La Casita is a mix of high quality Mexican food, combined with the American necessity of speed. Therefore, most of the food, like the burritos, is not the best tasting Mexican food you’ll ever have, but they are incredibly satisfying.
Late-night eats
La Casita607 S.E. Morrison St.Hours: Open until 4 a.m. Prices: $5-10
La Casita is a mix of high quality Mexican food, combined with the American necessity of speed. Therefore, most of the food, like the burritos, is not the best tasting Mexican food you’ll ever have, but they are incredibly satisfying.
And the burritos are gigantic, for only $7. The restaurant is open until 4 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, and MTV Espanol is always on the telly. The free chips and salsa are fresh and delicious.
Most other food gets pretty pricey-close to $10-but La Casita is the closest non-Taco Bell non-food-cart option to downtown. They also have cheap tacos. You can get three to four for around $5.
Muchas Gracias1307 N.E. 102nd Ave.Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Maybe it’s the piss-yellow sign, maybe it’s the sweet-ass goldfish tank, or maybe it’s just the damn good–and cheap–food that makes Muchas Gracias one of the most important institutions in American history. There is something about Muchas Gracias that sets it apart from every other restaurant in America.
It’s open 24 hours a day, so you can find yourself an Oregon burrito or some carne asada chips whether drunk at 3 a.m. or high at 4:20 p.m. Even when you’re not under the influence of some kind of substance, Muchas Gracias is spectacular.
And it’s cheap too! Most burritos are around $3.50 and are humong-enorm-ous for the price. It’s a drive to get to Muchas from downtown, but the drive is more than worth it.
The Roxy1121 S.W. Stark St.Hours: 24 hours a day except closed on MondaysPrices: $7-10
The Roxy has one of the most fantastic, interesting and different atmospheres of all the late night places in Portland. The low-lit greasy spoon with a crucified Jesus hanging above the Jukebox has more eclectic charm then a transvestite in a Blazers uniform. One visit will never be forgotten.
Those that attend the Roxy regularly end up being the most interesting and colorful people of all the late-night hangouts, whether you meet students getting a bite to eat after a long night at the bar, or chat up a guy wearing pink, high heel boots and a skin-tight polka-dotted dress.
Located in between 11th and 12th on Stark, the Roxy is a great late-night location for downtown PSU students. The drawbacks to the Roxy are mighty glaring though. The food is terrible. Unless you’re so drunk that you can’t see the menu and order the first thing that your waiter or waitress reads to you, the food is not good. The only time I have ever enjoyed the food at the Roxy is when I don’t remember going. The cheese fries and some of the burgers are the only thing semi-passable at this colorful nightspot.
The point of the Roxy is not for the food, but its atmosphere that draws crowds and return customers for the ever-popular Portland-style greasy spoon.
The Original Hot Cake House1002 S.E. Powell Blvd.Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a weekPrices: $6-11
If you are in Southeast, and you don’t care about the damage you will be doing to your arteries, the Hot Cake House is right up your alley. You have the choice of huge portions of buttery pancakes and hash browns or greasy, picturesque burgers dripping with toppings and French fries. These are some of the spectacular meals available at this always-popular late-night hub.
One of their larger, more heart-clogging meals is the chicken fried steak, which is a giant slab of steak deep-fried in flour like fried chicken and then smothered in sausage gravy. The biggest issue, other then the grease level, might be the fact that the lines are horrendously long. From 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. the lines can exceed 45-minute wait times just to order.
The Pita Pit421 S.W. 10th Ave.Hours: Open Sundays from 12 p.m. — 2 a.m., Monday — Wednesday from 11 a.m. — 3 a.m., Thursday — Saturday from 11 a.m. — 4 a.m. Price: $5-8
The Pit will be the healthiest late-night hot spot after bars close shop. Sitting on the corner of 10th and Stark, Pita Pit is a delicious place to get quick and fresh food at a decent price. It’s like a high-class Subway with better meats and fresher vegetables, all tightly packed into a double fist-sized pita pocket. The greatest part is that they deliver late to most downtown locations.
The worst part about the Pita Pit is it is hard to just eat one of these deliciously packed palm-sized pockets. After a heavy night of drinking and a disastrous falafel craving, sometimes one pita just isn’t enough. Be prepared with either money or a sturdy bat to keep these pita piling pros from attempting to get you to buy another of their delicious pockets.
