Restaurant Names

[joey madison]

Some of my favorites from Madison Wisconsin:

Jolly Bob's Jerky Joint

Dotty's Dumpling Dowry (a burger place that has neither dumplings, nor any association with someone named Dotty)

Wah Kee Noodle

In Quebec, QC, Canada I've always liked:

Le Couchon Dinge

[Oceangroveguy]

This only serves to remind me that I am getting old and my memory is fading.

I have seen (somewhere) a Chinese place called "Yangtze Doodle", and a deli called "Noshville", and I have a recollection - if not a true memory - of a place in NYC's chinatown back in the late 60's called "Big Wang".

Of course, it could have been a hullabalootion......

[judiu]

Personally, I've always felt that Hooters should open a companion string of restaurants hiring only nice young guys with tight butts, and call it "Buns".

Put them side by each, and every one'll be happy!

[auntdot]

There was (is?) a kosher chinese restaurant in brooklyn called the Shang Chai.

[foodie52]

These are all great names - both good and bad. But would (or has) anyone ....refused to eat at a restaurant because of its name?

Yes:

It's called "McDonalds".

[FistFullaRoux]

Personally, I've always felt that Hooters should open a companion string of restaurants hiring only nice young guys with tight butts, and call it "Buns".

Put them side by each, and every one'll be happy!

My wife has suggested something similar, called Peckers. Woodpecker as a mascot, etc etc etc...

[Darukaru]

I live in a suburb of Pittsburgh called Dormont.

Naturally, the diner up the street from me is called the Dor-Stop. Kind of a groaner, really...

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Hehe, to add to the kit-bashed names, there is a nail salon on a certain street in Seattle WA, and above the name of the salon is a black and white sign in a metal frame on the roof which says:

FOOD

DISCO

So we called it just that: The Food Disco. "Yeah, the big Safeway by The Food Disco!"

Also, outside of Spokane WA is (was? been awhile since last I've been in the area) a Chuck E Cheese type of establishment with an awning with type along the bottom of it that read:

PIZZA FISH YOGHURT

And the numerous bad Chinese places all in a row on Division St. in Spokane still crack me up, because each one advertises "Chinese and American Food". Need to cater to the locals, ya know!

Another funny thing I passed by was a grocery store with one of those dot matrix electric lit signs advertising all the sale specials. One came up: "Chicken Beast: 2.99/lb". My partner at the time did not believe me, so dead in the middle of a Spokane winter I convinced her to go there with me and wait for Chicken Beast to flash up. It did. Soon after that we made it a habit just to wait for it whenever we were passing by: "Chicken Beast! Yay!"

Pat

Edited May 23, 2004 by Sleepy_Dragon (log)

[gingerly]

and in bangalore a popular chain is "homely chicken"

(this one prompts visiting americans to joke that

the good looking chickens end up in KFC).

milagai

then there's that little place called 'kentacky chicken corner' (i believe it predates kfc's arrival in india )

no known branches-even batter than the real thing/finger lacking good?!

[jodicalhoun]

I adore restaurant names. I've been to "Dirty's" in Austin and they do serve the best burgers and malts anywhere. A very small town in Western Colorado has a restaurant called "The Broken Drum, (you can't beat it)". That's the full name, by the way. This little island town has a restaurant named "The Place Next to the San Juan Ferry". Pretty much comes with directions in the name. Then my home town had a restaurant with no name and no set serving times. To dine there, you had to call Effie early enough in the day, tell her how many people would be coming; you had to arrive planning to eat at 8:00 pm and everyone got a medium sirloin steak, baked potatoes, salad and apple pie with ice cream.

[franktex]

FuKim Chinese Buffet (Houston-2 locations)-they hosted a porn party there during the Super Bowl this year.

Cheddarheads(Houston)-Packer fan hangout.

Liquid Kitty(LA)

Hasta la Pasta (Houston-hoefuully closed by now)

[GG Mora]

About 2 years ago, Haskins Gas Company (a local propane concern) took over the South Dorset General Store – one of those convenience store / gas station / lunch counter affairs. They cleverly morphed the company name to come up with....Hasgas General Store. Yeah. I'd eat there.

[tarragon]

Years ago I worked at a gourmet take out in Burlington, Vt called Gourmet Food Exchange. People would always make jokes about the name.

[Pan]

Jokes like what? That name doesn't seem particularly funny or unusual to me.

[Mabelline]

I suppose kinda like: "If I don't like your food, you'll exchange for something gourmet?''

[tarragon]

Also can I exchange my old food for yours...

[Shelley G.]

I am rather partial to "The Queen of Cups Teahouse", in Nova Scotia, though I cannot claim any lack of bias, since I named it.

[Jake]

Fukiu Sushi - apparently pronounced foo-kwi or foo-kiew. Yeah, right. That's not what the local's call it.

[Wayne]

There is a chinese BBQ restaurant in the Gerrard Broadview area of Toronto

called "Ka Ka Lucky"....

Made me do a double take.

[NVNVGirl]

In Rancho Mirage, there's a place called Shame on The Moon.

Same people own a place in Palm Springs called Blame it On Midnight

Sort of odd names for restaurants, but I love the song. The restaurants are also delightful.

[nacho]

In Houston, I saw a place called Back Door Sushi.

"Umm...I'd like the Sodomy Roll please."

[FistFullaRoux]

I once did a commercial voice-over for a place in Mobile, AL that was a combination (the quotes are from the script, which I still have) "chicken joint" that served fried chicken and a bunch of sides, including "red jello", and jewelry store, where you could get "quality 14 K gold chains and medallions". I promise you that I am not making this up. This was real. I saw the place. I barely escaped with my life.

The name of the place (with the name changed to protect the unwitting) was XXX's Chicken Shack and Jewelry Emporium. Also the frist time I've ever seen one business or building referred to as a shack and an emporium at the same time. We made him pay cash. No way we were fronting him anything on these commercials.

I think it lated about 2 weeks. He was robbed 3 times. Your basic failure to grasp the concept. He had that "quality 14K" jewelry on display, and seating nearby for people to sit all day and watch your "security procedures". Dude's lucky he didn't get killed.

[laniloa]

The Sanitary Fish Market & Restaurant in Morehead City, NC used to make me chuckle when I'd pass it.

There is a kosher pizza place near my parents' house called Pizza Pious.

[chemprof]

There is (was...dunno if it's still there) a diner (Dottie's Diner) in Winston-Salem that shared a sign with a casket showroom.

One or the other was advertising "Drive through Service."

←

Jenn! I know where that is! The casket place used to be the hair salon I went to. I think the diner is still there. It kind of freaked me out when I saw what had happened to the saln

My favorite dumb restaurant name: "The Cow Hop" in College Station Texas. Specialty: a "cow pie with fries" (and occasional food poisioning, but I was on a grad student budget).

The stupidest restaurant name....here in Greensboro a few years ago there was a place called the "French Ambiance Restaurant". Hi, here's a sign warning you we're darned pretentious.....

They were out of business pretty fast...

Anne

[chile_peppa]

On Highway 26 in Rossville, Indiana, is a large metal sign on a building that says "Sanitary Lunch." It looks like the place was once a little diner, but now it's an antiques and gift shop. I really like the sign, though.

In Maywood, Illinois, near the horse race track, there was once a hot dog stand called "Eat It and Beat It" -- not a place you'd want to hang around for too long.

And I've learned that any place with "Mom" or "Grandma" or some such feminine relative in its name is a place to avoid.