Late-night eats: Oakland’s culinary wonders

Whether you just left Hillman after a grueling night of studying or you’re tired of having ramen for the umpteenth night in a row, you understand the frustration of being hungry at an inconvenient hour of the day.

Fortunately for you, Oakland restaurants know that college students are hungry at ungodly hours and they have catered to our insatiable appetites by staying open late. Here are some go-to food options for when you’re looking to grab a quick bite — or two — after bedtime.

1. The Original Hot Dog Shop: Not only is “The O” open until 1:30 a.m. — except on Sunday and Monday nights, when it closes at 9 p.m. — but it’ll satisfy your high-carb craving without completely cleaning out the last dollar you have to your name. “The O” was originally situated in the shadow of Forbes Field, but has remained standing on the corner of Forbes Avenue and South Bouquet Street as Forbes Field slipped away into the memories of anyone who called Oakland home 45 years ago. Now, “The O” serves as a memory for the college students that descend upon Pitt’s campus every Fall.

2. McDonald’s: Also on Forbes Avenue, McDonald’s is open 24/7 with a menu that offers economical options for the ever-broke college student. If a Big Mac and fries doesn’t sound appetizing, just wait up until 4 a.m., when McDonald’s starts serving its breakfast menu.

3. Forbes Gyro: Open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, Forbes Gyro is one of the healthier options you’ll come across, offering an extensive menu full of salads, kebabs, calzones and gyros. So if you just made some very questionable nutrition decisions at a local bar and your liver is progressively turning into a raisin, pay a visit to Forbes Gyro to feel like you haven’t completely failed the food pyramid as well as your anatomy.

4. Fuel and Fuddle: Located on scenic Oakland Avenue, Fuel and Fuddle is open until 2 a.m. every night.The late-night $5 menu lasts from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. when you’ll get brick-oven pizzas, wild fire wings and burgers on the cheap.

5. Antoon’s Pizza: As you were probably informed by multiple distraught Pitt students, the beloved Antoon’s raised the price of its large cheese pizza to $6 plus tax. Located on Atwood Street along with its rival — Sorrento’s — Antoon’s is open till 2 a.m. Some speculate this price increase was created to distract Pitt students from this year’s tuition increase. If so, well played.

6. Sorrento’s Pizza Roma: Now that Sorrento’s is the same price as Antoon’s, even devout customers from Antoon’s are showing signs of ambivalence. Although the price for a large cheese pizza is the same now, Sorrento’s is open one hour longer than Antoon’s. So if you’re reluctant to call it a night but still crave pizza, keep doing you for just a bit longer because Sorrento’s doesn’t close until 3 a.m.

7. 7-Eleven: It’s 4 a.m. and everything else is closed except McDonald’s and you’re not in the mood for an Egg McMuffin off the breakfast menu. 7-Eleven on Forbes Avenue is open 24/7, and if you’re lucky, there might be some hot dogs left on the rotisserie.

So, whenever you crave that late-night meal, you can save yourself the trouble — and potential first-degree burn — from attempting to make ramen at 2 a.m. Why not give Oakland’s fine array of culinary excellence a whirl?

Marlo Safi primarily writes about public policy and politics for The Pitt News.

Email Marlo at mes260@pitt.edu