303084 Fri Apr 07 16:27:06 -0700 2006 303 29 Not About Food 0 1701690 Okay, I'm weird. But there are some restaurants that don't appeal to me, just because of the name. For example, Boneyard Bistro. It's really popular on the LA Board (all of these are LA places). But in my vocaularly, Boneyard references either a graveyard or sex (as in - "After we got back to her place, I took her for a ride through the boneyard.") I happen to like graveyards. And sex ... just not necessarily while I'm eating. Eating in a restaurant. Then there is the Hungry Cat. I don't like cats. Finally, there is Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken. To me, it makes it sound like there is honey on the fried chicken. Which would make it sweet. Which would also make it disgusting. I don't want to eat sweet fried chicken. Yes. Yes I know that the person's name is "Honey." There is no honey on the friend chicken. And yet, the name conjures images of sticky sweet fried chicken and so I don't go there. ~~~ Before you laugh too hard at me ... at least wait until I'm done ... names are important. Think of the television shows that succeed: Friends Seinfeld Law and Order The Sopranos American Idol Simple names, but names that tell you exactly what the show is about. Then consider Arrested Development. Critics loved it. Anyone who saw it loved it. But anyone who didn't see it couldn't tell by the title what the show was going to be about. So they didn't watch it. Names are important. Now, I don't think restaurant names need to be as simple as tv show names. I wouldn't necessarily want to eat at "Steak" or "Sushi Bar." (Burrito King is pretty good, though.) But I do think restaurant names matter. At least they do to me. Now you can laugh. Fri Apr 07 16:27:06 -0700 2006 0 PaulF 1 1701692 Can't you just convince yourself the name has a different meaning? Bon means good in French, so that Boneyard is a GOOD yard. Cat meant a really cool guy 50 years ago, think of a cool hungry dude. Honey sounds like homey... homestyle. Hope this helps. Fri Apr 07 16:43:21 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Brian S 1 1701694 I won't laugh... I'm right there with you. But, I would also eat at a place just because I liked the name too! For instance, I loved the name "Relish" for a hotdog place. However, I could only eat at "Harold's Prize Package" after someone I was close to loved it, but I still giggled when I went there! Fri Apr 07 17:05:09 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Katie Nell 2 1701703 I really, really hope Harold's Prize Package wasn't another hot dog place! Fri Apr 07 18:59:36 -0700 2006 1701694 0 susancinsf 3 1701706 No, but that would have made it even better! I didn't think of that when I posted... where was my brain?!? ;-) Fri Apr 07 21:35:00 -0700 2006 1701703 0 Katie Nell 3 1701716 There is/was a burger place in San Francisco called "Hot 'n' Hunky." Yes, it was in the Castro district. Sat Apr 08 00:07:26 -0700 2006 1701703 0 Gary Soup 4 1741943 There's a place in Sacramento named Hot Rods...they serve hamburgers but not sure about hot dogs. It's in the part of town known as Lavender Heights. Thu Jul 13 04:44:42 -0700 2006 1701716 11408 melly 4 2356049 Same here in LA...I live in West Hollywood, in the section known as "Boys Town" and there;s a hamburger stand called "Hot Buns." Go figure. Mon Mar 05 18:27:09 -0800 2007 1701716 10687 Quesera 5 2382277 In the Castro District of San Francisco, for years there was a burger joint called Hot n' Hunky. And there is still a cookie shop called Hot Cookie. Tue Mar 13 15:05:27 -0700 2007 2356049 10125 Frosty Melon 3 3329764 My old hometown of Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago and the home of Northwestern University really did have a hot dog place called "Fun in the Bun." I laughed everything I drove by, but never stopped to eat there. Thu Jan 24 16:59:36 -0800 2008 1701703 24468 chicgail 1 1701695 'HOOTERS'...... Fri Apr 07 17:15:45 -0700 2006 1701690 0 jazzpjr 2 1701696 Perfect example. I'm a big fan of owls. Fri Apr 07 17:18:20 -0700 2006 1701695 0 PaulF 3 1701726 owls are people too! very funny! Sat Apr 08 04:02:16 -0700 2006 1701696 0 jazzpjr 2 1701739 You are so right! Owls are an endangered species! How anyone gets away with serving them in a restaurant these days is a mystery to me. Sat Apr 08 11:49:18 -0700 2006 1701695 0 Niki Rothman 3 1942461 Ha! And with such tiny owl wings in such a decrepit sauce! Similarly, there's a peruvian place called WANKA in my neighborhood. Having dated more than one British Bloke, I can't eat there. Fri Oct 13 00:10:47 -0700 2006 1701739 22627 MaspethMaven 2 1701785 I can't bring myself to step one foor in the place, but my hubby insists the food at Hooters is "really pretty good." Right.... Sun Apr 09 05:06:44 -0700 2006 1701695 0 Rosie Posie 3 1997837 They have food at Hooters? Sun Nov 05 03:38:29 -0800 2006 1701785 51116 atomicdogs 2 1701804 I beleive there was a very short lived rip-off of Hooters in Toronto called "Beavers". It didn't last long. Mon Apr 10 10:47:39 -0700 2006 1701695 0 Ishmael 3 1701818 Given the practices of the competition, I wonder what their hiring criteria were? Mon Apr 10 14:38:21 -0700 2006 1701804 0 Trapper 4 1701821 And given the dress code of the competition, I wonder what the uniforms look like. Mon Apr 10 15:11:24 -0700 2006 1701818 0 Niki Rothman 5 1701882 faux fur miniskirts i believe... Link: http://tongueandcheek.ca Tue Apr 11 15:56:53 -0700 2006 1701821 0 pinstripeprincess 2 1728975 For years I've been threatening to open a similar type of restaurant that will court women as customers. The waiters will all be hunky guys in tight shorts, and the name will be "Peckers." And I will have pictures of woodpeckers all over the place, and insist that the name refers to the birds. Thu Jul 06 12:38:04 -0700 2006 1701695 10380 kittyfood 3 1942469 can we all please please just start wearing those white baseball caps from the University of South Carolina--the ones that say the team's nickname on them. The team's name is GAMECOCKS, so you get the drift. Fri Oct 13 00:15:01 -0700 2006 1728975 22627 MaspethMaven 4 3338679 Hey, that's my alma mater...we've been playing off of that name for a looooooooong time, my friends! Sun Jan 27 16:36:44 -0800 2008 1942469 67610 Suzy Q 5 3359673 Mine too! We've been yelling "Go Cocks" since 1801! Sat Feb 02 17:25:11 -0800 2008 3338679 115738 BlueHerons 3 1995504 oh lol, I didn't read your reply before I made mine below. You're not my friend Tom, are you? :-P Fri Nov 03 21:11:44 -0800 2006 1728975 12858 Covert Ops 2 1995499 I had a straight male friend who thought he had a goldmine of an idea: He would open a restaurant called "Peckers" and it would have a picture of a woodpecker. And hunky male waiters in tight spandex shorts. :-P Fri Nov 03 21:11:04 -0800 2006 1701695 12858 Covert Ops 2 3325206 I agree. Can't get past the name. Can't imagine going into one! Wed Jan 23 13:33:19 -0800 2008 1701695 143696 Catskillgirl 1 1701697 Furr's, a chain of restaurants around the southwest US. Fur is the last thing I want near my food. Plus if I ever went in, I''d feel forced to order a burger, even if I didn't want one. Fri Apr 07 17:23:25 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Jef 2 1701751 Try the fried okra and chicken fried steak! Y'all ain't enjoyed good eats 'til then! The two in Lubbock on Loop 247(?) are excellent! Sat Apr 08 13:29:34 -0700 2006 1701697 0 The Ranger 2 2097940 Been to The Doug Fir in Portland? They have T-shirts for the Fir Burger. My husband was SO mad I didn't bring him one back. They didn't have it in his size. So I got him an "Eat Fir" t instead. Thu Dec 14 00:29:02 -0800 2006 1701697 49971 Andiereid 3 2104722 Yes, they are just down the street from me. I'll have to get the shirt. Perhaps they will sell it to you from their website. Not far from my favorite local Chinese greasy spoon Hung Far Low (means Lotus Blossom). Sat Dec 16 04:45:59 -0800 2006 2097940 13853 Leonardo 4 2252291 There's Fook Yuen Seafood and Dim Sum Restaurant in Millbrae, California, but it's an excellent place. Fri Feb 02 02:35:41 -0800 2007 2104722 49726 Anonimo 5 2356192 Pho Beitch (pronouced Po bitch) Vietnamese food. Could never eat there Mon Mar 05 19:16:06 -0800 2007 2252291 69079 starlady 6 2359708 Well... maybe. Pho is pronounced more like "fuh" Tue Mar 06 17:04:52 -0800 2007 2356192 16794 newhound 7 2369090 There is a Pho restaurant near me called “What the Pho” and I have always wanted to open a Pho and Barbecue restaurant and call it “Pho-Que”. Fri Mar 09 07:54:55 -0800 2007 2359708 10425 Charles 1 1701699 I quite like honey on fried chicken with a biscuit on the side. Yum. Fri Apr 07 17:36:59 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Gayle 2 1701728 OOOOHHH! Southern fried chicken is usually served with honey. Also fried chicken, waffles and syrup. MMMMM. Sorry, got sidetracked. I really wanted to try CakeLove because I adore the name, but I hear it's no good - :(. Sat Apr 08 05:14:28 -0700 2006 1701699 0 kim shook 3 1701758 Well, I wouldn't agree that it's USUALLY served with honey. But the mention of that brought back a great memory of a place in Greenville, MS that always brought a little cup of honey for the fried chicken. Oh, that was great. Alas, this was at least 45 years ago, and personally I haven't seen that in a restaurant since. PaulF, don't knock it until you've tried it. Sat Apr 08 14:52:48 -0700 2006 1701728 0 Zorra 3 3338684 I've never had fried chicken with honey, and I've lived in the South all my life. That just sounds wrong, for some reason. Although I've known folks to use honey in their BBQ sauce, which sounds a little better. Sun Jan 27 16:38:08 -0800 2008 1701728 67610 Suzy Q 4 3339491 there's actually a mass-distributed product called "honey dipt" fried chicken... http://www.poultry.com/product_results.asp?sc=1&category=Cut-Up%20Parts and yes, it's made with honey. ok, in keeping with the spirit of the OP... it's a pretty safe bet that you'll never convince me to eat at the stinking rose, fatburger, dick's,hooters, or something's fishy. oh, and any place with the word "factory" in the name. [yes, i have been dragged kicking & screaming to CF a couple of times in the past, but not for many years, and never again. ] fatty crab in nyc also turns me off. Sun Jan 27 21:39:44 -0800 2008 3338684 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 1701700 I'm kinda grossed out by Squat & Gobble Cafe, Fillmore Street, SF. Also in SF is Good Frikin' Chicken which apparently offends some people. Fri Apr 07 18:21:28 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Pssst 2 1701738 Being a Manhattanite transplanted to SF, I have to say that the pretty recent "G" rated West Coast adjective "frikken", on the East Coast is an old-school "X" rated expletive. Sat Apr 08 11:46:51 -0700 2006 1701700 0 Niki Rothman 2 2363068 Squat & Gobble's name gives me the ick, too. Wed Mar 07 14:33:19 -0800 2007 1701700 74556 manraysky 3 2383042 yeah me too. i remember