Picture this: you and your friends are hanging out at your best friend’s house, lying on their couch, watching a movie. You look at your lock screen and see that the time has struck 11:00 pm (or later). You think back to the three-finger combo that you ate at 7:00 pm, a few hours before, and your stomach starts to rumble. You slowly sit up, look around the room, and propose an idea to your friends. “Y’all tryna go get food?” Eagerly, your friends all sit up and nod in agreement; they all feel the same way. “Wait!” One of your friends says, “Where do we even get food at this hour?” Stumped, your friends look around in disarray as they do not know which restaurants would be open or which ones would be the most delicious. If you have ever been in this situation, this article is for you.
AMHS students are incredibly knowledgeable in all things food, as it is important to feed their brains that work so hard at school. When asked, students gave an array of informative answers about their favorite spots to get a midnight snack. Some of these places require a drive, so take this into consideration when deciding what to eat.
Cookout:
The first destination is a cult classic, a fan favorite, and the most popular pick. Its location is extremely convenient if you live in Mount Pleasant or spend a lot of time driving through it. Located on Highway 17, Cookout is constantly crowded with hungry teenagers as it is open until 4:00 am. Although the inside of the restaurant closes around 9:30-10:00 pm, the drive-through stays open. The drive-through workers are usually very knowledgeable and have excellent customer service. Isabelle O’Leary (12) and Sousa recount a time when they asked the drive-through worker for recommendations about what to order. Taking the worker’s suggestions,they ended up being very pleased with what they ordered. Isabelle states that she goes to Cookout because “it’s open very late and the cheese bites are phenom, short for phenomenal.” She also says that there are ample truck meetups to go and observe which provides for great entertainment. Senior Jenna Hallaba agrees with Isabelle saying that she enjoys Cookout due to the wide menu selection. Both Isabelle and Jenna usually get orders of cheese bites, oreo mint milkshakes, or corn dogs. Cookout is also quite affordable, making it a great destination for broke high school students. Here are a few other recommendations from Magnet students:
Jack Troy: Burger, fries, milkshake
Garrison Gray and Emilio Roxas-Peirano: Cheese quesadillas
Talia Barsness: Hushpuppies
Street Wilson: Burger and a chocolate milkshake
Waffle House:
Another common favorite with several locations across Charleston County is Waffle House. It is open 24/7, making it a very accessible spot for eating after hours. Most of the seniors who described Waffle House as being their favorite spot added that they usually go after AMHS football games at D4, as there is a Waffle House immediately before the exit to get back onto 26. Fritz Browning (12) told us: “I love Waffle House because I love how their scrumptious chocolate chips go with Denny’s syrup, which is my favorite syrup.” Fritz strictly orders the All-Star Special, consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, and waffles with chocolate chips (and also Denny’s syrup?). John Thomasson also orders this exact meal, “without fail.” Juniors William McCarty and Britt Laubinger are also both fans of Waffle House. William adds that he likes Waffle House because he likes “the staff and their hospitality.” Britt agrees with this point: “I like Waffle House because it is open 24/7, the staff is always nice and makes me happy, it’s been open for a while, it’s not too expensive, and there is always one around.” He also adds that the patty melt meal is “gas.” With its extensive menu and hours, Waffle House makes a great option for a late-night grub spot.
Sonic:
As infamous as this drive-in bite is, it can tend to be overlooked. The ever-dependable James Island location is open until 11 pm each night while the one on upper Highway 17 tends to be a little less reliable, either closing at 12 pm or 2 pm. Elizabeth believes that the best menu items are the mozzarella sticks, the corndogs, and the Utah Coke with sweet cream in it. (Please bring Swig to Charleston). Talia Barsness suggests the “ocean water” drink with nerds and senior Chloe Trowman seconds this. Despite the absence of the infamous roller-skating servers, Sonic continues to have quick service, even during truck meetups. Another benefit of going to Sonic is the ability to stay in your parking spot for as long as you wish while eating your food, which attracts many car loiterers such as Elizabeth and Sousa. The downside of staying at Sonic, however, is your exposure to other teenagers. Isabelle O’Leary recounts an experience where two James Island Charter students were harassing Elizabeth, Sousa, and her through the window. Unable to enjoy their Sonic, they drove away, enjoying it at home.
McDonald’s:
McDonald’s is another classic fast-food restaurant. Not only does it have a drive-through, inside restaurant, and is available on Doordash and UberEats, but it is also open late. Although the hours of most McDonald’s locations vary, they are all open until at least 11:00 pm. Nikos Paraschos (12) shared that he strictly orders a McChicken with Zesty Buffalo sauce. He describes this meal as “both affordable and scrumptious!” Lily Thompson (12) added that she is a huge fan of McDonald’s, especially late at night. Her go-to, or as she described it: “death row,” McDonald’s meal is a Double Cheeseburger with no mustard or onions, a Dr. Pepper, fries, and ketchup. Although this is one of her favorite restaurants to order from at night, Lily also adds that it can be very hit or miss. She offers a personal anecdote about a particular experience. One time, she attempted to “doordash” McDonald’s around 2:00 am while staying at a hotel in Miami, Florida. However, the Dasher brought the McDonald’s to the wrong hotel, and Lily had to wander the streets of Miami, through countless hotel lobbies in search of the food. Although this experience came about mostly because of this specific Dasher, it was still a hassle reordering the McDonald’s from that same location. Despite this traumatic experience, Lily is still a loyal McDonald’s customer and promotes it as an amazing option.
Wendy’s:
Another spot to order food from is Wendy’s, which offers a similar menu to most other fast-food restaurants. Wendy’s is usually open until 2-3:00 am. However, it is also available on Doordash and Uber Eats, which adds extra points to our book. Chloe Trowman (12) orders ten-count nuggets and fries with big ice water. Wendy’s is her favorite late-night grub spot because “It is open really late and we can get it at night.” That does meet the requirements to be a late-night grub spot! Seniors John Thomasson and Thomas Hershey are also big fans of Wendy’s. After the clock strikes 12, John Thomasson orders the Biggie Bag, consisting of a Double Bacon Cheeseburger, four-count nuggets, fries, and a chocolate Frosty all for only five dollars. Thomas, on the other hand, ordered the Four for Four meal, consisting of chicken nuggets, fries, a burger, and a drink. As both an affordable and accessible restaurant, Wendy’s is the perfect option.
Taco Bell:
Arguably one of the best places to order from at night, Taco Bell is open until 2:00 am. There are plenty of Taco Bell locations across Charleston County. Some of these locations consist of the one located near the Crosstown in Downtown Charleston, the one on Coleman, the one near the Isle of Palms Connector, and many more. However, Taco Bell is also available for delivery through a variety of delivery apps. Unable to recount how many times they have ordered Taco Bell past 12 am, Elizabeth and Sousa express this spot to be one of their favorites. However, there have been several events that have contradicted the idea that Taco Bell is reliable. One time, after ordering Taco Bell on Doordash quite late at night, it arrived in a KFC bag. Additionally, instead of receiving four Baja Blasts, students at Lily Thompson’s house received one large mystery blue drink also in a KFC cup. They never figured out what the blue drink was.
The best Taco Bell menu items as recommended by Magnet students are:
Doritos Locos Tacos Supreme
Crunchwrap Supreme
Grilled Cheese Burrito and Nacho Fries
Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Overall, it is clear that Academic Magnet students know where the hype is at when it comes to the best spots to get food late at night. We hope that you check these spots out the next time that you and your friends are unsure of what to eat!
