# Songs with actual bars and restaurants in the lyrics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301 "2016-02-16T22:50:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/41 "2016-02-17T04:04:15Z")
[13 restaurants mentioned in rap lyrics](http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/04/13-nyc-restaurants-mentioned-in-rap-lyrics-that-are-actually-good/) ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/42 "2016-02-17T04:05:59Z")
_I know Chris and Rita and Marty Mull are meeting at [the Troubador](http://www.troubadour.com/)_… -Lonesome L.A. Cowboy, New Riders of the Purple Sage ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/43 "2016-02-17T04:06:33Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > “Psycho Killer” specifically mention CBGB. That’s a lie. I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/44 "2016-02-17T04:10:23Z")
X - The Have Nots Jocko’s Rocket Ship One eyed Lamb My Sin Lucky Star Beehive Bar Hula Gal Zircon Lounge GGs Cozy Corner The Aorta Bar ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/45 "2016-02-17T04:15:40Z")
_“Honey, I don’t believe this,” the old man at Ferguson’s Cafe kept saying to his wife As he read aloud The Memphis Star and their account of what went down that night_ “The Night G.G. Allin Came to Town” by Drive-By Truckers Ferguson’s Cafe in Memphis, TN [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/3704/12023913944_dd8f0627b5_b.jpg "Ferguson") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/26066943@N06/12023913944) ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/46 "2016-02-17T04:34:36Z")
Tom Waits mentions “the Ivar” in “The One That Got Away” and referred to the Ivar Theatre (a burlesque house in Hollywood) a couple times on his “Nighthawks at the Diner” album. “Colder than a ticket taker’s smile at the Ivar Theatre, on a Saturday night.” He also referred to a Harold’s Club in his song “Virginia Avenue”, referring to Harolds Club on Virginia Street in Reno. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/47 "2016-02-17T04:49:18Z")
The Dead Milkmen have sung about Tacoland in San Antonio, Philly Pizza Co. (Closed) and The Sandbar in Jersey City (closed). (It’s a place that lets 16 year old kids drink). ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/48 "2016-02-17T05:43:24Z")
In “Chapel Hill”, Sonic Youth mentions [The Char-Grill](http://chargrillusa.com/). There is also the line “Get the cradle rockin’”, which may be a reference to [The Cat’s Cradle](http://www.catscradle.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/49 "2016-02-17T06:09:04Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > The Dead Milkmen have sung about Tacoland in San Antonio, Philly Pizza Co. (Closed) and The Sandbar in Jersey City (closed). (It’s a place that lets 16 year old kids drink). Guess who’s gonna be there? My favorite cover band, Crystal Shit. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/50 "2016-02-17T06:29:23Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The Commodore Hotel (and bar) in Memphis in “Dixie Chicken” by Little Feet. Lowell George also wrote a song about the [Texas Rose Cafe](http://www.littlefeat.net/index.php?page=lyrics&dc_id=315). A little hippy beer joint in Houston, long ago replaced by the Brazos River Bottom–a Texas-themed gay bar. Now also defunct. Soap Creek was a long-lost Austin honky tonk that Doug Sahm mentioned in “Cowboy Peyton Place.” ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/51 "2016-02-17T06:43:22Z")
Raised on Robbery - Joni Mitchell: The Lounge of the Empire Hotel Back in the saddle - Aerosmith: The Crazy Horse Saloon in Paris Foxy Lady - Jimi Hendrix; Steve Pauls The Scene ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/52 "2016-02-17T06:47:11Z")
Coconut Grove by the Lovin Spoonful (Can’t go now. It burned down…) ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/53 "2016-02-17T12:23:13Z")
‘Bar Italia’ by Pulp. A legendary italian coffee house in Soho that’s open until 5am. The flat above was rented by Logie Baird and it was where the first demonstration of TV took place. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/54 "2016-02-17T12:48:57Z")
Jimmy Buffett’s “My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, And I Don’t Love Jesus” mentions the The Snake Pit, a bar that is now called Rick’s, as well as Fausto’s. Both are in Key West. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/55 "2016-02-17T14:07:07Z")
To add to the Billy Joel _The Stranger_ story, the back cover of the album actually shows the band in an Italian restaurant called Guido’s, which was inside of an establishment called Supreme Macaroni Co., once located on Ninth Ave. between 38th/39th Sts. [Here are the details.](http://www.popspotsnyc.com/billy_joel_the_stranger/) ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/56 "2016-02-17T14:20:14Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Coconut Grove by the Lovin Spoonful (Can’t go now. It burned down…) I’m pretty sure this song was about the Coconut Grove district of Miami, a one-time Bohemian/hippie quarter, not about the Cocoanut Grove (note the spelling) nightclub in Boston that burned down, nor the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles for that matter, neither of which were near “ocean breezes” or “dunes,” as the lyrics indicate. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/57 "2016-02-17T14:30:19Z")
Another one from Billy Joel: a line in the song “Movin’ Out” mentions “He works at Mr. Cacciatore’s down on Sullivan street, across from the medical center”. This apparently was an oblique reference to a joint called the Napoli Restaurant at Spring and Sullivan streets in Soho. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/58 "2016-02-17T14:41:36Z")
**The Trip** (Sunset Strip, West Hollywood) is in “The Trip” by Donovan and also “I Dig Rock ‘n’ Roll Music” by Peter, Paul & Mary **The Night Owl** (Greenwich Village) is in “Creeque Alley” by The Mamas and the Papas **Studio 54** is in “Le Freak” by Chic (“Just come on down to 54”) “Me and My Shadow” by Frank Sinatra & Sammy Davis Jr. has a veritable Manhattan bar hop, including **Jilly’s, Toot’s Shor’s, Danny’s, and The Little Club**. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/59 "2016-02-17T14:50:07Z")
**Max’s Kansas City** is in “New York City” by The Sex Pistols ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301/60 "2016-02-17T15:28:02Z")
Not sure exactly where the boomtown is, but from David & David’s _Welcome to the Boomtown_, we have: Handsome Kevin Got a little off track Took a year off from college And he never went back Now he smokes much too much Got a permanent hack Deals dope out of Denny’s Keeps a table in the back [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-actual-bars-and-restaurants-in-the-lyrics/746301.md?page=4)