hearing good things about it way back when but I'll be damned if I have to squat and gobble my breakfast. Tue Mar 13 19:06:26 -0700 2007 2363068 10246 choctastic 1 1701701 To some extent, I do agree with you. For example, despite driving past Tony's Toe-Main Cafe in Jersey City for many years, I could not bring myself to patronize an establishment whose management suggested that ptomaine poisoning was a possible outcome of dining there. I also do not patronize restaurants that don't have the appropriate punctuation in the name. (For example, Bills Bistro) Where I differ with you is in regard to your comment on successful TV shows: "Think of the television shows that succeed: Friends Seinfeld Law and Order The Sopranos American Idol Simple names, but names that tell you exactly what the show is about" Unless The Sopranos was about a group of women who sang in a very high pitch, I fail to see how the name of that show is at all descriptive of its content. ;-) Fri Apr 07 18:55:41 -0700 2006 1701690 0 JB 2 1701886 Now see, to me the issue with Tony's name is more that I don't generally think of parts of feet as something I want to intimately acquainted with my food. Tue Apr 11 16:32:43 -0700 2006 1701701 0 Bunny-Bunny 1 1701704 there is a chain of restaurants in Pennsylvania called "Eat'n Park". Now, I imagine they aren't that great anyway, but I don't know for sure, because whenever we've gone back to PA to visit hubby's family, he refuses to eat there on principal because he claims that you Park first and then Eat, so that the name should be "Park'n Eat". However, it recently occurred to me that the name could be a word play on the concept of it being a park, in the sense that Disneyland is a park, where one goes to eat... Hubby remains insistent that the name is wrong, and he says he doesn't want to eat somewhere till he has parked the car! Fri Apr 07 19:07:04 -0700 2006 1701690 0 susancinsf 2 1701715 There's a (non-affiliated) restaurant in Burbank, CA called John's Eat and Park -- but my objection is based on its food, not its name. One of my favourite Vietnamese places is called "My Dung". It's pronounced (approximately) "mee zoong" but we're ALWAYS the only non-Asians in there. Sat Apr 08 00:01:12 -0700 2006 1701704 0 Das Ubergeek 3 1701720 ah...thanks so much for letting me know that the food is no good at John's Eat and Park, because otherwise, given that hubby's first name is also John, I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to insist that we try it next time we are in Burbank! Sat Apr 08 02:32:13 -0700 2006 1701715 0 Susancinsf 3 1738388 In high school, my friends and I went to a place called "House of Poon" because they didn't card us. The food was awful-- Tue Jul 11 18:10:28 -0700 2006 1701715 16794 newhound 4 3338688 Newhound, there was an "Uncle Poon's" restaurant in a town where I used to live. Cheap Chinese...wasn't bad, but the name just killed me. Sun Jan 27 16:39:47 -0800 2008 1738388 67610 Suzy Q 3 1745354 Somehow, I can't get my friends to lunch with me at My Dung. There's another restaurant in Rosemead which I have no desire to try: Pho King. Fri Jul 14 20:28:12 -0700 2006 1701715 12571 copacetic 3 1746675 A local Chinese place for years has caused titters from the new crop of college students each year: Me Heng Low We also had a restaurant called the Silent Woman with the headless figure on the sign. They were forced to change their name when annother like-named business challenged them. The sign was spooky but the food was good. Sat Jul 15 17:54:45 -0700 2006 1701715 11234 toodie jane 3 1942481 Ah! Chinese take out places. Never ate at either of these but the names are great. Soon Fat Chinese Restaurant Yan Kee's #1 Chinese Kitchen Fri Oct 13 00:19:45 -0700 2006 1701715 22627 MaspethMaven 4 1942848 There's a market called Phu Ky, and another in Monterey Park called Shun Fat. Fri Oct 13 03:25:08 -0700 2006 1942481 10811 Das Ubergeek 4 2369907 there's a chinese restaurant in Sacramento called "Fat City". Fri Mar 09 10:59:47 -0800 2007 1942481 77603 jbsirkin 5 2369993 There is a pretty popular place (greasy spoon) in my neighborhood called Fat City Cafe. I enjoy their breakfast! I've always loved the name! :) http://www.portlandground.com/multnomah/2006-01-29MultnomahVillageF.jpg Fri Mar 09 11:22:06 -0800 2007 2369907 56307 amopdx 2 3328723 We have Eat n Park's in WV. We call it park & puke. I don't eat at Bojangles b/c of the name. Thu Jan 24 12:31:26 -0800 2008 1701704 139194 lhb78 3 3338694 lhb, what's wrong with Bojangles? The food's actually pretty good. Sun Jan 27 16:41:46 -0800 2008 3328723 67610 Suzy Q 1 1701705 I once went to a restaurant because I thought the name was so apalling I felt compelled to see what it was like. The name? "Sophie's Choice: A family restaurant." "Sophie's Choice" is bad enough, but with the addition of "family" the images it evokes are gruesome! Clearly the person who named the restaurant had no idea what "Sophie's Choice" referred to. After I satisfied my curiosity (boring diner food), nothing could have induced me to set foot in there again. Fri Apr 07 19:41:32 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Ruth Lafler 2 1702009 Where was this place? Fri Apr 14 05:53:15 -0700 2006 1701705 0 butterfly 3 1702023 An earlier report has it in Oakland California (link below). Oddly, the chowhound post is the only reference to this name for that restaurant that gooogle can find. There's also a similarly named restaurant in Kent England, and a caterer in South Carolina: http://listings.allpages.com/sc-0101040230-spartanburg.html http://www.thefoodplace.co.uk/restaurants/38619/Sophie's+Choice+in+Sidcup/ "Zawistowska, party of three. Zawistowska, party of three." Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/31527#138512 Fri Apr 14 16:44:10 -0700 2006 1702009 0 Jef 4 1702027 Sophie's Choice: a Family Restaurant to Buttercup Kitchen. I want to make a clever, ironic observation about this, but I'm just too appalled. Fri Apr 14 17:46:44 -0700 2006 1702023 0 butterfly 2 3325212 What a dreadful name for a restaurant! Wed Jan 23 13:34:14 -0800 2008 1701705 143696 Catskillgirl 1 1701710 Although names may be important, they do not affect my dining choices. I do not see that Seinfeld, The Sopranos, or American Idol tell you much about the content of the show. Fri Apr 07 23:16:08 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Karl 1 1701712 My mother wanted to have my graduation dinner at The Quiet Woman in Corona Del Mar. I refused because the sign out front had a picture of a decapatated wench, I found it to be too disturbing. Oddly enough, I was one of the finalists for giving the commencement address but the title went to someone else. More recently, some friends wanted to order lunch from the Pita Pit. The name of the place makes me wonder where those pitas have been. Fri Apr 07 23:28:28 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Tracy L. 1 1701714 There's a an Indian-French(?) fusion restaurant in San Francisco called "Crossing the Bar." The name is supposed to be about getting over the barrier between two cuisines, but any lit major knows that the Tennyson poem of that name is about death. It's just too creepy for me. Link: http://eatingchinese.org/ Sat Apr 08 00:01:07 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Gary Soup 2 1701717 Thanks for solving that mystery. I always wondered why on earth someone would name a restaurant that. It is creepy. Squat and Gobble, as someone else mentioned, is also a little too graphic for me as well. Sat Apr 08 00:12:58 -0700 2006 1701714 0 nooodles 3 1701723 yes! i've always felt strange about that place. i don't even like hearing people say it. Even pork store is a little weird for me. Sat Apr 08 03:27:31 -0700 2006 1701717 0 beatrice 4 1701986 "Pork store" is so evocative of the Hudson Valley, the only place I know where the term occurs naturally, that whenever I hear it I have visions of autumn leaves, Genny Cream Ale in a little tavern by the river, and Saturday shopping in Peekskill. Thu Apr 13 21:19:02 -0700 2006 1701723 0 Shep 3 1943136 I just have to report that my wife and I had lunch at Squat and Gobble on Easter Sunday this year. Beautiful day, sat outside, had very tasty food and pleasant conversation with the mix of tourists(like us) and locals around us. I would go back any time. And for me, the name makes for a great story! PS - It is also a short walk from the original Joseph Schmidt truffle store which is well worth a visit! Fri Oct 13 08:55:23 -0700 2006 1701717 14225 kstroble 2 1941204 dunno about other folks' experiences, but been to Crossing the Bar once and hated it. horrid food, and we were practically the only ones dining there that weeknight. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/45361 Thu Oct 12 17:20:02 -0700 2006 1701714 15758 S U 1 1701724 in San Francisco, Elizabeth Faulkner is going to open a new fine dining restuarant called "Orson". But as soon as i heard the name... i didn't like it. It's just that the "ors" sound is awkward to say, coming from the back of our mouths - we don't use that syllable very much to start words with. although i understand the connection between her first restaurant "citzen cake" and "orson" and i think its cute, the name makes me feel uncomfortable? is that crazy? i don't know, probably. But in that Malcom Gladwell/Freakonomics way, i think a lot of people will feel uncomfortable saying it subconciously, and perhaps their business will be effected by it. or not. Sat Apr 08 03:32:19 -0700 2006 1701690 0 thumbellina 2 1701737 Could it be that despite the fact that "Citizen Cane" is one of the greatest movies ever made, probably because of fat-phobia, Orson Well's legacy is unfairly marred by his morbid obesity? Let's face it, fair or not, when you picture Orson Wells, do you associate that image with "fine dining"? Sat Apr 08 11:39:45 -0700 2006 1701724 0 Niki Rothman 3 1701756 if i were to associate a restaurant with Orson Welles - it would be a "morton's Steakhouse" kind of place - where you pay $80 for a huge plate of steak and lobster tail, and the only sauce you'd use for it would be a big gravy boat full of melted butter. i expect elizath faulkner's seasonal innovative californian cuisine not to reflect my vision of what the restaurant should serve. Sat Apr 08 14:12:15 -0700 2006 1701737 0 thumbellina 3 1701764 When I think of Orson Wells and Citizen Kane, I remember that as a young genius of just 25 (?) he made one of, and in some peoples minds THE, best movie of all time. Most movie lists I've seen published usually have it in the top 3 of all time. Unfortunately, what followed in his life was a downward spiral from there. I also still see him doing that wine commercial for Almaden (?) with the famous line "We serve no wine before its time". Right now I can't remember if that is the correct quote or not. If not, please correct me. Sat Apr 08 17:25:50 -0700 2006 1701737 0 JBC 4 1701766 I forgot to respond to your question. Yes, when I picture Orson