Here’s a Sneak Peek of Doritos’ First-Ever Restaurant: Doritos After Dark

Doritos, the late-night snack of legend, has had quite an eventful year in the marketing department. In December 2023, fans got more than they bargained for with the release of Doritos-flavored liquor in partnership with Empirical Spirits. In August 2024, the limited-edition Cool Ranch Zero Gravity chips sent Doritos on SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission to be enjoyed by astronauts in high Earth orbit. Now, there’s a Doritos activation in the works designed to reach a broader, more (literally) down-to-earth audience. Doritos After Dark will be the brand’s first-ever restaurant, and it opens this month with a menu aimed to satisfy serious snackers. 

Located in the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles — home to the Kings, Lakers, Clippers, and Sparks basketball teams — Doritos After Dark will be open during all regularly scheduled games this season. Any ticketholders to those events can visit the restaurant, a sleek sit-down space offering appetizers, entrees, desserts, and even cocktails infused with the flavors of nacho cheese and crispy corn tortilla chips.

Doritos After Dark, according to the announcement, aims to provide an experience that “elevates every dish on the menu with the undeniably bold flavor and crunch of Doritos, inviting fans to feed their late-night curiosity.”

Here’s a quick overview of some of the menu items you can expect: 

• Doritos Flamin’ Hot Limón Late Night Rita: This mouthful of a cocktail is a classic tequila margarita with crushed Doritos Flamin’ Hot Limón chips on the rim. 
• Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Ramen-Rito: This ramen/burrito mashup features grilled chicken, ramen noodles, crushed Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos, charred corn, fresh scallions and cilantro. It’s served with Doritos Flamin’ Hot aioli and extra crushed-up chips on the side.
• Doritos Flamin’ Hot Nacho Veggie Dumplings: These pan-fried vegetable dumplings are dressed in Flamin’ Hot Nacho Doritos-studded chili crisp. Described as “unapologetically hot,” the dish is topped with green onions and cilantro. 
• Doritos Nacho Cheese Texas-Style Loaded Nachos: A platter of classic nachos that features brisket, barbecue sauce, nacho cheese, pickle slices, and sweet onions. Of course, the chips themselves are Doritos, for extra flavor. 
• Doritos Nacho Cheese Ice Dream Cone: For dessert, Doritos has created a treat sort of like a Drumstick, featuring a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone that’s been dipped in chocolate and rolled in crunchy, savory Doritos Nacho Cheese crumbles.

If you can’t score tickets to an NBA/WNBA game, or you simply aren’t into basketball, there’s still a chance to get in on this Doritos-stuffed menu. On November 15, for one night only, a so-called Doritos Night Market will pop up at Peacock Place, 800 Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Not only will this event feature an “immersive, neon wonderland,” according to the press release, but also an array of Doritos After Dark menu items, all of which will be free to the public. 

America finds itself in a golden age of snacking, and Doritos After Dark is a highly visible way to transform bagged chips into creative cuisine. We haven’t seen innovation like this since Cheez-Its decided to open a diner.