The Best Chain Restaurants For Late-Night Cravings, According To Mashed Staff

Whether it's a waffle drenched in syrup, a mini mart hot dog, or a pita filled to the brim with roasted lamb, hungry night owls have a spread of food options to pick from. Sure, all of these foods are available in the light of day, but there's just something that hits the taste buds in a unique way when grabbing an after hours eat to satisfy a food craving.

Because we've got a lot of different opinions on food here at Mashed, where to grab a bite after a late night writing session or evening of bar hopping drew a range of answers from our writers. Some folks opt for sweet, while others reach for something savory. The one thing everybody can agree on is that going to bed hungry is not an option. When it came to picking our favorite places to tame a growling stomach, the only prerequisite was a chain that's open after hours with that one menu item that just hits the spot.

Cook Out is a Southern staple that made my college years exponentially better. Most of its locations are open late –- and my specific location in Myrtle Beach was open until 4:30 a.m. on weekends. It's how every great night ended, with a Cook Out tray in one hand and a milkshake in the other. It was the perfect way to go to bed with a full stomach, and it definitely helped prevent the impending hangover.

If you don't know what a Cook Out tray is –- let me delight you. When you order a Cook Out tray, it comes with one main and two sides. Now, these aren't just any regular fast food menu items. There are classic options, like chicken tenders or burgers, but there are even more unique options that you can pair them with. The chain has hush puppies, corn dogs, quesadillas, cheese bites, and more. From someone who has tried every single item on that menu -– it is all delicious. The best part is, the tray is incredibly affordable at only $7.99.

The milkshakes are some of the best shakes I've ever had. It have about 43 different flavors, and you can mix different flavors together to create your own concoction. My favorite was always to mix the strawberry cheesecake with Butterfinger. The shakes are so thick and always hit the spot perfectly. I would go back to my college town in a heartbeat just to experience a 3 a.m. Cook Out visit one last time.

While most Chicagoans agree the Italian beef sandwich is a true marvel, unique to Chicago — what they often can't agree on is just where to get the best one. A true Italian beef sandwich requires just the right bread, strong enough to hold up to the sopping wet meat, yet still soft and chewy on the inside. It also demands the perfect balance of seasoning and thinly sliced beef topped with your choice of sweet peppers or hot giardiniera.

While there are plenty of hot dog stands and sandwich shops in the city that serve a mean Italian beef, I'd argue that nothing beats the convenience and satisfaction of grabbing one from Portillo's drive-through late at night accompanied by a large helping of salty, greasy French fries. If Italian beef isn't what you're after, you can get a Chicago-style hot dog with all the traditional toppings (no ketchup allowed). The burgers at Portillo's are often overlooked, but have a charbroiled, tasty flavor and bacon adds the finishing touch. Even better, try subbing the regular bun for Portillo's brioche. If you're craving something sweet, Portillo's has thick milkshakes or a slice of chocolate cake.

Portillo's is based in the Chicago area but can be found in 10 states. Most stores close at 10:30 p.m., but Portillo's began experimenting with late-night hours in 2024. Some locations are now open until 1 a.m., helping to satisfy any late-night Italian beef craving.

Gas station food just hits different after 1 a.m. There's something about a hot dog that's been sitting in the warmer for some undisclosed amount of time that just makes sense for a late night, after bar pitstop. Wawa is a different breed of gas station, though, and I swear it deserves a Michelin star for its contributions to the witching hour's food scene.

Not only does Wawa offer everything your run-of-the-mill gas station would, but the crew cooks to order a slew of food and drink items 24 hours a day. From Wawa's secret menu to its frozen coffees and customizable sandwiches, almost any late night craving can be satiated within this side-of-the-road haven for the hungry. The East Coast gas station franchise typically has a good amount of promotions going on alongside its rewards app, making it a great destination for night owls on a budget.

There are mornings when I would kill — or, at the very least, maim — for a Wawa Sizzli. The breakfast sandwiches are also a great way to end a long night on the highest of notes. An egg and cheese croissant takes me to a different plane of existence when I'm dragging home after 4 a.m. I'll gladly wait until 5 to grab one of those little Wawa boxes before tumbling into bed. The breakfast sandwiches are cheap, delicious, and one of my favorite craving quenchers for late night escapades that roll into the morning.

It's a chain of events as old as time. You stay out too late, realize upon leaving the party that you're ravenous, and then remember (with a sinking feeling in the pit of your growling stomach) that all the restaurants closed down hours ago. But wait ... all the restaurants, save one. There in the distance comes the light of a glowing yellow sign, swooping to save you from your late-night hunger.

