The best late night grub: a beginning guide

Olivia Ratinoff | Freshman Press Reporter

It’s late at night, nearing 11 a.m. or midnight, and you realize that you’re a little bit hungry. Maybe now is a good time to stop whatever you’re doing and take a food break. But you’re new, and don’t know where to go. Luckily for you, there are tons of places on and around campus that you can go to (and some that even deliver!).

Insomnia Cookies provides late-night delivery for hungry college students. Located on the Delmar Loop, Insomnia Cookies has created competition for local bakeries--especially other cookie delivery shops.Jonathan Yue | Student Life

Insomnia Cookies provides late-night delivery for hungry college students. Located on the Delmar Loop, Insomnia Cookies has created competition for local bakeries–especially other cookie delivery shops.

On Campus

The first place to check is, of course, the South 40 (assuming you’re in your dorm). Every weekday (Monday through Thursday), Cherry Tree has crepes from 11 p.m. until 2 a.m., custom-made, with add-on toppings. The lines get fairly long, and sometimes you can be waiting a while, depending on what time you get there. Usually, showing up early helps (since you might get a better place in the line), but you can also go when the crowd thins out (closer to the end time).

Sometimes you’ll get lucky from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. and find a shorter line. But if crepes are not quite your speed, there’s also Paws & Go, which is in the same building, open from 10 a.m. until 1 a.m. Paws & Go has almost everything, from Oreos and milkshake machines to healthier options like yogurt. And no worries—it does take meal points and Bear Bucks, so you do not need to have your own cash. There’s also the Bear-y Sweet Shoppe on the South 40, which is open Sunday through Thursday from 4:15 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. The candy sells at 57 cents per ounce and includes a wide variety from gummies to chocolates—having some in your dorm may make for a sweet late-night snack if you stop in earlier during the day. (Just a tip: Bear-y Sweet Shoppe does not take Bear Bucks, so having some cash on you when you go in can be fairly helpful.)

Also on campus is the Village Grill, located in north campus, which has waffles and chicken from 10 p.m. until closing time (which is midnight from Sunday to Thursday and 2 a.m. from Friday to Saturday).

On The Loop

If you’re looking for something off-campus, don’t fret: There are still options for you. The Delmar Loop is home to lots of different places that stay open late enough for you to grab something. Mission Taco Joint is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. It has a general Mexican menu (including churros for $4), but after 10 p.m. you can get $2 tacos (and shots, for those of you 21 and over). There’s also Eclipse Restaurant, which is open from 6:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. And though it is a restaurant, it does have a couple of late-night snacks, including chili-lime mixed nuts, pretzel sticks, cheese puffs and fried pickle spears all between $5 and $6. And then there’s the Peacock Loop Diner, open 24/7. They serve diner food, but a hot dog or burger-and-fries costs $4.50, so if you’re looking for more of a sit-down experience just before dawn, you can walk into the Peacock Loop Diner anytime.

With a car

There are some places which require additional transportation to reach, since they’re a little further out, but if you can rent a car then you can get to Tiffany’s Original Diner, Ted Drewes and Bailey’s Chocolate Bar. Tiffany’s is another 24-hour diner and the drive is roughly 7 minutes. Ted Drewes has frozen custard and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The shop has a bunch of wacky flavors and all kinds of concretes, malts, shakes and sundaes, among other things. Bailey’s Chocolate Bar is downtown, so you’ll definitely need a car to get there. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. The shop doesn’t just serve chocolate: It has meat options, “pizzetta” and different kinds of fish, as well as a variety of deserts (including brownies, cheesecake, blondies, molten cake and multiple ice cream flavors). Dinners range from $10 to $18 for a single dish (the Lover’s Plate—a tasting plate for two—costs $22) and deserts range from $7 to $15, though most deserts are $9.

They deliver

Insomnia Cookies delivers from 1 p.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends, and 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. on weekdays. It usually takes 30 to 45 minutes to deliver, and the shop does not take Bear Bucks, but it does deliver to your dorm. You can order online or call the general number (though you can’t call directly to the store in St. Louis). There’s also a cookie delivery service called Dough to Door, which does take Bear Bucks and has a 30-minute wait. It is currently renovating, but should be up and running by Sept. 1. It will still do deliveries upon reopening and is currently taking future orders if you want to give them a call. They will be open for business from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.

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