Open After 10 pm
The city’s streets go dark with the setting of the sun. If you drive through downtown Abilene after 9 pm you will see blinking red and yellow lights. What little traffic there is in town disappears shortly after the dinner rush. Driving around, you half expect to see a lone tumbleweed blow down the deserted blacktop ahead of you. This can be eerie and unsettling to big city folk expecting more activity. Relax! There is plenty going on in Abilene, you just may need to change the prescription in your rose colored glasses if you want to see it. The next few pages will tell you what’s going on and who’s doing what after 10 pm Abilene Standard Time. Food, music, and dancing, receive particular attention here.
SIT DOWN EATERIES
Buffalo Wild Wings 4401 Ridgemont Drive
Open as late as anybody else in town: midnight Sunday thru Friday, 1 am Saturday. This wing spot is a big city sports bar come to Abilene. They have more than 30 TV screens all over the place showing ESPN and any non-pay-per-view events. Wherever you sit, you’ll be able to see at least a dozen different screens. Order food at the counter if you’re going to sit in the non-smoking section, or walk on through to the bar and try to find a table where you can order from your waitress. This is one of the most hopping bar scenes in town.
Bedford Street 1882 S. Clack
Open till midnight Monday thru Friday, and 1 am on Saturday night, Bedford Street is one of the “nicer” restaurants in town. The bar is separated from the rest of the restaurant and offers live music at night Tuesday thru Saturday. The kitchen closes at 10 pm, but you’re welcome to linger and listen to musicians afterwards.
Denny’s 120 E. I-20
This American diner stays open all night and serves breakfast 24 hours a day. Denny’s is famous for their Grand Slam breakfasts, which include buttermilk pancakes, eggs, sausage, and bacon. This is a favorite study hangout for many ACU students after hours. If you use the table as a library, be sure to tip you waitress based on how long you sat there—a whole lot more than just 15% on your bottomless cup of coffee.
International House of Pancakes (24 hrs) 3750 S. Clack
IHOP is another all day, all night, All American diner serving breakfast anytime. Here the specialty is their namesake: Pancakes. Many standard American-fare options are available, whether you’re looking for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Turnerhill BBQ (Friday/Saturday) 1881 N Treadaway
Open until 9 pm most nights, this barbeque joint stays open late on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday and Saturday they haul in an extra grill (“Grillzilla”) and offer up a much-expanded menu. They also open up the backyard, weather permitting (or move the party inside), and bring out live music until midnight with no cover charge. Weekends here rock!
MUNCHIES, DRIVE THROUGH, & DELIVERY
Starbucks 4150 Buffalo Gap
Starbucks is fast becoming the standard by which all other coffee shops are judged nationwide. Open till 11 pm during the week, until 1 am on Friday and Saturday, and until midnight on Sunday. The coffee here is famous for its caffeine content, but I’m a bigger fan of their baked goods.
Java City Ambler & Hickory
This coffee house is a combined effort between Hardin-Simmons University and Aramark, one of the nation’s largest food wholesalers. While I’ve never met anybody who thinks the coffee is especially good, the ambiance here is wonderful. They have three flat screen computers hooked up to the internet for browsing, and live music on the weekends. Just across the street from HSU, Java City is open from 6 am until midnight Monday thru Saturday.
Mezamiz Coffee House 3909 S 7th Suite C
This long-time Abilene coffee house is open until 11:30 pm Monday thru Thursday, and until midnight Friday and Saturday. They serve soup, salad, and sandwiches until closing, and even a have a small balcony over looking a creek.
Whataburger (24 hour) 4241 S 1st
893 E Hwy 80
3141 S Danville
First opened in Corpus Christi, TX on in 1950, Whataburger claims to be the first restaurant to offer a burger so big it had to be eaten with two hands. The food is made to order at this Texas legend. Their chicken strips and gravy are some of the best around!