I am, of course, talking about Waffle House. This Southern-comfort breakfast-themed chain has 1,900 locations under its belt, sprinkled across 25 different states — and every single one of them is open 24/7. Fancy a delicious savory plate of bacon and hash browns, a dripping-with-syrup pile of buttermilk pancakes, or a breakfast sandwich on Texas toast at one o'clock in the morning? Head immediately to your nearest Waffle House location to satisfy that incessant craving.

There's no judgment — just a team of cooks and servers willing to bring to life the midnight breakfast of your dreams. Trust me, nothing in this world provides a more perfect end to a long night of hunger-inducing escapades than a hefty plate of greasy, glorious goodness from Waffle House. Don't believe me? Just try it for yourself. I'll wait.

Is it even late-night food if you're not eating from aluminum packaging (possibly while sitting on the curb)? Whether consumed impulsively, joyously, or as fuel to keep the party going, late-night cravings should be tasty. The Halal Guys know this. There's something about eating a pita sandwich or falafel platter under the moonlight that never disappoints — and The Halal Guys know that too, that's why they stay open long after other eateries have closed up shop.

Under a starless New York City sky, late-night lines form around The Halal Guys — especially in Manhattan, where the cart at West 53rd and 6th Avenue and the East 14th Street location churn out food until 4 a.m. (on weekend nights the 14th Street spot stays open til five). Soft pita, savory rice, and crispy falafel dressed in The Halal Guys' signature white sauce (we love a combo of white and hot sauce), is something I'd gladly eat in daylight, but my favorite time to order is after a night on the town.

The Halal Guys is perfect for those whose dietary restrictions don't allow them to go ham on a fast food cheeseburger. Vegetarian eats are aplenty and the meat is in high demand. The Halal Guys' shawarma chicken and gyro beef are, as the name implies, halal (Arabic for "permitted"). The chain has numerous locations in the northeast, plus outposts in Canada, Indonesia, Korea, and the U.K., most of which are open at least until midnight.

The thing about late-night cravings is that they don't always come with rhyme and reason — which is why Denny's is always the ultimate solution. I am yet to discover an appetite that can't be resolved by the diner's sprawling menu and supersized portions. There's something vaguely satisfying about sliding into a vinyl booth and poring over a menu long enough to potentially constitute a short novel before realizing that, yes, a Choconana Pancake Slam is the only thing that will make my stomach happy right now.

Breakfast foods may be my most common pick, but I'm fairly confident I've ordered the vast majority of the Denny's menu at some point. I'm not saying that it's the highest quality food in the world, but I will go down swinging for Denny's because not only do you know exactly what to expect (carbs, sugar, and more carbs), but each dish comes with a fairly justifiable price tag.

+If those late night cravings are the result of one too many beers, said carbs also do a good job of softening the blow of tomorrow's hangover (not that I'm speaking from experience ...) Let your stomach guide you for your next late-night order, but if you need any recommendations, the Country Fried Steak & Eggs, Double Cheeseburger, and Pot Roast Melt are three of my go-to dishes.

One of the things that I missed most while living in California was the Midwest-based restaurant chain Steak 'n Shake. During college in Michigan, I spent countless late nights hanging out with friends, downing shakes, munching on cheese fries, and seeing what new off-menu item we could talk the cook into making for us. Most Steak 'n Shake locations are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mostly known for its eponymous steak burgers and milkshakes, my favorite item on the menu is probably the chili, which you can order on its own or over french fries, cheese fries (if you ask nicely), and spaghetti noodles with or without shredded cheese and diced onions. But you can't go wrong with any of the dozen-plus milkshakes either.

The great thing about the Steak 'n Shake menu is its sheer variety. There is something for just about anyone. A dozen different kinds of burgers, hotdogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken fingers, onion rings, milkshakes ... The prices can't be beat, and everything is made to order, arriving at the table quickly. There is a drive-thru, but the retro diner atmosphere is a big part of the chain's charm.

It used to be one of the few chains you could get hot food, to-go, after 10 p.m., so 7-Eleven is a pioneer in late-night self-indulgence. Its offerings after dark are the same as they are during the day, and just as hot and fresh, and loaded with salt and fat.

Everything begins with the always-running rollers, where very good tasting gas station-style hot dogs of various sizes and spice levels await, along with other things that are shaped like hot dogs, such as the surprisingly crispy on the outside, spicy and molten on the inside taquitos. A few feet away, one can find the leftover pizza slices that didn't sell earlier that day, which in terms of ultra-cheap pizza, rank with Domino's and Little Caesars.

Its utilitarian, fill-the-belly pizza, slightly better than frozen stuff but heavy on the sauce with cheese gone brown and crispy from sitting under a heat lamp for hours, all on a crunchy, cracker-like crust. That can be found alongside chicken wings and other hot food items that probably aren't great for you but which hit differently at 2 a.m. when you're too hungry to actually cook and only have enough energy to drive or walk a few blocks to 7-Eleven.