Wells in my mind I DO think of fine Dining. Sat Apr 08 17:41:09 -0700 2006 1701764 0 JBC 4 1701767 It was Paul Mason Winery and you got the quote correct. Link: http://www.clipland.com/Summary/501002182/ Sat Apr 08 17:43:29 -0700 2006 1701764 0 The Ranger 5 1701770 Thanks so much. That link just illustrates how wonderful the Internet can be!!!! Cyperspace is just such an amazing resourse I sometimes wonder how any work ever gets done!? Sat Apr 08 17:51:33 -0700 2006 1701767 0 JBC 5 1701795 Forgive me Jim Leff - this is the least chowish thing I have ever posted, but this clip of Orson Welles reading a frozen food voice over is the most hilarious thing to me... Link: http://www.dplay.com/audio/Orsonplay.htm Sun Apr 09 22:19:52 -0700 2006 1701767 0 Snackish 4 1702031 I sat at a table next to an enormous Orson Wells in Madrid's Casa Paco in the late '60s or early '70s. He was as drunk as a skunk, louder than everyone else in the place, but happily devouring one of Spain's best filet mignons with patatas fritas...so yes, I associate him with good food. Fri Apr 14 19:10:44 -0700 2006 1701764 0 Kirk 3 1702013 >>when you picture Orson Wells, do you associate that image with "fine dining"? Absolutely. Toward the end of his life, Welles could be seen eating (and taking meetings, still looking to fund one more picture) almost every day at Patrick Terrail's Ma Maison, training grounds for Wolfgang Puck and Mark Peel, among others, and in those ancient days pretty much the best and most exciting restaurant in the city. Although it was one of the clear inspirations for Steve Martin's "L'Idiot" in "LA Story," the food was great. I still miss that place. Say what you want, Orson knew his food. Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0867307676/ref=sib_rdr_dp/102-2434766-8965730?%5Fencoding=UTF8&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&no=283155&st=books&n=283155 Fri Apr 14 12:19:10 -0700 2006 1701737 0 PayOrPlay 4 1704850 I used to be a regular at Ma Maison restaurant in Hollywood. Patrick Terrail was and is still a friend of mine. There will never be another place like that place. Orson Wells was a regular and he and I met on several occasions...eating warm lobster salads. A few of the other people there were Suzanne and Tommy Gallager, David Janssen, Ross Martin and Jack Lemmon...just to name a few. Mon Jun 19 10:30:48 -0700 2006 1702013 0 patti hurley 3 1940957 In his later years he was a regular at Ma Maison, there almost daily...and Ma Maison gave us Wolfgang Puck. I do associate Orson Wells with fine dining, I think he dined and drank fine all of his years. Thu Oct 12 16:04:27 -0700 2006 1701737 23350 Jesdamala 1 1701725 there was a restaurant when i was little girl in Sunland (los angeles) called: no joke - the Pu Ping Palace. I think my parents took me there once, and it was empty. Sat Apr 08 03:35:38 -0700 2006 1701690 0 beatrice 1 1701735 I didn't eat at Thai-Rriffic in San Luis Obispo, CA for years because I thought the name was so STUPID - but I missed out on some good meals. "Something's Fishy" on Ventura Blvd in the San Fernando Valley gets me. First, the saying is a negative one. Second, fish is only fishy when it is bad...so...I just laugh as I drive by. Sat Apr 08 10:56:38 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Snackish 2 1738312 There is, or was, also a "Something Fishy" in West Ocean City, Maryland (not a chain). I was a busboy there as a teen, but I rarely, if ever, ate the food (go figure). Nonetheless, Something Fishy often did good business, at least in 1991. I think it may be gone now, though. And there are others named Something Fishy or Something's Fishy around the country -- Sea Bright NJ, Manassas VA, etc. etc. Some business owners clearly like their cliched puns too much and don't have a good enough grasp of all the nuances and implications of English! I mean, with an ethnic restaurant run by immigrants who don't speak English well -- that's understandable. (An exception would be bad intentional Thai restaurant puns.) But an American seafood restaurant?! Come on! As for Thai-Riffic, I haven't heard that one before, but many, many Thai restaurants have cheesy pun names. Thai Me Up is a common one (Chicago, Pittsburgh, etc.), Thai Tanic (D.C. area), Thai One On (Seattle, Avon IN, etc. ... I guess none of those are BYOs!), Once Upon a Thai (Chicago... sheesh!), Thai Dye in Sydney (is all the food psychedelic colors?), Bow Thai (also in Australia, plus others), etc. etc. etc. But if a few hounds recommended one such restaurant, I wouldn't hesitate to eat there, despite a terrible pun. And I agree with the guy who says that a restaurant called My Dung has to be good because it's clearly authentic Vietnamese! Tue Jul 11 17:42:26 -0700 2006 1701735 12799 Ike 2 1751250 don't know if the kitcen is the same, but some years ago a friend who'd lived in Thailand for two years said it was the best Thai in the area; 'course, they probably always pull out the stops for him. Tue Jul 18 15:22:51 -0700 2006 1701735 11234 toodie jane 2 3328281 Oh man! I used to wait for the bus right across the street from that place this summer and I could never get over what a terrible name for a sushi restaurant it was! It just screamed food poisoning to me! Thu Jan 24 10:54:03 -0800 2008 1701735 87292 polyhymnia 1 1701736 This is such a good question. I've got my own little psych. concept that I don't think I've ever told to anyone. It's something I use to deal with my own unpleasant, recurrent mental imagery. I call my little theory "the cookie" - like the computer term. An unpleasant visual image gets attached to some unpleasant memory. Every time the thought recurs, so does the image. Knowing that helps me distance myself from something I'd like to forget. So...In Monterey: The Fishwife. A close female relative (my mother! Of course!) used to put down the neighbor ladies by sarcastically calling them fishwives. Apparently, a fishwife is a foul-mouthed hariden. Whenever we drive pass the Fishwife I start having thoughts of this big, slovenly woman dangling a cigarette and shouting at the diners, "Yeah if I sez that fish is fresh, then it IS fresh! So y'better eat it!" Why would anyone pick "fishwife" as the name of their restaurant? In SF: Phuket. Now, don't get the wrong idea. It's not that I have any problem with that name. Rather, I was once driving around SF with this woman who was my boss. She was both mean and simple-minded, but thought she was very sophisticated and witty. So, of course as we passed Phuket and she saw the sign above the door she almost crashed the car screaming, hooting, and laughing hysterically at the name "Phuket". Even worse, I had to listen for the rest of the day as she regaled other employees with her "witty" discovery. Needless to say, I've never been able to bring myself to eat there. Sat Apr 08 11:21:25 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Niki Rothman 2 1701755 funny. Phuket is actually a region in Thailand -- but Phuket Thai restaurant isn't worth eating there anyway. so you're not missing out Sat Apr 08 14:08:29 -0700 2006 1701736 0 beatrice 2 1718050 I think every American city has a restaurant named Phuket. Always brings out the Beavis & Butthead giggles in me. Thu Jun 29 03:08:55 -0700 2006 1701736 10658 Atomica 1 1701741 Distanced myself from "stuff your belly deli' Sat Apr 08 11:59:59 -0700 2006 1701690 0 gudeatz 2 3325327 Poughkeepsie, NY has a Jelly Belly Deli. What a visual. Wed Jan 23 13:56:41 -0800 2008 1701741 143696 Catskillgirl 1 1701748 I was at Colonial Williamsburg in January over a holiday weekend about 10 years ago with a group of people. It was late afternoon on a Sunday, and none of us had eaten lunch so we were starving. It seemed like nothing was open until someone said "There's a good place to eat." We looked over, and you guessed it, the name of the restaurant was A Good Place To Eat. I would have refused on the name alone had we not been desperate, and by the way, despite their insistance the food was lousy. Sat Apr 08 13:23:59 -0700 2006 1701690 0 lizzy 1 1701761 Earwax. A restaurant whose owners took over the space once inhabited by a record store named Earwax. Why they kept the name is a mystery to me. It's supposed to be a pretty decent place, but I'll never know. Sat Apr 08 16:22:34 -0700 2006 1701690 0 mw 2 2100540 earwax does have great food. when i discovered it as a dumb high school kid it got bonus points for having a weird name. Thanks for the info about the name's origin, I didn't know. Thu Dec 14 21:28:49 -0800 2006 1701761 49957 annimal 1 1701768 Well, here are two I made up that, were they to exist in real life, I'd never set foot in. Gringo Heaven Real Authentic Mexican Burrito Cantina Charlie Chan's Chop Suey Palace Sat Apr 08 17:49:05 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Brian S 2 1996480 Egads, there actually is a Charlie Chan's chinese restaurant here in Jamaica Plain, MA. It's dreadful. Sat Nov 04 07:33:08 -0800 2006 1701768 11275 Prav 2 2225464 There are restaurants in Houston called Gringo's. I like Tex-Mex and I like authentic Mexican but I'm not at all motivated to try these places. Been quite successful apparently; the same owners are now putting in Cajun eateries called Gringaux's. There's an Italian restaurant called Crappito's; owner's name I understand. A few years ago someone posted a picture on the old CH of a neon sign in the window of a restaurant in Chinatown proclaiming Hot Dung. Wasn't the name of the restaurant, though. Thu Jan 25 09:17:06 -0800 2007 1701768 53614 oltheimmer 3 3325333 I'm LOL at Crappito's! Wed Jan 23 13:57:58 -0800 2008 2225464 143696 Catskillgirl 3 3339248 Crapitto's came to MY mind as soon as I saw this thread. I've never eaten there but Ive heard its VERY good, and apparently the name does NOT keep people away. There's a Chinese place on the far north side of Houston (Fairbanks-No Houston road I think) named King Dong. Im not sure if it is still there, but I always laughed when driving past. Sun Jan 27 19:45:55 -0800 2008 2225464 102895 Cheflambo 2 2252296 Thereare a few pseudo-Mexican restaurants, which for some reason seemed to be concentrated around the Benton, Arkansas area (about 20 miles southwest of Little Rock. The names told me right away that the eating experience there would not be what I consider reasonably authentic. 