For concert-going foodies (or food-loving audiophiles, I guess), the existence of awesome late-night food joints is a matter of life or death. There's nothing like ending an evening of music with the opportunity to talk about how wonderful everything was and how it should still be going on right at that instant, while eating obviously.
You can't just go any ole place though. Your destination has to be delicious (obviously), fast (it's probably 1 a.m. already), casual (you'll be covered in dried sweat and… other people's dried sweat) and they have to fill your belly like manna from heaven itself.
The ultimate question is “Where to go?!” Well, have no fear, this list is here.
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5. Kaju Tofu
When you have a sizzling bowl of orange-red tofu soup, there are really no reasons to be blue.
Among late-night Korean comfort food, Kaju Tofu reins king. Located in Garden Grove and open until 2 a.m., Kaju carries standard Korean dishes including tofu soup, bibimbap and Korean pancakes.
The star is the toju soup, and its marriage of savory, tanginess and spice is enough to make your belly belt like Beyonce and almost, just almost overshadow any great time you had. Priced in the mid to high teens, it's possibly the best spot for those who are willing to spend a little extra on their late-night food adventures (and have a little room for endless banchan).
4. Sahara Falafel
Three words: “shawarma” and “garlic sauce.”
Located around 5 to 10 minutes from some of Anaheim's most popular music venues, Sahara Falafel is a dependable go-to spot for night owls, perpetual hungerers like myself and, of course, late-night concert goers. As laid back as it is, Sahara's set up works conveniently well for people who want to relax after sweating for hours in a crowded room with several hundred other people. With Sahara's hearty shawarma sandwich, some falafel and a whole lot of garlic sauce, the likelihood of your already good concert day ending with a sweeter cadence is, well, (almost) guaranteed.
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3. Pho Lu
We wouldn't be Orange County without pho.
The Vietnamese noodle soup is great for a few things: cold weather, flu therapy and for the sake of just eating some damn good noodle soup. The great thing about Pho Lu, specifically, is that it's cheap ($5 for a bowl of pho), traditional (make sure to wipe down your utensils), is open until 3 a.m. on the weekends and offers a wide assortment of non-pho Vietnamese, including chewy Vietnamese egg rolls, broken rice plates with fried shrimp cake, and other, just as good Vietnamese soups.
2. Taqueria Tapatia
Taqueria Tapatia in Santa Ana is as good as it gets when it comes to instantly satiable and convenient tortilla-beded grub. The beauty of Taqueria Tapatia isn't just in the fact that it's open until 4 a.m. on the weekends or that it's cheap. It's also in the fact that a Tapatia trip you get the best of SanTana, from the food to the interior décor to the upbeat music playing from the jukebox to the cholos looking to chow down. Price-wise, it's a winner. Each taco goes for around a dollar, and, get this: each item on the entire menu is under $9.
1. In-N-Out
Every Californian knows all about In-N-Out. It's cheap, yummy and quick. The best post-concert food experience I've ever had, in fact, was at an In-N-Out after a Postal Service concert where I received a free shake because of some order confusion (this today still stands as my #1 customer service experience in life.) That aside, you have got to love that spread and those grilled onions. You have got to love that bona fide West — I mean, Best — Coast burger experience.
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