By Sanders Fabares & Justine Pechuzal
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Thursday Feb. 7, 2002
The dining services in the union close at 11 p.m. The bars toss patrons to the street at 1 a.m. An empty stomach is painful to ignore, but fortunately, Tucson offers an oasis of greasy delicacies for the starving student. The pilgrimage starts every night (morning actually) at 1.
Naughty consumption secrets:
Often personal, sometimes embarrassing, and always borderline disgusting, here are a few dirty late-night consumption secrets.
"A Lunchable, chimichanga, cherry pie and lottery ticket from 7-11."
- Andy Graham
media arts freshman
"Corn dogs, Los Betos and leftover Chinese food."
- Dave Waldman
marketing senior
"Cold - it has to be cold - cheese pizza with ice-cold milk-chocolate-Nestle flavor Slim-Fast."
- Ingrid Lindstrom
philosophy and creative writing freshman.
"Take a can of tuna, drained, ideally dolphin-safe, with a little bit of oil, garlic, paprika and sage, and wrap it up in a tortilla. Or ice cream."
- Paul Jorden
UA alumnus
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Los Betos Mexican Food, 914 E. Speedway Blvd. (Open 24 hours)
Within stumbling distance of the greek shacks, dorms and Fourth Avenue, Los Betos is the place for most of the late-night university crowd. At 4 a.m., Los Betos is hopping with drunks throwing salsa packets across the room and the lone designated driver trying to subdue them.
"It's all about the crave. If you're drunk, you need food. You know what you want," said history and journalism junior Andrew Salvati.
Coffee Etc., 2830 N. Campbell Ave. (Open 24 hours)
Located in the Albertson's shopping center, parking is never a problem at Coffee Etc. - but finding an open table after 1 a.m. is another matter. Manager Dan Myrmo knows people have their favorites.
"The Nachos Grande, or anything deep fried, are the most popular at night," Myrmo said.
With good lighting and large tables, it is also a great place to have group meetings/study sessions.
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David Harden/Arizona Daily Wildcat
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Media arts junior Sara Chapman, top, enjoys dinner and studying yesterday at the Grill on Congress Street, bottom. The Grill, 100 E. Congress St., which is open 24 hours a day, is a popular place for late-night diners.
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Grill, 100 E. Congress St. (Open 24 hours)
Built in the 1930s, Grill is the granddaddy of late-night dining. Saturated in nostalgia of the '50s roadside diners, it definitely boasts the most unique ambiance of any late-night restaurant in Tucson. Some items with a cult-like following are the old-fashioned shakes that are made with an antiquated blender.
Antoinette Vargas, one of Grill's waitresses, said every night is an adventure. Blabbering drunks, studying students, sleepless couples and insomniacs anonymous all seek refuge there.
"We definitely get all types," Vargas said with an air of euphemism. Regarding the dining fare, she is also an optimist.
"It definitely has the best food available at 3 a.m.," she said.
We Deliver Pizza, 749-751 N. Park Ave. (Open 11 a.m. to 4 a.m.)
For a 3:41 a.m. slice of hot pizza close to campus, drop in to We Deliver Pizza (formerly Fly, Sail or Walk Cafe). The menu is simple: pizza, calzones and bread sticks cover the basics, complimented by a variety of toppings and custom pizzas. The late hours of operation and laid-back, friendly atmosphere differentiates We Deliver Pizza from an ordinary pizza chain.
More naughty consumption secrets:
"Eggs, home fries, toast and coffee at the Grill,"
- Stephen Avillo
second-year law student
"Eggs, pork roll and chocolate milk. Back East, that's what everybody eats late."
- anonymous university professor
"Edamame. I just inhale them with a little salt."
- Jen Wilcox
chemical and environmental engineering graduate student
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"There are no plastic employee name tags here," said owner Sahler Parsons, a UA alumnus.
The Waffle House, 1380 W. Grant Road (Open 24 hours)
The Waffle House, a time-warped chain diner, is an American icon of all hours eating. The interior decor pays homage to the '70s and is filled with the fringe of nightlife: a tough-looking cowboy on a swivel stool at the counter, a UA student puking in the bathroom or a chain-smoking Goth couple in the orange, plastic booth.
"It's a good place to bring a girl on a date, or an anniversary," said Marc Benassi, a pre-business freshman. The jukebox plays six tunes for a dollar and includes such memorable songs as "It's Waffle House Time" and "There are Raisins in My Toast." The Waffle House is most famous for its hash browns, served regular, large, triple, scattered, smothered, covered, chunked or topped.