1. Ta-Molly's 2. Aunt Chilada's 3. "El Cocina" (sic) OTOH, the good ol' plain home cookin' place near Benton, "Ed 'n Kays'", was an honest sort of place, best known for its cream pies. In general, I'd avoid any place that has the words "Gold" or "Golden" in the name, "Great American" this or that "Company", and "San Francisco" or "Santa Fe" in the name, when neither emporium is geographically near the original name place. Also, avoid most places that have the make of a car as part of the name, such as "Chevy". Avoid any neon-trimmed place that has the word "Roadhouse" in the name. (A further confirmation of unsatisfying plastic ambience is to park in the large lot and peek inside. If they have peanuts in the shell for waiting patrons to crack and discard shells on the floor, leave immediately.) Fri Feb 02 02:52:31 -0800 2007 1701768 49726 Anonimo 3 2254904 Aunt Chilada's put a huge smile on my face this long Friday afternoon. Fri Feb 02 16:24:01 -0800 2007 2252296 10125 Frosty Melon 3 2260164 There's a place not far from here which matches your "neon encrusted roadhouse" description perfectly. You don't even need to peek inside to see the peanuts on the floor, they brag about it right up on the neon sign... http://www.jimmymacsroadhouse.com/index.html Mon Feb 05 00:16:24 -0800 2007 2252296 24644 Vexorg 1 1701769 Beard Papa is about as skanky a name for a restaurant as I could possibly imagine. I mean, anything with hair. Is There anything one wants LESS to associate with food than a beard? But irrespective of my delicate feelings about what's right and wrong, from what everyone's been saying about those custardy Japanese creampuffs, I'm going to be first on line when the SF flagship opens! Sat Apr 08 17:50:30 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Niki Rothman 2 1721430 They have one in Gardena. I never even thought about the name. Those are TOO good! Fri Jun 30 19:01:30 -0700 2006 1701769 10786 calabasas_trafalgar 2 1723550 I agree, what a horrible name! I always think of a big sweaty leather-wearing hairy guy standing outside the bakery. I may have to get over it now they've opened on Sawtelle, but still... Sun Jul 02 14:11:53 -0700 2006 1701769 10811 Das Ubergeek 2 1727530 I think we have to cut the Japanese some slack - their penchant for weird English is something they simply can't help. They have a sports drink, for example, called Pocari Sweat - which always puts me in mind of the bottled sweat of a critter called the pocari - sort of like a hyena, as I picture it. If we deprived ourselves of their creampuffs just because of the bizarre name "Beard Papa," (which is supposed to be a tribute to the founder's grandfather) we'd only be the losers. Wed Jul 05 18:14:12 -0700 2006 1701769 10472 Akatonbo 3 1994577 Right. The image is supposed to be the epitome of comfort and grandfatherly affection. Not bad associations with creampuffs. Take a look at the logo- weird, but homey. Fri Nov 03 17:22:10 -0800 2006 1727530 12417 Spoony Bard 1 1701773 In the West Village of NY there is a restaurant/bar called The Slaughtered Lamb. That always seemed really graphic and refused to go in until recently. The inside is kinda funny though because it set up like a haunted house...you dine next to corpses tied up in cages. Sat Apr 08 18:45:17 -0700 2006 1701690 0 wild child 2 1701789 I believe it's named after the pub in "An American Werewolf in London". The folks who own that also own the Jekyll & Hyde restaurant around the corner. Sun Apr 09 13:02:24 -0700 2006 1701773 0 Chorus Girl 3 1701790 I thought it seemed similar to J & H (went in highschool during a tour group) but somehow not as cheesy. Sun Apr 09 13:14:24 -0700 2006 1701789 0 wild child 2 2356233 I frequent a place called Salt that is in Blood Alley. Kid you not. Mon Mar 05 19:25:59 -0800 2007 1701773 69079 starlady 3 3328325 I actually think this is pretty clever, but there's a fish and chip shop in Manhattan called A Salt and Battery. It's owned by brits so it's proper fish and chips, which I really appreciate. I think it's also in the bowery, so maybe the title is pretty appropriate... Thu Jan 24 11:03:50 -0800 2008 2356233 87292 polyhymnia 1 1701777 There's a place in my neighborhood called Strip-T's. After months, I finally poked my head in and found out it was a cozy neighborhood cafe. The name refers to a steak. (It's supposed to be whimsical, I guess, but I wish they'd lose the name. When we've suggested it to friends, they haven't wanted to go there.) Sat Apr 08 20:43:58 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Pia 1 1701782 Just last night in Brooklyn my husband and I drove past a Chinese take-out place called "Lung Wash" ... didn't look like the type of place we'd eat in anyway (menu consisted of giant entree pictures on the wall and the counter was barricaded by bullet proof glass) but the name was a definite deterrent ... Sat Apr 08 22:42:45 -0700 2006 1701690 0 forkyfork 2 1701786 I passed a resto the other day called CHO KING Sun Apr 09 11:41:12 -0700 2006 1701782 0 Winemark 3 1701791 LOL i had to read it aloud before I understood what was funny about it. Sun Apr 09 14:52:30 -0700 2006 1701786 0 Zaheen 2 1736374 There used to be (still are? Dunno, I'm long gone from there) two Chinese restaurants within a block of each other in Boerum Hill. One was called "Fu King"--neighbors described the food there as "fu king awful." The sign out front really looked as if the "C" had simply fallen off. The other was originally named "Clear Sky," but after it burned down and was rebuilt it was renamed "New Clear Sky." This place actually made pretty decent fried chicken in hot sauce, which we all referred to as "nuclear chicken." Mon Jul 10 19:19:33 -0700 2006 1701782 10152 Tom M of Durham NC 2 3325360 Ewwwwwww. Wed Jan 23 14:02:12 -0800 2008 1701782 143696 Catskillgirl 1 1701793 Yes. I view restaurants with cutesy names as suspect...like Mr. Ramen or Wok n' Roll Sushi. I generally think they are Americanized and rely on a gimmick to sucker people in. On the other hand, I'd probably go to a restaurant called My Dung because the name's so awful, the owners have to be immigrants (and therefore, the food has to be authentic). Sun Apr 09 16:25:41 -0700 2006 1701690 0 ChineseChou 2 1701985 On the other hand, you could be in for a terrible surprise... Thu Apr 13 21:08:54 -0700 2006 1701793 0 Shep 2 2356239 Place in Vancouver called Sushi Bang. I just can't bring myself to try it out. Mon Mar 05 19:27:44 -0800 2007 1701793 69079 starlady 1 1701806 i know i'm late with this, but in new york there was (still is?) a restaurant called Friend of a Farmer. good food, but the name was so annoying i only went once, and that was the date's choice. i also noticed a new york Thai place called Puket...they eventually changed their name to Phuket. good move, i thought. Mon Apr 10 11:49:00 -0700 2006 1701690 0 hobokeg 2 1701825 Friend of a Farmer is still around. Mon Apr 10 16:37:41 -0700 2006 1701806 0 Chorus Girl 1 1701817 There's an excellent soul-food cafeteria in Nashville called Sweatt's, named for the family that owns and runs it. After our first time there we mentioned the place to a friend of ours, a woman of wit and culture, and she surprised us by declaring that she could't possibly go there because the name was so disgusting. I suppose if there were a place named something like Slurp & Slobber I'd be reluctant to go, but generally the only signage that makes me drive on by is that which says "kids eat free"... Mon Apr 10 14:28:06 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Will Owen 1 1701824 I've passed by a deli on Broadway here in NYC called Belly Delly. That just makes me think of Delhi Belly, which I've heard as slang for travellers'--well, let's say G.I. problems. That doesn't seem too appetizing to me. There's also a diner called "Eat Here Now" that makes me defiantly not want to, and I'm sure I never will. I also never want to eat in restaurants with "Factory" in the name. Mon Apr 10 16:28:36 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Catherine C in NYC 2 1994501 The Sardine Factory in Monterey CA is one of the oldest fine dining experiences on the peninsula and has the largest wine cellar between SF and LA. It would be the place to find a 47 or 61 Bordeaux. If you can afford it, it is worth a visit. ed Fri Nov 03 16:57:41 -0800 2006 1701824 40270 Ed Dibble 2 2252297 Good point about "Factory". I missed that in my earlier post. Also "Warehouse". Think large portions of mundane food and large family groups. Maybe even, "Kids Eat Free". Groan. Fri Feb 02 02:56:06 -0800 2007 1701824 49726 Anonimo 1 1701907 Home and Chow. Both are decent places in SF, but I always hesitate. If I wanted to stay Home, I would. Maybe Out would work better. "What do you want for dinner?" "I don't know, let's go Out." Tue Apr 11 20:19:19 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Chris Rising 1 1701987 Babbo. Who could eat at a place named after a sink cleanser? Also, brutal experience has schooled me to avoid any place that uses the words "gourmet" or "cuisine" in the name, the menu, or the blurbs. That goes triple for "gourmet cuisine". Thu Apr 13 21:23:27 -0700 2006 1701690 0 Shep 2 1723482 I'm guessing you know that Babbo's "Dad" in Italian. Sun Jul 02 11:49:30 -0700 2006 1701987 11190 fara 1 1718044 I can't stand an exclamation mark in a restaurant's name. In Seattle, there's Typhoon! and Voila! In San Francisco, there's Chapeau! (although I'd love to try Chapeau!). Wasabi Bistro (Seattle again)--always despised that name. I do not like the word "eatery" in the name of a restaurant. Also in Seattle, Kathy Casey's "Dish D'Lish: Food T' Go-Go" is about as pukeworthy a name as you'll ever find. Thu Jun 29 03:07:06 -0700 2006 1701690 10658 Atomica 2 1722369 Every time I go to Manila Good-Ha! I think "Why the HELL is there a bang on the end of the name of this restaurant?" But they have fantastic tapsilog and even better bananaque so... Sat Jul 01 04:13:02 -0700 2006 1718044 10811 Das Ubergeek 2 2004140 We have Stella! here in New Orleans, but I think you need the ex pt to evoke the Streetcar Named Desire effect. It is very annoying to write, though. Thankfully, the food makes up for it. Tue Nov 07 21:09:25 -0800 2006 1718044 10559 JGrey 1 1722371 My friend from Mexico avoided eating at a place named "Dos Coyotes". I can see her point. Sat Jul 01 04:13:50 -0700 2006 1701690 13030 free sample addict aka Tracy L 1 1723487 A restaurant in Park Slope is called Bistro Moderne. They have a big sign over the door that says BM. I also remember a restaurant in Chinatown called Luk Lees. My very proper father could not remember the name- and he called it f^&k Yous. Needless to say, we did not dine at that establishment- we ate at the restaurant next door- funny how the name of that one escapes me... Sun Jul 02 11:56:29 -0700 2006 1701690 12874 carfreeinla 1 1723544 Oh, yeah. Here in the Phoenix area we have the White Chocolate Grill (a corporate-type place). For me, this is an oxymoron and not at all attractive. However, I used to work at Water Grill in Los Angeles, considered the best seafood restaurant in the city, and I always thought the name conveyed the picture of very bland fish -- not the name I would have picked. My husband refuses to eat at any of the branches of a local chain called My Big Fat Greek Restaurant because of the unoriginality of the name. I assume there must be thousands of those around the country by now. Sarah C Sun Jul 02 14:06:01 -0700 2006 1701690 10380 kittyfood 1 1723774 Last summer a new restaurant, Phatt Boys opened up here in Harvard Sq. It was closed by winter. Aside from other problems, I'm sure the name didn't entice