Drunchies (n.): an intense hunger derived from a night of drinking. Will bring back all of the calories you worked so hard to burn off the week prior at the gym and will cost you money you swore to yourself you wouldn't spend.
Ah, yes. College students know this term a little too well. Fortunately, living in a college town typically means the options are prime for picking food to satisfy these late-night cravings. Fifty three inhabitants of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, ranked their preferences for the town's late-night restaurants, and according to the survey, the majority of participants (42 percent) ranked their choices based on a restaurant's convenience (its location and whether it delivered), 26 percent ranked their choices based on its tastiness, 23 percent ranked their choices based on its prices, and 9 percent ranked their choices based on the bang you get for your buck. So with the results tallied, here are Chapel Hill's best places to get late-night eats, ranked from least to most favorite.
10. City Bus Taco Truck
Open Until: Late
This Carrboro taco truck makes authentic tacos into the wee hours of the night. A bench or two outside the truck gives customers the chance to sit and hang out for a bit, but people who stop here also love the ease with which they can eat their tacos on the go. It’s probably ranked last because not as many people know about it, and it’s a little out of the way (all the way down Franklin on the border of Chapel Hill and Carrboro).
9. Buns
Open Until: 3 a.m on weekends
Do people even realize Buns is open late? I only recently discovered this, and perhaps this is the reason it’s ranked so low. In general Buns offers a genuinely high-quality burger and delicious hand-spun milkshakes. A little more pricey than most places that are open late at night -- but hey, drunk you doesn’t really do the math, anyway. Anyone who dines here is sure to leave full.
8. Wendy's
Open Until: 3 a.m. on weekends
While Wendy’s restaurants seem to be a dime a dozen in the U.S., this one’s value is its convenience. Located at the bottom of the Student Union right on the edge of South Campus, nine out of 1- people who dine here late on the weekends are freshmen post-frat party. Regardless of the fact that it lacks uniqueness among many of the Chapel Hill favorites, a crappy cheeseburger at 2 a.m. washed down with a Frosty can often be the right move when you’re passing by the restaurant on the way home anyway.
7. Old Chicago
Open Until: 2 a.m. every day
Though it was certainly more popular in the days when it offered $2 personal pizzas after 10 p.m., Old Chicago still offers a great environment and a wide selection of beers to wash down your pizza (or pizza to soak up your beer). With pizza cooked deep-dish style to mimic what you’d find in Chicago, this restaurant certainly ain’t no Domino’s or Papa John’s.
6. Cosmic Cantina
Open Until: 4 a.m. every day
Kind of tucked away in an inlet off of Franklin Street, Cosmic Cantina offers consumers Mexican food that is decently tasty, decently authentic, and decently filling. You don’t see as many people go here sober, but it’s an excellent experience at 2 a.m. on a Saturday.
5. Waffle House
Open Until: 24 hours
This symbol of America, sometimes called Waffle Home by the loyalest of customers, is known for its waffles and questionable ambience. However, that's not to discredit its other delectable and cheap dishes, including the hash browns. Late at night on the weekend, this place is popping -- so much so that you’ll often see cops (and sometimes a man with his iguana) chilling out front. Ten out of 10 would recommend this nationwide favorite, even though 10 out of 10 leave with a stomachache.
4. Insomnia Cookies
Open Until: 3 a.m. every day (but closed all day on Tuesdays)
A little overpriced, but a lot of yummy yummy, Insomnia cookies are large, soft, warm and gooey -- all ways a cookie should be. Simpler options exist for the individual who just wants to indulge on a classic (you can’t go wrong with chocolate chip), but there are also more exciting ‘deluxe’ flavors for individuals who are wanting to branch out (did somebody say s’mores?). As it's a small shop located right in the center of downtown Chapel Hill, you can either pick up your cookies and leave, or you can opt for a delivery service when leaving your house bed is not really much of an option.
3. Time Out
Open Until: 24 hours
While you can’t go to Time Out and not order the Chicken 'N’ Cheddar Biscuit (it’s been featured on "Man v. Food"), plenty of other dishes at this restaurant also offer pure satisfaction, including the macaroni and cheese. Open 24/7, 365 days a year, and including a delivery service, you can chow down on deliciousness literally any minute you want.
2. [B]SKI'S
Open Until: 4 a.m. on weekends
Self-proclaimed as the ‘Wrap Redefined’, [B]Ski's is a homely restaurant with a menu that will melt your tastebuds off of your tongue. Whether you want something simple (like the Chicken Ski) or you’re feeling something a little more edgy (the AK Ski, perhaps), this late-night eatery will make you realize that wraps are no longer just for the dieting middle-aged women of our society.
1. Sup Dogs
Open Until: 3 a.m. on weekends
Coming in at number one, we’ve got the restaurant that claims to have the "best six inches in Chapel Hill." Whether your appetite demands that you "double your dog," or you just want to split some cheesy tots with friends, one thing is certain: the Sup Dog sauce is a must. When coming here late at night on the weekend, prepare to fight for a table -- this place gets crowded.
Extra: Linda's Bar & Grill
Open Until: 2 a.m. every day
Of course, how could I forget Linda’s Bar & Grill? Not included in the survey that went out, Linda’s does not get an official ranking. However, if I had to guess, I'd say it easily makes the top three. Two words: cheese fries. Nothing soaks up beer like a basket of hot fries entrapped in a tangle of melted cheese, bacon and green onions. Many partygoers end up at this dimly lit bar as the last stop of the night.
