Sure, you could satisfy your late-night cravings with some boring diner grub, a few bags of Taco Bell, or a run through the McDonald's drive-thru. However, just because you're out late doesn't mean you have to sacrifice good taste. Instead, check out some of the area's best spots for late-night eats.
From a sushi gem and grilled cheese sandwiches to stacked Colombian
Bar Red Beard
3301 NE 33rd St., Fort Lauderdale754-223-4665
facebook.com/barredbeard
If tater tots are your ideal late-night snack, look no further than Bar Red Beard. The ones they serve here aren't your average thimble-size, deep-fried potatoes. These tots are made from scratch, each one a mashed potato
Dada
52 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach561-330-3232
sub-culture.org/dada
While most places that open their doors late are serving the type of food you can hold in one hand as you drive with the other, Delray Beach standby Dada serves sit-down diners until 2 a.m., Monday through Sunday. That means you can get a full plate of great food — with menu features that have stood the test of time from one of the area's greatest chefs, Bruce Feingold — well past midnight. Most guests are suckers for popular menu items such as the bacon-wrapped dates ($10), Cointreau-glazed roast duck ($28), and butternut squash ravioli ($19).
Dragon City
6706-6708 Stirling Rd., Hollywood954-894-8393
This Hollywood Chinese restaurant is located just minutes west of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, serving Hong Kong-style eats that merit a return trip at any hour. Craving Kung Pow baby shrimp ($11.50) at midnight? No problem. The kitchen stays open until 2 a.m. Choose to dine in or take out. The simple dining room offers quite a view, with a number of fish tanks filled with creatures ready to be cooked. And what it may lack in refinement, it makes up for with a lengthy menu that doesn't shy away from oddities and assertive flavors.
The Floridian
1410 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale954-463-4041
thefloridiandiner.com
Open 24 hours, seven days a week, The Floridian — also South Florida chain, Lester's Diner — is that multi-page menu
Havana
6801 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach561-547-9799
havanacubanfood.com
At West Palm's Havana, the walk-up counter is open until the early morning. It's where the WPB late-night crowd goes for a steaming box of sweet plantains ($2.99) at any hour. The place also proves there's no need to schlep all the way down to Miami for an authentic Cuban sandwich, because the ham, marinated pork, Swiss cheese, and pickles between two slabs of fresh-baked Cuban bread they serve up here is one of the best around ($9.19). Pair it with one of the natural fruit milkshakes or juices made from papaya or mango ($4.59), then end your pig-out session with steaming cups of café Cubano,
Howley's
700 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach561-833-5691
sub-culture.org/howleys
An update on the classic American diner — with a digital jukebox, flat-screen TVs, a full liquor bar, and live music — Howley's has been open in the same West Palm Beach location for half a century. Known for attracting the late-night bar crowds and the servers and bartenders that work the late-night shifts, Howley's has a colorful clientele in the early-morning hours. Diner fare includes homemade mashed potatoes and meatloaf ($15.95), Philly cheese steak with fat steak fries or onion rings ($9.95), a daily turkey dinner with all the trimmings ($16.95), New York strip steaks ($23.50), Caesar salads ($5.50), Reuben sandwiches ($10.50), crab cakes ($24.95), and sides of sauteed Brussels sprouts or spinach ($4.25). Howley's is open until 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
La Perrada Company
3800 N University Dr., Sunrise954-451-5545
laperradadelgordo.com
You'll know you've reached your destination when you see the neon glowing signs hovering above the door and in the window at this Colombian fast food mecca. La
New York Grilled Cheese Co.
2207 Wilton Dr., Wilton Manors954-564-6887
493 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton
561-277-0777
newyorkgrilledcheese.com
The three things most needed after a long night out imbibing are grease, carbs, and comfort. Luckily, New York Grilled Cheese Co. (now with a second location in Boca Raton) serves all three in one scrumptious, handheld bite. The original location is open until 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 3 a.m. Thursday and Sunday, and 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. This Wilton Manors shop makes grilled-cheese sandwiches that will blow your inner child's mind. Options include the Soho Sweet Cheese with brie, caramelized onions, crunchy bacon, and berry marmalade on toasted oatmeal wheat bread ($10.95); the Manhattan Grilled Mac 'n' Cheese ($9.95), and the Wall Street Grindr Award with American cheddar cheese, French fries, bacon, caramelized onion, garlic butter, and a fried egg atop its country loaf ($10.95) — all served along with a dipper-sized cup of creamy tomato bisque.
Rebel House
297 E. Palmetto Park Rd., Boca Raton561-353-5888
lifetastesbetter.com
If a good burger is your idea of a late-night meal, head to Rebel House for the restaurant's "
Sushi Song
209 SW Second Ave., Fort Lauderdale954-563-7664
sushisong.com
When you like to eat at odd hours of the night and you hate that the only thing available is fast food, Sushi Song gives you options. They're slicing up sushi way past midnight. With locations in Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Himmarshee Village, these cozy sushi joints offer a taste of big-city late-night eats to laid-back Broward County. The sushi is fresh and creative, with options ranging from a straightforward sushi appetizer ($13) to over-the-top signature rolls such as Japan Red Hot with shrimp tempura, cucumber, and jalapeño topped with tuna, black tobiko, and the house special sauce ($16) and the A1A, with Maine lobster, avocado, cilantro, and spicy mayo topped with seared wild salmon and special sauce ($22).