It’s Friday night at Berkeley, and the Campanile strikes 12, telling you it’s now midnight. All of a sudden hunger hits, and the only thing you want is to stuff your face with delicious, hot food.
But what’s open this late at night, and is it even any good? Spoon has done the work for you and has picked out the six best restaurants open past 12 am on weekends:
1. Artichoke Basille’s Pizza
Photo by Russell Escalada
At night, Artichoke’s almost always has a line around the corner of hungry students waiting for pizza. Their prices are a great deal at $5 for a fat slice larger than average. It’s probably not the greatest option if you’re starving and looking to eat right away because of the wait, but it is open until 3 am on Friday and Saturdays.
2. Jupiter
Photo by Russell Escalada
Although Jupiter also serves pizza, its vibe is very different from Artichoke’s. Jupiter offers a more sophisticated (and pricy) menu with extensive beer options. Artichoke’s would be the place to go after a party to chat with friends, while Jupiter is for a classier, sit down dinner for a night out with friends. Note: Jupiter cards after 8 pm.
3. The Starry Plough
Photo by Russell Escalada
Open until 2 am, this pub is bound to curb the largest of appetites with its huge portions. Highlights include garlic fries as well as their bleu cheese stuffed hamburger with jalapeños. Oh, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to hear some live music as well.
4. Thai Noodle
Photo by Luna Zhang
Thai Noodle can be a bit of a walk with its Shattuck location, but the food is well worth it. Who doesn’t want fried chicken over fried rice at 1 in the morning? Be sure to add some chili for extra spice.
5. King Pin Donuts
Photo by Russell Escalada
Everyone needs donuts in their lives past midnight. King Pin donuts are cheap and can satisfy your chocolate, maple or I-just-really-want-sugar craving. The best thing about King Pin is that they’re always pumping out more donuts late into the night, so just ask for whatever’s fresh out of the oven.
6. Eureka!
Photo by Russell Escalada
If you’re willing to walk and pay a little more, Eureka! will definitely be worth your time. Compared to the other restaurants on this list, it’s probably the classiest. Their menu has all of the classics and also includes items such as truffle fries, bone marrow burger and butterscotch rum pudding.
7. Top Dog
Photo by Russell Escalada
A true Berkeley classic, Top Dog will always be open until 3 am on Saturdays and Sundays. Don’t be turned off by the large crowds and lack of seating; the hot dogs and buns are both cooked freshly on the spot and are always delicious. Don’t forget the ketchup, mustard and sauerkraut; they’ll add another twist to your late night hot dog. And lastly, you can even have several hot dogs here because they’re only $3.25 each. Cheap. Yummy. Open late. What more does one need in life?
There you have it, the greatest Berkeley restaurants to go to end your night on a good note.