Sai Kulkarni ‘23
Production Editor
One thing I loved about my time in college was the ability to buy fast food at any hour of the day. Was it the healthiest thing to do? Absolutely not. I probably turned the freshman fifteen into the sophomore sixty. But regardless of what hour of day it was, whether I was returning from a night out or simply taking a break from writing papers at unholy hours of the night,[1] it was good to be able to comfort my body or my soul with donuts, pizza, or street falafel. Perhaps it was one of the perks of being in the big city, but everyone at my old campus could be secure in the notion that even if they missed dinner, they could have food in their bodies at 3 a.m. and still be able to say that they had at least two meals a day. It was no surprise to me that Charlottesville lacked such a resource when I arrived here at UVA Law—it was, of course, peak pandemic, lockdown, and hybrid learning. There was no reason for food establishments to be open that late; they were already understaffed, and with so few people actually going out to eat, being open late would have probably hurt their bottom line.
What surprised me was that as the rest of the city began to open up during the day and our esteemed institution moved towards solely in-person learning, there remained few late-night spots open past 10 p.m. and even fewer open past midnight. This was shocking. I could have brought this up in the Court of Petty Appeals, but, from the little I know about personal jurisdiction, I don’t think fast food and local establishments fall under the purview of my favorite court in the state.[2] So instead, here I am, complaining to the ether on my own time about the lack of options. Feel free to email me if there are any others, but from what I’ve observed, there are only three late-night spots here in the campus area to use to line your stomach after a long night.[3] Those three spots are White Spot, Christian’s, and, of course, Cookout.
White Spot
When you are out on the Corner, you can often find yourself incredibly hungry, since the kitchens at our favorite spots always seem to be closed when we are out.[4] Thus, you are presented with two options within walking distance: burgers or pizza. White Spot provides the burger option with great skill. You might be deterred by the long lines, but the service here is fast. From what I’ve observed from my friends, their regular burgers come out quick and taste good enough to scarf down in under five minutes. They even have a side place to sit and eat quickly. My only qualm with them is that their veggie burgers and fries tend to take a lot more time to come out. That is to be expected; it is not their main product. But since this is my article, I am allowed to gripe and groan. For the broader population, the main issue is one of variety. This is a burger joint. While there are other things on the menu, that is what you can expect to be the best. Unlike one of the other options, there is a clearly preferred menu item.
Christian’s Pizza
Christian’s is quite similar to White Spot in that it is within walking distance of the popular Corner haunts, it has seating space, and it features long lines. This is a pizza place. There are many types behind the glass, and you can skip the line if you order a full pizza.[5] You can expect this place to be full of drunk undergrads past midnight. If that’s the experience you want, this is where you go. It’s that simple. Christian’s is a drunk pizza joint and it owns it.
Cookout
Now for the crowning jewel. This is where I tend to go late at night almost every week, sometimes even multiple times a week. As a designated driver on most nights, I am at the whims of my passengers.[6] But is it any wonder that they are fond of this place? Providing options ranging from milkshakes to burgers, to quesadillas, to chicken fingers and cheese curds, this place has everything.[7] To quote Paige Kennett '23: "You can have those cheese curds at any hour of the day but they just taste better after a few shots, late at night." The biggest benefit, though, is its biggest drawback. Instead of standing in a long line, this allows you to sit down in a car and even allows some passengers to grab a quick nap. The problem is that the line here is the longest of the three spots. The convenience of a drive-thru is mitigated by basically taking all night to get some food. Despite all these complaints, I know I will probably end up there on a weekend in the future. All I can do is give you the warning label regarding the lines. Much like the FDA, I have no control over whether you heed that warning or not.
Taco Bell
As a brief conclusion, I want to say that Taco Bell is the most universally loved late-night food. This article wouldn’t need to exist if our local establishment simply chose to be open past 12:45 a.m.; it would be the clear winner.
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omk6cg@virginia.edu
[1] Things that you do when you have a 24-hour library and a college-era sleep schedule.
[2] I still think it’s wild that we use real legal principles in our fake student newspaper court.
[3] I am dead serious. Text or email me if you think I am wrong; I would truly welcome variety.
[4] I don’t blame them. Dealing with many drunk undergrads and law students is enough without having to feed them, too.
[5] I didn’t know this until recently. Thanks, Morgan Kurst ’23, for the key info.
[6] This usually includes some combination of Paige Kennett, Logan White, Pi Praveen, and Cara Capoccitti, all of ’23.
[7] I imagine that last part to be said in the voice of Chance Maginness ’22 as Stefon in the Libel Show.