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It’s 3 a.m. The history book sitting in front of you is starting to get blurry, and your friend quizzing you over the upcoming test material is beginning to sound like the teacher from Charlie Brown.You need a break.And your stomach is protesting the fast you went on five hours earlier. What can you do?The city of Louisville offers more choices than you can handle to quell your hunger early in the morning.

Fast food optionsMcDonald’s offers 24-hour drive-thru service, and Taco Bell’s drive-thru stays open until 3 or 4 a.m. depending on the day.The most popular items at these restaurants lie in their dollar menus. McChickens, double cheeseburgers, an order of small fries and a small drink are all only 100 pennies at McDonald’s. Freshman music education major, Tyler Polston, is a fan of the healthy options at McDonald’s. “They have good healthy choices, like the fruit and yogurt parfaits and the salads.”The closest McDonald’s to campus is located right across from the Ralph Wright Natatorium on Floyd Street.Taco Bell is situated directly beside College Book Warehouse on Brook Street and offers many different tacos and burritos for about a dollar. “Usually if I’m up that late, I need something spicy to keep me awake, and it’s close to campus,” said freshman communication major Brittany Cassaday about Taco Bell.Arby’s on Central Avenue offers a diverse menu in comparison to other fast food restaurants but is a bit pricier. Although known for its curly fries and roast beef sandwiches, Arby’s also offers “Market Fresh” sandwiches packed with the meat of your choice and stacked on sweet bread. Sandwich prices range from $3 to $5, but adding curly or homestyle fries and a medium drink will bring the price to $6 and up.Very close to campus, at the corner of Eastern Parkway and Crittenden Drive, sits a 24-hour Denny’s. Many people linger there on the weekends after having gone to the clubs downtown. The location allows for a very diverse clientele, from drag queens to Goth rockers.If you love breakfast foods, Denny’s is definitely the place to go.”No other pancakes come close,” said freshman math major Jon Lamar of Denny’s breakfast menu.Denny’s is well known for its “Slams,” a combination of scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage or bacon and hash browns. Also available are “Scrambles,” where specialties like peppers and ham are mixed in with eggs. Both surf and turf are served for dinner, with many different steaks, seafood and chicken plates presented.Life at U of L would not be the same if White Castle were not within a short radius. Located on Eastern Parkway, White Castle’s doors and window are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Their staff is extremely friendly, and the atmosphere, when filled with hungry college students, is a lot of fun.”I’d go to White Castle, because it’s a pretty cool place, and it’s open 24/7, unlike the SAC,” said freshman theatre arts and English double major, Corey Music.White Castle’s signature hamburgers, nicknamed “Sliders,” attract the most attention, but other options like chicken rings and chicken ring sandwiches also appear on the menu. The prices are cheap, and the service is pretty quick. Try the sweet tea!

Off the beaten path: Bardstown RoadFor those with midnight transportation, a five-mile drive down Eastern Parkway will bring you to Bardstown Road, the answer to starvation and boredom.Café 360 is one of the more popular hangouts for college-aged kids. Located at the corner of Bonnycastle Avenue and Bardstown Road, this stylish oasis not only offers food, but fun and entertainment through “Hookah,” a type of smoking that uses flavored tobacco briquettes. Café 360 offers many different flavors, including strawberry and tootie-fruitie for right around $6.But if smoking isn’t your cup of tea, their food will be. The café offers breakfast 24 hours, with plates running around $5. For their other entrees, which are available with tofu rather than meat, the prices range from $8-9.Appetizers, soups, salads and sandwiches are available for lighter eaters. Café 360 is very modestly priced, and considering the atmosphere is free, an amazing deal. The place can get packed, so don’t get too upset if you have to wait on a table to free up; it’s well worth it.Slightly farther south on Bardstown is the Twig and Leaf Café. Also well known for its atmosphere, Twig and Leaf affords diners a pleasant evening with inexpensive food. Friday and Saturday nights the restaurant is open until 4:30 a.m., so feel free to hop over for some truly American cuisine. “I ate at Twig and Leaf the other day,” said junior political science major Matt Flairty. “It’s kind of more country, local food than Café 360. It’s really cheap, really good.”Breakfast is served all day and most of the night at Twig and Leaf. Cereals, breads and muffins are baked daily, and prices range from a $3 continental breakfast to a $7 country ham and eggs platter.Lunch and dinner prices are very affordable, with many sandwiches offered below $5, including the Kentucky Hot Brown, a Louisville favorite. A list of entrees brings Salisbury steak, country-fried steak, fried chicken breast or farm-raised catfish to the table with prices ranging from $5-$6.The restaurant is very family friendly, and the décor is very nostalgic. The final stop worth mentioning on Bardstown Road, falling closest to the Watterson Expressway, is a big favorite for 24-hour dining: Steak and Shake. A staple in college dining since its opening, Steak and Shake’s claim to fame is the steakburger made from 100% pure U.S. T-bone, strip steak and sirloin.The newest and most popular sensation is the assortment of milkshakes. Not only do they offer regular flavors like strawberry, vanilla and chocolate, but the option of making a personalized “side by side” milkshake where two flavors are literally placed in the glass side by side.Recently added to the menu were “Sippable Sundae” milk shakes, with more extensive compositions of caramel and chocolate sauces and nuts. Prices are within moderation, falling around the $4 dollar range. They are the cherry on top of a great meal.So, if 2 a.m. rolls around and you’re still hankering for something fast, cheap and tasty, you’ve certainly got options.

STILL salivating?Here are some other restaurants ready to satiate that late-night craving.

Juanita’s Restaurant ?Open 24/71450 S Brook St. 40208502-635-7410Not a bad place for a late night meal if you like greasy (and greasier) American food. A fun place to go with friends after midnight.

Ramsi’s Café on the WorldMonday-Thursday 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Sunday 3 p.m.-11 p.m.215 S 5th St. 40202502-451-0700This unique, international café offers a broad menu, and although crowded at peak hours, dining before 6:30 p.m. will ensure quick seating. Large groups can book a separate upstairs dining room. Spinelli’s Pizza Mon-Tuesday 11 a.m.-midnight, Wednesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 a.m. (delivery until 4:30 a.m.), Sunday 11 a.m.-midnight.614 Baxter Ave.502-568-5665New York-style pizza, strombolis and fountain Cokes make Spinelli’s a place you might even want to visit when the sun is shining. If you eat in, seat yourself in the 1960s Lincoln-turned-booth.