The latest an MSU class usually runs until is 9:50 p.m., which gives some students only 10 minutes to find dinner before many Lansing joints and restaurants close.
If you are one of the many unlucky individuals who can't make it to the counter in time, don't fret - dinner is still in sight and a handful of restaurants keep their "open" lights on.
"There aren't too many places where people can go at 3 in the morning and find a complete variety of what they want to eat," Pizza House manager Jeremy Bates said. "But we aren't one of those places."
The Ann Arbor-based pizzeria and grill, located on 4790 S. Hagadorn Road, is famous for its Chicago deep-dish pizza and original chipatis - a salad stuffed pita - as well as its late hours.
"We take orders up until 4:01 a.m.," Bates said. "Whether or not we take 50 orders or five, we are a reliable business."
On the same street you can find Menna's Joint, 4790 S. Hagadorn Road, another local late-hour delivery restaurant.
Sloganed "Home of the Dub," the joint is famously known for its original creation.
"The dub is a grilled sandwich served on a tortilla and wrapped up like a burrito," manager Blair Bellard said. "It can be made with almost anything and is kind of like a cross between an American burger and Mexican burrito."
Although restaurants such as Menna's Joint and Pizza House deliver until 4 a.m., East Lansing also houses franchise diners such as Denny's, 2701 E. Grand River Ave., and the International House of Pancakes (IHOP), 2771 E. Grand River Ave., which are open all day, every day.
Theio's Restaurant, 2650 E. Michigan Ave., a local 24-hour diner, was established 28 years ago by an MSU alumnus Nick Mangopoulos who believed his late-night business was needed in Lansing.
"Although we are a diner," manager Kathy Love said, "Our family atmosphere and Greek food-theme really distinguishes us from main-stream franchise diners."
Love also said that Theio's prices are reasonably lower than Denny's or IHOP, which she believes is an advantage for college students.
No matter which location, signature late-night meals such as breaded chicken and spaghetti are available at almost every diner and late-night restaurant, but if you're appetite calls for Chinese ethnic food, Rice Kitchen, 551 E. Grand River Ave., is one of the few options.
"We felt like there was a demand for Chinese food late at night in Lansing," Rice Kitchen manager Jack Fong said.
First-year graduate law student Joseph Mignano says he chooses his late night snacks depending on his mood.
"If I feel like going to a restaurant, most likely, I would go to Denny's because of the crowd you can catch late at night," he said. "But, if I was going to order food at home with my friends, I would order from Pizza House or some other place with a diverse menu."
