The University of New Mexico community tends to stay up late studying, working and hanging out. That can make a student hungry. Fortunately, there is an eclectic selection of restaurants that stay open into the wee hours of the morning for those with a late-night appetite. Here are our favorites.
This late-night hangout across from the university has been serving students seven days a week for a half century. Breakfast is served all day, and there’s a hearty lunch and dinner menu of burgers, salads, sandwiches and sides, extras and combination platters. Homemade flour tortillas and roasted green chile sauce are a bonus. Don’t miss the Frontier Sweet Roll, it’s a meal in itself. A welcoming place until one in the morning.
If you’re hankering for burger, the Bubba Bacon Burger, with 33 percent bacon grind, will feed that late-night craving. They claim there are more TVs than tables and the 60 or so that line the walls support that. Everything is made-from-scratch, pizza is stone-baked, burgers are ground in-house and buns are baked on-site. A selection of 40 beers, 18 on draft, are so cold “it’s dang near freezin’.” Open ’til midnight.
There’s something about breakfast at night that just seems to hit the spot. Breakfast here is served all day, every day. So, if you’re jonesing for some eggs or pancakes, you’ll find that and more here. Or how about a post study-session, pre-bedtime piece of pie? Apple, lemon supreme, chocolate peanut butter cup, pecan are just the top row of the pie case. Add a cup of coffee and the night is complete. Open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; midnight every other day.
When you’re looking for something to eat, but just don’t know what, take a spin to this more-than-just-a-burger joint. With a 24-hour drive thru, you can put that hunger to bed. Burgers, yes, but also chicken sandwiches, breakfast biscuits, sides and salads, desserts and snacks and thick shakes. Fare is made-to-order when you get there. Eat in ’til midnight, take-home after that. Other locations scattered throughout town.
When is a waffle more than just a waffle? Here! Yes, there are regular and pecan waffles, but there’s also a whole lot of eggs, sausage and bacon, and hash browns smothered in everything from melted cheese to jalapeño peppers. Texas melts, burgers, sandwiches and those smothered hash browns on the go-to lunch and dinner menus. Everything is prepared fresh, cooked-to-order right in front of you. Open 24 hours.
Live music, good food, an outdoor terrace with a view and a varied selection of spirits makes this a fun and lively spot well into the wee hours of the morning. The selection is delicious bar food—wings and fries for appetizers, salads, tacos, sandwiches, burgers and the specialty of the house green or red chili mac ’n cheese. In the historic Nob Hill neighborhood and doesn’t close until 3 a.m.
Wind down with a game of pool, sip something cool and refreshing, feed your hunger and end the day watching sports on TV. The food is eclectic—shareables include nachos and pub rolls and flatbreads and pizzas, handhelds are sandwiches, tacos, burgers and then there are the sweets and specialty bar drinks, beer and wine to round out the offerings. A place to have a little fun until two in the morning.
In those late-night hours, if you can’t sleep you might as well eat … at this tiny joint that only has an order window and a pick-up window. No seating, but the best street tacos in town. The menu only has a few items, but they’re amazing—fresh ingredients, no preservatives and cooked to order, plus four different house made salsas. Don’t miss the carne asada fries—get two, one for the car one for home!
After a long day at school, or work, hanging out at a spot that serves made-from-scratch comfort food is a good choice. All meals are made-to-order with the freshest ingredients available and served by a friendly staff. Beer, served in frosted mugs, is satisfying and thirst quenching and pairs perfectly with pulled pork nachos, a juicy cheeseburger or venison chili. HD TVs are positioned just right so there’s not a bad seat in the house to watch a favorite sports team, boxing match or the local favorite, the Lobos. Open ’til 2 a.m.