McDonald's

You know what you're getting when you rock up to the golden arches on Newcastle Road, especially when it's gone midnight on a Saturday and your options are limited. This McDonald's sits in the heart of Roker's retail sprawl, sandwiched between the usual suspects of out-of-town shopping. The weekend 24-hour opening is genuinely useful - whether you're stumbling back from town or need breakfast before a proper day at Roker Beach. Staff seem to handle the late-night crowd well enough, and the drive-thru keeps things moving when you can't be bothered getting out the car. It's not going to win any awards, but when you need chips at 2am or the kids are having a meltdown after shopping, it does the job without fuss.