State College Late Night Grub

Living on campus for about 5 weeks now, I’ve had the time to delve into the many different food options that Penn State has to offer. During the daytime, finding food is easy at the dining hall and in Findlay Commons; however, when they close at night, I find myself often making the walk downtown for some late night grub. Although most places are nearly a twenty minute walk from East Halls, it is well worth it. My food tour of State College may just be beginning, but I have already found multiple late night dives worth trying.

My first recommendation is Gumby’s Pizza. I first ate Gumby’s for a Fantasy Football draft on my dorm floor, and it was the perfect food for the occasion. Instead of pizza, we ordered Pokey Sticks, which is basically pizza with the sauce removed and a variety of dipping sauces. When I first heard the idea, I thought it sounded pointless, but once I tried it I changed my mind. We ordered a massive 20″ size, so it fed most of our Fantasy Football League with one pie. Next time you’re craving pizza, I highly recommend ordering Pokey Sticks from Gumby’s instead. Personally, my favorite dipping sauces were marinara and ranch, but they have many other options.

 

Next is D.P. Dough, a restaurant that specializes in calzones and fast service. I’ve only been there once, but I can’t wait to go back and start making my way through their diverse menu of calzones. So far, I’ve only tried the original Italian, but once I tasted it I knew I had to try their other options, like a barbecue chicken calzone, chicken parmesan calzone, and even a cheeseburger calzone. In addition, the food wasn’t too expensive, and they had my calzone ready extremely fast, so I knew it was definitely a place worth revisiting.

 

My last recommendation for late night food is Sheetz. Once the market at East closes, Sheetz becomes a great replacement to buy snacks like chips or drinks. However, because Sheetz is technically a gas station, most people overlook their extensive menu of hot food and drinks. They have everything from fried apps, to smoothies, to burritos, to even pizza, so they can satisfy almost any craving. Their service is quick, they are open 24 hours, and their food is surprisingly good, so it’s definitely worth trying if you need a place to eat late night.

 

Now, it probably seems like I’m only recommending unhealthy, greasy foods, but in terms of late night dives when most other restaurants are closed, I believe these are the places to go. One place that I have visited for breakfast is Irving’s, and I definitely recommend it if you’re ever looking for breakfast downtown. They specialize in smoothies and breakfast sandwiches, so they have a large menu of fruit combinations and different variations of bagel sandwiches and breakfast wraps. I’ve eaten there for breakfast twice, and I loved my breakfast and smoothie both times.

 

Being only 5 weeks in, I’m happy to have found some staple restaurants downtown, especially those open late night. Once I become tired of eating the dining hall everyday, I will venture downtown more often to see what I can find during the day. My food tour is just starting, so I have plenty of restaurant exploring left to do.