Eating well in the wee morning hours can be a difficult thing: Most Dallas restaurants shut down their kitchens by midnight if not earlier, and getting your meal from a drive-through window can be a depressing affair.
Next time you find yourself out late and in need of some sustenance, scope out this guide to the can't-miss late-night eats of Dallas; with options ranging from tacos and pizza to Korean and Thai, there's bound to be something that strikes your fancy once the last round of whiskey shots have been downed.
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Amongst a sea of late-night spots populated with rambunctious drunks, Avanti remains a classy beacon, offering a "moonlight breakfast" menu with items like calamari, crab claws, steak frites, and omelets till 3 a.m. in a dim, romantic setting.
If for some reason you find yourself out late in the North Dallas area, Bistro B's open until 2 a.m. on the weekends churning out eggrolls, massive bowls of pho, and some of the tastiest Vietnamese iced coffee around that will set you straight for the drive home.
Open 24 hours, Buzzbrews is a go-to for late night Deep Ellum crowds. Killer French toast is some of the best in town, and kombucha on tap is nice to rehydrate after a night of drinking. (Don't forget there's another location on Lemmon, if you're partying in the Oak Lawn area.)
We can't have a late night food feature without mentioning Cafe Brazil. Not all of them are 24 hours, but this one is, and draws a mix of post-bar crowds and the late-night study crowd. The Brazilian breakfast and massive desserts never fail.
For late-night fare a bit more adventurous than the typical tacos or bacon and eggs, this Koreatown spot serves up legit Korean barbecue and banchan plus a whole host of other authentic dishes until 3:30 nightly.
[Photo: Joseph B./Yelp]
Conveniently located within stumbling distance of beer haven Strangeways, DaLat serves up late-night pho, spring rolls, and pork meatball shooters until 2 a.m. nightly. There's even low-carb and vegan options, plus a full bar with specialty shots if you make it before last call.
There are plenty of late-night taco options in the city, but El Paisa is arguably one of the best, and it's open till 4 a.m. on the weekends. (Major bonus: There's a drive-through window, and the food here beats the crap out of Jack in the Box.)
[Photo: Anthony V./Yelp]
The Metro Diner on Gaston is long gone, but the Oak Cliff location remains, dishing up classic greasy spoon breakfasts like The Woody aka the 2x4: two pancakes, two eggs, two sausage links and two strips of bacon.
[Photo: Granny Geek]
Serious Pizza is not really as serious as the mascot's scowl would have you believe, but the pies are seriously large. Get a massive slice with whatever toppings you like and wash it down classy-style with a 40 of Miller High Life. Open till 3 a.m. on the weekends.
A favorite late-night haunt of the Henderson nightlife crowd, Velvet Taco does fancy gringo tacos right with everything from red curry shrimp to falafel, plus some of the city's best elotes. Open till 2 a.m. every night except Friday and Saturday, when the doors stay open until 5 a.m.
Open till 3 a.m. nightly, this slick modern downtown spot has an extensive menu of sushi and mostly Americanized Thai food, but it's a welcome respite after braving the shitshow that is downtown's club scene. (Full bar, too.)
It's rare that you can get some of the city's fanciest fare after midnight, but Gemma's kitchen keeps the ovens on until 1 a.m. Swing by for a late-night snack of steamed mussels in lemongrass broth or kampachi tartare, or finish with a flight of Gemma's perfect sorbets and a cup of chamomile tea for a non-alcoholic nightcap.
Crushcraft is serving up the freshest, most flavorful Thai food in town, and they're doing it till 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. More recent menu additions include pork fritters and tasty cucumber-mint water.
A very popular destination for downtown's post-clubbing crowd, Taco Borracho inside the Mosaic building is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Soak up the booze with tacos on flour or corn tortillas, chips and guac, or oversized burritos.
Open until at least 1 a.m. nightly (4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), GAPC has a loyal following for its pies and calzones. Pick from several sauces including pesto, buffalo, alfredo, and barbecue; toppings range from the expected to the downright weird (the winter menu includes beets, pears, and pomegranate seeds). The wings aren't bad, either, and they deliver late if you live nearby.
