Where Everybody Knows Your Name: The Best Bars on TV Shows
Any barfly will tell you that their favorite hangout spot is where all of the action really is. They pull up a stool at their favorite pub and swap stories with the other regulars, who keep coming back for the atmosphere, the food, and of course the beer. But one thing that every barfly knows is that at their local pub, any average Friday night has the potential to grow into an epic one.
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Sitcom and TV series writers don't hesitate to capitalize on this. Often, most of their characters knock back a few drinks at a regular spot episode after episode. Aside from an easy set change, this really does make a character feel like a relatable person. We enjoy watching them go on dates, meet with friends, or plot something scandalous at their local bar - after all, drama is always more interesting with a drink involved!
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The race for the best TV bar was a close one. With places like Joe's Emerald City Bar on Grey's Anatomy and Moe's Tavern on The Simpsons, our range of bars was pretty eclectic and garnered some surprising results. We had some great honorable mentions that didn't make the list, like The Bronze on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ten Forward on Star Trek, Crowley's Tavern on My Boys, and Phil's on Murphy Brown, but they're definitely worth giving a shout-out to here!
We asked readers to take our four-part survey to let us know what hangouts they would frequent if they were real. We divided our survey into different categories - shows on air now, classic TV shows, bars, and iconic coffee shops - and chose places that characters consistently revisit. Take a look to see where our reader's wish they could go to be a part of their favorite TV show's action.
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6. The Drunken Clam, "Family Guy"
Who doesn't love a bar that lets babies and dogs pull up a stool? The Drunken Clam is the regular hangout spot for the main character, Peter Griffin, and his motley crew of best friends. Here, the guys always cook up wacky solutions to their problems and keep us laughing with their wildly inappropriate jokes.
5. The Warsaw Tavern, "The Drew Carey Show"
How could you not want to hang out at a place that serves caffeinated brewskis? On The Drew Carey Show, characters would meet every day at The Warsaw Tavern to drown their sorrows. Though you can't actually hang out at The Warsaw, the show did an excellent job of portraying this neighborhood spot as one we could see ourselves frequenting.
4. The Tropicana, "I Love Lucy"
But Ricky, we want to be in the show, too! Or at least get a chance to actually see it! Ricky Ricardo plays as the bandleader at the Tropicana Club, but later purchases the joint and renames it Club Babalu after his "hit" song. The place serves as the source of conflict in Lucy and Ricky's relationship, but usually ends up being the place that some of the best scenes take place.
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3. Rosie's, "M*A*S*H"
Readers definitely don't wish that they were with the M*A*S*H crew in the middle of the Korean War, but they do wish they could pull up a bar stool with the chief surgical staff at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. This bar gave the characters a sense of normalcy during troubling times, as all good bars do, and is classic enough for us to wish we could swap our own war stories there.
2. Maclaren's Pub, "How I Met Your Mother"
The only bar currently on air in our top five, Maclaren's is the central hub of activity for the HIMYM crew. Without it, we'd have nowhere to watch Barney enforce his strict bro-code or watch Ted's crazy dating antics blossom. The apartment sits right above the bar, making this a convenient and now iconic spot for the cast to hang at. Who wouldn't love to be able to go right downstairs for a drink?
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1. Cheers, "Cheers"
Is it any surprise that the Boston-based bar reigns as champion when it comes to places we wish were real? There is something comforting about being a regular at a local spot, where everybody really does know your name, and you even have a typical character like Norm who frequents it. While there is an actual bar named Cheers in Boston, readers love the way the way this fictional bar feels like a home-away-from-home and that is something tough to recreate.
Click here to see more of the TV Bars We Wish Were Real
-Lauren Gordon, The Daily Meal