No quiero Taco Bell
Alternatives for dining after dark
Marie Hanson
Chris Mueller
Campus Compass
While the average college student may have a lot on his or her plate academically, busy schedules and schoolwork often leave actual dinner plates empty.
After an evening of study, group meetings or several well-played games of beer pong, it’s more than likely there has been no time for a nice meal. The sun has gone down, and most restaurants have closed. The unoriginal, yet wildly popular, solution to this for most UW-Green Bay students is to pile as many people into a car as physically possible and take a trip to the nearest Taco Bell.
It may seem like Taco Bell has created a monopoly on late-night dining, but this is far from the truth. Even in Green Bay, there are a number of options when it comes to dining late.
Black Stone Family Restaurant
Manager Bob Freeman describes Black Stone Family Restaurant in four simple words—“good food, good service.”
The family diner located at 706 Walnut St. in Green Bay tries to serve quality and inexpensive meals. Black Stone offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options at a reasonable price all day, every day. Burgers range from $4 to $6 and late-night favorite, pizza, ranges from $6 to $9 for a 12 inch pizza.
Black Stone is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it the perfect solution to late-night hunger problems.
Not only does Black Stone offer inexpensive meals, it is also a popular place to go after a night out on the town.
“You’ll never know who or what you’ll see,” Freeman said. “There is a lot of interesting stuff that happens here late at night.”
Why would a college student eat fast food when he or she could be filling up on pancakes or hot beef sandwiches?
If you stop in, you have the chance to fill up on Black Stone’s popular and lovingly named “Who Died?”—an omelet, which includes onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, ham and cheese. Everything but the kitchen sink.
Caffé Espresso
Caffé Espresso is not the typical coffee shop. This cozy, artsy, Greek-inspired diner has a diverse menu, including soup and sandwiches, Greek cuisine and Mexican favorites.
On top of that, Caffé Espresso features a wide selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic coffee drinks. Caffé Espresso has seasonal alcoholic coffee drinks, such as Tom and Jerry and hot-buttered rum.
Instead of going out to the bars tonight, consider stopping at this coffee bar. Enjoy food, drinks and interesting people all in one place every night. Caffé Espresso is open Monday through Saturday until 1 a.m. and Sunday until 10 p.m.
“The food here is really good and the waiters are always very friendly,” UWGB sophomore Megan Morrison said. “Plus it’s nice that it’s open so late.”
If you’re feeling adventurous, head down to Caffé Espresso, located at 119 S. Washington St., for some eggplant Parmesan, sour dough bread bowls or its popular gyros. However, fair warning for the stereotypical poor college student, some specialty dinners can get somewhat pricey, ranging from $17 to $20.
Kroll’s West Restaurant
Looking for delicious food after the Packers game? Head to Kroll’s West Restaurant, located behind Lambeau Field at 1990 S. Ridge Road. Kroll’s West has all the required game-day essentials: burgers, brats and beer as well as several big screen televisions, where patrons can watch the game.
This third-generation family-owned restaurant has a separate family dining area and a sports bar to make everyone’s experience as enjoyable as possible. Being nearly in the shadow of Lambeau Field doesn’t hurt either.
Don’t let the night end at 10 p.m. Kroll’s West serves food and alcohol under its roof until 1 a.m. For all the late-night diners out there, the musts on the menu at Kroll’s West include its hamburgers and chili.
General Manager Jason Bartel says the best thing about Kroll’s West is the atmosphere, quality of food and service.
“You put those three variables together, and you get a good product,” Bartel said.
As easy as it is for students to get into a fast-food rut when it comes to eating late, with a little more exploring, Green Bay has a lot to offer after the sun goes down. Build up the courage to go against mainstream late-night dining places, the reward will be a better dining experience and a greater appreciation for the late-night dining opportunities in Green Bay.