El Come's tacos are delicious whether you're drunk or stone-cold sober. The menu offers just about everything you could imagine putting in a taco, from brains, tongue, and tripe, to good ol' chicken with avocado and cheese. The fried fish taco is a standout.
Sundown does late-night food a little healthier, keeping the kitchen open until 1 a.m. nightly. If a quinoa-stuffed avocado doesn't satisfy your drunk food needs, maybe a mushroom and goat cheese flatbread or Shiner Bock brisket sliders will.
Satisfy late-night sushi cravings here until 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday. If raw fish isn't your preferred post-drinking food, there's also plenty of cooked dishes like ramen, yakitori, and takoyaki.
If you'd rather have your late-night grub at home in front of the TV, ZaLat is here for you: Open till 4 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, you can order via text for delivery or swing by to pick it up. Besides the very good pizzas (including a Reuben version!), they've also got candy bars and soda. Don't forget the Srirancha.
It might seem like a bizarre location for late night eats spot, but Downtown Richardson's OMG Tacos is one of the area's best bets for a meal after midnight. Classic street tacos (pastor, barbacoa, chicken and veggie), quesadillas, and tortas are all on offer. Pair with a cup of elotes and finish with freshly-fried churros stuffed with cream or caramel. Wash it all down with a creamy frozen horchata or chimoy mangonada served with a spicy tamarind straw. Bonus: if you live within a 10 mile radius, OMG Tacos delivers!
It may not be the fanciest BBQ in town, but there aren't too many options for late night smoked meats in Dallas. The Inwood location of this Dallas institution keeps the doors open 24/7, which means that you can indulge your brisket and mac n' cheese craving any time it strikes your fancy.
Now open in Uptown, this over-the-top pastry shop serves up doughnuts until 2 a.m. on the weekends. Build a unique pastry creation, or go for the appropriately named Big D, an apple fritter topped with chocolate and peanut butter.
Open until midnight on the weekdays and 4 a.m. on the weekends, Big Guys Chicken & Rice serves up platters of its namesake dish, falafel, and more that make for the perfect foil to all that booze served in Deep Ellum.
Amongst a sea of late-night spots populated with rambunctious drunks, Avanti remains a classy beacon, offering a "moonlight breakfast" menu with items like calamari, crab claws, steak frites, and omelets till 3 a.m. in a dim, romantic setting.
If for some reason you find yourself out late in the North Dallas area, Bistro B's open until 2 a.m. on the weekends churning out eggrolls, massive bowls of pho, and some of the tastiest Vietnamese iced coffee around that will set you straight for the drive home.
Open 24 hours, Buzzbrews is a go-to for late night Deep Ellum crowds. Killer French toast is some of the best in town, and kombucha on tap is nice to rehydrate after a night of drinking. (Don't forget there's another location on Lemmon, if you're partying in the Oak Lawn area.)
We can't have a late night food feature without mentioning Cafe Brazil. Not all of them are 24 hours, but this one is, and draws a mix of post-bar crowds and the late-night study crowd. The Brazilian breakfast and massive desserts never fail.
For late-night fare a bit more adventurous than the typical tacos or bacon and eggs, this Koreatown spot serves up legit Korean barbecue and banchan plus a whole host of other authentic dishes until 3:30 nightly.
[Photo: Joseph B./Yelp]
Conveniently located within stumbling distance of beer haven Strangeways, DaLat serves up late-night pho, spring rolls, and pork meatball shooters until 2 a.m. nightly. There's even low-carb and vegan options, plus a full bar with specialty shots if you make it before last call.
There are plenty of late-night taco options in the city, but El Paisa is arguably one of the best, and it's open till 4 a.m. on the weekends. (Major bonus: There's a drive-through window, and the food here beats the crap out of Jack in the Box.)
