(Photos: Adam Fagen (AW Shucks); Elizabeth Bryson (Crepes of Wrath); Simone Rapa (Moon Wok); Eric Cade (Turnip the Beet); Freddy Fuentes (MoPho); Jeff Barca-Hall (Claire’s Corner Copia); Samer Nashed (The Great Impasta); E. McDanel (Thai One On)).

See our ultimate crowdsourced map of punny businesses in America.

More than any other types of business owner, restaurateurs seem drawn to punny names. Of all the business name puns that Atlas Obscura collected, more were for restaurants than for any other category.

For the most part, these are not upscale restaurants: they’re pizza joints, Chinese restaurants and Mexican spots—the sort of places that serve comfortable, comforting, and somewhat interchangeable food.

What causes customers to choose one Thai restaurant over another? Maybe the pad thai really is that much more delicious at a particular place. Or maybe a clever name can make the difference and help a restaurant stand out from the crowd.

Here’s what our data says about the state of restaurant puns:

—45 percent of all restaurant-related pun names submitted to Atlas Obscura were for Asian restaurants.

—Vietnamese was by far the most common type of restaurant to have a pun name. The word “Pho” appears in 87 punny restaurant names out of 451 submitted—almost 20 percent of all restaurant names submitted contain a pun on “pho”.

—Pho King is the most common Pho pun.

—After Vietnamese restaurants, Thai restaurants were most represented among the names submitted: Thaiphoon, Thai’d Up, Thai One On were popular puns on Thai.

—15 restaurants in our data set were named some variation of Wok ‘N Roll. One went the extra mile by adding a second bit of wordplay: Lettuce Wok n Roll.

—Pizza and crepe joint names were also commonly punned upon.

—With 8 restaurant names each, New Orleans (pop. 384,320), Portland (pop. 619,360), and Austin (pop. 912,791) all punch above their weight; Chicago (pop. 2.7 million) has 10.*

Editor’s picks:

Lord of the Wingz (Burbank, CA)

Burgatory (Pittsburgh, PA)

Miso Harney (Oceanside, CA)

Dew Drop Inn (Honolulu, HI)

Moon Wok (Dallas, TX, and New Orleans, LA)

Naan Stop (Isla Vista, CA)

Viet Nom Nom (Chicago, IL)

C’est Cheese (Morristown, NJ)

Lox Stock & Bagel (Berkeley, CA)

Thai, How Are You (Austin, TX)

Notorious P.I.G. BBQ (Missoula, MT)

Souper Girl (Washington, DC)

Thai-Namite (Milwaukee, WI)

The Wurst Shop in Dickinson (Dickinson, ND)

Given the number of names playing on pho, these deserve their own hall of fame. Here, in no particular order, are our top five:

9021PHO (Beverly Hills, CA—of course)

(Beverly Hills, CA—of course) Good Pho You ( Lynnwood, WA)

( Pho Nomenon ( Hoboken, NJ)

( Pho Shizzle ( Renton, WA)

( Un Pho Gettable ( Un Pho Gettable)

Here are the other categories:

Coffee shops



Bar/Pubs

Other (including retail stores, vape shops and lots of yarn stores)



Doctors and Dentists

Food Trucks

Pet Care

Cleaning Businesses/Flower Shops/Portable Bathrooms

Hair/Nail Salons

The full list:

16 Handles Gaithersburg, MD 3.14 Pizza Winchester, VA 6-1-Pho Columbus, OH 9/11 Hero’s Sub Shop Hamilton, NJ 9021PHO Beverly Hills, CA A. W. Shucks Cocktail & Oyster Bar Carmel, CA Absolutely Phobulous West Hollywood, CA Aesop’s Bagels Boston, MA Aesop’s Table St Paul, MN Aesop’s Tables Indianapolis, IN Agave Maria Memphis, TN Another Fork in the Road Milan, NY Appethaizing Portland, OR appeThaizing Syracuse, NY Aretha Frankensteins Chattanooga, TN Asian Chao Atlanta, GA Aunt Chilada’s Hamden, CT Aunt Chilada’s Easy Street Cafe Hilton Head Island, SC Auntie Pasto’s Bellaire, TX B.A.D. Sushi Los Angeles, CA Bagels N A Hole Lot More New Hyde Park, NY Bangkok Inn Downtown Vero Beach, FL Banhmigos Brooklyn, NY Baoguette New York, NY Baohaus New York, NY Be’Wiched Deli Minneapolis, MN Beau Thai Washington, DC Beau Thai Restaurant Portland, OR BeetBox Bakery & Cafe Denver, CO Belly Acre Mt Victory, OH Benaddiction Fresno, CA Between The Buns Sandwich Shop & Delhi Roseburg, OR Bon Appe Thai Jackson, WY Bread Kneads Findlay, OH Brown Chicken Brown Cow Campell, CA Bun Mee San Francisco, CA Bun Mi Sandwiches Minneapolis, MN Buns N’ Roses Marfa, TX Burgatory Pittsburgh, PA C’est Cheese Morristown, NJ Cali N Tito’s Athens, GA Cali Pho Nia San Francisco, CA Cauc-Asian Diner Lovell, WY Cheese Culture : A Whey of Life Fort Lauderdale, FL Chef at Wok Seattle, WA Chef Jon Lee Asian Confusion Cuisine Walnut Creek, CA Chez Guevara Knoxville, TN Chick Inn Drive In Ypsilanti, MI Chicken Pho You Millbrae, CA ChopShtix Staten Island, NY Chow Maine Asian Specialties Southwest Harbor, ME Ciao Thyme Café Bellingham, WA City Pork Deli & Charcuterie Baton Rouge, LA Claire’s Corner Copia New Haven, CT Cluck-U Chicken Columbus, OH Odenton, MD Washington, DC Coral Bagels Coral Gables, FL Counter Culture Restaurant Austin, TX Crabby Dick’s Rehoboth Beach, DE Craw Station San Francisco, CA Crepe Escape Sacramento, CA Crepe Myrtle Cafe Auburn, AL Crepes of Wrath Redlands, CA Crepevine Palo Alto, CA San Francisco, CA Cross Rhodes Evanston, IL Crumb & Get It Radford, VA Curry Away Edgewood, PA Dairy Godmother Alexandria, VA Dawg Gone Good BBQ Athens, GA Dew Drop Inn Honolulu, HI Dill Or No Dill Subs Edina, MN Dirty Dicks Crab House Nag’s Head, NC Do or Dine Brooklyn, NY Doggie Styles Colchester, VT Dough’Lectibles Redlands, CA East of Edens Chicago, IL Eats of Eden Eden, UT Edible Complex Portland, OR Effin Texas Bar & Grill Corning, NY Egg’lectic Wheaton, IL Eggs in the City Salt Lake City, UT Eggspectation Silver Spring, MD Engine No. 9 St. Petersburg, FL Enthaice Thai Kitchen Astoria, NY Fat Patty’s Ashland, KY Fatty’s Pizzeria Breckenridge, CO Fee-Fi-Pho-Fum Denver, CO Felony Franks Oak Park, IL Fillet of Soul New Orleans, LA Fonduely Yours Mt. Pleasant, SC Fork & Balls Ft Lauderdale, FL Franks for the Memories Mundelein, IL Franks For the Memories San Francisco, CA Franks-A-Lot Portland, OR Friend and Pho Ithaca, NY Fu King Chinese Restaurant Lake City, FL Garden of Eat’n Grand Junction, CO Gaysha Fort Lauderdale, FL Genghis Cohen Los Angeles, CA Good Pho You Lynnwood, WA Grateful Bread Seattle, WA Great Impasta Brunswick, ME Grill n’ Pho U Greensboro, NC Half Fast Boulder, CO Half Shell Square New Orleans, LA Hangover Easy Cincinnati, OH Columbus, OH Haute Dish Minneapolis, MN High Thai’d Cafe Cleveland Heights, OH Hillside Farmacy Austin, TX Hole in One Orleans, MA Holy Crepe Kutztown, PA Home Slice Austin, TX Homeslice Chicago, IL Hops N Scotch Brookline, MA Hot Doug’s Chicago, IL Hot Wok Cafe San Mateo, CA HotBox Pizza Indianapolis, IN Hu Dat Rockport, TX Hugh Jass Burgers Lexington, KY Humble Pie Raleigh, NC I Dream of Weenie Nashville, TN I Got Your Crabs Kittyhawk, NC Ida Claire Addison, TX iPho Warm Springs, CA iPho Tower Kansas City, MO It’s About Thyme