Here in Cleveland, and in most blue collar neighborhoods back in Buffalo, many bars and restaurants have names in the form of [possessive owner’s name] [some other name] [Bar/Grill/Tavern/Inn/Hotel/House/Tap/something else]. For example …
Joe’s Lakeside Inn
Eddie’s Oak Hill Tavern
Dino’s Lady Luck Lounge
Vinnie’s Old Town Grill
Chuck’s Manor House Tap
… and so on. (These places don’t exist; they’re just examples of the naming scheme.)
In casual conversation, what would I call these places …
Joe’s
Eddie’s
Dino’s
Vinnie’s
Chuck’s
or
Lakeside Inn
Oak Hill Tavern
Lady Luck Lounge
Old Town Grill
Manor House Tap
or
Joe’s Lakeside
Eddie’s Oak Hill
Dino’s Lady Luck
Vinnie’s Old Town
Chuck’s Manor House
or something else? Dive bar aficionado Dopers must know!
That depends on what you want the listener(read: your wife) to perceive. If you don’t care that they know you’re going to a bar, say whatever. If you don’t want them to know, just shout “I’m going to Chucks house…” as you leave.
Somewhat related, Chicago’s North side has tons of blue collar bars, with names like: My Brothers Place, My Uncles Place, My Friends Place, and so on. Make of that what you will.
Milwaukee’s got one called “My Office” and one called “He Just Left” but that was more designed for answering the phone when wives call looking for their husbands.
Local vernacular is a funny thing, and it’s possible that there’s no universal answer to your question. However, I can tell you that one of the bars here in the Hyde Park neighbourhood of Chicago was called “Jimmy’s Woodlawn Tap”, but everyone here just calls it “Jimmy’s.” Sadly, Jimmy himself passed away several years ago, and the name of the place is actually just “The Woodlawn Tap” now; but the force of habit means that everyone still calls it “Jimmy’s.” This usually causes no end of confusion to people who’ve just moved to the neighbourhood.
If I had to wager a guess, I would guess that shortening the bar’s name to just the owner’s name would be more common than not, for the simple reason that the owner of such a place is likely to be someone who actually tends the bar and interacts with the customers a lot. But that’s a WAG.
IME, it depends on who you are talking to. If you talk to a local, you say, “Meet us at Joe’s”. If you are talking to someone from outside of the immediate area, then you use “Lakeside Bar and Grill”.
If you are in Blawnox, PA then the choices are between Dietsch’s and Moondog’s.
I’ve always heard it shortened to the owner’s name. John’s Pub is “John’s”. And my husband and I will be there in about two hours if anyone is in the Palatine area and wants a beer.