McDonald’s 4302 Buffalo Gap
1201 N. Judge Ely
3602 N. 1st
3147 S. 14th
If you haven’t been to McDonald’s before, you’re the only one. This is the world’s largest “quick service” restaurant. Their menu consists mostly of variations on the hamburger. The golden arches keep on serving burgers, nuggets, and fries till midnight most nights, and 1 am on Friday and Saturday.
Taco Bueno 4117 Buffalo Gap
3650 N. 1st
5010 S. Hwy 277
825 Judge Ely
Now owned by a restaurant conglomerate, this quick service Mexican food restaurant was started by an ACU graduate. It offers 10% student discounts with your ID. Most locations are open until midnight on weeknights and 2 am on Friday and Saturday nights.
Taco Bell 925 Ambler
3509 N. 1st
2901 S. 14th
4165 S. Danville
This is the largest quick service Mexican food restaurant in the nation. It has offered edible food to students at rock bottom prices for at least a generation. Most locations are open until midnight on weeknights and until 1 am on Friday and Saturday nights. The locations on S. 14th and on Danville have drive thru windows open an hour later.
Sonic 202 N. Judge Ely
1720 N. 1st
2402 Sayles
3856 South Clack
Sonic is the nation’s fastest growing restaurant of its type. They are renowned for their variety (and size) of drink options. The location on Judge Ely is ranked number six among the world’s fast food stops by the Travel Channel. Here you will find car hops on roller skates, batting cages, a playground, and a lighted sand volleyball court. Have fun! They are open until 11 pm most nights, and until midnight on the weekend.
Wendy’s (open till 11, drive thru till 1am everyday) 4374 Southwest Drive
Wendy’s, home of the square hamburger patty, stays open until midnight for inside dining every night. The drive thru window is open until 2 am during the week and 3 am on the weekend.
Domino’s Pizza 1806 S. Clack
1125 EN 10th
Open till 10 pm for carryout, Domino’s delivers their pizza until 1 am during the week, 2 am on the weekends.
Papa John’s Pizza (till midnight, Fri/Sat till 1 am, no carry out after 10:00 pm) 3900 N. 1st
Papa John’s delivers until 11:30 pm during the week and 12:30 am Friday/Saturday nights. You can pick up your own pizza, but not after 10 pm.
Pizza Hut 550 E. Ambler
3533 N. 1st
2750 S 14th
4304 S Clack
Open during the week until 11 pm and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. They only deliver as late as they are open.
BOXING, BOWLING, & BILLIARDS
(Unless otherwise specified, everything in this section is open until midnight during the week, and 1 am on Saturday nights.)
Zone Bar & Grill 4638 S. 14th
The Zone is a sports bar and grill with a full menu until 11 pm. They have several pool tables in dedicated side rooms. They also have darts, foosball, shuffleboard, and several TVs. They do show pay-per-view fights, and charge a cover to watch.
Club Platinum 3112 S. 27th
Club Platinum is one of only two places in town I am aware of that show pay-per-view fights. Their projection wall makes it the biggest fight in town, but so is the cover.
Abilene Bowling Lanes 279 Ruidosa Ave 692-5100
Whitewood Lanes 200 Kirkwood 676-8263
Abilene has two bowling alleys. They both stay open as late as it’s busy, but general hours are until 10 pm during the week, midnight on Friday, and 1 am Saturday. Leagues often take up the lanes before 9 pm, and they might close early/late depending on the crowd. Call ahead to verify lane availability.
Slicks Billiards 3422 N. 1st
This is a pool hall, but sells beer as an afterthought. They have 16 tables that will cost the boys $3 per hour—girls play free.
Fast Lane 721 S 1st
Fast Lane has two faces: billiards/foosball/darts/jukebox to the left, live music/bar/TVs to the right. The only cover is on Friday and Saturday when local rock bands play. If you fancy yourself a singer, you may want to stop by on Wednesday for Karaoke.