You know how it goes: it’s late and the rest of the world has gone to sleep. The glow of the TV screen is burning your eyeballs, and the quiet murmur of a Friends rerun is rocking you to sleep, when all of a sudden it hits – hunger unlike you’ve ever experienced it before. It’s inconvenient. It’s annoying. And the worst part? There’s nothing in the fridge.
So what’s a guy or gal to do? Put some pants on, grab the keys, and head on over to one of these great choices for late night fast food.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is not one to judge its customers for showing up at the wee hours of the night or morning. In fact, they encourage your unhealthy sleep schedule by remaining open after midnight. Taco Bell made it a standard across all of its stores – independently owned or not – to accommodate you and your munchies, any time of day or night. More restaurants are offering later hours since it’s clear that consumers are willing to show up at odd hours when they want something to eat.
Open Hours: 7am – 4am (varies by location)
Jack in the Box
There’s nothing more shamefully enjoyable than showing up to a Jack in the Box at three in the morning to order dollar tacos and curly fries. People kill for this beloved fast food chain from the American West, especially late at night. So naturally, Jack in the Box stays open late to serve the intoxicated, the hungry, and the sleepless all the same.
Open Hours: Open 24/7 (varies by location)
White Castle
If you’ve never seen “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” then you might not know they’re open late evenings and early mornings. It isn’t the only burger joint around with friendly hours, but it is the only place you can get those delicious little sliders almost any time of the day. It’s a popular spot for night owls whenever one pops up, and you can bet if there’s a White Castle near you, it’s probably open past midnight. Whether you want the food they’re offering or not is another concern.
Open Hours: Open 24/7 (varies by location)
McDonald’s
Proven fact – McDonald’s tastes better late at night. There’s nothing quite as satisfying (or as cheap) as ordering a burger and fries when you should be sleeping. And now that you can get McDonald’s breakfast at any time of day, night owls have no excuse to opt for another fast food joint.
Note: Not all locations choose to stay open at night, but your local spot does, consider yourself lucky.
Open Hours: Open 24/7 (varies by location)
Burger King
It’s actually kind of hard to find a Burger King open past midnight. Many of them like to leave the drive-thru windows running into the early morning hours, but they stop letting people enter the restaurant as soon as 9 or 10 PM. Because the food is generally available after most restaurants have closed, it still has a solid spot on this list. However, if you were searching for a cozy place to sit down and get warm while you eat, Burger King is going to sorely disappoint you. That’s one time you can’t have it your way.
Open Hours: 6am – 1am (varies by location)
Panda Express
Late night Chinese food is more popular than you might think. A piping hot egg roll and some orange chicken do wonders for the sleepless soul, and if you’re not in the mood to hop in the car, check and see if your location delivers.
Open Hours: 10am – 10:30pm (varies by location)
Sonic
Sonic is the ideal place to stop when you’re driving through the night on the interstate and a sudden wave of hunger hits you. You might have to compete with some big rigs, but you will definitely have the trucks beat when it comes to meeting drive-thru clearance. Fresh burgers and dogs are the specialties here, but Sonic also has a wide variety of shakes that make any late-night pit stop one to remember.
Open Hours: 7am – 12am (varies by location)
Wendy’s
Sometimes a loaded baked potato is necessary to soothe the sleepless mind. And sometimes a bowl of chili just sounds better after the clock strikes midnight – we get it. Most Wendy’s locations are open until 1am, leaving you a small window to fulfill your late-night munchies.
Open Hours: 10am – 1am (varies by location)
Dairy Queen
If you happen to be where there is a Dairy Queen, you might be in a place which has a Roundy’s or Pick n’ Save grocery store as well. Dairy Queen is known for partnering up with that grocer. In locations where the grocery store is open for 24 hours, it isn’t uncommon to see Dairy Queen restaurants inside, which also have great hours for people who are out late.
Open Hours: 10:30am – 10:00pm (varies by location)
Moral of the story: If it’s 1 am, and you’re dead-set on munching on a burger and fries (maybe a burrito?), the odds are good if you drive a few miles in any direction, you’ll find the late night fast food fix you’re looking for. If you’re up that late, chances are you don’t have anything better to do, right?
