Taco Mix serves some of the city’s most legendary al pastor tacos, stuffed with crispy crimson pork shaved off the trompo and topped with roasted pineapple and salsa. This barebones space stays open until 4 a.m. most nights.

Guantanamera is perhaps the only New York restaurant known for handing out free hand-rolled cigars (on Fridays and Saturdays). More importantly, this is where Midtowners can indulge in fine Cuban cuisine, like a plate of calamari in garlic sauce so rich it looks like cream. The kitchen stays open until midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends.

If New York City has one restaurant that never sleeps, it’s Empanada Mama. After scaling back its hours during the pandemic, the Hell’s Kitchen favorite is once again serving its nourishing Colombian fare 24 hours a day. Highlights include a classic South American breakfast of beans and rice with eggs, shockingly spicy arepas, chicken soup studded with cilantro and rice, frozen margaritas, and stellar corn empanadas (try the ones filled with shellfish or beef).

A favorite among New York’s cab driver community, this Bangladeshi spot in Astoria serves a top-notch cup of chai, among other South Asian fare. The restaurant’s beef curry and goat biryani are among its most popular dishes, as are street food items like the meat-stuffed flatbread called moglai parata, samosas, and skewered seekh kebab. Boishakhi stays open until 1:30 a.m. daily.

The taco truck behind some of the city’s best birria tacos is open until 1 a.m., and usually well past if there’s a line. Similar to its second location in Williamsburg, the tortillas here are dipped in beef fat before heading onto the griddle, resulting in a crunchy, orange exterior every time. There’s no outdoor seating here, but pull up a stool or stand around and eat the tacos hot.

Some five decades after opening in Greenwich Village, Mamoun’s Falafel continues to serve one of the city’s most iconic late-night meals. Lamb shawarma, baklava, and the restaurant’s namesake falafel sandwiches (less than $6 each), are available until 4 a.m. on weekends.

One of the granddaddies of the New York late-night scene, Veselka has been going at it since 1954. Expect a seriously heady borscht, which is free if you order the $19 meat platter. It's a gut-busting dish that includes two meat pierogies, two potato pierogies, and meat-stuffed cabbage with super-rich mushroom gravy. The formerly 24-hour diner is open until 11 p.m. on weekends.

The conclusion to a night out in Williamsburg deserves more than a half-hour wait at a Joe’s Pizza. If in the neighborhood, head to this unassuming taco truck on Bedford Avenue, which serves all-day breakfast, sesame-studded cemitas, and salchipapas, a Peruvian street food made here with sausage and french fries. The truck is open until at least midnight, and typically much later.

Dubbed one of the “coolest spots to be seen” in Bushwick by critic Robert Sietsema, Puerto Rican mainstay La Isla specializes in blood sausage, pig ear, pernil, and a handful of other pork-based snacks served 24 hours daily. The late-night lunch counter also boasts an impressive selection of juices, including tamarind and grape flavors.

One of New York's best cocktail bars also serves as a reliable place for a square meal later at night. Consider the jalapeno ranch wedge salad, or the brioche bread pudding made with currants and bourbon caramel sauce, and pair them with literally anything on the drink menu. The bar is open until midnight daily.

Crown Heights events space Friends and Lovers is back open with live music and late-night dancing. From roughly 8:30 p.m. onward (sometimes as late as 4 a.m.), a makeshift barbecue stand sets up shop in front of the venue, serving mac and cheese, fall-apart ribs, barbecue salmon, and made-to-order chicken.

Sunset Park taco truck Tacos El Bronco specializes in smaller, double-tortilla tacos called taquitos, which start at $2.50 each and available until 1 a.m. on weekdays and a half-hour later on weekends. Order a handful of these almost bite-sized tacos, and be sure not to miss the versions made with spicy pork, beef tripe, and lengua.