Danbury's Late-Night Dining: Where Do WestConn Students Eat After Hours?
After the dining hall closes, students of WestConn look to the streets of Hat City to satiate any and all late-night cravings.
As the clock strikes 8:30 on a typical weeknight, employees of Western Connecticut State University’s Westside dining hall close up shop for the evening. This leaves students with the question: Where will they get their study fuel or midnight snacks?
While the Daily Grind, Westside campus’s coffee shop, offers its “Late Night” program, serving food like wings and fries, starting at 8:30 p.m., they stop serving at 10:00 p.m. Students must then look to the rest of Danbury to satisfy their after-hours cravings.
Thankfully, Danbury offers a litany of food options from fast food joints to steak houses. Whether you’re craving something quick and easy or desiring a sit-down meal, there is something for everyone’s taste buds in the Hat City.
DANBURY IS FOR DINERS
Danbury has historically been home to several diners. The city currently houses two 24-hour diners in Elmer’s Diner (22 Padanaram Road) and Grandpa’s Diner (126 South Street), who are willing to serve customers at all hours of the day while others all close earlier.
“We all like convenience,” said Elmer Palma, who’s owned Elmer’s Diner for almost 18 years. “I feel like it’s my responsibility to give my efforts to be convenient and to be there when the customers need.”
As a popular diner among all citizens of Danbury, Elmer’s has catered to WestConn students, offering a 10% discount to anyone who presents a valid school ID. Elmer’s also has free Wi-Fi, allowing students to bring their laptops and devices to study and do homework while they eat.
“My friends and I have taken several late-night trips to Elmer’s,” said Natalie Paradise, a 23-year-old senior from Naugatuck, Conn. “Sometimes you just want to have a good burger and enjoy some laughs later in the evening, it’s very convenient that they’re open all night.”
While Elmer’s and Grandpa’s are currently the only 24-hour diners in Danbury, this was not always the case. Several diners such as Holiday Diner (123 White Street) have shifted from 24-hour operation in the last 10-15 years.
“20 years ago, every diner was 24 hours,” said George Psarofagis, WestConn alum and owner of Holiday Diner. “Being 24-hours means you’re married to the business; you literally have to live here.”
Holiday Diner also tends to serve many members of the WestConn Community, in and out of the restaurant. Since they close at 8 p.m. most weekdays, online delivery orders typically spike around 6 p.m. Psarofagis says the diner delivers all over Danbury, including both the Midtown and Westside campuses.
“I get a lot of WestConn staff,” Psarofagis said. “I get a lot of professors, and I get a lot of the maintenance staff. I see a good number of students as well. When WestConn students are in, I see my Uber Eats and DoorDash tick up a lot.”
DELIVERY IS KING
According to WCSU housing staff, students seemingly utilize services like DoorDash and Uber Eats to their fullest extent. Sometimes too often.
“We have a big problem with people ordering food to the building and not coming down to the lobby to pick it up,” laughed junior Tim Hynan, Grasso Hall’s Academic Resource Mentor.
Many establishments in Danbury offer delivery, whether it’s through their own delivery service or from one of the online services.
“My friends and I use Grub Hub all the time because we don’t want to go to the dining hall, especially when it gets cold outside,” said Anna Adams, a 20-year-old junior from New Paltz, N.Y. “McDonalds is a favorite in our dorm because everyone can eat it despite food allergies, but I like Chipotle a lot and it always travels pretty well.”
FOOD TRUCK SCENE
Another large part of the food community here in Danbury are the several food trucks found throughout the city. Danbury’s vast community of mobile restaurants offers something for all to enjoy.
If you’re looking for something on the healthier side, Bowlvine (116 Federal Road) offers fresh and vegan options that can be enjoyed by all. If pizza’s your thing, The Tivoli Mobile Pizza truck, known for their margarita pizza, is the way to go for you. Many of Danbury’s food trucks specialize in different ethnic areas. Punchy’s Island Grill (120 White Street) prides itself on providing authentic Caribbean food to the Hat City’s citizens. Both Birria (110 Federal Road) and El Taco Loco (346 Main Street) specialize in Mexican cuisine.
“There’s this taco truck behind the Ice Arena called Dominguez Food (Delay Street),” said 20-year-old Junior Christopher Cortez, from New Milford, Conn. “The food is always straight heat.”
The range of ethnic food options doesn’t stop there, however, with food ranging across all cultures and styles.
“Main Street Muncheez (330 Main Street) is the best food truck in town,” said Dylan Jensen, an 18-year-old sophomore from Portland, Conn. “They have a great selection of halal items like gyros and bowls. I like the mix special platter with the lamb over fries and cheese, topped with tzatziki. They’re open late and are pretty affordable, so it’s a good middle-of-the-night meal.”
SIT-DOWN DANURY!
With the city offering a variety of ethnic food, it is home to several can’t-miss Brazilian eateries.
Among the most popular with students, however, sits Minas Carne (36 Osborne Street). Ask any Danbury local, and they likely have nothing but good things to say about the popular Brazilian spot. With buffet-style dining and plate weighing to determine fees, customers are welcome to fill their plates as much as they like. Closing at midnight, it remains a favorite for students in Danbury.
“I love a good Minas run,” Hynan said. “It’s great because it’s close to fresh, home cooked food but it’s still a fast in-and-out option for a sit-down meal. The food is really good and it’s very close to campus if you’re living on Midtown.”
While Brazilian restaurants are very common throughout the city’s streets, there are Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Japanese establishments as well including Rebellion Kitchen + Bar (131 Padanaram Road), El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant (20 White Street), Panda House (93 Mill Plain Road), and Ichiro (69 Newtown Road).
HAT CITY AFTER HOURS
Often in the evening before they close, the Westside dining hall will not serve everything that they typically have available during the day. To combat this, students will also resort to the non-dining hall food services on campus, like The Daily Grind on Westside and Berkshire Hall’s Fireside Cafe on Midtown.
“Most of the time after 7:00, the dining hall options are pretty limited,” Hynan said. “If all they’re going to have available from the grill is chicken tenders, I’ll just wait until the Daily Grind opens ‘Late Night’ and get sauced wings for a meal swipe.”
Danbury also offers a number of sports bars, serving drinks and bar food later in the evening. TK’s American Cafe (255 White Street) shuts down at midnight during weeknights and 1:00 a.m. on weekends, offering 75 different flavors of wings and 50 different beers. Square One Bar & Grille (24 Mill Plain Road) and Pippa’s Sports Cafe (114 South Street) serve food until 1:00 a.m., staying open an extra hour later during the weekends.
There is no shortage of alternatives for students when it comes to food in Danbury. By venturing out into the many streets of the Hat City, you’re almost guaranteed to discover a delectable destination to satisfy your needs, no matter the time of the day.
"Danbury has a ton of food options,” Lawton said. “Whatever you like, there’s bound to be something that offers it, whether it’s traditional or with its own spin on it. There’s something for everyone throughout the city.”