SOUTH STREET DINER

Sometimes it seems like the only thing open all night in Boston is the half-empty bottle of beer your roommate left on the counter. But whenever a yen for corn-beef hash, banana-walnut pancakes, or a burger and frappe strikes at 3 am, there's one greasy spoon that shines like a beacon in the darkness. Spiffy (if wobbling) clubbers, unkempt students, weary travelers, and late-night shift workers heading home from the job are among the pilgrims who journey to the decidedly retro SOUTH STREET DINER. The staff is as salty as the steak and eggs, and the wait is as constant as the hiss of the fryolator — and in a town where after-hours options are practically nonexistent, those are signs of salvation.

SOUTH STREET DINER | 178 Kneeland Street, Boston | 617.350.0028