Are you a night owl? Do you enjoy burning the midnight oil and venturing out into a city that never sleeps? While much of the world is tucked into bed before the witching hour, the dedicated corps of insomniacs and party people knows where to go for fun, food and excitement. Here are a few of our favorite “up late” places, listed alphabetically.
- Austin – Got a song in your heart that can’t be contained? Austin Karaoke is open nightly ‘til 4 a.m. (Fridays and Saturdays ‘til 5). Up for gawking at some architecture? The grounds of the state capitol are well-lit and secure, or eyeball the skyline off the Pfluger pedestrian bridge. Two of the city’s most beloved breakfast-friendly restaurants—Magnolia Café and Kerbey Lane Café—stay open all night. Even when it’s after midnight, you can still find a whole world of possibilities, including French (Justine’s Brasserie), burgers (Casino El Camino), hot dogs (Frank), Vietnames (888), sandwiches (Easy Tiger), baked goods (Mrs. Johnson’s), Thai (East Side King), Tex-Mex (Las Cazuelas) and Texas chili (Texas Chili Parlor). On Fridays and Saturdays, even more eateries cater to the late-night crowd.
- Las Vegas – More and more, the only sin in Sin City is going to bed early! Thanks to the never-closed action of the city’s casinos (in itself enough to sustain many overnighters), more bars and restaurants are doing “reverse happy hours.” For example, SushiSamba at the Palazzo has a discounted Samba Hour, starting at 11 p.m.! Vegas is also the perfect place to go people-watching, whether you’re sipping the bubbly at Fizz – the champagne lounge at Caesars Palace, open until 4 a.m. – or chowing down on steak and eggs at The Peppermill, a 24-hour, Rat Pack-era diner.
- New Orleans – No matter what day the calendar claims it is, the Crescent City (pictured) offers a wild weekend atmosphere. A great example: HUSTLE, the legendary no-cover dance party, every Saturday night at Hi-Ho Lounge. DJ Soul Sister spins underground disco, rare groove, true school hip-hop, fusion jazz movers and more until 3:30 a.m. Movie mavens can get their midnight fix at the Prytania Theatre, which does the tradition proud with BYOB showings on Friday and Saturday nights. For live music that’s in concert with the city’s rich heritage, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse does midnight shows on weekends.
- Portland – Leave it to Portland to kick karaoke up a notch or three. For instance, every Monday night at Dante’s, Karaoke from Hell gives you the opportunity to sing from its 500+ song list, backed by a live band, until 2 a.m. Ambassador Restaurant & Lounge, meanwhile, lets you perform karaoke until 2:30, with a fog machine to provide an ‘80s music video vibe. Plenty of the city’s great food carts stay open late, too, such as sandwich truck Pressed – open on weekends ‘til 2:30 a.m.. And if you’re jonesing for a Cap’n Crunch-encrusted pastry at 5 a.m., just head on over to the 24-hour pastry paradise that is Voodoo Doughnut.
- San Diego – In a beach town like San Diego, surfers often find that the best way to hit the waves early is to simply not go to sleep! So while you’re waiting for dawn to break, you can bowl a few frames at the East Village Tavern and Bowl, which does their own version of a reverse happy hour, with bowling just $3 a game from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Meanwhile, the Tavern is a terrific spot to savor the city’s acclaimed craft beer scene.) And to fuel up before searching for swells, La Posta de Acapulco – a 24-hour taqueria – starts serving huevos rancheros and other breakfast items at 2 a.m.
- Savannah – In the cloak of darkness, Savannah gets spooky… and fun! Savannah Ghost Walks offers a late-night walking tour of the city’s most notable ghosts, hidden burial grounds, and exorcisms. Meanwhile, many of the local haunts stay open until 3 a.m. If it’s vittles you crave, Waffle House is open 24 hours, or you can stock up on everything from cheese grits to European chocolate at the open-all-night Parker’s Market Urban Gourmet. After all, as Johnny Mercer wrote, you’ve got to “ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive.”
- Seattle – In the city where coffee culture was forever changed, people are often up past a sensible bedtime. Bauhaus Books and Coffee keeps its espresso machines cranking until 1 a.m., while Anchors Down serves java-infused cocktails—like a Stumptown-and-stout martini—until 2 a.m. on weekends. For a classic snack, head to one of the Dick’s Drive-Ins, where burgers start at $1.35 and doors stay open until 2 a.m.
For an after-hours glimpse at any of our caffeine-fueled destinations, visit our website at www.takeagetaway.com. If you have questions, drop us a line at info@takeagetaway.com. To explore and get additional information about all of late-night spots, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!