anyone - except maybe ersatz hip kids. We now have a new chain around called "Know Fat" - supposedly a diet conscious resto, take-out. I'm not tempted the check it out. Sun Jul 02 18:26:08 -0700 2006 1701690 11146 EllenMM 2 1725253 There is a chain that serves some OK food (for a chain) called Fat Burgers. ed Mon Jul 03 21:41:52 -0700 2006 1723774 10318 Phoo D 2 1727464 There's a market in Monterey Park, California called "Shun Fat". We went in there just because of the name -- but came running out because the pong from the meat and fish counters was unbelievably bad. Now we "shun Shun Fat". Wed Jul 05 17:44:29 -0700 2006 1723774 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 1723789 Two Boston area restaurants with wonderful names... PU PU HOT POT... in Central Sq- makes you think of a steaming hot pot of... BUK KYUNG... just say it out loud. Sun Jul 02 18:40:49 -0700 2006 1701690 15759 ShakeNBake 1 1725079 On the Manhattan board there is a current thread about a restaurant named "Yummy Shawarmy." I would rather remove my own gall bladder with a dirty scapel then eat there. A restaurant with an overly cutesy name cannot be good. Mon Jul 03 19:46:28 -0700 2006 1701690 10162 Bob Martinez 2 1726039 In San Francisco, there is an awesome sashimi market/sushi takeout called Yum Yum Fish, a very good Vietnamese restaurant called Yummy Yummy, and a good Chinese restaurant called Yum Yum House. Doesn't prevent me from frequenting all three. I don't see it as overly cutesy. Tue Jul 04 15:47:55 -0700 2006 1725079 10658 Atomica 3 1726524 The word "yummy" makes me cringe. That's just the way it is. In Red Bank New Jersey there is a take out chicken restaurant called Cluck You. It advertises by having some poor sap stroll the streets of the town dressed as a giant chicken. Call me cynical but the chances of this place being any good are nil. Tue Jul 04 22:53:59 -0700 2006 1726039 10162 Bob Martinez 4 1727461 If it's not Cluck You, but Cluck U (as in "Cluck University"), they have pretty damn good chicken wings. Wed Jul 05 17:43:02 -0700 2006 1726524 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 1728224 Oh - so it's "Cluck U" instead of "Cluck You." Well now, that's completely different. Tell me, is the guy in the chicken suit really dressed as a Jurassic Capon? Or perhaps the Giant Guinea Fowl from Hell? Wed Jul 05 22:57:32 -0700 2006 1727461 10162 Bob Martinez 5 1728756 For some reason I can't reply to you, Bob, but I have no idea. I'm not denying that the name is really stupid (and it's a chain!) but you do have to admit it fits NJ quite well. "Ey, YO! Where's a good place to eat around here?" "Cluck you, pal." (Ah, the heady days of my childhood. I used to hang out in Red Bank because it was a lot more interesting than Holmdel, where my girlfriend lived.) Thu Jul 06 04:10:32 -0700 2006 1727461 10811 Das Ubergeek 6 1995527 I was at a summer program at Seton Hall and we thought it was funny every night. "Whaddaya want to order for dinner?" "Cluck U" "NO, Cluck YOU!!" But DU's right, the chicken was good, in the great greasy tradition of another happy Jersey memory, Chicken Delight. Fri Nov 03 21:22:08 -0800 2006 1728756 12858 Covert Ops 7 1999363 Mmmmm, Chicken Delight. Only available in New Jersey, Boston... and Winnipeg. Mon Nov 06 01:32:52 -0800 2006 1995527 10811 Das Ubergeek 8 1999517 We had it here in New York, too. "Don't cook tonight, call Chicken Delight!" It was a rare treat. Mon Nov 06 02:57:00 -0800 2006 1999363 23675 phofiend 8 2098070 and about 30 other towns in manitoba... i like their chicken Thu Dec 14 01:14:13 -0800 2006 1999363 52894 RiJaAr 9 2104184 There are other towns in Manitoba, are there? Hm. They must all have been hiding every time I went up there. :-P J/K... yes, it's a staple of Manitoba, but cross the line into the Gap and you'll be CD-less! Sat Dec 16 00:08:24 -0800 2006 2098070 10811 Das Ubergeek 10 2352597 Pass it every day but never tried Cluck U. They are open past midnight for those with late night cravings. There are 36 locations now. The history of the chain is interesting. Started by a 20yo college student. http://www.cluckuchicken.com/aboutclucku.htm Mon Mar 05 00:31:06 -0800 2007 2104184 54184 tom porc 2 1726204 Names that try too hard to be "clever" can be off-putting. It is the very reason I will never set foot in Thai-One-On. Cutesy, quease-inducing, and somehow sad all at once. Although I have heard people exclaim about what a cute name it was. Go figure. We also have a "What The Pho" here... Tue Jul 04 17:48:17 -0700 2006 1725079 15272 LizATL 3 1996550 I would TOTALLY eat at What the Pho. My brother sent me a pic on his camera phone of a new place called "Pho Shizzle"... Sat Nov 04 12:25:51 -0800 2006 1726204 10681 piccola 4 2356061 My fave is Absolutely PHObulous. hehehe. especially funny when you consider it should technically be pronounced "absolutely phuh-bulous." In fact, I might pick me some up tonight. Mon Mar 05 18:30:36 -0800 2007 1996550 10687 Quesera 1 1725101 New Big Wang Restaurant, Manhattan. Was there an Original Big Wang Restaurant? Texans love our H-E-B's, and I'm glad they named it that instead of Butt's. Mon Jul 03 20:06:14 -0700 2006 1701690 13731 donnaaries 2 1942488 YES! Big Wong is up the block, north of Canal Street! Go in the morning and get those awesome donut stick things. They're like giant savory crullers! Fri Oct 13 00:23:34 -0700 2006 1725101 22627 MaspethMaven 2 2103699 There are lots of "Wang" restaurants in Manhattan Chinatown I think. Fri Dec 15 21:31:07 -0800 2006 1725101 52283 eatfood 1 1726068 I guess this would be the right place to vent about my neighborhood's new cheese shop "Stinky Bklyn" (sic). I love cheese and I love stinky cheese, but I don't care how awesome their stuff is, I will never, ever shop there. Just seeing the sign makes me wince. I'm also totally with the person who never eats at a place with "Factory" in the name (Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory being a notable exception). Appeal and dignity are all too rarely considerations when choosing a name, apparently. Tue Jul 04 16:04:04 -0700 2006 1701690 12093 flywheel 2 1729081 For me, it's "factory" and "works." Thu Jul 06 13:49:44 -0700 2006 1726068 10658 Atomica 3 1729155 Ye Olde Spaghetti Factory fails on several levels to be appealing ... Thu Jul 06 14:39:12 -0700 2006 1729081 10914 PaulF 2 1754720 I would try anyplace that had "Tortilla Factory" in the name ... never fails. Wed Jul 19 21:13:49 -0700 2006 1726068 19108 foiegras 2 1942491 Ever see the Seafood Factory? Its a huge restaurant near Yankee stadium. You can see it on the major deegan when you're coming down from Yonkers. Sounds vile. Fri Oct 13 00:24:57 -0700 2006 1726068 22627 MaspethMaven 2 2089971 Oh, but you're missing out. The place is great and they are sooo helpful! Pretty inexpensive, too, compared to what Tuller used to charge. Mon Dec 11 20:45:18 -0800 2006 1726068 35216 gaiadi 1 1726539 There's a Chinese restaurant in Denver named Mao. That strikes me about as tasteful as naming a German restaurant Hitler or a Russian restaurant Stalin. Would never go. (Edit) Mao closed in early 2006. Tue Jul 04 23:08:11 -0700 2006 1701690 13930 Chimayo Joe 1 1728313 I won't go to PF Changs. And I didn't go to Hooters for 10 years (I did recently cave in. Food wasn't that good. Salad dressing comes in packets!) There is a place in Milpitas, California called, "Pho Kim Long"! Can you believe that?! Wed Jul 05 23:33:26 -0700 2006 1701690 13103 Foodrat 2 3359696 Salad dressing comes in packets at Hooters because the late owner Bob Brooks also devopeled and owned the Natrurally Fresh line of salad dressings. They are served in individual packets for freshness and are very good. You can find them in the produce section of your local grocer. Sat Feb 02 17:33:04 -0800 2008 1728313 115738 BlueHerons 1 1728814 I was in Nagshead NC about 7 years ago. There was a restaurant called Dirty Dick's Crabshack, and another place called Awful Arthur's. I can kind of overlook Awful Arthur's, but I would never eat crabs from a place called Dirty Dick's. Thu Jul 06 05:03:52 -0700 2006 1701690 14045 Wintergoblin 2 1995530 Yeah, there's a seafood place in Key West called Crabby Dick's. Food was actually decent, and they have balconies right on Duval, but STILL. . . Fri Nov 03 21:23:30 -0800 2006 1728814 12858 Covert Ops 3 1995643 A place on the harbor in Duluth, MN is called Crabby Bill's, and has great fried smelt in season. Hub alway resists, and misremembers the place as Crusty Dick's. He sometimes gets his way... Fri Nov 03 22:02:35 -0800 2006 1995530 49525 cayjohan 3 2491209 There's a place down the Jersey Shore with a similar name, Dirty Dicks. I only know because my brother-in-law went there and bought a t-shirt that reads : "I got crabs at Dirty Dick's" Wed Apr 18 04:53:56 -0700 2007 1995530 76268 newbatgirl 2 2238000 When I was a kid we lived in Tasmania and there used to be a well-known restaurant in Hobart called Dirty Dicks... my parents went there for dinner once, and I thought it was kind of funny (the 'dirty' part not the Dick - I was only six, and not THAT precocious :P ) Mon Jan 29 09:06:38 -0800 2007 1728814 67657 Kajikit 1 1734962 There is a little restaurant in downtown Minneapolis called Hell's Kitchen which has a really good reputation for unusual foods. Several years ago there was a Bishops conference in the near-by convention center and there was a steady stream of Bishops dressed in their formal robes going over to Hells Kitchen for lunch and having their picture taken outside under the sign. One was overheard saying "This may be the closest I ever get to being in hell" Sun Jul 09 23:02:16 -0700 2006 1701690 14083 cooknKate 2 2356266 We have a Hell;s Kitchen here in Vancouver, know the owner. And has Damn good pizza. Mon Mar 05 19:34:39 -0800 2007 1734962 69079 starlady 1 1736354 The Hog's Breath. ugh! Mon Jul 10 19:12:55 -0700 2006 1701690 10896 chaddict 2 1995532 Hey, Hog's Breath is Better than No Breath at All. . . Still wondering what the f*ck that means. . . Fri Nov 03 21:23:55 -0800 2006 1736354 12858 Covert Ops 3 2383066 There's a cheese store in Orange, California called "Frog's Breath" which I guess sort of makes sense. (frogs=french) Tue Mar 13 19:15:48 -0700 2007 1995532 10246 choctastic 3 3338727 Covert, you made me laugh since I'm wearing my Hog's Breath tshirt as I'm reading this thread... Sun Jan 27 16:49:31 -0800 2008 1995532 67610 Suzy Q 1 1736734 No lie, there is a joint in Downtown LA called BUGERS 'N' SH*T... Mon Jul 10 21:10:00 -0700 2006 1701690 12077 weebie 1 1736735 If you are referring to The Hog's Breath Inn, Carmel, California, you may be missing out. The food was pretty good, and even though he no longer has an ownership interest in the place, Clint Eastwood likes to hang out at the bar, and is very courtley. Mon Jul 10 21:10:12 -0700 2006 1701690 10059 ChinoWayne 2 1737093 I don't remember the food being good but that was a lifetime ago. Who knew? Mon Jul 10 23:42:14 -0700 2006 1736735 10896 chaddict 1 1737100 Las Vegas' (and other towns, no?) own Pink Taco gets my vote. Named by an aging frat boy-- for aging frat boys who find the place's name hysterically funny. *shudder* Mon Jul 10 23:48:32 -0700 2006 1701690 12805 rjw_lgb_ca 2 1738682 Yes, I just heard about this soon-to-be chain (?) on FN the other day... positively disgusting! Tue Jul 11 19:58:03 -0700 2006 1737100 12813 Katie Nell 1 1737435 In brattleboro vt their used to be a place called oral fixations Tue Jul 11 03:04:06 -0700 2006 1701690 12246 jefpen2 1 1737470 When I was stationed near Knoxville, (I think it was there, a restaurant which was in a remodeled station was called Railroad Thai. Judging a restaurant by its name is like judging a book by its cover. You might miss a great deal of enjoyment by getting past the "title". Ever try naming a place? It isn't so easy... Being original and conveying something about the establishment. Try it. Match the name with the menu, the ambieance and the proprieters. Tue Jul 11 03:37:01 -0700 2006 1701690 18028 obie13 1 1738158 The Pink Taco is in the Hard Rock, which is where we stay when we go to Vegas. The food there is pretty good. Not really great by I-live-in-L.A.