You exit the club, your hair is a greasy mess and the nighttime air cools the sweat on your skin. You stumble around the sidewalk, trying to orient yourself. As your thoughts start drifting away from that guy that was all over you or that girl you bought a drink for, you hear your stomach grumble. It’s time for the best part of the night: those late night drunchies that hit the spot. Here’s our basic guide to the best drunchies around DC, to read while sober and recall later:

Julia’s Empanadas

Even though the outside of Julia’s Empanadas may not look very impressive, their empanadas certainly are. The warm, crusty dough filled with juicy meat, raisins, spices and lots of other magical ingredients hit the spot with just the right amount of grease and carbs. Julia’s Empanadas is a DC staple, and they have empanadas for vegans and vegetarians, too. For a little taste of South America and a big juicy bite of the best hot pocket you will ever have, head over to Julia’s after dancing your ass off. You deserve it.

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Location: 1221 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 (Dupont Circle)

Hours of Operation: Mon-Thurs 11 am to 2am, Fri-Sat 11 am-4 am, Sun 11 am-7 pm

Fried Chicken and Doughnuts: GBD

Who doesn’t crave some Southern comfort once and a while, especially after a hectic night out? To begin with, the combination of juicy, crispy, perfectly seasoned fried chicken and melt-in-your-mouth donuts with inventive flavors such as apple fritter and strawberry lemonade give us a reason to come to GBD sober. But nothing feels as homey and comforting as mac and cheese drumsticks at 1 AM.

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Location: 1323 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

Hours of Operation: Breakfast and Lunch Mon-Fri 8 am-2 pm, Brunch Sat-Sun 10 am-3pm, Dinner&Bar Sun, Tues, Wed 4:30 pm-12 am, Thurs 4:30 pm-2am, Fri-Sat 4:30 pm-2 am

New Big Wong

There are few places in DC that serve food on real plates until 5 AM, but New Big Wong is one of them. A mix of classic Chinese American, such as General Tso’s chicken, and traditional Chinese dishes like chilled jellyfish keep things interesting. This place is known for an interesting crowd, particularly in the early morning hours when that hot bartender comes in after his shift. Come to chow down on lo mein, stay for the people, and leave when the sun starts to rise.

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Location: 610 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

Hours of Operation: Sun-Thurs 11 am-3 am, Fri-Sat 11 am-5 am

Crepeaway

The mother of all late night drunchies, this list would not be complete without Crepeaway. A GW hot spot, Crepeaway has been serving the late night stomachs of Colonials for ages. The clubby music, giant mural and purple walls invite for occasional spontaneous dance parties and Nutella dripping down your fingers. If you haven’t eaten at Crepeaway drunkenly yet, you are not doing GW right.

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Location: 2001 L St NW, Washington, DC 20036

Hours of Operation: Sun-Wed 12 pm-12 am, Thurs 12 pm-3 am, Fri-Sat 12 pm-4 am

Trust me, you cannot go wrong with any of these options, so go hit the club and remember that the best part of the night is yet to come. 

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