Culpeper, VA It’s Personal Placerville, CA Jamaica Mi Krazy Smyrna, GA Jamaican Mi Crazy Bethesda, MD Jimmy Changas League City, TX Juan In A Million Austin, TX Just BeClaws Jersey City, NJ Just In Thyme Rehoboth, DE Kale Me Crazy Atlanta, GA King Fu Broomall, PA Kit N Kitchen Pearl City, HI Kneaded Pleasures Austin, TX Korma Sutra Overland Park, KS Kumquat Mae Bakery Athens, GA Kung Food Houston, TX San Francisco, CA Leaning Tower of Pizza Basin, MT Minneapolis, MN Oakland, CA Lek’s Railroad Thai Montgomery, AL Lenny and Joe’s Fish Tale Madison, CT Lettuce In Concord, CA Lettuce Souprise You Atlanta, GA Lettuce Wok n Roll Yorba Linda, CA Little Pizza Heaven Caruthersville, MO Little Thaiger Scottsdale, AZ Long Thinh Noodle House Restaurant Saratoga, CA Lord of the Wingz Burbank, CA Lox Stock & Bagel Berkeley, CA Loyd Have Mercy Titusville, FL Luna Sea Yachats, OR Madison Bear Garden Chico, CA Main Street Overeasy Bozeman, MT Maine-ly Sandwich Houston, TX Manee Thai Restaurant Saint Louis, MO Martha’s Inn George, WA Men at Wok Lebanon, NH Millie & Al’s Washington, DC Miso Harney Oceanside, CA Mona Pita Raleigh, NC Moon Wok Dallas, TX New Orleans, LA MoPho New Orleans, LA Moto Pho Co Charlottesville, VA Moun Wok Baltimore, MD Mr. Yogato Washington, DC Munch Box Brooklyn, NY Mustard’s Last Stand Denver, CO My Thai Champaign, IL My Thai Beach Capitola, CA Naan Stop Isla Vista, CA Naansense Chicago, IL Nacho Daddy Las Vegas, NV Nacho Mama’s New Orleans, LA Richmond, VA Stillwater, MN Nachomamma’s St. Louis, MO Nao & Zen Richmond, VA Nauti Mermaid Cape Coral, FL Never Enough Thyme Johns Creek, GA New Big Wong Washington, DC New Kung Fu’od Ventura, CA Nhà Minh Brooklyn, NY No Forks Cheesesteaks Virginia Beach, VA Noodles Pho U Lombard, IL Noodles Pho You Bolingbrook, IL Noshville Nashville, TN Nothing Bundt Cakes Boulder, CO Nothing Bunt Cake San Jose, CA Notorious P.I.G. BBQ Missoula, MT Now and Zen Charlottesville, VA Oh Mai South Salt Lake, UT OinkADoodleMoo Smoky BBQ Dayton, OH Olive A’Sasudden Palm Springs, CA Olive Or Twist Asheville, NC One if Buy Bagel Setauket, NY Opart Thai Chicago, IL Open Sesame Des Moines, IA Over the Tapas Bozeman, MT Park Plates Elkins Park, PA Pastabilities Williston, VT Peace a Pizza Stone Harbor, NJ Peking Boy Pleasant Hill, CA Pete’s A Place Ft. Lauderdale, FL Pho 20 Avon, CO Galveston, TX Pho All Seasons Des Moines, IA Pho Bistreaux New Orleans, LA Pho Ever Bellevue, WA Pho Ever Restaurant Gardena, CA Pho Four Seasons Beaumont, TX Pho Good Shawnee, KS Pho Ket Seattle, WA Pho Kim Santa Fe, NM Springfield, MO Pho Kim Long Las Vegas, NV Ocala, FL San Antonio, TX San Jose, CA Pho King Alexandria, VA Fort Smith, AR Honolulu, HI Humble, TX Los Angeles, CA Oakland, CA Oklahoma City, OK Portland, OR San Diego, CA Tacoma, WA Torrance, CA Visalia, CA Wahiawa, HI West Allis, WI Pho King Way Fort Worth, TX Mission Viejo, CA Pho Me Tallahassee, FL Pho Nomenon Hoboken, NJ Pho Q Seattle, WA Pho Real Fort Smith, AR Littleton, CO Silver Spring, MD Tracy, CA Pho Shizzle Renton, WA Pho Sho Culver City, CA Pho Show Redondo Beach, CA Pho Sure San Antonio, TX Shrewsbury, MA Pho Vu La Quinta, CA PHO-EVER Encinitas, CA Pho-King New Orleans, LA Pho-Nomenon Temecula, CA Pho’nomenal Oklahoma City, OK PhoNatic Austin, TX Phonatik Anchorage, AK Phonomenal Pinole, CA West Hollywood, CA Phorage Los Angeles, CA Phorever Sterling, VA Pie Not Costa Mesa, CA Pie-casso Stowe, VT Pinche Tacos Denver, CO Pita By The Beirut Dunwoody, GA Pita Pan Astoria, NY Pizza My Heart Palo Alto, CA San Mateo, CA Santa Cruz, CA Pizza Pan Cincinnati, OH Poparazzi’s Popcorn Houston, TX Pork Slope Brooklyn, NY Pour Judgement Newport, RI Prairie Dogs Minneapolis, MN Punchline Juice BAr Brooklyn, NJ Ray’s The Steaks Arlington, VA Reel Seafood Grill Greensboro, NC