-within-walking-distance-of-about-a-half-dozen-fine-and-authentic-Mexican-joints great, but good in an I'm-in-Vegas-and-can't-afford-Nobu-after-losing-200-bucks-on-the-Jets good. The drinks were stiff, the chips were fresh. Yeah, the name is lame, but lots of stuff in Vegas is pretty corny. Tue Jul 11 16:54:34 -0700 2006 1701690 10914 PaulF 1 1738586 Call me snobbish, but I've just never had the urge to say "Hey, let's go to "Po Folks" for dinner!" (South East and CA & AZ chain.) Their web site says they do "caterin'" and "franchisin'" Tue Jul 11 19:18:46 -0700 2006 1701690 12752 MsDiPesto 1 1745024 Worst restaurant name I have ever seen: The Brangus Feed Lot it was a buffet. Fri Jul 14 18:22:01 -0700 2006 1701690 19032 butterflake 2 2238245 I was cornered into going to the local Golden Corral buffet with a group once (shudders)... how bad could it be, I thought? Surely a buffet would have something for everyone... after eating there I knew EXACTLY why they called it a 'corral', and it wasn't for the western ambience. Mon Jan 29 10:00:59 -0800 2007 1745024 67657 Kajikit 2 2240095 Not necessarily names of places, but in my family, it's never called the buffet, it's called either the Slophouse or the Hog Trough. The Truth in Advertising laws probably got that one... Mon Jan 29 17:06:11 -0800 2007 1745024 24644 Vexorg 1 1751740 "Hair of the Dog" in Toronto. Totally turns me off! Tue Jul 18 18:02:43 -0700 2006 1701690 12692 sasgirl 1 1765217 I don't think that I could ever make myself take one of the many restaurants named "Chin Chin" seriously. Mainly because I spent several years living in Japan, where chin chin is just one of the many terms for a certain part of the male anatomy... :o Tue Jul 25 04:02:05 -0700 2006 1701690 19345 linlinchan 1 1806462 Yes and no. Some restaurants are suggestive, such as Milk & Honey (New York) and Eat & Two Veg (London), or Pour House (Fort Worth) while others come straight out of a book/ movie/ TV show. These include Friends(Austin), Laughing Gravy (London), and Cheers (Boston). And some are just cool sounding like Ghostbar (Vegas), Puppet Lounge (Dallas), and Blue Ginger (San Diego). Sometimes, you just have to go it to see if there's any connection. TT Mon Aug 14 14:39:03 -0700 2006 1701690 19247 TexasToast 1 1940130 totally agree on the name thing... here in Asheville NC there is a family that owns a few Asian restuarants and while the food is reputed to be good...well...one of them is a sushi and thai restuarant. of course, they named it...sushi/thai. spent money on a fancy sign that says...sushi/thai. the same family (I think) just opened another 'bistro' called - ready?...c.f. chan's...yep... hopefully they are more imaginative with the cooking than the naming of the joints! i won't find out anytime soon as my pride prohibits me from being seen in either of them... Thu Oct 12 04:04:22 -0700 2006 1701690 22477 jbyoga 1 1940155 Kung Pao Kitty Sub Gourmet Beadles Cafeteria Thu Oct 12 04:15:46 -0700 2006 1701690 14123 ciaobella 1 1940930 Some years ago there was a restaurant/pub in Manhattan called " Warm Beer and Lousy Food ".....that one gets my vote. :) Thu Oct 12 15:57:06 -0700 2006 1701690 23369 Jimmy 2 1941160 Not a name, but a sign in the window of McSorley's Old Ale House in lower Manhattan used to proclaim "Good Ale, Raw Onions, No Women." It was not the most inviting sign I ever saw. Thu Oct 12 17:09:30 -0700 2006 1940930 10255 Gary Soup 2 1995117 That's Waterfront Ale House's motto. Second Ave in Manhattan and Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn. "Home of Warm Beer, Lousy Food, Ugly Owner." http://www.waterfrontalehouse.com/ Fri Nov 03 19:25:51 -0800 2006 1940930 12417 Spoony Bard 1 1941145 there's a bar/pub in Toronto called 'Philthy McNasty's'. I cannot bring myself to enter such an establishment, even though it's like any other typical bar/pub. the 'Bar-B Barn' in Montreal, very popular for their ribs. before i went there, i only heard people talk about the name, and thought it was 'Barbie barn'. made me think it was like Hooters, and it's not. Thu Oct 12 17:04:00 -0700 2006 1701690 21259 auberginegal 1 1941228 There's a Vietnamese place in downtown San Jose, CA, called "Da Kao". I had never been to the place (nor had I heard of it), but a friend asked me to meet him there. I wondered, "What kind of place would call itself 'Dachau'?" Thu Oct 12 17:26:01 -0700 2006 1701690 13700 ricepad 1 1942503 has anyone had food from Jesus' Taco in upper manhattan? I can't help but think "Jesus Taco love you" or "WWJTD" More to the point, a friend of mine came up with a slogan--in spanish-- "Yo confio en Jesus Taco" (I believe in Jesus Taco). Fri Oct 13 00:29:55 -0700 2006 1701690 22627 MaspethMaven 1 1942506 In the Phoenix area: My Big Fat Greek Restaurant - it's so unimaginative, don't care how good the food may be Pink Taco - stupid name, even more moronic ownership Fri Oct 13 00:31:15 -0700 2006 1701690 13915 mamamia 1 1942953 in portland, there's Tosis (as in halitosis -ew) - never sounds good, I think it's an Asian restaurant. Fri Oct 13 04:25:34 -0700 2006 1701690 40337 pdxeater 2 3324376 Long owned by the Tosi family. Used to be a reliable-if-uninspired family-diner sort of joint, similar to a Denny's or IHOP if memory serves. I think the Tosi's sold it years ago. Wed Jan 23 10:22:13 -0800 2008 1942953 42933 PDXpat 1 1943106 There's a What the Pho in Bellevue as well (unrelated to the other one, I'd imagine.) I've seen pictures on the Internet (on anothe forum, not sure where) of a Pho Shizzle somewhere as well... As for unfortunately named places around here: Kami Teriyaki (not a bad place, but I think of a place with propaganda posters on the wall whenever someone mentions the name) Foody Goody Plus Buffet (I only ever saw this place in passing, but they didn't last long...) The Fishin' Place (This isn't so much a matter of something wrong with the name itself as it is just being too ambiguous. By the name alone, you couldn't tell if it was a restaurant, an aquarium shop or a fishing tackle store.) Todai (which seems like a pretty good description of what might happen to someone who eats there.) Pho Than Brothers (again not a particularly bad name, but it sounds more appropriate for an industrial rock band than a restaurant.) Fri Oct 13 06:58:56 -0700 2006 1701690 24644 Vexorg 1 1943155 In Madrid, Spain, there's a nice bar to eat some "tapas" named "El guarro" (in english means "the Dirty man") and nice coffee shop named "Felicidad" (In English, Happiness). In Dublin, Ireland, Kebabs franchises name is "Abrakebabra" and kebabs there are gorgeous... Fri Oct 13 10:08:15 -0700 2006 1701690 46393 Malice 1 1943331 I've tended to avoid chain places with apostrophe "s"s in the title: TGI Friday's Applebee's Shoney's Stuckey's Dave and Buster's Ed Debevik's Ruby Tuesday's PF Chang's Chili's Maggiano's I also avoid places that call themselves "A Brasserie." And for some reason, I would not want to eat at a place called Pho King. Fri Oct 13 13:26:03 -0700 2006 1701690 12359 monkeyrotica 2 1944074 Not to detract from your message (because most of those restaurants are, like, ew) but it's Ruby Tuesday, not Ruby Tuesday's. Fri Oct 13 18:11:40 -0700 2006 1943331 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 1944159 Fair enough. Replace Ruby Tuesday with Mozzarella's Cafe. Fri Oct 13 18:34:23 -0700 2006 1944074 12359 monkeyrotica 1 1944170 Yes, there is a restaurant/bar that is supposed to have good ribs, etc., called "The Squealing Pig" something about that is just wrong. Fri Oct 13 18:37:23 -0700 2006 1701690 45250 ptrefler 1 1945159 I avoid any place or product with the word gourmet in the name with one notable exception: Gourmet Pride cup of noodles was my favorite. Sat Oct 14 01:12:01 -0700 2006 1701690 13192 chocolatetartguy 1 1945481 and yet I can't resist anything with an O apostrophe, i.e. House o' Chips. Don't know why, food rarely good but the name always makes me smile. House o' Fools.... Sat Oct 14 05:26:37 -0700 2006 1701690 10896 chaddict 1 1945570 Pudgie's Fried Chicken. Need I say more? Sat Oct 14 07:42:17 -0700 2006 1701690 10612 mshpook 1 1991972 There's a place in Brooklyn called "Mango Thai"--its a small Chinese restaurant and I love mangos and got a hunch this was a good place just by the name. But it was awful and I will never go back there. I guess I learned my lesson. Thu Nov 02 18:37:56 -0800 2006 1701690 16610 dimples 1 1992253 In Portland we have a longtime fixture late-night Chinese greasy spoon called Hung Far Low. Thu Nov 02 19:52:21 -0800 2006 1701690 13853 Leonardo 2 1994520 I believe it dates from the 1920's. My dad used to have matches from there. ed Fri Nov 03 17:02:56 -0800 2006 1992253 40270 Ed Dibble 3 1994868 Means "Lotus Blossom". Fri Nov 03 18:34:05 -0800 2006 1994520 13853 Leonardo 2 2254413 Hung Far Low always scared me... I did eat there once,not by my choice, (when it was still in old town/chinatown) and the food was as bad as I thought it would be weird that the name means lotus blossom. I've heard way too many dirty jokes about the name... Fri Feb 02 13:59:32 -0800 2007 1992253 56307 amopdx 1 1993417 There's a neighbourhood bar in the city here called "U Drunk." Doubt I'll ever go there. DT Fri Nov 03 02:50:58 -0800 2006 1701690 11291 Davwud 1 1994433 I always thought the name "Krispy Kreme" was strange. I sure don't want my creme to be "Krispy". Fri Nov 03 16:37:01 -0800 2006 1701690 49600 CindyJ 2 1994521 so funny.. me too! Fri Nov 03 17:03:15 -0800 2006 1994433 39351 laur76 1 1994546 At first I thought the answer to your question was "yes, of course," but then I realized that as long as I liked the KIND of food served there (i.e., fried chicken), I'd probably want to try it just BECAUSE of my visceral reaction to the name. Fri Nov 03 17:10:30 -0800 2006 1701690 50348 457wim 1 