Had a late night and now you’re hungry? No matter what time it is, the US has a lot of restaurants that will help satisfy those cravings, whether you want an all-day breakfast or you’re craving something after the bar. From retro-style diners that keep serving the classics 24 hours nonstop to low-key Mexican spots where you can grab a quick meal way past dark, we pretty much dug up each state’s best late-night restaurants.
New Jersey: Tick Tock Diner, Clifton
In New Jersey, they opened a Tick Tock institution in 1948, and somehow it still oozes old-school charm today. It runs an all-day menu from 7am until 10pm, so you can graze for pretty much whatever hours, featuring dishes from all around the globe—like Italian comfort food, Mediterranean-style salads, and (sure) teetering plates of old-school American cooking. The diner’s whole vibe is basically “eat heavy,” so don’t skip the cheesecake, ok.
Oregon: Cascade Grill, Portland
Open from 6am until midnight on weeknights, and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, Cascade Grill serves American homestyle bites while using the best local produce. Inside, with wood paneling and a large stone fireplace, it feels rustic even if it’s technically a truck stop. The menu offers all sorts of options, including meat and seafood, plus vegetarian meals, pasta, and even breakfast dishes too.
Minnesota: The Nicollet Diner, Minneapolis
The 24-hour Nicollet Diner sits in a building that goes back to 1917, but it didn't really turn into a restaurant until 2014. Still, those shiny bar stools and the electric blue booths sort of keep a retro vibe, like customers seem to dig it a lot. People usually come in for poutine, the “hand pattied burgers,” chicken and waffles, and buttermilk pancakes, too. There’s also a bar that keeps the drinks flowing until 2am, which is perfect if you stay out late.
South Dakota: The Millstone Family Restaurant, Spearfish
Millstone Family Restaurant has a trio of spots (one over in Spearfish, and two in Rapid City) where you can get food all day every day. They run a pretty expansive breakfast menu with stuff like omelets, skillets, pancakes, and waffles, but then lunch and dinner roll right into dishes with fish and chips, sandwiches, soups, salads, and burgers too, plus steak, shrimp, and chicken dinners. People also rate the service pretty well, which makes sense since it’s family-run, in a relaxed way.
North Dakota: Rolling Hills Restaurant, Mandan
Old school truck-stop diner, Rolling Hills Restaurant, receives a lot of really good chatter about its easy-going staff and great tasting food. It’s open 24 hours a day, and that joint is known for its own made knoephla soup, which is a North Dakotan specialty—more or less potatoes plus dumplings and veggies, all simmered in chicken broth. There’s also a huge menu for breakfast anytime stuff, burgers, omelets, salads, and sandwiches, and then there are the daily specials too. And honestly, not just that, because every Sunday there’s a breakfast buffet, like clockwork.
Maryland: Broadway Diner, Baltimore
Broadway Diner appeared on Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives back in 2009 – and it's still just as popular as it was then, all thanks to its huge menu of delicious dishes (including Guy Fieri's favorites, Hungarian goulash and shrimp Creole). The menu has both Greek and Italian sections, plus a wide selection of burgers, sandwiches, salads, and all-day breakfast items. Customers also love the retro interior, complete with light blue booths and a jukebox.
Kansas: El Ricardo's Mexican Food, Wichita
So yeah, at El Ricardo's Mexican Food it’s kind of a laidback Mexican spot where they move quick, still friendly, and it’s all pretty affordable. You can pick booth seating, or just grab the takeout service and go. Most people talk about the burritos and tacos as the big deal, plus on Taco Tuesday they offer those special deals that totally bring in the crowds. They also serve more traditional options like carne asada, pollo asado (roast chicken), and a spicy chili relleno that hits different.
Mississippi: Bayview Café, Biloxi
The laid-back Bayview Café is part of Biloxi’s IP Casino Resort, and yeah it feels pretty easy going. You can grab a pretty hearty mix of much-loved American meals from 7am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, and then until 11pm the other days. The place pulls ideas from all over the States, so the menu kinda wanders into things like California Dreaming Tacos (served with either blackened or fried mahi-mahi) plus Mississippi Delta style fried catfish fillets. Then you really wrap it up with something indulgent, like the boozy banana cream pie, or a chocolate pretzel bread pudding that’s honestly hard to top.
