Before you step foot into this new addition to the midtown strip, you will need to seriously evaluate your level of hunger. Kinda hungry and just looking for a snack? Better choose another spot. Unless you plan on sharing, this “Man vs. Food”-worthy destination is not for light eaters.
While some restaurants nearby may appeal to more health-conscious customers, Munchies is all about indulging and not feeling one bit guilty about it. Its meals are messy and unpretentious, a mix of flavorful and innovative with ingredient combinations I haven’t seen anywhere else around town.
Housed in the former location of I Love New York Pizza, the diner overlooks the streets of midtown and offers plenty of booths, high-top tables and wrap-around bars to pull a chair up to.
While the extensive menu of wings, Philly steaks and sandwiches kept some customers occupied for several minutes, I went straight for my late-night favorite.
I ordered the Fiesta Quesadilla – a fiery combination of onions, bacon, jalapenos, cheddar and Monterey jack cheese stuffed between two large, pressed tortillas and accompanied by a side of sour cream and salsa. The combination of cheeses was the perfect molten-hot container for the kick of flavor from the onions and jalapenos, and the bacon helped to round everything out with a smoky undertone.
The portions are not for the faint of heart, with gut-busting stuffed sandwiches and hot dogs the length of a grown man’s forearm. The pride of the café is its selection of Fat Sandwiches – $10 monster hoagies that combine any flavor you have ever craved. There’s the Fat Sandy (cheeseburgers, mac-n-cheese, onion hoops, chicken fingers, spuds and mozzarella sticks), the Fat Hungry Morning (country fried steak, bacon and sausage gravy) and the Fat Hippy (garden burgers, veggies and French fries) to name a few.
The Munchitizers are also worth mentioning with choices including Smothered Spuds, Macaroni and Cheese Bites and the infamous Dankalicious Chicken Nugs covered in a blend of sesame, teriyaki and barbecue sauce. If hot wings are your thing, Munchies has plenty. Even “Man vs. Food” host Adam Richman stopped by the original café in Sarasota to try the “Fire in Your Hole” hot wing challenge. The wings are covered in such a tear-inducing sauce that participants must sign a waiver before taking on the challenge. He failed, so be cautious in your endeavor.
If you’re on a diet don’t even glance at the dessert selection. Death by Chocolate, Fried Cheesecake Bites, Fried Twinkies, Apple Pie Bites – it all sounds so good and bad for you at the same time.
If for nothing other than novelty alone, Munchies is worth a visit. But be warned – you better come hungry.
Munchies 420 Café
1702 W. University Ave.
www.munchies420cafe.com
HC Recommends: Any of the Fat Sandwiches or Quesadillas, Dankalicious Chicken Nugs. If you’re going to indulge, you might as well ask for a Fried Twinkie to finish your meal.
Details: Munchies is open daily from 4:20 p.m. to 4:20 a.m. and is available for delivery. Beware – they have a special, more ‘normal’ menu (no Fat Sandwiches, etc.) on game days. Nothing on the menu is priced above $10; parking is available.