Your guide to New Haven drunk food
What do you do when the GHeav line extends past Toad’s?
As throngs of Harvard students and washed-up alumni descend upon the shores of New Haven for the Game, the lines at Gourmet Heaven, Ivy Noodle and Yorkside, Yale’s traditional drunk food spots, extend for hours. What’s a Yalie with the drunchies to do?
The Tab engaged in some field research and sampled some of New Haven’s overlooked late-night drunk food spots.
Popeye’s
Is there a more satisfying post-game meal than chicken fried so deeply you can feel the trans fat entering your arteries? Pro-tip: last week, a reporter for The Tab came at closing time, demanded all the remaining biscuits and obtained 17 biscuits for only $9.
Salsa Fresca
Salsa Fresca is inferior to Chipotle in every way imaginable but one: 3am closing time Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The chicken may be cold and dry and the rice is often undercooked, but Salsa Fresca never fails to disappoint when you want some late-night nachos.
Junzi
Honestly, if you tap out before 1am, you’re weak. On the plus side, you’ll be able to stop by Junzi and get one of their bomb chun bings. It’s the only kind of Chinese food that doesn’t make you hate yourself in the morning.
Tropical Smoothie Café
Ever crave a kale smoothie at 2am? Me neither. However, Tropical Smoothie Café’s late night hours suggest there’s some sort of untapped market for late night kale-spinach-whey smoothies.
Louis Lunch
The home of the original hamburger. Enough said. Despite the name, Louis Lunch is open until 3am.
Aladdin Pizza
Aladdin is a particularly great option for those nights when you can’t decide between pizza or Middle Eastern food. Located adjacent to Bar and across the street from Louis Lunch, it’s particularly well-located. While the pizza is serviceable at best, I would sell my body for some of their chicken shawarma. No shame.
Mahmoun’s
Mahmoun’s is a New Haven institution known primarily for its falafel sandwiches, hookah and flexible hours. We highly recommend the baba ganoush and hummus, but go light on the spicy sauce – you’ll thank yourself the morning after.
McDonalds (via Uber)
We’re not too proud to admit we’ve Ubered to McDonalds just for a dollar menu meal. Rumor has it that Connecticut McDonalds locations will be launching McMozzarella sticks in the near future. Will they have them ready in time for the game? We’ll find out tonight.