1995545 In Riverside county of Los Angeles, I would never eat at a restaurant called... Wait for it: The Spunky Steer! Fri Nov 03 21:28:03 -0800 2006 1701690 16933 Carrie 218 1 1995674 I hate cute in any way, shape or form. I had my fill of Pretty Ponies raising a girl - don't want the analogous in my eatery. Since I eat at home more now, I can't come up with more than this (heinous) former example in the MSP area: Q.Cumbers. Don't know if they are now defunct. I would hope so. I would so much rather go to a restaurant named "Eats," than suffer the restaurant version of celebrity-baby-name-syndrome that is no prevalent. Still, some of the up-and-coming restaurants have unfathomably obscure names. You don't know if it's a kitchen-n-tables or back-room-n-tattoo-needle. Fri Nov 03 22:10:48 -0800 2006 1701690 49525 cayjohan 1 1996209 I was just thinking. And I can't believe no one's posted this one. But who would think their'd be food at a place called.... The French Laundry. DT Sat Nov 04 02:52:35 -0800 2006 1701690 11291 Davwud 2 2224561 Perfume was practically invented for the French! You could imagine their laundry. Kidding. =P Hahaha..My sentiments exactly. Thu Jan 25 02:31:24 -0800 2007 1996209 12571 copacetic 1 1996482 My vote for worst names: 82nd & 3rd in NYC: Wasabi Lobby Ann Arbor, MI: No Thai (like, "No tie required!") Ann Arbor, MI: Dynasty Buffet. Horrible Chinese buffet. Every time I drive past, I'm tempted to spraypaint out the 'Dy' in Dynasty. When I was a kid growing up in Ann Arbor, a city known for being saturated with coffee shops, I recall a cafe aptly named "Not Another Cafe." It lasted about a year. Sat Nov 04 07:42:40 -0800 2006 1701690 11275 Prav 2 1996695 Why not change it to Die Nasty?? DT Sat Nov 04 15:02:39 -0800 2006 1996482 11291 Davwud 1 1996553 HOT 'n' CRUSTY ???? I think not! Sat Nov 04 12:47:01 -0800 2006 1701690 39351 laur76 1 1996579 Yes, the "Frog and Peach" http://www.davehitt.com/july99/frogskit.html Sat Nov 04 13:14:12 -0800 2006 1701690 48210 KevinB 2 2356071 And to think it's actually an upscale restaurant...in new Jersey nonetheless! Mon Mar 05 18:34:38 -0800 2007 1996579 10687 Quesera 1 1997254 Frog a la Peche. My favorite British confection! Thais love puns. That's why there's Beau Thai, Typhoon, Thai Pod..... Sat Nov 04 20:40:24 -0800 2006 1701690 13853 Leonardo 2 1999371 In South Coast Plaza there's a place called Thai Foon, and all I can think of is that it's a fork with a rounded tip, made up from the leftover parts after they made the spork. Mon Nov 06 01:35:58 -0800 2006 1997254 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 2000646 DC has a Thai Phoon, as well as a Thai Tanic. I bet if they had a Thai Me To an Anchor and Throw Me In the Shark Tank, people would still eat there. Mon Nov 06 18:21:23 -0800 2006 1999371 12359 monkeyrotica 1 1999917 There's a restaurant in Santa Monica called the "Hump", who as a standard offering has an entree of insects...yum! Mon Nov 06 09:52:09 -0800 2006 1701690 20899 Thorn 1 2000212 I kid you not that on Western (I think, I'm pretty sure) south of Wilshire in LA's Koreatown, there was a restaurant called: "What the Pho?!" Never went, though I was amused. Mon Nov 06 15:37:04 -0800 2006 1701690 19345 linlinchan 1 2000509 The more interesting the name, the more I am intrigued to go there, generally.. or atleast from my experience, the restaurant itself usually matches the name in that it's cute or modern or weird...etc. Bottom line is if you are that skeeved by the name, just check the damn menu, you could be missing out!! Mon Nov 06 17:36:35 -0800 2006 1701690 40018 andlulu 1 2001458 There's a good (if pricey) fried seafood stand in MA called: Clam Box I can't help it, I giggle every time. (Yes, juvenile, I know.) For some reason, I find it less offensive than Pink Taco, probably because the Clam Box doesn't mean to be naughty. And the shack is actually shaped like a take-out box of fried clams. But still... And yeah, ShakeNBake, I can't eat at Pu Pu Hot Pot either. Mon Nov 06 22:06:34 -0800 2006 1701690 47694 litchick 2 2002342 Re: Pu Pu Neither can I, let alone Cuchi Cuchi around the corner! :-D Tue Nov 07 04:08:23 -0800 2006 2001458 11275 Prav 1 2005493 N J place called RATS....sick name Wed Nov 08 13:30:26 -0800 2006 1701690 12293 gudeatz 1 2006765 Long Beach Island, part of the Jersey Shore, seems to have been hit with a pun stick. I think maybe local merchants pride themselves on the groans heard by passersby. Here's a sampling: (I've inlcuded stores, too, to give you an idea of how endemic it is!) Little Bite of Italy (LBI, get it?) Between the Sheets Chicken or the Egg Common Scents Cool Beans Gourmet Coffee Oh Fudge! Here's the Scoop Just Beachy Lykly... To Please Mod Hatter On Island Time Pog Wild Pottery Barge Run For Cover Say Cheese Seven C's Seafood Subbogies Sweet Note Ice Cream Things-A-Drift But they also have perhaps the most tragic name for a deli ever: Chunkmunchers (eewww. and it's not particularly good, either.) Wed Nov 08 21:19:32 -0800 2006 1701690 13283 julietg 2 2012483 When I was a kid we always went to LBI. . .and I would always accidentally mispronounce "Ship Bottom." I think thats' where it all started. . .:-P Fri Nov 10 21:54:26 -0800 2006 2006765 12858 Covert Ops 3 2352607 LBI supposedly also has some of the best seafood restaurants in all of Jersey. Mon Mar 05 00:44:22 -0800 2007 2012483 54184 tom porc 1 2007422 i've always been very interested in eating at this thai restaurant in silverlake, los angeles: Eat'n'High Thu Nov 09 00:50:13 -0800 2006 1701690 21564 themirthmobile 1 2008035 Pump & Snack gas station/convenience store in Las Vegas, NV! Thu Nov 09 08:21:33 -0800 2006 1701690 11275 Prav 1 2081077 surprised no one mentioned.. 'THE STINKING ROSE' EWWWWWWWWWW.. NEVER WOULD I GO THERE! Fri Dec 08 06:01:04 -0800 2006 1701690 11008 jazzpjr 2 2240128 Its name is old, old slang for garlic. As you can imagine, the food there has lots of garlic. From what I've heard, there isn't much reason to go anyway. Mon Jan 29 17:16:08 -0800 2007 2081077 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 1 2085765 There's a restaurant in Santa Clara, CA called China Stix. For the longest time I avoided eating there because it sounded like a cheap shopping mall food court restaurant. Suprisingly, it turns out to be very authentic and good. I used to live in Hermosa Beach, CA and there was a Japanese restaurant in Torrance called "Takefuku." I think it means "lucky bamboo" but we always used to say it as if it were 3 words... just for laughs. Sun Dec 10 01:56:27 -0800 2006 1701690 55069 2m8ohed 1 2085956 There is a restaurant in the small town i used to live call the " Pump'n'pit " the name has since changed (thank god) the food matched the name and they charged you way too much Sun Dec 10 03:56:11 -0800 2006 1701690 52894 RiJaAr 1 2090197 "Hitler's Cross" (in or near Mumbai, opened last summer) is where I'd draw the line. Mon Dec 11 21:44:29 -0800 2006 1701690 40062 lisa13 2 2491211 This was actually a Hitler-themed restaurant, too, wasn't it? Wed Apr 18 04:57:27 -0700 2007 2090197 76268 newbatgirl 1 2090881 "Wok and Roll"...how could you not love it? :) Tue Dec 12 00:51:59 -0800 2006 1701690 50492 katiepie 1 2097930 Of course, there's the whole chain of convenience stores (with the worst pizza in the history of history) in Iowa called Kum 'N Go. You can imagine what we as college frat boys did to that name. Thu Dec 14 00:23:20 -0800 2006 1701690 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 2097951 I have avoided the oozing boil because of the name. I hear good things about it tho, but I just cant get over the name Thu Dec 14 00:32:41 -0800 2006 1701690 53967 chrisinroch 2 2104186 There isn't REALLY a restaurant called the Oozing Boil, is there?? Sat Dec 16 00:08:52 -0800 2006 2097951 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 2238308 When I went to California I couldn't help laughing every time the tour bus drove past an 'In 'n' out burgers' sign... I can't help thinking that it's a warning about what the food will do to your digestive tract. And there's a sports bar (I think) called the Sofa King - they had ads saying they were 'Sofa King Good'... Sorry, I'll pass. Mon Jan 29 10:12:35 -0800 2007 1701690 67657 Kajikit 2 2240135 Poor dear, you kept driving right past one of California's finest products. Julia Child was a devoted fan, and I know there's other great chefs who can't get enough of In-N-Out. Damn, I started talking about them. Well, now I know what I'm having for dinner! Mon Jan 29 17:18:32 -0800 2007 2238308 10996 JK Grence the Cosmic Jester 1 2240104 How about Sal Minila's Chicken Shack ? Mon Jan 29 17:08:24 -0800 2007 1701690 50082 TonyO 1 2252272 Wokano (just plain annoying) Hot Stuff Cafe!!! (I think it's the exclamation points) On my way to Beard Papa's the other night, I turned around in the parking lot of the Tomato Bank Empanadas Gourmet and Pizza (I just want to rearrange those words - excellent empanadas, though) Oinkster (just bugs me) All of the names of the cupcake places: Dots, Sprinkles, Dainties (too darn twee!) From when I was in Florida: Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ A cafe/coffeeshop place in northern California: Buffalo Chips Fri Feb 02 02:06:54 -0800 2007 1701690 58039 ElsieDee 1 2254381 The point of this thread is clear: What you name your restaurant can impact your business. We can all cut some slack for places with foreign names that happen to sound unappealing to English speakers ... but some places just have dumb names that turn away customers. Fri Feb 02 13:50:36 -0800 2007 1701690 10914 PaulF 1 2256403 used to be a place called the "roadkill cafe" in maine. was never brave enough to enter. another breakfast dive called the "pig n' whistle." Sat Feb 03 10:08:48 -0800 2007 1701690 30273 hotoynoodle 1 2258717 I would never have suggested eating at a new place in my neighborhood called "Mojito Loco," assuming it was a generic "south of the border" food dive, but I went reluctantly at a friend's request and found that it is fairly good, and quite reasonably priced, Peruvian and "Latin fusion" food. Not only the name, but the generic martini glass logo on their menu would have kept me away. Sun Feb 04 11:08:54 -0800 2007 1701690 29608 Neuromancer 1 2263091 Oh my god there is a place called Squat and Gobble!!! Sweet moses I would pee my tights everytime I saw that! THer eis a place in our neighborhood called Chance. It seems benign enough but the more you think about it - it seems "chancy" - I mean why would anbody name it that? You have food poisoning once and you look for the writing on the wall when it comes to restaurants and that screams move on to me. Mon Feb 05 17:55:58 -0800 2007 1701690 58211 Ljubitca 1 2350620 Okay, so there's this place called "Earwax Cafe" in Chicago. The name sounds NASTY but my friend insisted the food was good there. So although the name disgusted me, i tried it...and i STILL didn't like it! Bleck! i think the name just really ruined it for