Iconic Fictional Restaurants We Wish Were Real

The popular expression "you eat with your eyes first" exists for a reason. It's not that we literally taste or smell a dish with our ocular system, of course. But appearance and presentation plays an undeniably huge hand in any dining experience. In that vein, the cliché also helps illuminate both the inherent appeal of food-based storytelling on film and television — and why so many fictional restaurants make us long for the chance to patronize them.

Whether it's a visually tempting menu of mouth-watering items, a wistful desire to spend time with our favorite characters, or both, there's no shortage of fictional restaurants we wish were real. While the vast majority of fictional restaurants are destined to remain little more than a fantasy for your taste buds, others, like Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., have made the transition from the small or big screen.

Since the nature of capitalism means other fictitious establishments may also one day become a reality, it's worth considering which beloved fictional dining establishments we wish could make that leap. In honor of those not-quite-real places we pine to visit — for both the cuisine and the crowd — let's take a look at some of the most iconic fictional restaurants (not) in existence. 

It isn't always the food or service that makes us dream of visiting a fictional establishment in real life. Sometimes, it's more about the thrill of being near the action, by immersing yourself with a group of characters you know and love. Case in point: Merlotte's Bar and Grill, the central restaurant from the immensely popular supernatural series, "True Blood."

In what seemed to be the only social spot in all of Bon Temps, Louisiana, Merlotte's was either the employer or preferred hangout for almost every major character on the show. In other words, a trip to Sam Merlotte's (Sam Trammell) establishment would mainly be about the atmosphere inside, like the chance to see Terry (Todd Lowe) in the kitchen, or Arlene (Carrie Preston) waiting tables (for her kids). No character's presence would entice us more, though, than the endlessly fascinating cook Lafayette. Played by the late Nelsan Ellis, the genderfluid character was responsible for one of the show's greatest moments — putting a bigoted character in their place after they insultingly called his food an "AIDS burger" (via Chicago Tribune).

If the specific structure of Merlotte's interests you, consider visiting the actual set at the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles, California (via Week99er). It may just be a shell of the vibrant, vampire-friendly joint it housed for seven seasons. But if those walls could talk, they'd likely do so in that famous Louisiana drawl.

Few films hold a legitimate claim to the title of greatest of all time, at least in terms of widespread agreement on the subject. Yet no U.S. movie may be more likely to earn that subjective label than "Casablanca" – a film the late renowned critic, Roger Ebert, once described simply as "The Movie." Given the film's largely unmatched stature in U.S. pop cultural history, it's no wonder we wish its Moroccan-based restaurant, Rick's Café Américain, existed in real life.

Now, there is, in fact, an actual restaurant in Casablanca, Morocco named Rick's Cafe, that opened in 2004 (via CNN). Though the location doesn't appear to be an officially-licensed endeavor, for fans eager to step back in time and dine at the World War II-era establishment as it was presented in the film, the real Rick's Cafe seems hard to beat (via Los Angeles Times).

Of all the gin joints in all of film and television history, few can hold a candle to the iconic stature of Rick's Café Américain, a classy and exotic locale where we're certain we'd feel right at home.

The titular business on "Bob's Burgers" may be constantly teetering on the precipice of bankruptcy, but it's always clear the food isn't the reason. After all, Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin) — not Bob Burger, as Teddy (Larry Murphy) once amusingly believed — is always presented as an exceptionally talented chef. With an endless array of delicious, pun-driven "Burger of the Day" options to choose from over the years, it should be obvious why the show's central restaurant belongs on this list.

With the show's 13th season debuting in the fall — on the heels of "The Bob's Burgers Movie" released in May 2022 — you don't need us to convince you that "Bob's Burgers" is revered by fans. Whether on the silver screen or otherwise, though, it's easy to understand why we wish Bob's Burgers was real. Between the food, and the general wackiness perpetuated by the Belcher family inside the Wonder Wharf-adjacent restaurant, there's little chance we'd walk out with anything but a smile.

Frankly, it's almost amazing how far "Bob's Burgers" has come since debuting in 2011. The wholesome, if often bizarre, comedy has outpaced most expectations from the start, particularly those who believed the series would be little more than a low-key, quirky addition to Fox's Animation Domination block on Sundays (via The New York Times).

