Need a bite after midnight?
A survey by ACE.com asked “3,018 self-identified night owls and asked them to identify the best places in America to eat when everything else is closed.”
Three diners from Connecticut made the list.
What was the Nutmeg state’s highest-ranked restaurant for a late night bite? Twin Pines Diner in East Haven, which ranked 84th overall, according to ACE.com: “Some diners don’t try to reinvent the wheel – they just keep spinning it, year after year, until it becomes something like tradition. Twin Pines has been that kind of wheel for East Haven, a 24-hour fixture on Main Street where the locals know their servers by name and the dessert tray never stops rotating.
“The menu runs deep with Greek and American comfort food, from hearty omelets to plates of liver and onions to that famous Thursday pea soup. The Twin Hot Dog Platter arrives with French fries and coleslaw – simple, generous, exactly right. The Breaded Pork Chops with brown gravy and applesauce are the kind of meal your grandmother might have made, if she had a fryer and forty years of practice. Twin Pines is open around the clock for anyone who needs it.”
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Not too far behind is Elmer’s Diner in Danbury at 100th, “a destination for anyone craving honest cooking at any hour,” according to ACE.com. “When Elmer Palma moved from Guatemala to the United States, he brought with him a simple belief: that a family-oriented community like Danbury deserved a place where they could get healthy, homemade food at affordable prices. In 2007, he made it happen. Elmer’s Diner has since become a destination for anyone craving honest cooking at any hour – the menu spans American classics, Italian indulgences, Greek platters, and Latin American flavors, all prepared fresh when you order. Nothing frozen. Nothing microwaved. Real olive oil,” the site recounted.
Rounding out Connecticut’s representation is Blue Colony Diner in Newtown, which ranked 104th overall. “The Blue Colony has been feeding truckers, travelers, and three generations of Newtown families since the Marnelakis family opened the doors in 1973. It’s the kind of diner that makes nearly everything from scratch – challah bread and Italian loaves come out of their own ovens, vegetables and fruits are fresh, and the famous cheesecake draws people from hours away.”
What restaurant took the top spot? Vermont’s Crispy Burger in Burlington, according to ACE.com.
Check out the full top ten below, according to ACE.com:
- Crispy Burger, Burlington, Vermont
Opened in 2024 in Burlington’s Old North End, Crispy Burger has quickly become the late-night lifeline for anyone stumbling out of the bars on North Winooski Avenue. This BIPOK- owned fast-food spot keeps it simple: fried chicken and burgers, made fresh on-site, served until 1:30 am most nights (2 am on weekends). Locals are already calling the fried chicken the best in Vermont, and the honey mustard has developed its own following. Clean, friendly, and exactly what you need when the craving hits after midnight. The Crispy Chicken Burger delivers the signature crunch that gives the place its name. The Fried Chicken Wings Combo with Fries is the move when you need more than a sandwich can provide. Open until 1:30 am Sunday through Thursday, 2 am Friday and Saturday. - 11th Street Diner, Miami Beach, Florida
This piece of American history traveled 1,200 miles to reach you. Built in 1948 by the Paramount Dining Car Company of Haledon, New Jersey, the 11th Street Diner served Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, for 44 years before it was dismantled, shipped to South Beach, and reassembled in the Art Deco District. It reopened September 11, 1992, and has been feeding Miami Beach’s wildest nights ever since. Guy Fieri came for the pork chops. Locals come for thick burgers, milkshakes, and the feeling of stepping into a time machine. The Blueberry Ghost Burger – habanero ghost pepper Monterey jack, onion rings, homemade blueberry marmalade on a potato bun – is not your grandmother’s diner fare. The Famous Fried Chicken Sandwich, buttermilk-battered thigh with pickled dill aioli, might be the best thing at 3 am. Open Sunday through Thursday until 11:55 PM, 24 hours on Friday and Saturday. - Taco Bus, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Yes, it’s literally a bus – and yes, it’s one of Albuquerque’s essential late-night stops. Parked at Central Avenue, Taco Bus serves massive burgers, tortas, tacos, and loaded plates until 1:30 am on weekends, drawing college students, night-shift workers, and bar-hoppers with equal force. The Taco Bus Burger is stacked to chaos: house-made patties, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, pineapple, jalapeños, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, and mustard. The Adobada Torta – marinated pork, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, onions, ham, cheese, mayo, beans – is a handheld feast. Open until 11:30 pm most nights, 1:30 am on Fridays and Saturdays. - Diner’s by Upscale Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
The name is a little tongue-in-cheek. Diner’s by Upscale Hawaii is a Kalihi landmark-a straightforward little place and a kitchen that never closes. What makes it “upscale” is the quality – steaks cooked to order, garlic butter lobster tails, fresh ahi, all served on styrofoam at prices that defy Honolulu’s reputation. Locals discovered it years ago and kept it to themselves; tourists stumble in at 3 am and wonder why they’ve never heard of it. The Burger Combo with fries and a drink is the entry point. The Bento #3 – Teri beef, meat jun, Spam, breaded fish with rice and furikake – is a greatest hits of Hawaiian plate lunch. Open 24/7, Upscale Hawaii proves that comfort food doesn’t need walls or tablecloths to hit the spot. - Round the Clock Diner, York, Pennsylvania
