Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
Are you hungry? Need a great place to dine out? While we here at Ring the Damn Bell are in no way Zagat’s….we’ve decided to do a little homework and find restaurants and eateries around the world that cater to the die hard wrestling fans we all are.
Now I can’t vouch for the food or service….some of these places may even be closed for business. Never the less, in no particular order…here are just some of the places I’ve discovered. Please keep in mind, over 60% of all restaurants go broke and close within the first year of business. I don’t know why I divulged that..other than to keep you informed. With out any further adieu, I give you what I’ve found….
1. WWF New York/ The World (New York City)
Yes, I started out with a restaurant that closed in 2003. I figured I’d get the “Big Two” restaurants out of the way….
2. WCW Nitro Grill (Las Vegas)
Opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 1999…closed in 2000…6 months later WCW would close as well…
3. Abdullah the Butcher House of Ribs & Chinese Food (Atlanta)
Yes, the “Madman from the Sudan” owns a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. A combination of Chinese food and barbeque. He must’ve be doing something right, because the restaurant had been open for over 20 years before closing in 2016.
4. Hulk Hogan’s Pastamania (Minnesota)
Whatcha gonna do when Hulkaroni and Cheese runs wild on you??? My guess is never come back and nobody did…Pastamania went out of business within the first year it opened.
5. Hulkster Cheeseburgers (National)
While not an actual restaurant…Hogan lent his gimmick to a national microwavable cheeseburger making company. They were available at one time at your local Wal-Mart.
6. Hogan’s Beach (Tampa)
If at first you don’t succeed….try, try again….and again and again. This restaurant at least has lasted a bit longer than his Pastamania or microwavable cheeseburger ventures. Opened New Year’s Eve of 2012 it has since closed.
7. “Mean Gene’s” Burgers/ “Mean Gene’s” Pizza/ “Mean Gene’s” Grill (National)
Move over McDonald’s, Burger King and Pizza Hut…”Mean Gene” Okerlund wants a piece of the action! That’s right, WWE Hall of Famer…Gene Okerlund put his name on a series of fast food restaurants that started appearing at local college campuses and truck stops. As far as I know…there is only one location left in a small town in Minnesota. (I could be wrong though)
8. Ilio DiPaolo’s (Buffalo, NY)
Ilio DiPaolo was an Italian born wrestler who wrested the likes of Pat O’Connor and Lou Thesz for the World Heavyweight title in the 1950’s. He also teamed with Canadian wrestling legend Whipper Billy Watson. He opened an Italian restaurant in the 1960’s. The establishment is still going strong today.
9. Baby’s Steak and Lemonade (Arizona)
His name was Armando Alejandro Estradaaaaaaa and he managed the Samoan Bulldozer “Umaga” in the WWE in the mid 2000’s. After being released by the WWE, Hazem Ali (Estrada) opened up his own eatery…it has since closed down.
10. The Squared Circle (Chicago)
Former WWE and TNA Wrestler Lisa Marie Varon and her husband opened up this restaurant in 2013 in Chicago. It offered an array of food including pizza, hamburgers and wrestling pay per views. What’s not to like? The couple split and the restaurant closed in 2017.
11. Ribera Steakhouse (Japan)
You can’t talk restaurants and wrestling and NOT mention the World famous Ribera Steakhouse in Japan. If you are a pro wrestler or an MMA fighter and travel to Japan….it is a MUST and tradition you go to Ribera’s to eat. The place became so popular and so well known…a 2nd establishment was built in Meguro, Japan.
12. “King” Jerry Lawler’s “Slamburgers” (Memphis)
In 1976, a Memphis businessman came up with an idea for a burger joint using Jerry “The King” Lawler’s name and likeness. Lawler didn’t own the restaurant, but got a cut of the profits for use of his name. The place has since long been closed.
13. The Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop (San Diego)
14. El Luchador (Shanghai)
15. Nacho Libre (Montreal)
16. Taco Luchador (Louisville)
All of the above eateries have a Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling theme to them…even if none are actually owned by a real Luchador.
17. Big Daddy (Japan)
Big Daddy is a small restaurant in Akihabara, Japan which is owned and operated by Japanese wrestling legend Akihisa Mera AKA “The Great Kabuki.”
18. The Manor (Florida)
We’ve all heard of dinner theater…basically it’s dinner with a play of some sort included. Well, somebody decided to turn it up a notch and give you dinner and wrestling matches.
19. Jr’s Family Barbecue
Good Ol’ Jim Ross opened his own barbecue restaurant in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma. The place lasted three years before shutting down permanently in 2010.
20. Jerry Lawler’s Hall of Fame Bar and Grille
Jerry Lawler returns to the list with this restaurant located on the famed Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.
Finally, if you are in the Clearwater, Florida area and are going to host a party…why not have a former pro wrestler cook for you? Dennis Knight (Phineas I. Godwinn/Mideon) has his own catering company called Dennis Knight Catering.
Bon Appetit and make sure to tip your waiters and/or waitresses…or you may get a chair shot!
rrrrrrrrrro
I ate at both WWE New York and WCW Nitro Grill. Neither were very good.
Thunder
You forgot Big Anthony’s in Niagara Falls! Owned by former WWF Tag Champion Antonio Pugliese/Tony Parisi. Ran for several years in Canada!
177613735
Thank you
Tj
Former TNA Knockout ODB runs a food truck in Minnesota called ODB’s Meat and Greet. The initial food truck launched in 2017 at Daytona Bike Week in Florida, but the truck burned down in 2019. The business evolved into “Big AL & ODB’S,” featuring pitmaster Big Al, and expanded to include a strong presence and recognized brand in Minnesota.
Motto: “We beat everyone’s meat.”
177613735
I totally forgot about ODB’s ty!
Joey K
Mr. Danger Steakhouse in Japan which is deathmatch legend Matsunaga restaurant
177613735
Thank you for that…
kyle B
I was always curious how pastamania was when I was a kid. I ended up working with a guy out here in Las Vegas that is from Minnesota. He was a HUGE wrestling fan and he said he was in junior high when Pastamania opened in the mall of america in Minneapolis. He and his family made the hour drive to check it out and he told me it was basically spaghetti o’s and a whole lotta of hulkster merch. Sidenote, he told me that Curt Henning lived nearby him growing up and would golf with his dad occasionally. Said he was a really nice guy and he still has a few things signed by him.
177613735
That’s so cool. Thank you for sharing!
Kyle Prescott
Ok, have to correct you on Hogans Beach. It was in Tampa on the 60 causeway but closed after the news of his “comments” on his daughter’s choice of men. The owners of the hotel it was located at pulled the lease due to some clause in the contract and made it a generic beach bar that failed.
But Hogans Hangout in Clearwater Beach, near his souvenir shop, opened a couple years later and is still in operation today even after his passing. This is the location where Nick runs the karaoke on most Monday nights.
Still a great story overall.
177613735
I had a feeling. Thank you for the correction.