[Photo: Anthony V./Yelp]
The Metro Diner on Gaston is long gone, but the Oak Cliff location remains, dishing up classic greasy spoon breakfasts like The Woody aka the 2x4: two pancakes, two eggs, two sausage links and two strips of bacon.
[Photo: Granny Geek]
Serious Pizza is not really as serious as the mascot's scowl would have you believe, but the pies are seriously large. Get a massive slice with whatever toppings you like and wash it down classy-style with a 40 of Miller High Life. Open till 3 a.m. on the weekends.
A favorite late-night haunt of the Henderson nightlife crowd, Velvet Taco does fancy gringo tacos right with everything from red curry shrimp to falafel, plus some of the city's best elotes. Open till 2 a.m. every night except Friday and Saturday, when the doors stay open until 5 a.m.
Open till 3 a.m. nightly, this slick modern downtown spot has an extensive menu of sushi and mostly Americanized Thai food, but it's a welcome respite after braving the shitshow that is downtown's club scene. (Full bar, too.)
It's rare that you can get some of the city's fanciest fare after midnight, but Gemma's kitchen keeps the ovens on until 1 a.m. Swing by for a late-night snack of steamed mussels in lemongrass broth or kampachi tartare, or finish with a flight of Gemma's perfect sorbets and a cup of chamomile tea for a non-alcoholic nightcap.
Crushcraft is serving up the freshest, most flavorful Thai food in town, and they're doing it till 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. More recent menu additions include pork fritters and tasty cucumber-mint water.
A very popular destination for downtown's post-clubbing crowd, Taco Borracho inside the Mosaic building is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Soak up the booze with tacos on flour or corn tortillas, chips and guac, or oversized burritos.
Open until at least 1 a.m. nightly (4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), GAPC has a loyal following for its pies and calzones. Pick from several sauces including pesto, buffalo, alfredo, and barbecue; toppings range from the expected to the downright weird (the winter menu includes beets, pears, and pomegranate seeds). The wings aren't bad, either, and they deliver late if you live nearby.
El Come's tacos are delicious whether you're drunk or stone-cold sober. The menu offers just about everything you could imagine putting in a taco, from brains, tongue, and tripe, to good ol' chicken with avocado and cheese. The fried fish taco is a standout.
Sundown does late-night food a little healthier, keeping the kitchen open until 1 a.m. nightly. If a quinoa-stuffed avocado doesn't satisfy your drunk food needs, maybe a mushroom and goat cheese flatbread or Shiner Bock brisket sliders will.
Satisfy late-night sushi cravings here until 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday. If raw fish isn't your preferred post-drinking food, there's also plenty of cooked dishes like ramen, yakitori, and takoyaki.
If you'd rather have your late-night grub at home in front of the TV, ZaLat is here for you: Open till 4 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, you can order via text for delivery or swing by to pick it up. Besides the very good pizzas (including a Reuben version!), they've also got candy bars and soda. Don't forget the Srirancha.
It might seem like a bizarre location for late night eats spot, but Downtown Richardson's OMG Tacos is one of the area's best bets for a meal after midnight. Classic street tacos (pastor, barbacoa, chicken and veggie), quesadillas, and tortas are all on offer. Pair with a cup of elotes and finish with freshly-fried churros stuffed with cream or caramel. Wash it all down with a creamy frozen horchata or chimoy mangonada served with a spicy tamarind straw. Bonus: if you live within a 10 mile radius, OMG Tacos delivers!
It may not be the fanciest BBQ in town, but there aren't too many options for late night smoked meats in Dallas. The Inwood location of this Dallas institution keeps the doors open 24/7, which means that you can indulge your brisket and mac n' cheese craving any time it strikes your fancy.
Now open in Uptown, this over-the-top pastry shop serves up doughnuts until 2 a.m. on the weekends. Build a unique pastry creation, or go for the appropriately named Big D, an apple fritter topped with chocolate and peanut butter.
Open until midnight on the weekdays and 4 a.m. on the weekends, Big Guys Chicken & Rice serves up platters of its namesake dish, falafel, and more that make for the perfect foil to all that booze served in Deep Ellum.