Unlike the vast majority of entries on this list, our desire to visit Satriale's Pork Store doesn't mean we hope to encounter any familiar faces. After all, is there any group of television characters less inviting than the Dimeo crime family associates — as in Tony (James Gandolfini) and his fellow New Jersey mobsters? Other than a quick, respectful nod as "The Sopranos" crew enjoyed espresso outside, there's little we'd be interested in from Satriale's beyond some imported deli meats and homestyle Italian-American dishes.

Perhaps you're surprised by this choice, and wonder why we'd prefer Satriale's over, say, Nuovo Vesuvio, the fine-dining establishment owned by Tony's childhood friend, Artie Bucco (John Ventimiglia). But the bottom line is we're not super fancy, and the pork store's importance to "The Sopranos" mythology dwarfs Vesuvio — something demonstrated by the decision to build a new Satriale's set for "The Many Saints of Newark" prequel film in 2019 (via NJ.com).

With more than four pieces of Satriale's-specific merchandise still for sale by HBO as of 2022, it's clear the base of the Sopranos' operations remains an iconic fictional establishment. One we (and others, it seems) would love the chance to visit.

A restaurant featuring a rat on its front entrance isn't the type of place we'd usually be eager to check out. But if it's a fine-dining establishment serving the imitable cuisine of Remy the rat (Patton Oswalt), from Disney's "Ratatouille," well ... we'd happily inhale anything prepared by the quintessential embodiment of the ethos "anyone can cook."

Given the nature of the 2007 film, it's no wonder we at Mashed hold the classic animated tale near and dear to our hearts. The film displays some of the most appetizing dishes ever put on screen (animated or otherwise). And, according to The Ringer, the influence of Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole), the film's ostensibly villainous food critic, continues to reverberate through food criticism and writing as of 2022.

La Ratatouille may not be the main restaurant featured in the film (that honor would go to the doomed Parisian eatery, Gusteau's). But as the place where Remy was able to fully execute his culinary visions — and where the sanitary concerns of cooking rats were somewhat ameliorated — we'd opt for La Ratatouille every day of the week.

It's actually quite easy to see the appeal of Skip Church's Bistro, the favored weekend brunch spot from "Arrested Development." Between the view offered along the water in Newport Beach, California, and the bevy of virgin cocktail options, it's no mystery why we still yearn for a real-world version to go to when we, well, skip church.

Located near the Bluth family's long-running banana stand, the convenience of Skip Church's may be the most logical explanation for its consistent appearances on the series. But who can blame a family as legendarily lazy as the Bluths for prioritizing convenience above all else? As long as they avoided the Skip's Scramble (because you "do not order the Skip's Scramble") they'd be golden. Not that that advice stopped excited fans from creating their own version of the Skip's Scramble in celebration of the 2013 series revival, of course (via Los Angeles Times).

The undeniable turn for the worse taken by "Arrested Development" during its later, post-revival seasons may cause some to disagree with our inclusion of Skip Church's Bistro. But the widespread influence of "Arrested Development" can't be minimized comedically speaking, nor can the impact of its 2013 revival, on the entire television industry, be denied (via Vulture).

For the most part, the iconic fictional restaurants on this list appear to be singular, stand-alone institutions. Whether or not the fictional fast-casual burger joint, Big Kahuna Burger — seen in several Quentin Tarantino films — fits that bill is virtually impossible to ascertain. But it wouldn't matter, because either way? We'd still find ourselves drooling over the "tasty burger" enjoyed by Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) during a pivotal early scene in "Pulp Fiction."

While it's unclear what, exactly, Big Kahuna Burger offers beyond burgers, we don't really need to know its full menu. The gusto with which Jackson engorges on the burger belonging to "big brain" Brett (Frank Whaley) was enough to sell us on the veracity of his culinary enjoyment. And we aren't the only ones who've craved a Big Kahuna Burger outside of our television screens, with a homemade burger recipe inspired by the film appearing online in 2017 (via Esquire).

Big Kahuna Burger may not be the most inspired choice on this list, given the slightly generic burger chain aesthetic of its logo. But we won't apologize for desiring a quality, juicy burger. After all, any opportunity to dine on a juicy, well-made burger is one we're always willing to take.