Interstate 84 can be a lonely place late at night for motorists with hunger pangs.
Wee-hour eateries are not considered to be Western Connecticut's strong suit. But it is interesting to see how many places there are to grab a bite after dark all around the area if you know where to look.
Roadfood.com is a good resource for those just passing through, as the site prides itself on listing "the most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America," including 128 reviews in Connecticut. One of the only late night options in the bunch, however, is Newtown's 24-hour Blue Colony Diner.
Perhaps a better resource for midnight munchies is Fairfield County After Dark, a regional food site with a section specifically dedicated to after hours fare. Owner and Operator Pam Dufour uses that section herself when she gets hungry, but admits that late night eating just isn't a big priority for most area residents.
"Just based on the analytics on my website, it's not one of the biggest things that people are looking at. It's not huge," she says. "The late night section is the place to go for me if I need to find something to eat late at night. It's good to be able to go to a website and find that out pretty quickly."
Most of the 24-hour food options are located in Danbury, which has three such establishments. The Blue Colony Diner, in Newtown, is also well known as a go-to late night spot.
Other eateries seem to do just fine staying open through the evening but shutting things down well before the bars let out. Denmos in Southbury, for instance, stays open only until 9 or 10 p.m but does a brisk business during that period.
It's nice to say that we've been here for 32 years," says manager Marilyn Lucarelli. "If you've been some place for 32 years, you must be doing something right,"
Lucarelli said Denmo's prides itself on fresh, breaded-daily seafood and is currently open until 9 p.m. They'll extend their hours and stay open until 10 p.m. starting after Memorial Day.
So where to go otherwise when the munchies kick in around or after midnight?
We asked around for resident recommendations and we've included our list below. But please feel free to include your favorites and thoughts in the comments section below, especially if we've missed anything!
Bethel
- - Daily, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- - Mon-Sat, 11:30am-11pm; Sun, brunch from 11:30am - 1:30pm; Sun, dinner menu served from 11:30am -10pm
Brookfield
- - Mon - Thu, 11am - 10pm; Fri, Sat, 11am - 11pm; Sun, noon - 9pm
Danbury
- - Daily, 24 hours
- - Daily, 24 hours
- - Sun - Mon, 6 am - 11 pm
- - Daily, 24 hours
- - Mon - Thu, 11:30am - midnight; Fri - Sat, 11:30am - 2am; Sun, 11:30am - midnight
- - Mon - Thu, 11:30am - 10:30pm; Fri, Sat, 11:30am - 11:30pm; Sun, 2pm - 10:30pm
- - Sun - Friday, 11am - 1am; Sat, 11am - 2am
Monroe
- Buffalo Bill's - Mon, 4 pm - 1 am; closed Tues; Wed/Thurs, 4 pm - 1 am; Fri/Sat, 11 am - 2 am; Sun, 11 am - 12 am
Naugatuck
- - Sun - Thu, noon - 1am; Fri, Sat, noon - 2am
- - Bar Hours, Mon - Sat, 2pm - 1am
Newtown
- Blue Colony Diner - Daily, 24 hours
- - Mon - Sat, 5:30am - 10pm; Sun, 6am - 9pm
Oxford
- - Sun - Thu, 11:30am - 10pm; Fri, Sat, 11:30am - 1am
Southbury
- - Daily, 11am - 10pm, though the hours vary according to season. At present, they are open until 9 p.m. They will be open until 10 p.m. after Memorial Day.
Woodbury/Middlebury
- - Mon, 6am - 3pm; Tue, Wed, 6am - 8pm; Thurs, Fri 6am - 9pm; Sat, 6am - 4pm; Sun, 7am - 4pm
