Friday, February 3, 2023
Bloomington's Best Late-Night Bites
Categories: Wine & Culinary
After a fun night of responsible drinking, you're pretty likely to crave a late-night snack come 1:00 am. Lucky for you, Bloomington has nearly 30 restaurants and food trucks that serve delicious food into the wee hours of the morning*. Wrap up your night on the town and satisfy your drunchies at one of B-Town's best late-night eateries — use this navigation list to easily jump from section-to-section:
*For the purposes of this blog, we classify late-night eateries as open until midnight or later.
Bars with Food
Brothers Bar & Grill
Brothers is one of the most popular bars in town. If you find yourself already there, skip the hunt for a late-night bite and simply order something off of their menu. They offer a variety of shareables, wings, sandwiches, burgers, and wraps until 2:00 am, every day of the week. Having trouble deciding what to order? We recommend the Gator Bites, Firecracker Fries, and Wisconsin Cheese Curd Burger.
Kilroy's on Kirkwood
Like Brother's, Kilroy's on Kirkwood (KOK) is also one of the most popular bars in town, especially for students and alumni. If you find yourself reliving the glory days and need a snack, KOK offers a full menu of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and tacos until 3:00 am, Monday through Sunday. You can't go wrong with their Famous Breadsticks, but we also like the Pierogies and Indiana's Best Burger.
The Office Lounge
The Office Lounge is one of B-Town's best dive bars. Open every day until 3:00 am, they offer a menu of classic American pub grub, including burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and snacks. Try the Hot Ham & Cheese and Broccoli & Cheese Bites to satisfy those comfort food cravings.
Orbit Room
Two words: gourmet hotdogs. Perhaps a meal that's at its most desirable in the middle of the night after a few drinks, the Orbit Room's six gourmet hotdogs are seriously unique creations. Each dog is impressive, but we recommend The Moira Rose Dog, which comes with pepper relish, whipped cheese, and spiced peanuts. Enjoy on Fridays and Saturdays until 12:00 am.
The Tap
The Tap may be known for their selection of nearly 500 beers, but their food, available until midnight on Thursday through Saturday, is just as notable. With shareables & spreads, pizzas, sandwiches & burgers, tacos, and desserts, it's hard to choose what to order — and it's only more difficult after an evening of libations. If you need help choosing, go with the Firecracker Shrimp Tacos, followed by the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites.
Yogi's Bar & Grill
Yet another fan-favorite bar, Yogi's serves a pretty epic menu of appetizers, sliders & burgers, wings, sandwiches & wraps, desserts, and more. Craving something sweet? The Oreo Churros are a must. Feeling savory? Enjoy a Fry Flight and Fried Dorito Smash Burger until 1:00 am on weekdays and 2:00 am on weekends.
Food Trucks
The Big Cheeze
Every Tuesday through Saturday, you can find The Big Cheeze posted up somewhere on Kirkwood Avenue selling innovative grilled cheese creations until 3:30 am. While you can't go wrong with anything on the menu, the Mac Daddy is our recommendation. Mac 'n' cheese stuffed in a grilled cheese sandwich? That's a top-tier late-night snack right there.
Doner Kebab
If you're craving a gyro in the wee hours of the night, Doner Kebab is the place to go. The food truck sells one of the best Middle Eastern-style gyros in town, complete with two incredible sauces and a slew of other toppings. Doner Kebab's gyro is so good that their only other menu offering is a chicken hotdog — grab either one from the food truck on Kirkwood until 3:00 am, Monday through Saturday.
Pili's Party Taco
Forget Taco Bell — Pili's Party Taco is where it's at if you're craving Mexican food in the dead of the night. The taco truck serves a large variety of authentic dishes, including tacos, quesadillas, nachos, burritos, tortas, tostadas, chalupas, elotes, and more. Everything is delicious, but if you're looking for a recommendation, try the Al Pastor Tacos and Elote. You can find Pili's downtown until 1:30 am on Thursday through Sunday.
International Cuisine
Do Asian Fusion
If you get a late-night hankering for Korean food, head over to Do Asian Fusion. The 4th Street restaurant is open until 1:00 am Thursday through Saturday, and they offer a huge menu of authentic Korean cuisine. There's nothing better than fried food to satisfy the drunchies, so we recommend the Shrimp Tempura and Fried Squid.
La Una Cantina
La Una Cantina is open until midnight on Sunday & Monday and 2:00 am Tuesday through Saturday. If you're craving Mexican food and you'd like to dine at a sit-down restaurant rather than grabbing some street food from Pili's, La Una is one of two late-night, sit-down taco joints. They offer tortas, taquitos, tacos, and other entrees & shareables — you can't go wrong with the Street Taco plate and Ceviche!
Social Cantina
The aforementioned other late-night, sit-down taco joint is Social Cantina. Open until midnight on Sunday through Thursday and 1:00 am on Friday & Saturday, the Cantina offers tacos, bowls, quesadillas, enchiladas, tamales, and a variety of appetizers. Everything on the menu sounds amazing, so if you can't decide what to order, go with the Chips & Queso, one Pork Belly Taco, and one Shrimp Verde Taco.
