Restaurant Guide
Best Late Night Food in LA for Students
The best late night food in Los Angeles for USC and UCLA students — where to eat after midnight near both campuses, from 24-hour Koreatown tofu houses to Westwood burgers and noodles.
Get a pick that fits your taste →LA has a reputation for shutting down early, but if you know where to look — and you're near USC or UCLA — there's plenty open after midnight. This guide splits the best late-night food across both campuses: 24-hour Koreatown and DTLA institutions on the USC side, and the Westwood Village staples UCLA students rely on.
Whether you're coming off a late library session, a night out, or a study grind, these are the spots that are actually open, actually good, and actually affordable when you need them most.
1. BCD Tofu House
$Korean / Soondubu
Best for: USC side — 24/7 hot food, the most reliable late-night answer near campus
Vibe: Bright, loud, always open — the Korean diner that never closes
BCD Tofu House on Wilshire in Koreatown is open 24 hours and a short ride from USC. The soondubu — soft tofu hot pot still bubbling when it hits the table, spice level 1–5 — is $12–16 with rice and banchan. At 1am after a long night it's one of the best meals in the city. Order level 3, crack the egg in at the table, and eat with the communal rice.
Who would like it: USC students who want hot, cheap, filling food at any hour. The most reliable 24-hour option near campus.
Who should skip it: Anyone who can't handle any spice, though level 1 is genuinely mild.
2. Original Tommy's
$Burgers / Chili
Best for: Both campuses — a 24-hour chili-burger institution roughly between the two
Vibe: Walk-up burger stand, no-frills, open 24/7, gloriously messy
The original Tommy's near Rampart has been slinging chili-soaked burgers 24 hours a day since 1946. It's not refined — it's a paper-wrapped chili cheeseburger eaten standing up at 2am — but it's a genuine LA late-night rite of passage, roughly between the two campuses and open whenever you need it. Bring napkins. Many of them.
Who would like it: Anyone, from either campus, who wants a messy, cheap, classic LA burger at any hour.
Who should skip it: Anyone who wants to stay clean or eat light — the chili gets everywhere and that's the point.
3. The Original Pantry Cafe
$American Diner
Best for: USC side — eggs, steak, and coffee at 3am in DTLA
Vibe: Old-school 24/7 diner, fluorescent, unchanged since 1924
Open continuously since 1924, The Original Pantry in DTLA doesn't have a lock on the door. The food is simple — eggs, steak, sourdough, strong coffee — and cheap, and it's a short ride from USC. The T-bone steak and eggs at 4am is one of the defining LA late-night experiences, in a room that feels like the last honest diner downtown.
Who would like it: USC students who want a real 24-hour diner that isn't a chain — historic, cheap, open whenever.
Who should skip it: Anyone chasing exciting or contemporary cuisine — the appeal is the hours and the history.
4. In-N-Out (Westwood)
$Burgers
Best for: UCLA side — a cheap, reliable burger open late, right by campus
Vibe: Classic In-N-Out, fast, consistent, the California standard
The Westwood In-N-Out is the UCLA late-night default: a Double-Double animal style, fries, and a shake for under ten dollars, open until 1–1:30am. Learn the not-so-secret menu and it becomes the dependable end-of-night burger run for half of campus. Consistent, cheap, and close.
Who would like it: UCLA students who want a cheap, consistent, genuinely good burger close to campus and open late.
Who should skip it: Anyone craving variety — the menu is famously short.
5. Northern Cafe (Westwood)
$Chinese
Best for: UCLA side — cheap, filling dumplings and noodles open late in Westwood
Vibe: Casual, busy, student-favorite Chinese spot
Northern Cafe in Westwood is the UCLA go-to for cheap, satisfying late-night Chinese: juicy pork dumplings, beef noodle soup, and dan dan noodles that fill you up for not much. It's fast, busy, and open late, which makes it a reliable after-class or post-night answer right by campus.
Who would like it: UCLA students who want a filling, comforting, cheap Chinese meal close to campus and open late.
Who should skip it: Anyone after a quiet sit-down dinner — it's casual, busy, and turnover-focused.
6. Diddy Riese
$Cookies / Ice Cream
Best for: UCLA side — the iconic late-night sweet finish in Westwood Village
Vibe: Tiny walk-up window, perpetual student line, Westwood landmark
No UCLA late-night list is complete without Diddy Riese: warm cookies, fresh ice cream, and an ice cream sandwich for a couple of dollars, open late in Westwood Village. The line down the block at midnight is part of the ritual. The cheapest, most iconic way to end a night near campus on a sweet note.
Who would like it: Everyone near UCLA with a sweet tooth and a tight budget. The post-night ice cream sandwich is a campus institution.
Who should skip it: Anyone looking for an actual meal — this is dessert, and gloriously so.
Frequently asked
- Where can I eat late at night near USC or UCLA?
- Koreatown's 24-hour tofu houses, Westwood burger and noodle spots, and select DTLA options keep going after midnight. This guide picks the best by taste and how late they actually stay open.
- What's open after midnight in LA for students?
- Several picks here run past midnight or 24 hours — especially in Koreatown. Each entry notes the late-night hours so you're not driving to a closed door.
- Where's the best late-night Korean food in LA?
- Koreatown is the late-night anchor, with 24-hour tofu houses and Korean BBQ. This guide highlights the standouts for a post-midnight meal.
Browse by taste
More guides
Best Cheap Eats Near UCLA
The best cheap eats near UCLA — real student-budget picks in Westwood Village and Sawtelle. Maximum flavor per dollar, from iconic ice cream sandwiches to Persian sandwiches and noodles.
Best Cheap Eats Near USC
The best cheap eats near USC — real student-budget picks within walking distance or a short ride of campus. Maximum flavor per dollar, organized by taste and occasion.
Best Restaurants Near UCLA
The best restaurants near UCLA for students — real picks in Westwood Village, Sawtelle Japantown, and the Persian corridor on Westwood Blvd. Organized by taste, price, and occasion.
Best Restaurants Near USC
The best restaurants near USC for students — real picks within walking distance or a short ride of campus, organized by taste, price, and occasion. From USC Village to Mercado La Paloma and DTLA.