me... Also, in South Beach, Miami, there's a Chinese restaurant called Sum Yum Gai (as in Wayne's World's 'cream of sum yum gai') We got a laugh from the name and decided to eat there. The food was pretty good! Sun Mar 04 05:44:31 -0800 2007 1701690 30780 squirtlesquad 1 2354149 I always liked The Crowing Cock in Manhattan. Don't know if it's still around. Mon Mar 05 11:18:11 -0800 2007 1701690 67055 marmite 1 2354175 Heart Attack Grill - Tempe, AZ http://www.heartattackgrill.com/ Mon Mar 05 11:22:58 -0800 2007 1701690 70009 abbefaith 1 2354256 How could I forget the Reef n Beef in Peekskill, NY? It's always been popular despite the name, yet somehow I managed to live 32 years without ever attending a wedding reception, meeting, or family party there. In recent years they changed the name to The Reef, which can only have been a positive thing. I can't fathom anyone sending a wedding invitation to everyone they know on earth with these words: "Reception at Reef n Beef." Mon Mar 05 11:38:48 -0800 2007 1701690 67055 marmite 1 2356125 out in rural maryland I've passed a place called "Beef Shake" why? Mon Mar 05 18:54:47 -0800 2007 1701690 72532 rds246 1 2356283 Here in Winnipeg there was a take out chain called Mr. Bones Pizza. I never called them. In neighboring Portage La Prairie there is a restaurant called Bill's Sticky Fingers. I have never stopped there. Mon Mar 05 19:42:18 -0800 2007 1701690 77804 Size38pants 1 2359786 Harry Buffalo (even though it's not "hairy" -- it's just gross) And there is a meat market called Moo & Oink. . . I don't want to think about the sounds my meat makes. Tue Mar 06 17:38:36 -0800 2007 1701690 47813 chigirl71 1 2359972 There's a restaurant nearby called Saucy Noodle. I thought it might be some sort of pan-Asian place with different noodle dishes. I'd try that. Turns out it's Italian. And I'm not interested. Tue Mar 06 18:43:53 -0800 2007 1701690 24421 Panini Guy 1 2373335 Chet's Chat 'n Chew used to be in Topeka, KS, I think. Didn't eat there. Then there was The Last Supper Café, in the very small town of Shirley, AR. It had a Biblical theme. At intervals, the owner would mount to the pulpit and preach to the assembled diners. No, I never ate there. Along similar sectarian lines was The Christian Inn, in Mountain View, AR, back in the 70's. It was a place to avoid for its terrible food and irregular service. (I HAVE eaten there.) Sat Mar 10 15:41:58 -0800 2007 1701690 49726 Anonimo 1 2383073 Well even after reading all these funny names, my favorite is still Hung Far Low in Portland. Crappiest drinks and "food" I've ever had. Tue Mar 13 19:18:25 -0700 2007 1701690 10246 choctastic 1 2418537 There's a restaurant in Portland, Maine called "Hot Suppa!" that I refuse to patronize, because I feel that the name is stupid. I would like to also note that they do not serve dinner; only breakfast and lunch. Sun Mar 25 05:28:14 -0700 2007 1701690 66883 Hamhock 2 2434593 There are more than a few women (please forgive the ostensible political incorrectness) who simply refuse to set foot, much less be seen in or eat at, a place called Fatburger. Fat just does not work for some people. Ironically, many of the same fail to see the irony in enthusiastically fequenting In-N-Out, which offers comparable fare. Back in the 80s, Po' Folks may have done better with a different name. Sambo's was drummed out of existence for its handle. I think the Pink Taco will wind up having a short shelf life. Then there's Greasy Tony's, still slick for 30 years ... I'm still expecting to drive home from work some day and see a big sign for a new Thai place named Phat Prik or something like that ... Thu Mar 29 23:21:41 -0700 2007 2418537 85615 misohungrychewlow 3 2434627 Blimpie's? Kinda like Fatburger ... In the PHX area, we also have: Big Wong, Chuck Box, Greasewood Flats, Fatso's, The Horny Toad, The Satisfied Frog, King Solomon's Pizza, the aforementioned Aunt Chilada's, and coming soon -- Mack Daddy's. Fri Mar 30 00:09:03 -0700 2007 2434593 85615 misohungrychewlow 3 3339327 I grew up in Virginia and I am ashamed to say that my family and I frequented both Sambo's and Po' Folks. I was very little when Sambo's was around but I do remember the pictures of Little Black Sambo on the walls. I remember the food being very similar to Denny's. Po' Folks actually had pretty decent food for a time. I remember my family from the country thoroughly enjoying themselves when we had my grandfather's retirement dinner there. Sun Jan 27 20:23:05 -0800 2008 2434593 86005 amethiste 4 3339479 The Origional Sambo's still is open, in Santa Barbara CA. I just loved going to Sambo's when I was a kid (I was crazy about tigers) and was sad to see it go out of business, with all the locations. I plan on visiting the one in SB ASAP. http://www.sambosrestaurant.com/ As far as resturaunt names turning me off from visiting, I destest The Pink Taco. Just..UHHHH. Tacky, like Hooter's. I would go out of my way just to eat someplace with a catchy, fun unique name. The food could be horrid, i'd still try it. *shrugs* My family has allways contended I'm easily amused! Sun Jan 27 21:31:30 -0800 2008 3339327 23858 Honeychan 5 3339497 Interesting. The Sambo character has changed since I was a kid. It used to be a minstral type character that wore a leopard skin (or maybe it was tiger) Sun Jan 27 21:43:48 -0800 2008 3339479 86005 amethiste 6 3342281 IIRC, I believe it was a tiger skin. Mon Jan 28 15:51:37 -0800 2008 3339497 67610 Suzy Q 7 3342300 That would make sense. I googled the story and took a look at the illustrations. I can't believe that was considered acceptable at one time Mon Jan 28 15:56:18 -0800 2008 3342281 86005 amethiste 1 2436033 There used to be Southern chain called Po' Folks. It was just a bit much. They had signs inside like "We po but we proud!". Menu had stuff like chicken and dumplings, stuff like that. I haven't lived near one for some years but I think they changed their name and image. Fri Mar 30 11:52:31 -0700 2007 1701690 18981 Jimmy Buffet 2 2437281 Nope! They still be Po' Folks! Never been there, but I drive by occasionally. Fri Mar 30 18:16:58 -0700 2007 2436033 79461 debbed 1 2491218 there's a place in pittsburgh called "double wide grill". i never would have visited it if i didn't hear really good things! Wed Apr 18 05:00:58 -0700 2007 1701690 92329 yummyummyyummy 2 3327662 The thing I can't stand is unnecessary coinages. In Iowa City, the Holiday Inn's affiliated restaurant is called "River City Beefstro." Beefstro?!?!? Can't do it. Also can't stand incorrect alliteration... Kim's Kuts comes to mind, but that's a barber shop. You know what I mean, though. (Iowa is also home to a convenience store chain called "Kum 'n' Go," however. The bar is low. Hung low, haha!) Thu Jan 24 08:50:16 -0800 2008 2491218 46777 ctscorp 3 3409311 Yep, we used to have various inappropriate names for Kum 'N Go -- Sperm & Split springs to mind. Mon Feb 18 09:58:22 -0800 2008 3327662 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 3328028 we had a local restaurant named yummy, when it changed hands the name was changed to: "relax, enjoy"--i feel like i can't go into a restaurant that sounds like an illicit massage parlor. . . another little hole in the wall unveiled it's name "pizzaioli"-- my first thought was: really, pizza with aioli on it? gross! didn't see *anyone* set foot in there for over six months-- i guess the owners may have thought they could attract customers by covering the former name of the restaurant with a banner with the new name: "wrapanini." that's just so confusing to my poor brain that i can't even come up with an image, but it's not pretty. overall impression of the 2 names: you people have absolutely. no. idea. what. you. are. doing. still have not seen a single diner in there in over a year. Thu Jan 24 10:07:52 -0800 2008 1701690 46030 soupkitten 2 3328324 The restaurant would have to be called 'Pig's Brains In Creamed Gravy' (an actual product!) for me to stay out of any foodery. Thu Jan 24 11:03:43 -0800 2008 3328028 11104 dolores 2 3409305 Well, pizzaiolo is Italian for "pizza maker", so pizzaioli is "pizza makers". Nothing to do with aioli. Mon Feb 18 09:57:00 -0800 2008 3328028 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 3338448 In Canaan, Me., there was a restaurant called "The Outhouse" and one entered through an old wooden privy complete w/ crescent moon on the door. Thankfully, it didn't last long. Sun Jan 27 15:14:40 -0800 2008 1701690 93538 Passadumkeg 1 3339219 LOL, We have a place in the city called "Chirping Chicken". I don't eat there because I dont want to be reminded that my dinner was once "chirping" Sun Jan 27 19:35:38 -0800 2008 1701690 115445 SweetPea914 1 3342922 I worked near this restaurant called "Howdy's Taqueria" -- why anyone would eat Mexican food made by a guy named Howdy is beyond me. Also, while buying furniture in Torrance, CA, I went by a Chinese restaurant named "Leave Me Alone." Not so good with the feng shui, that place... Mon Jan 28 19:31:58 -0800 2008 1701690 15098 chuckles 1 3343121 In Ridgeland, MS there is a place called "Ro' Chez" that is supposed to be very good. I might try it someday, but I could never bring myself to eat at a place called "Boy on a Dolphin" in Pensacola Beach, FL... Yes I know there was a movie by that name, but I don't care... Mon Jan 28 20:48:13 -0800 2008 1701690 96658 Clarkafella 1 3357108 There's a snack bar/cafe in Antibes, France called 'Green Milk', always makes me think of sour dairy products with mould -yuk! Fri Feb 01 15:51:32 -0800 2008 1701690 111645 Emma01 1 3358238 When I lived in Clifton NJ, there was a chinese restaurant called Pu-pu Inn. I lived there ten years, and it was there the entire time. Sat Feb 02 07:49:24 -0800 2008 1701690 18970 Val55 2 3358920 There was another Pu-Pu Inn nearby in Elmwood Park. As a kid, my friends and I thought the name was hysterical. Pu-Pu platter on a menu? Not funny. Driving by and seeing Pu-Pu Inn? Hilarious. Sat Feb 02 12:39:26 -0800 2008 3358238 41563 SunnysideUp 1 3359705 I can't stand names that are verbs like: Eat Craft Swig Or places that are addresses: 318 West 2141 Too twee for me. Sat Feb 02 17:36:14 -0800 2008 1701690 115738 BlueHerons 2 3360291 in defense of craft & swig, they're also nouns. Sat Feb 02 22:22:41 -0800 2008 3359705 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 3407678 There was a restaurant that went under of course, named Crepes oh la la. hated that, refused to go there. Sun Feb 17 17:36:58 -0800 2008 1701690 18371 waitress 1 3435054 I won't eat at place that have stupid Asian puns as part of their name, like "Wok this way". I mean, do you want to purposely promote your restaurant as a white place that tries to cook Asian food? Don't be F'n ridiculous. It's like promoting your authentic italian restaraunt is really run by Mexicans and Ecuadorians. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not something that's going to get people in the door. Mon Feb 25 21:51:01 -0800 2008 1701690 146339 phan1