Z & C Teriyaki & Sushi
Z & C Teriyaki & Sushi is one of Bloomington's best hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Located under The Upstairs Pub, Z & C serves a huge variety of sushi, as well as teriyaki plates. We highly recommend the chicken teriyaki with a fried egg on top — it's one of the best teriyaki dishes you'll ever experience, which is only intensified by the wee hours of the morn' and the boozy beverages in your belly. Enjoy on Fridays and Saturdays until 1:00 am.
Pizza
Aver's Pizza
Aver's offers mouth-watering signature pies, vegan options, and great specials at three locations in town, two of which are open until 2:00 am. While our recommendations are usually just suggestions, you should definitely order the Cream & Crimson if you've never had it. It's a little out there — alfredo sauce, red potatoes, garlic, dill, bacon, cheddar, and gorgonzola cheese — but it's shockingly delicious, especially after late-night libations.
Goodfellas
Goodfellas offers a variety of New York-style pizzas, by the slice or by the pie, on Kirkwood Avenue until 12:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Their specialty pies are all worth a try, but if you're feeling indecisive, go with Nonna's Pie: meatballs, red onion, ricotta, garlic, and basil. Nonna would never lead you astray, trust us on that one.
Pizza X
Pizza X is the most beloved late-night pizza joint in town. Something about their 'za after a night of responsible drinking just feels so right — ask any of-age IU student or townie. Their incredibly popular Big X Bargain is the way to go in the midnight hour — enjoy a large one-topping pizza, two drinks, and an order of breadsticks with your choice of dipping sauce. There are six Pizza X locations in Monroe County, all with differing hours, but each of the Bloomington locations serve up pies until at least midnight on weekdays and at least 3:00 am on weekends.
Rockit's Famous Pizza
Rockit's is a popular late-night destination for the nightlife crowd in B-Town due to its convenient location next to The Bluebird and across the street from Brother's, The Vid, and The Cade, Rockit's offers a variety of rock-and-roll themed pizzas, sold by the slice or by the pie, for anyone craving a late-night slice. Keep it classic with The Supremes or get funky with The Don Ho until 2:00 am, Tuesday through Saturday.
Pub Grub
Crazy Horse
Open until midnight on Sunday through Wednesday and 1:00 am Thursday through Saturday, Crazy Horse offers a large menu of classic American food. Choose from appetizers, sandwiches & burgers, and dinner entrees — we recommend the Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese because you can't go wrong with cheesy noodles in the dead of the night, or ever, really. The Hoagy's Steak Hoagie is also delicious, if a sandwich is more your speed.
Dagwood's Deli & Sub Shop
Dagwood's is one of B-Town's best sub shops. Open until midnight on Thursday through Saturday for takeout and delivery only, the shop slings a variety of subs, sandwiches, and wraps. Every creation on their menu hits the spot, but The Carnegie Classic — corned beef, pastrami, Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, and pickles on rye — is one of the best they have to offer.
Jimmy John's
Bloomington has three Jimmy John's locations, but only the Kirkwood shop is open until midnight every day of the week. Choose your favorite freaky-fast sandwich, or trust us when we say The Vito is the way to go.
Nick's English Hut
Nick's is one of the most beloved businesses in Bloomington. A favorite among IU students, fans, and alumni, Nick's serves pizzas & Strombolis, burgers, sandwiches & subs, and sharable snacks. The Sink the Biz fries are a must, and the Nick's Submarine is also sure to satisfy those late-night cravings. Enjoy until midnight Tuesday-Thursday, 1:00 am on Friday and Saturday.
WingsXtreme U
WingsXtreme U offers wings in any quantity from five to 400 — seriously. With over 25 sauces to choose from, there's a flavor for every late-night snacker's tastes. If you like all of the flavor and none of the heat, stick with the Mild Buffalo sauce. Like something in the middle of the road? The Mango Habanero sauce is the sauce for you. If your philosophy is the more heat, the better, the Xtreme Buffalo is the only answer. Enjoy until midnight on Sundays, and 2:00 am the rest of the week.
Sweets
Baked! of Bloomington
Baked! is a local late-night favorite in B-Town. Born out of the need to satiate sweets cravings at any hour of the day (or night), Baked! offers customizable cookies every day of the week until 2:00 am. Choose your dough, mix-ins, and after-bakes for the ultimate cookie creation — don't forget to order a pint of milk to wash them down!
Insomnia Cookies
Much like Baked!, Insomnia Cookies is a late-night cookie shop. They offer a huge variety of cookies — no customizations here — and a variety of combo boxes for every craving and group size. Everything is mouth-wateringly delicious, but if you need help deciding, we highly recommend the Lil' Dipper with Icing: 12 mini chocolate chunk cookies with buttercream icing. Enjoy until 1:00 am on Sunday through Wednesday and 3:00 am on Thursday through Saturday.
Looking for more of B-Town's best food? Check out these blogs:
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Alyssa Davis
Alyssa is the Digital Content Coordinator at Visit Bloomington. She's also a proud Indiana University alumna, Millennial cat lady, and Formula 1 enthusiast.
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