin, Texas
Popular with: University of Texas – Austin
Kerbey Lane Cafe is open 24/7 for UT students to enjoy everything from Tex-Mex to comfort foods. The cinnamon bun pancakes are a popular, and decadent, favorite dish here.
Tom & Jerry's – DeKalb, Illinois
Popular with: Northern Illinois University
Tom & Jerry's serves all kinds of fast-food items — burgers, subs, wings, gyros — to students and locals alike. It even accepts Husky Bucks (NIU's meal plan currency) and delivers until 3 a.m.
Nick Tahou Hots—Rochester, New York
Popular with: University of Rochester
Nick Tahou Hots is a landmark in Rochester, New York, thanks to its famous Garbage Plate. Here, the fries are hot and crispy, the meat is tender and flavorful, and there’s nothing like a combination of hearty meat and potatoes to keep away a hangover.
Crunchy's Burgers & Beer – East Lansing, Michigan
Popular with: Michigan State University
Crunchy's is a favorite dive bar and burger joint with satisfying combos like bacon and avocado, or bacon and blue cheese. You can also customize your own with whatever toppings you crave, and get your Crunch Card punched (every ninth burger is free!) for your loyalty.
Pinocchio's – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Popular with: Harvard University
Good and cheap, late into the night, "Noch's" has been proudly serving up great pizza and subs to Harvard University students for over 30 years. They're known for their thick, Sicilian-style slices, but if you're not in the mood for pizza, grab one of their mouthwatering sub sandwiches.
Fellini's – Atlanta, Georgia
Popular with: Emory University
With locations throughout the Atlanta metro area, Fellini's is a clear favorite when it comes to late-night pizza. Students enjoy grabbing a Fellini's slice after a night out at MJQ.
Fat Sandwich Company – Champaign, Illinois
Popular with: University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
Open until 3 a.m., Fat Sandwich Company serves college students huge sandwiches with the sides inside. Get hearty sandwich toppings that include mac and cheese bites, mini corn dogs, hash browns, and four cheeseburger patties.
Lincoln Diner – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Popular with: Gettysburg College
There are plenty of goodies to choose from here, whether it's a juicy burger or an enormous blueberry pancake students like to indulge in on Sundays. Thankfully, local greasy spoon "LD's" is open late, which means it's never too late for pancakes, either.
Nick's Patio – South Bend, Indiana
Popular with: Indiana University – South Bend/University of Notre Dame)
Nick's Patio is your typical Greek diner with cheap, large-portioned meals that satisfy 24 hours a day. Breakfast doesn't stop at lunchtime for Nick's; you can still get your pancakes all night long.
Boulder Baked – Boulder, Colorado
Popular with: University of Colorado – Boulder
Boulder Baked is designed for those who crave comfort food later in the day. Open every day from 4 p.m. to midnight, Boulder Baked makes its all-natural sweets from scratch and offers gluten-free and vegan options. Be sure to try one of the baked-to-order cookies.
Bidwell Tavern– Coventry, Connecticut
Popular with: University of Connecticut/Eastern Connecticut State University
The Bidwell is a Saturday night hot spot for college students who want to split a pitcher or two, but it's also hailed as the premiere late-night munchie spot because of its wide selection of different types of wings.
Crêpes à la Cart—New Orleans, Louisiana
Popular with: Tulane University
With over 50 varieties of crepes to choose from, Crêpes À la Cart is perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late dinner (or early breakfast, depending on when you go). Get your 4 a.m. crepe fix with savory toppings, like ham and cheese or smoked salmon and eggs, or sweet ones like fruit and Nutella or s'mores.
Wings Over Amherst – Amherst, Massachusetts
Popular with: University of Massachusetts – Amherst/Amherst College
Though it may be a chain, nothing beats Wings Over Wings after a night of partying. Order the The Zeppelin (6 lbs of boneless wings) or any of the other options at this Amherst favorite until 2:30 a.m. on the weekends.
South U Pizza – Ann Arbor, Michigan
Popular with: University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
This University of Michigan pizzeria is open until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and offers both pizza and subs. It even has a number of vegan options to make sure everyone is happy and well-fed.
Famous Frank's—West Lafayette, Indiana
Popular with: Purdue University
For a hearty bite, head to Frank's. The "fat boy" comes with mozzarella sticks, chicken fries, marinara sauce, and cheese all stuffed into a hot dog bun. The best part is it's open until 3 a.m.
El Rancho—Columbia, Missouri
Popular with: University of Missouri
El Rancho's plates are large enough for sharing and favorites like the Taco Loco—a crispy tortilla shell stuffed with lettuce, cheese, grilled chicken breast or steak, and topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tomato—are sure to satisfy.
Kountry Kart Deli—Burlington, Vermont
Popular with: University of Vermont, Champlain College
A favorite quick-stop, Kountry Kart Deli makes delectable sandwiches. Go for their most popular—the Rise and Shiner—made with bacon, ham, or sausage layered over hash browns, an egg, and cheese inside of a toasted roll.
Littlejohn’s New York Delicatessen—Charlottesville, Virginia
Popular with: University of Virginia
Littlejohn’s New York Delicatessen serves New-York style deli good with a Southern twist. Their sandwiches range from a classic pastrami to marinated pulled chicken loaded with honey mustard, hot peppers, and melted Swiss.
Benny Marzano's – Blacksburg, Virginia
Popular with: Virginia Tech
Benny Marzano's offers too-big-for-a-plate 14-inch slices of pizza for only $4. One slice is plenty for two people, and it serves studiers and partiers alike until 3 a.m.
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