A true 24-hour institution, Round the Clock is where York’s night-shift workers, road-trippers, and post-bar crowds gather for bottomless coffee and diner classics served with no fuss. Chrome booths, huge menus, and plates that hit the table fast – it’s everything a Pennsylvania diner should be. Out of the many kinds of Triple Decker Club Sandwiches, the Charbroiled Chicken Breast sandwich is the stack that powers most late-night visits – made with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo – it leaves nothing more to ask for. The Charbroiled Chicken Breast – lemon pepper, Cajun, BBQ, or original – offers a cleaner, protein-forward option. Open 24/7. - Good Time Charli’s, Chandler, Arizona
Some bars play music. Good Time Charli’s lives it. This Chandler craft pub pulses with live funk, Latin, country, and blues most nights of the week, the kind of place where you might walk in for wings and stay to dance. The menu runs deep – hand-crafted burgers, rustic tacos, stone-fired pizza – but when midnight approaches and the kitchen scales back to appetizers, regulars know exactly what to order. The Nachos arrive with house-made tortilla chips, topped with queso blanco, jalapeños, Roma tomatoes, green onions, black olives, and a drizzle of cilantro lime crema. The Buffalo Wings come bone-in or boneless with a dizzying range of flavors and heat levels, from honey BBQ to mango habanero to keto-friendly dry rubs. The full menu runs until 11 pm, but they’ll keep feeding you appetizers until 2 am every night of the week. - Midnight Diner, Charlotte, North Carolina
A gleaming retro rail-car diner in Uptown, Midnight Diner lives up to its name by serving Charlotte around the clock. It’s bright, bustling, and exactly the kind of place where the club crowd and the night-shift workers end up side by side over bottomless coffee. The Country Fried Steak – an 8oz breaded steak smothered in sausage gravy with two sides and a biscuit – is a 2 am classic. The Cool Ranch Wrap, packed with seasoned grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and house ranch, hits lighter but still satisfies. Open 24 hours. - South Street Diner, Boston, Massachusetts
Built in 1947 by the Worcester Dining Company to serve local factory workers, the South Street Diner is one of Boston’s incredibly few 24-hour full-service restaurants and a landmark in the Leather District. Esquire named it “The Best Late Night Food in the U.S.,” which was featured on The Food Network, and several films have used it as a set, from Hiding Out to The Equalizer. Owner Sol Sidell has kept it running for over two decades, adding eggs Benedict, craft beer, and vegan options alongside the milkshakes and banana waffles. The Texas Burger – with bacon, BBQ sauce, grilled onions, and cheddar – is a half-pound Angus beef staple, layered with crispy bacon, house-grilled onions, and tangy BBQ sauce. The Subs & Wraps – served with fries or salad. For a lighter late-night option, the Mediterranean Wrap features grilled chicken or steak tips tossed with feta, olives, and house-made Greek dressing. Open 24 hours, every day. - Al’s Deli & Grill, Birmingham, Alabama
UAB students speak of Al’s in reverent tones usually reserved for championship games. This Mediterranean hole-in-the-wall on 10th Avenue South has been feeding Birmingham’s night owls for years – small inside, with a courtyard out back where the fountain burbles alongside your late-night conversation. Al’s is famous for its obscenely generous loaded baked potatoes, the kind locals stretch across four meals. The Shrimp Kabob arrives with jumbo shrimp glossed in homemade special sauce, while the Large Baked Potato – blanketed in butter, sour cream, and cheese – is carb-loaded salvation when the bars close and the rest of the city has gone dark. Open until midnight early in the week, Al’s pushes to 2 am Thursday and Saturday, and keeps the lights on until 3 am on Fridays. - Havana Restaurant (Havana Cuban Food), West Palm Beach, Florida
When Hurricane Andrew blew Roberto Reyes and his family from Miami to West Palm Beach in 1992, they brought their recipes with them. Thirty years later, Havana is a landmark, and the 24-hour walk-up window – what Cubans call the ventanita – is the most famous in Palm Beach County. USA Today named their Cuban sandwich one of the ten best in America. Cars line up at all hours, hoods serving as makeshift tables while drivers unwrap sandwiches still warm from the press. The Tamal Cubano Especial is homestyle cornmeal laced with seasoned pork, wrapped in a corn husk, topped with tender roast pork, sautéed onions, and Havana’s signature mojo sauce. The Media Noche – hot-pressed sweet bread, stacked with ham, pork, and Swiss cheese – offers the same filling as a Cubano with a subtle sweetness that sets it apart. Inside the dining room or at the ventanita, Havana delivers timeless dishes and Miami-meets-Havana energy around the clock.
“Late-night food is more than a meal – it’s a moment. Whether you’re clocking out, dancing out, gaming, studying late, or just awake when the rest of the world isn’t, these spots become little anchors in the night”, said a spokesperson of ACE.com. “What stood out in the survey is how personal these places are to people. They are not just restaurants; they’re rituals, lifelines, and sometimes the only warm light on an empty street. Everyone remembers their 2 am favorite.”