If you’ve spent a lot of time drinking, you know that you sometimes succumb to the craving for terrible food. (OMG guys, we HAVE to go through the Jack in the Box drive-thru and get funnel cakes!)
Every region has their own special variation on late-night drunk food. Sure, there are things that are pretty consistent (and terrible) across the country (have you ever been in a Denny’s at 3:00 am?) But there are also foods that are really indicative of a neighborhood.
The Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog
The smell of bacon wrapped hot dog outside a bar or club at night in Los Angeles is a familiar one. Last year, Farmer John held a “vote” to declare the bacon-wrapped, onion and pepper-covered creation the “official” hot dog of Los Angeles.
The Taco Truck
This is not your hipster food truck where the gourmet fusion sushi and whatever tacos cost $4 a piece and the specials are named after indie songs. This place does not use an iPad to take your credit card. They probably don’t take credit cards. They are parked in a random car wash lot, have a spit to roast the pork, and if you’re smart, they make their own tortillas. The tacos shouldn’t cost more than $1.25 and the Coke comes in glass bottles from Mexico and contains real sugar.
My personal favorite late night taco truck is El Flamin’ Taco. (Get the tacos al pastor, and definitely elbow your way to the salsa bar.)
If you want to explore, there are quite a few websites dedicated to reviewing the trucks, which tend to park in the same location and develop cult followings.
The 24-hour Koreatown Experience
If you’ve ever spent any time in Koreatown, you know that there are quite a few 24-hour soup places. The one I’ve visited the most often is currently closed for remodeling, but it used to be packed with people who had just finished clubbing in Koreatown and wanted to sober up with some spicy tofu soup.
What are the late-night drunken food places you’d recommend in your city or neighborhood? Kebab trucks? 24-hour conveyor belt sushi?
