Midnight snack? Try a 3 a.m. meal

— -- Sometimes the urge strikes after pulling an office all-nighter — or, more often, after staying out way too late at the local club. Before the night slips into morning, there's a sudden need to eat, with hunger pains so strong, they won't wait for sunrise. Forget that it's 3 a.m. Who's serving?

Restaurateurs are, more than ever, willing to heed that need, according to the National Restaurant Association, which reports that service hours for diners and fast-food restaurants have jumped 33% in the past two years. "Convenience is a big factor," says Annika Stennson, media relations director for the restaurant association. "Especially for younger consumers, who want access to food whenever they want it."

And some restaurants reaching out to those consumers have stepped up their games, offering more than the greasy omelets and fruity pancake stacks that traditionally fill late-night menus. And while the meals may be upscale, the prices are not necessarily, with dishes ranging from $12 to $27.

"We had a lot of friends telling us they needed a really great all-night place to grab a bite, something with real entrees," says Susan Leonard, who co-owns New York's 24-hour Cafeteria. "They said they didn't have many options. So we gave them one."

Customers snatch up Cafeteria's decadently cheesy dishes, like the mac and cheese spring roll with a smoked gouda dipping sauce, or their very popular Mac Attack — three small macaroni and cheese crocks (cheddar and fontina; smoked gouda and bacon; truffle oil). The rich dishes have lured in a fairly famous late-night crowd, including Hilary Duff, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson.

Located in Hollywood, Kitchen 24, which opened in May and features a DJ until 4 a.m., has a fairly large celebrity clientele of its own. But it's the food, not the stars, drawing in their night-owl customers.

"We get a lot of people who don't work traditional office hours," co-owner Kimberly Roussel says. "Writers, directors, actors, people in movie production. They work all hours. And the idea was to offer them something better, more gourmet, than what they would find at a Denny's."