Local Menu Items that Will (Arguably) Cure Your Next Hangover

Hangovers suck. Every imbiber has suffered at one point in their drinking career. Unfortunately, Bojangles has yet to embrace the restorative powers of emergency Cajun Filet biscuit delivery, so most of us are tasked with finding proper sustenance after a night of conspicuous booze consumption.

Luckily, there are plenty of greasy, fatty, carb-loaded, and downright over-the-top menu items that will help fight the good fight against Brown Bottle Flu.

1. The Baja Bowl, Mex 1 Coastal Cantina
Imagine everything that goes into a Chipotle burrito bowl. Now replace those sad excuses for ingredients with fresh, vibrant, and far healthier variations that deliver all the crunch, spice and protein needed to power through a gnarly hangover. That's Mex 1's Baja Bowl. Be sure to pair it with their "Mexican Ashtray" — really just a Tecate rimmed with pepper and hot sauce-to shake loose those last remaining cobwebs.

2. The Pork Biscuit, The Park Café
This brunch menu item isn't just good, it's damn good. A fluffy Big Cheddar biscuit with pork confit, a fresh tomato chutney, and Dijon mustard rounds out this culinary ode to all things pure and good in this God-forsaken world. A pomegranate juice mimosa goes great with this; pinkies out for extra points.

3. Duck Hash, Tattooed Moose
In a time where it seems like restaurants have confit'd everything but the kitchen sink, it never hurts to revisit the pioneer protein that started it all: duck. And no place has perfected this more than Tattooed Moose and their legendary duck hash plate. Fried confit of duck served with hash browns, fried eggs, vegetables and topped with duck gravy that I'm hell bent on baptizing my first child in!? There are some evil geniuses working in that kitchen on Morrison Drive. Don't change a thing.

4. The Longborough Omelet, Rutledge Cab Company
The truth of the matter is that hangovers, especially in the Holy City, aren't necessarily reserved for just Saturday or Sunday mornings. So, naturally, we're huge fans of any place that insists on serving all-day breakfasts, every day of the week. The Longborough can and should be considered the cornerstone of the RCC's breakfast menu with ingredients that give nods to Danish cuisine (Havarti cheese) and mom's home cooking (braised pot roast) on the same plate. Both hearty and moderately priced ($12), it's the perfect way to soak up those artisanal Moscow Mules from the night before.

5. Cha Su Men, Menkoi Ramen House
There's nothing in this world that's more satisfying than a steaming hot bowl of soup. It's one of those comfort foods that nearly every cuisine in the world has its own variation of. The cha su men at Menkoi encapsulates all the warm, fuzzy feelings that you get when the temperature drops and things get a tad bit cozier around the house. Yellow noodles and marinated pork in a soy sauce-based broth give the soup a hefty savor that will jumpstart your bones and power you through the rest of the day. And at about $9 a bowl, you might be tempted to take an order to go and spread the good word of ramen to the uninitiated.

Written and reported by Brian J. Wilder.