The Champaign-Urbana area is a vibrant college scene with many food choices, but only a few joints are open late. Finding a late-night restaurant with yummy food and good service is often a challenge, especially when you want an actual meal and not just greasy fast food. The following food spots are serving up the best late-night bites.
Clark Bar is the place to go for an enjoyable night in an eclectic, laid-back atmosphere. Aside from the delicious food, guests come here for the live music, karaoke, and dancing. They also serve many interesting foods that vary depending on the chef’s mood. Clark Bar is open until 2 a.m. every day except Sunday and Monday.
Open until 2 a.m. seven days a week, Crane Alley offers great pub food and beverages in welcoming atmosphere. Their ample seating, attentive wait staff, and fresh food make this late-night establishment worth a visit. They put a lot of details in their dishes and care about their customers.
This classic college dive bar has been a local favorite for years. Murphy’s Pub is particularly known for their burgers and drink specials. The atmosphere has a classic campus bar vibe with pool tables and arcade games. Murphy’s is conveniently open until 2 a.m.
Late college nights require pizza, and Manolo’s is the place to satisfy pizza cravings. Open until 2:30 a.m., this small carry-out join offers pizzas and empanadas in a wide variety of toppings and flavors. They even have vegetarian and gluten-free options. The spotted goat pizza and cheesecake empanadas are popular here.
Open every day until 2 a.m., Jupiter’s Pizzeria is a great spot to hang out any day of the week. They offer sweet daily specials and a pizza of the month. Guests love both the exotic and traditional pizzas here. It’s the perfect place to enjoy great food and play pool or arcade games.
If you’re up late and want food to satisfy a carb craving, look no further than Fat Sandwich Company. This joint offers “fatty” sandwiches loaded with chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, mayo, and other toppings. The restaurant is open until 3 a.m., which is perfect for late-night cravings.
This diner is open 24/7, making it the perfect late-night spot for college students. Merry Ann’s serves a wide variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods and has four locations.
This vegetarian restaurant is one of the hot spots for those with dietary restrictions (and even those who do eat meat!). The Red Herring started in 1967 as a coffeehouse, and since its earliest days as served as a safe space for activist groups, creative expression, and more. Some great menu options include the olive avocado veggie sandwich made with spiced avocado, Kalamata olive slaw, sliced cucumber, sunflower seeds, sprouts, tomato, lettuce, house ranch dressing, on a toasted Pekara ciabatta bun.