Everybody has a favorite place to eat, even fictional characters from our favorite TV shows.
How's this for meta? The people who make TV shows write about restaurants because those are some of the closest places to their hearts and then we, in turn, identify with those restaurants because they remind us of the places we hang out and have fun BUT THEN WE ALSO identify some of the places around us as our version of places we see on TV.
So here's a list of 10 TV restaurants and their Waco equivalent:
1. Freddy’s BBQ Joint, “House of Cards”
Frank Underwood is one bad dude: the number of atrocities this man has committed in order to expand his control in the White House is a lengthy list indeed, but Frank has a softer, foodie side too. Frank loves him some Barbeque.
Throughout “House of Cards,” Frank often stops at Freddy’s BBQ Joint for a plate of ribs. Freddy's is the epitome of rustic, unpretentious barbecue.
Our version = Mama & Papa B's
2. Los Pollos Hermanos, “Breaking Bad”
Los Pollos Hermanos is the fas-food-chicken chain owned by Chilean drug lord Gus Fringe, who is also bent on producing the finest – ahem -- “product” in the South.
Our version = Bush's Chicken (minus the drug-lord owner)
3. Cheers, “Cheers”
The iconic bar from the hit series “Cheers” is known for its bartenders as well as beloved patrons Cliff Clavin, Dr. Frasier Crane, and of course Norm Peterson. When the "Cheers" theme song proclaimed "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name," well, they had us at "hello."
Our version = The Dancing Bear Pub
4. Central Perk, “Friends”
Who could forget Central Perk, the coffee shop that Joey, Ross, Chandler, Monica, Rachel and Phoebe visited nearly every episode? A coffee shop where you meet your friends to catch up on the day while sitting on comfy couches, yeah, that sounds perfect.
Our version = Common Grounds
5. McClaren’s, “How I Met Your Mother”
“Kids, have I ever told you about the time I went to a bar that offered food, drink, games and ample opportunity to hit on or be hit on? No? Well, your Uncle Barney deemed it ‘legend – wait for it – dary! Legendary!’ Oh, and that actually has nothing to do with how I met your mother.
Our version = Cricket's
6. Applebee’s, “Friday Night Lights”
So, yeah, it's Applebee’s.
Our version = Applebee's
7. Mel’s Diner, “Alice”
This one’s an oldie, but how about Mel’s Diner from “Alice," made famous by Flo's retort "kiss my grits." Such greatness. Since 1976, no one has ever walked into a greasy-spoon diner run by a sleazy cook and haggard waitresses who didn't say "This is just like Mel's Diner on 'Alice.'"
Our version = Actually we used to have a place called Flo's. It's gone, but we still have Cupps.
8. Moe’s Tavern, “The Simpsons”
It's a bar where your dad goes to drink with his two kind-of buddies and a bunch of rats while being served by a self-loathing bartender.
Our version = We can't bear to make a comparison here. But you probably know the score.
9. JJ's Diner, "Parks and Recreation"
Leslie Knope is television's most endearing everyman foodie, so her favorite joint for smothering waffles in whipped cream has to be on this list.
Our version = It's a tie between Cafe Cappuccino and Harold Waite's. You can break the tie in the comment section if you want.
10. Poor Richard's Pub, "The Office"
When the gang from The Office needed to take the edge off a rough day of dealing with the antics of boss Michael Scott, they headed for Poor Richard's. It was the quintessential dive bar and met the hard-drinking needs of its Dunder Mifflin customers.
Our version = Hemingway's
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WacoFork VP of content development Chad Conine contributed to this list. Follow Dustin @createdlove on Twitter.
