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Brandeis University's Community Newspaper — Waltham, Mass.

The Weekly Glutton: Ollie’s provides late-night treats

Published: January 28, 2011
Section: Arts, Etc.


Chowing down at ollie’s : Students grab late-night snacks at Ollie’s, the Brandeis diner geared towards the university’s resident night owls.
PHOTO BY Nafiz R. “Fizz” Ahmed/The Hoot

Have you ever craved a pancake and waffle fries at 2:15 a.m.? How about three bleu cheeseburgers and a buffalo chicken wrap? It happens to the best of us. We all know Waltham shuts down at around 11 a.m. and that the C-Store is notoriously closed whenever you need it most. If this has happened to you, you’ve inevitably ingested the delicious creations at Ollie’s Late Night Eatery. In the wee hours of the night, Ollie’s helps students satisfy their most primal need (no, not sex): hunger.

You walk into Sherman and veer left, where you probably see masses of students waiting outside begging the wait-staff to be seated, so it’s off to Ollie’s, the “it” place for Brandeis students and the aspiring gastronome. Upon entering the eatery, you’re assaulted by the loud speech and laughter of your peers, most of whom have probably come back from a long night at one of the oh-so-happening houses off of South Street (or, let’s be honest, maybe even a Rosie).

Now you are at your seat. Your waiter is probably someone you’ve seen around campus. Become their friend. It will only help if you want to become an Ollie’s regular. The menu card is a two-sided, laminated strip of heaven, with food choices from breakfast to dinner. There are even options for you vegetarian folks out there. But, the most important and most famous of all of the foods at Ollie’s are the iconic waffle fries. These, combined with a milkshake, are the calling card of a true Ollie’s fanatic. If you are lucky, they’ll have both.

Here are our choices for best in show. Once you get one of the items below, your taste buds will thank you; this food will satisfy even the most discerning of gluttons.

1) The bleu cheeseburger is a solid dish, except when prepared with Caesar dressing in place of the bleu cheese dressing that is the namesake of this sandwich. Those who keep kosher: beware—there is a combination of milk and meat inherent in this gastronomical sensation.

2) Do you like to spice things up? Well, your eyes should go straight to the buffalo chicken wrap. For the more serious gluttons, this wrap complements the bleu cheeseburger(s) wonderfully.

3) Ollie’s may be better after midnight, simply due to the late night cravings that it satisfies, but the milkshakes are always good, whether it be day or night. You can choose from coffee, chocolate and vanilla milkshakes, and they’re all delicious. If you can’t get chocolate, aim for coffee. If you can’t get coffee, then the vanilla is pretty great, too. I can’t speak to the strawberry milkshake’s deliciousness, but I’ve heard great things.

4) Although we are putting this last, it is certainly not least. The waffle fries of Ollie’s will please your taste buds to no end. Each delicious, crunchy bite will only leave you begging and pleading for more. If you are a cheesy fries person, don’t worry, the wonderful wait-staff can help you with your needs. If you are more on the spicy end, they can also add jalapeno peppers for your satisfaction.

After you are done, don’t worry, because this is a real restaurant. There’s no putting away plates or throwing out trash. You just have to find a way to obtain your check and pay on the way out. The A+ wait-staff cleans up for you, just as if it were in the real world and not a college diner! At the cash register, you can pay using points, WhoCash, RealCash ($) or you can whip out the plastic. Whatever your goal, be it nights to remember or nights to forget, from the moment you make the decision to go to Ollie’s, you can say that you made at least one good choice that night.

Gluttony—it happens.