Sometimes, you just want what you can’t have. When it comes to food, the TV is guilty of giving your gut some intense cravings. Of all the romanticized restaurants seen on TV shows, burger establishments tend to reign supreme. The juicy, big burgers and the quirky characteristics of the restaurants on these shows often seem too good to be true— usually because that is precisely the case. Here are five burger restaurants from TV you wish really existed.
1. Honker Burger (Doug)
Nickelodeon and ‘90s nostalgia give Doug’s Honker Burger automatic appeal. It would be pretty cool to actually order “three moo cows, one no stinkers and four tubers” at a burger place without being met with a baffled stare. Plus, not only does Honker Burger have a reputation for great food, it’s also where Doug met his best friend, Skeeter, and his favorite rock band, The Beets. If it were possible, you might visit with a hunger for both burgers and meaningful human encounters.
2. Fatso Burger (That ‘70s Show)
Sure, you might experience some occasional shame being a regular at a place called Fatso Burger, but that didn’t hinder the fictional franchise from being a staple on That ‘70s Show. Fatso Burger has plenty of appeal that would draw in a real-life customer base, from its alluring “secret sauce” to the chance to be served by the adorably dorky Eric Forman. Besides, if you were too ashamed to go inside, you could always just place your order with the Fatso clown in the drive-thru.
3. Good Burger (All That)
It seems Nickelodeon was the hamburger hotspot on TV in the ‘90s. One of the most popular recurring sketches on All That, the network’s SNL for tweens, was “Good Burger,” which featured Kel Mitchell as the charming, yet incredibly imbecilic Ed. For everything Ed lacked when it came to common sense, he certainly made up for in the hospitality category with each greeting of “Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger, can I take your order?”. Your order might be botched the first time, but you’d certainly feel warmly welcomed.
2. Paunch Burger (Parks and Recreation)
Gluttony is proudly practiced in Pawnee, Indiana, the fictional town where _Parks and Recreation _is set. The restaurant responsible for being the greatest enabler of the town’s eating habits is the local fast-food chain, Paunch Burger. Their burgers are the only way meat enthusiast Ron Swanson could choke down a banana, as evidenced above. Plus, despite frequently crusading against their business practices, Leslie Knope has even conceded to the irresistible force of Paunch Burger on a rare occasion or two. Admit it, you wish you could taste just how sinfully good this controversial burger is.
1. Bob’s Burgers (Bob’s Burgers)
Ever since debuting on FOX, Bob’s Burgers has proven that animation can be just as appetizing as the real thing. Owned and run by the quirky Belcher family, the titular restaurant in Bob’s Burgers is as charming as a little burger place could ever hope to be. If it were real, you’d get to try something new with each visit, as the perfectly punny ‘Burger of the Day’ specials change with each episode. Imagine how great it would be to slide onto a stool next to Teddy, order a Band on the Bun Burger, and be served by Bob himself.