A couple months ago I shared a short list of fictional TV places that I wished existed, even in a purely touristy way. And although it’s fun to dream, here’s a few places that you can actually go to…just like your favorite characters in your favorite TV shows.
Bon Appetite and Bottom’s Up!
Inspired by recent trips to New York City and Boston, where food and drinks were among the main attractions, here’s some real bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and other eateries that appeared on various fictional TV series, that actually exist.
Magnolia Bakery – As seen on Sex and the City and Saturday Night Live’s “Lazy Sunday” digital short, this bakery is the place to go for delicious baked good. They make some awesome cupcakes, trust me I’m speaking from experience. I highly recommend the red velvet.
They currently have 5 locations in NYC, one in Chicago, and another in Los Angeles. – http://www.magnoliabakery.com/
Central Perk – We all know Friends took place in New York City, but you won’t find their beloved coffee shop anywhere in the United States. In fact, a super fan created a mini replica of the Central Perk coffee shop in Beijing.
Fellow Friends enthusiasts will appreciate his attention to detail which includes the cafe’s familiar doorway and window, the orange sofa, and a menu full of items only ever mentioned on the show. The business has been doing so well that a second ‘Central Perk’ recently opened in Shanghai.
MacLaren’s Pub – Want to hang out where Barney, Lily, Robin, Marshall and Ted hang out? You’d better look for a place called McGee’s Pub and Restaurant. That’s the name of the real life pub that inspired MacLaren’s Pub on How I Met Your Mother.
McGee’s Pub and Restaurant is located in NYC at 240 West 55 Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue. The New York TV & Movie Sites Tour, provided by On Locations Tour, also makes a stop at HIMYM’s favorite watering hole. – http://www.mcgeespub.com/
The Brick Tavern – Being on the East Coast and never having never seen Northern Exposure, I can’t vouch for the kind of establishment the Brick Tavern is, (BTW it’s the Brick Saloon in real life), but apparently its legendary.
The Brick Saloon is Washington’s oldest continuously operating bar, established in 1889. Fans of Northern Exposure can find the iconic tavern at 100 West Pennsylvania Avenue in Roslyn, WA. – http://www.bricksaloon.com/
Cheers bar – On the other side of the county is the equally iconic Cheers bar, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name”.
Based in Boston, there are actually two bars to choose from. There’s the original bar, located 84 Beacon Street and the replica bar nestled in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, in the Quincy Market building. – http://www.cheersboston.com/
The Warsaw Tavern – The real Cleveland-based bar, The Memphis Plaza Lounge actually served as the exterior of the fictional Warsaw Tavern, which was frequently seen on The Drew Carey Show.
Although the interior of The Memphis Plaza Lounge doesn’t resemble the one on TV, it’s still apparently a good place to grab a beer, shoot darts, and play pool after a long day at work. Anyone in Cleveland can find this bar at 5303 Memphis Road.
Monk’s Café – Seinfeld fans should know this diner well, at least the TV version. The real one, which is located in New York City is actually called Tom’s Restaurant.
Seeing as we’ve already got a NYC-based pub and a bakery on this list, perhaps Tom’s Restaurant would be a good choice for breakfast or lunch. It’s located at 2800 Broadway. – http://tomsrestaurant.net/
Poor Richard’s – You might not be able to find The Office’s Dunder Mifflin company in Scranton, PA, but you can find their favorite bar – Poor Richard’s Pub.
It’s real and is located inside South Side Bowl at 125 Beech Street.
Jimbo’s Place – Finally, a warm weather location to grab some food and drinks. Jimbo’s Place has popped up on a couple of TV shows, most notably Dexter, Burn Notice, and Miami Vice.
It was located in Virginia Key, FL; however, just a couple of months ago Jimbo’s Shrimp Shack (it’s official name) actually closed. I decided to include it on this list anyway since the website said that they were hoping to find a proper location for this iconic place. – http://www.jimbosplace.com/
Holsten’s – And last but not least, here’s an ice cream parlor you may recognize from The Sopranos. As someone from New Jersey I can promise you that The Sopranos is not an accurate reflection of life in the Garden State, at least not for everyone.
However, with that said, there are a lot of great places to find ice cream in NJ and Holsten’s is one of them. The ‘old fashioned’ ice cream parlor is located at 1063 Broad Street in Bloomfield. – http://www.holstens.com/
