The Cajun flair of Texas and New Orleans collide at BB’s. Get a shrimp or catfish po’boy, a link of boudin, and a daiquiri from the Montrose location, open until 4am. Or head to the Upper Kirby or Briargrove locations if you need to wake up in a few hours, since they close at 2 am. Note that not every BB’s location offers late night hours.

If you’re craving a carne asada taco on a Friday or Saturday, Cantina Barba has you covered until 3am. Located right off I-45, just a few skips from White Oak Music Hall, you’ll find some of the best margaritas in town (order the watermelon flavor) as well as tacos, burgers, burritos, and sides. There’s also a secret mezcal bar on the back patio in a converted shipping container.

The restaurant that started it all—and by all, we mean the Pappas empire—opened its doors in 1967 and has rarely closed them since. Open 24-7, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day excepted, Dot serves comfort food made from scratch on-site, with all the daily blue plate specials and soups du jour you’d expect in an old-school diner setup. If you’re looking for a late-night breakfast, the Houston omelet comes with all the meat you can handle. 

Frank’s is conveniently located in downtown Houston, ready for the weekend Main Street crowds. Get a single (read: giant) New York–style slice and grab a seat at Market Square Park for some weekend people-watching until 3am. Or call in a whole pie and enjoy it on the sofa—which, we must admit, is how we usually do it.

This Asiatown staple in Dun Huang Plaza is open until 2am seven days a week, a rarity in Houston. If you’re looking for some sustenance to help you recover from a late-night karaoke session at a nearby bar, the green onion pancakes and dumplings here are ideal for soaking up whatever you’ve been imbibing.

This Westchase haunt specializes in two things—Japanese bar food and karaoke—and it offers both until 2am every day of the week. You don’t have to sing for your supper, but there’s always entertainment in the main karaoke/dining room while you munch on chicken karaage, katsu curry, or tekkadon. Private karaoke rooms can be rented, but where’s the fun in that?

As the name implies, this is the place to get a slice of pie. Of course, if you’re not there for a slice of Bayou Goo (our favorite, with a pecan crust topped with a layer of sweet cream cheese, vanilla custard, and chocolate chunks), you can also indulge in whipped cream–covered waffles or an open-faced chili cheeseburger.

You know the saying by now: “Katz’s never kloses.” That means you can get a deli sandwich roughly the same height as the two-story brick building that houses the original Katz’s location on Lower Westheimer or a cheesecake milkshake (which, yes, contains an entire slice of cheesecake), 24 hours a day. Nothing tastes quite as good after a night on the town as a platter of Katz’s fried pickles. 

Is it so wrong to have an enchilada plate after midnight? Three out of La Tapatía’s five Houston locations would say no. In the wee hours of the morning, these select La Tapatías put on some of the best people-watching to be found in Houston as late-night partiers stumble in for some much-needed sustenance after a night on the town. Fortunately, the restaurant’s menu is stacked full of just the kind of hearty fare required for recovery from said partying. Start with one of the quesos flameados before moving onto the nachos.

A night at Loch Bar, open late every night, is well worth the ride into River Oaks. It’s a great date night spot with a wide variety of raw seafood options and a kickass cocktail program. The best part? There’s live music until 1am every night. Just make sure there’s enough money in your checking account—this is a pricey late-night spot.

Mai’s is the grande dame of late-night dining in the Bayou City, the place where many Houstonians tried their first bowl of pho, and where Midtown clubgoers have descended for many a decade after a long night of drinking and dancing nearby. In 1990, Mai Nguyen took over the restaurant her parents opened in 1978 and began the process of modernizing the old building, though the heart and soul—a menu chock full of Vietnamese comfort food—has remained intact.

You may not have known you needed a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto pie at 3am, but when that realization hits you, Poppa Burger will be there. Open 24-7, 365 days a year (yes, even on Christmas), this family-owned, cash-only food stand has served the Northside for over half a century, turning out burgers, breakfast tacos, and burritos for a hungry crowd that never seems to abate.

This is the place to go for your late-night Tex-Mex needs, whether it’s a hearty bowl of menudo for breakfast or a plate of cheese enchiladas for dinner. The breakfast special can vary, but often includes chilaquiles or huevos rancheros.