BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 09 Oct 11 - 06:45 AM

Not sure if they count as good or bad names: but I recall that while Valerie & I were lecturing at Freetown University in 1990-91, we paid many visits to the excellent little thatched beach-hut catering establishments [good burgers, hot-dogs, &c, tho I wouldn't have wanted necessarily to go bail for the purity of the ingredients or the hygiene standards - but, hell, we survived!], all of which had names like Ritz, The Savoy, Cafe de la Paix, Tour d'Argent, Sheraton, Claridges, Maxim's, Trocadero, Hilton, Waldorf-Astoria ...

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Mr Happy
Date: 09 Oct 11 - 10:10 AM

A sandwich shop in Pentre near Queensferry, N.Wales is called 'Mange'!

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 09 Oct 11 - 10:50 AM

Worst one I ever encountered was spotting a place that turned up in a local mall named "Dunderback's".

Never went there, and if I ever did I sure as heck wouldn't have ordered any ground meat dishes...

-- Gary

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: beeliner
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 12:49 AM

In Zwickau, Germany (former DDR), there is - or was - a restaurant called the "Park Cafe", but the sign is written in the old-fashioned Fraktur typeface, so to the American eye it looks like "Barf Cafe".

When I grew up and moved away, my pop gave me just three pieces of advice, which I have followed diligently all these years:

1. Never eat lunch at a place named "Mom's".

2. Never play poker with a guy called "Doc".

3. Never do business with a guy who keeps a Bible on his desk.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 02:19 AM

Not a restaurant name, but there used to be an Italian Sandwich shop in Great Portland Street, London. That had a wonderful notice in the window......"You can have it here, or you can have it away!" Where was my camera?

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 03:21 AM

"Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Mom's. Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own." -- Nelson Algren, A Walk on The Wild Side (1956)---
.,.,.,.,.,.,.
I think your pop might have been quoting, b-liner!

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Michael
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 05:11 AM

When I was a student in Preston, Lancashire, in the '60s we regularly ate in the UCP Restaurant, above the UCP shop. UCP = United Cattle Products, or more commonly 'The Tripe Shop'.

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Becca72
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 09:39 AM

When working in Williston, VT a decade ago my IBM coworker and I would go out for lunch from time to time - "Men at Wok" was our favorite Chinese place.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 10:54 AM

Bubblyrat, you reminded me of a fish and chip shop in Liverpool, run by Chinese. The locals called the proprietor 'So-Vinga?' which is how he pronounced "Salt and vinegar?", offered to all who buy fish and chips.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: katlaughing
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 02:06 PM

The University of Colorado has a cafeteria named after Alfred E. Packer, the man from the Donnor Party who ate his dead companions when snowed in on the way to oregon way back when.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: BTNG
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 02:39 PM

There waas/is a bar in Toronto Canada, and bars, of course, sell pickled eggs and other pickled items, the name of the bar, you ask?

The Gasworks

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 03:12 PM

Fat Cat's Pork-N-Beans of North Carolina- planned opening in Tel Aviv.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Abdul The Bul Bul
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 04:14 PM

We had no problems at all eating at the Chow King in Dubai.
Al

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Oct 11 - 09:11 AM

Any restaurant name which includes the word "grill" always puts me off, as indeed when a restaurant sign indicates "..........cuisine"

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 11 Oct 11 - 09:40 AM

Hmmm ~ The Savoy Grill?

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: GUEST,Dáithí
Date: 11 Oct 11 - 09:58 AM

There'a Chinese takeaway here in Lincoln (UK) called "Legal Food".

Story goes that it was meant to be called "Regal Food" - but the signwriter misheard the Chinese proprietor's English...
D

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: GUEST,John from Kemsing
Date: 11 Oct 11 - 11:18 AM

There was an establishment on the A1 familiarly known to it`s customers as "TEN THOUSAND FLIES CANNOT BE WRONG". Tanner to a knicker it`s still there and they still dine there.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Donuel
Date: 11 Oct 11 - 04:28 PM

Sam&Ella's

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: TheFamousEccles
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 01:14 AM

In Regina, there was a inconvenience store called the Slurp & Munch. Now called the A1 store.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 09:16 AM

Re: University of Colorado: as Kat says, in 1968 the cafeteria there was named by the students the "Alferd G.. Packer Memorial Grill" (named after Mr. Packer, who was accused of eating several of his companions when they were stranded in the Colorado mountains. )   Slogan for the cafeteria is "Have a friend for lunch".

In 1977 the US Department of Agriculture had a squabble with the General Services Administration.    As a result the Secretary of Agriculture unveiled a plaque "naming the executive cafeteria "The Alferd Packer Memoriai Grill" stating that Packer's life "exemplified the spirit and fare of the cafeteria" and "would serve all mankind" .

The plaque is now on the wall of the National Press Club.'s members only bar, the Reliable Source. The Press Club's hamburger is called the Alferd Packer Burger.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Ron Davies
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 09:19 AM

"Memorial Grill"

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Rapparee
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 03:06 PM

There's a restaurant called "Don't Eat Here" in a small town nearby.

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 08:43 PM

Ron & Kat:

Funny you should bring up good 'ol Al just after I sang this at the Getaway's Saturday Night concert. 8-)

-- Gary

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: BTNG
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 09:16 PM

well according to the Food Network website, there is a chain of chicken and pizza take away shops in London named, Chickpizz and from the same source, and also in London we have a bar, restaurant and night club named The Golden Stool

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: olddude
Date: 12 Oct 11 - 11:19 PM

down south i saw a sign for the "barf and fart" that one wins

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: mayomick
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 01:27 PM

McDonald's

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 04:02 PM

Olddude, you're a great guy, but on the 'barf and fart' restaurant, I simply do not believe you. It may be time to have your glasses checked.

On a related theme, the food pages of my newspaper carried a recipe for a southern down-home dish called Brunswick Stew. The editor said that we could make a batch and extend it 'ad nauseum' by adding more vegetables, etc.

'Ad nauseum' for a recipe? I suggest 'indefinitely.'

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Ed T
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 04:40 PM

""Hitler's Cross Restaurant - Bombay, India

When Hitler's Cross restaurant opened in a Bombay suburb, local politicians and movie industry types were on hand to celebrate beneath the posters of the Nazi leader and swastikas.

The owner insisted then -- and still does -- that the name and theme of his new eatery is only meant to attract attention, even if it has outraged Bombay's Jewish community.""

Subject: RE: BS: Bad Names for Restaurants....
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 07:37 PM

According to my Scouse in-laws, "Sore Finger?" is always offered in Chinese Chippies in Liverpool.