UA students proudly represent their school’s reputation as a party school. Thursday through Saturday, students relinquish their stress and party the nights away. The drunk munchies, or “drunchies,” are a proven essential to late nights in college.
House partiers and bar hoppers alike, here are the best places to get your post-party grub on.
1. Highland Market
The first spot for the essential UA drunchies is none other than Highland Market. Highland Market holds a special place in the heart of every UA student living on campus. Open 24 hours, Highland shines like a beacon of hope to all freshmen stumbling back to the dorms after a long night of drinking.
The famous Highland burrito is perhaps the most iconic of the on-campus food options and reigns as their ultimate drunchies choice — chorizo and potatoes is a personal favorite. Highland also offers chicken tenders, sandwiches and burgers, but the burritos work miracles when the drunchies strike.
2. Mama’s Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue
Mama’s rightfully earns its place as a top spot for drunchies at the UA. The restaurant serves huge portions of Hawaiian style combination plates until 3 a.m. Mama’s has a variety of delicious options, but the Big Kahuna Plate takes the cake as the restaurant’s best drunchie. The Big Kahuna Plate piles chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki and kalua pork onto a bed of white rice accompanied by macaroni salad; there’s enough to share with your even-drunker friend. Mama’s also delivers until 3 a.m., every day.
3. The Taco Shop Company
Open 24 hours, The Taco Shop is a must-have drunchie experience for UA students. Taco Shop sits just south of campus on Broadway Boulevard and Highland Avenue. It serves greasy, authentic Mexican food all night and day. Despite having “taco” in the name, the burritos are its claim to fame. The California Burrito does wonders for those suffering from the drunchies — carne asada and potatoes drenched in melted cheese is a drunk person’s dream.
4. US Fries
US Fries takes drunchies to the next level. The dishes at US Fries turn french fries into full-blown meals. The restaurant offers a bunch of different styles of poutine including pulled pork, shepherd’s pie and Philly cheesesteak. You can never go wrong with traditional poutine, though, which piles cheese curds and gravy onto hot french fries. US Fries is on Fourth Avenue among many of Tucson’s most popular bars, and stays open until 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
5. Empire Pizza and Pub
Pizza and drinking go hand in hand; who doesn’t crave a greasy slice of cheese when they’re buzzing? Empire serves some of the best New York-style pizza in Tucson and keep its doors open until 3 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The late night menu only consists of pepperoni and cheese, but that’s really all a starving college student needs. Empire Pizza is in downtown Tucson in close proximity to all the major bars on Congress Street and Fourth Avenue. Empire Pizza also delivers with a $10 minimum purchase.
Follow Sean Orth on Twitter.