At this point, your stomach -- and probably your soul -- needs some soothing. How about an open-faced roast beef sandwich on white bread with real mashed potatoes and enough rich, dark-brown gravy to float a boat? Or a plate of hash browns smothered in a mellow gringo green? When it comes to 24-hour dining, this decades-old spot -- heck, there's a waitress who's been here for 24 years -- is king. Slink into Breakfast King with the rest of the night crawlers and just try to focus your bloodshot eyes on the menu, a barrage of nearly a hundred choices, all of them seemingly involving some kind of gravy, all in portions big enough to feed two, and most under $6. The smoking section is twice the size of the non-, and since many of the patrons just got off the late shift and are looking for beer and some conversation, you'll snap wide awake as you listen to a harrowing emergency-room tale from a nurse, or, just as likely, a sad story from a guy whose wife just threw him out of the house as he shares with a trucker from Texas. Get one of the joint's fabulous milkshakes and settle in for the duration. After all, breakfast is just a few hours away, and the King rules then, too.

Readers' choice: Pete's Kitchen