We all love to eat after a night out drinking. In its advertising, Taco Bell calls the late-night meal the “Fourth Meal.” I call it the late–night munchies. Chowing down after a night out drinking is a great way to sober up, keep a great night going, and an opportunity to be an obnoxious drunk and piss off the graveyard wait-staff. Whatever your reason, I’ve asked around and put together some of our local late–night eating favorites!

Brian’s American Eatery is hands down the community favorite. Brian’s stays open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays, which means the place gets packed after 1 a.m. It’s always an interesting crowd, mixed with gay boys, hipsters, goths, bears, and average people out for a late–night snack. The wait staff is fun and at times flirtatious. Brian’s menu has everything from grilled cheese to loaded nachos to yummy chocolate cake. There is sometimes a short wait, but there are plenty of copies of the Gay & Lesbian Times in the lobby to glance through while you wait. Brian’s is located at 1451 Washington St.

Taco shops, of course, have been standard late-night fare for years. There are a number of favorites around town including La Fuente and La Posta in Hillcrest, and Albertos Taco Stop & Shop (one sign says “stop” the other says “shop”) in North Park. These, and most taco shops, are open 24-hours and serve up a great selection of our greasy favorites, including rolled tacos with guacamole, California Burritos and fish tacos. La Fuente always has a line out the door on Friday and Saturday nights around 2 a.m., and Alberto’s Taco Stop Shop has a drive-thru filled with cars. Except for La Posta, these taco shops are located along University Avenue. La Posta is on Washington Street.

Rudford’s and Marie’s Café are both late night “greasy spoons” in North Park that pack ‘em in. Rudford’s has been serving up the same “famous home style cooking” since 1949. The waitresses (and waiter) are fun and the food comes really quickly. The wait staff seems to have a system down, so don’t get in their way and you’ll get good service. Food is cheap and tasty. Rudford’s is located at 2900 El Cajon Blvd. The Bacchus House crowd likes to head over to Marie’s Café just a block west of the club after hours. Marie’s is cheap, filling and it serves ice cream, too! GLT food critic Frank Sabitini, Jr. calls Marie’s “a stark diner in the heart of North Park worth a whirl.” Marie’s is located at 3016 University Ave.

And we can’t forget the Hillcrest favorite, City Deli. City Deli serves it all and has something for everyone. It is open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays so if you end your night a bit early, you can make it over and also order from a full bar. City Deli is located at 535 University Ave.

And coming soon, we will have a few more late–night dining options! For those partying at Club Montage, a trip out of the club won’t even be necessary. Rannoosh Mediterranean Restaurant will be opening soon on Montage’s open-air rooftop lounge. Also, in the new Universal/Dish complex will be another Ciro’s Pizzeria location. Ciro’s downtown location is a popular late-night pizza spot for Gaslamp Quarter partiers. Finally, I hear that the new Viva Pasta in the Hillcrest Center strip mall on University Avenue between Sixth and Seventh avenues is considering late night hours. I recently had the opportunity to try out its yummy pasta and salad dishes, and I was impressed! The more late–night options the better!

And where will you find me out this weekend? I’m most looking forward to Club Montage and San Diego Pix’s “Prison Break” party this Saturday! I’m told there will be HOT prisoner go-go boys … Organizers are saying “this will be one event you won’t want to escape from!” DJ Shane Stiel will spin all night long. Visit www.clubmontage.com.

And people continue to ask me, “When is Universal opening?” This time when I say “soon,” I truly believe it will be. Our new neighbor is about to arrive. Most of the staff has been hired, and construction is coming along nicely. Universal’s general manager will be taking me on a tour of the site in the upcoming week, and he’ll give me all the “dish” on Universal and Dish! I promise to tell you all the details when I have them.

Until then, keep partying safe, and send any event information to editor@uptownpub.com.