Rhong Tiam ,New York Roast Beast Boston, MA Rolling in the Dough Speedway, IN Rubbin Butts BBQ Cobleskill, NY Sake To Me Montclair, CA Sake2me Sushi Rolls Hays, KS Saketome Sushi Bigfork, MT Salvador Molly’s ,Portland Oregon Schooner or Later! Long Beach, CA Serving Time Cafe Draper, UT Shake Shake Shake Tacoma, WA Siam I Am ,Redondo Beach Six Feet Under Atlanta, GA Slim Chickens Fayetteville, AR Smoke Dem Bones Phoenix, AZ Sofa King Juicy Burger Chattanooga, TN Some Place Else Muskegon, MI Something Fishy ,Brunswick Maine Souley Vegan Oakland, CA Sound Bites Somerville, MA Souper Girl Washington, DC Souplantation Los Angeles, CA Spankys Dog House Livermore, CA Strip Club St. Paul, MN Strip-T’s Watertown, MA Sub Conscious Raleigh, NC Sue Casa Branford, CT Sushi Q Belmont, CA Sushi Thaime Oak Lawn, IL Sushi To Dai For San Rafael, CA Sweetie Thai ,Wyoming Michigan Ta Molly’s Texarkana, TX Tacos Tumbras Spokane, WA Takee Outee Utica, MI Tapa The World Sacramento, CA Tee Nee Thai San Jose, CA Tein Li Chow Evanston, IL Tempt-Asian American Fork, UT Tequila Mockingbird New Canaan, CT Thai and Mighty Lexington, KY Thai by the Sea Southport, NC Thai Juan On San Juan Capistrano, CA Thai Landing Baltimore, MD Thai Me Up Jackson, WY Pittsburgh, PA Thai Me Up Thai Me Down Los Angeles, CA Thai Noon Portland, OR Thai on First Spokane, WA Thai One On Angel’s Camp, CA Anniston, AL Mystic, CT Seattle, WA Towson, MD Vista, CA Thai Pod Portland, OR Thai Spoon Chicago, IL Thai Sticks Houston, TX Thai Tanic Destin, FL Washington, DC Thai Tanium Gaithersburg, MD Thai Thank You Chicago, IL Thai This Dana Point, CA Laguna Beach, CA Thai-ger Clemson, SC Thai-Namite Milwaukee, WI Thai-rific Menlo Park, CA Thai, How Are You Austin, TX Thai’d Up ,Mammoth LakesCA Phoenix, AZ Thaicoon & Sushi Bar Atlanta, GA Thaicoon Ricefire & Sushi Bar Greenville, SC Thaiger Room Seattle, WA Thainy New York, NY Thaiphoon Arlington, VA Palo Alto, CA Washington, DC Thaiphoon Cafe Raleigh, NC Thairish Baltimore, MD The Awe Shack Gambrills, MD The Bay Gull Store Broad Channel, NY The Big Cheezy New Orleans, LA The Boardwok Virginia Beach, VA The Breakfast Club Seaside, CA The Chatta Box Bridgewater, MA The Codfather Phoenix, AZ The Crepe Vine Tallahassee, FL The Deli Lama Store & Cafe Lake Villa, IL The Dew Drop Inn Mobile, AL The Epic Curean Greenville, SC The Great Impasta Urbana, IL The Grill From Ipanema Couer d’Alene, ID Seattle, WA The Grill from Ipanema Washington, DC The Home Plate Diner Des Moines, IA The LobSteer Inn Southern Pines, NC The Mad Platter Nashville, TN The Meating Place Los Angeles, CA The Oinkster Eagle Rock, CA The Ol’ Factory Cafe Sand City, CA The Pecking Order ,Sanibel The Prairie Dog Pawhuska, OK The Queenshead St. Petersburg, FL The Sardine Room Plymouth, MI The Squeeze Inn Clark Fork, ID The Wiener’s Circle Chicago, IL The Wurst Place Seattle, WA The Wurst Shop in Dickinson Dickinson, ND Thelonious Monkfish Cambridge, MA Thick & Thin Pizza Boca Raton, FL Tie Food Oakland, CA To Thai For Waialae, HI Top Bunz Huntington, NY Torta Landia! Portland, OR Tsukasa Bordentown, NJ Turnagain Arm Pit BBQ Anchorage, AK Turnip the Beet Port Angeles, WA Two Guys With Wieners Crested Butte, CO Un Pho Gettable Seattle, WA Uncle Petezas Bothell, WA Uncommon Grounds Watertown, MA Underdogs Philadelphia, PA Unphogettable Mesa, AZ Velvet Taco Dallas, TX Viet Nom Nom Chicago, IL Wana Pizza Wanatah, IN We The Pizza Washington, DC What the Pho Cambridge, MA Duluth, GA Huntington Beach, CA ,Renton Wa Seattle, WA What The Pho Norcross, GA What The Pho! Bothell, WA What the Pho! D’Iberville, MS What the Pho? ,Virginia Beach What’s Your Beef? Rumson, NJ Wi-Pie Brooklyn, NY Wichcraft New York, NY Wiener Take All Buffalo Grove, IL Wise Pies Albuquerque, BM Wok & Roll East Lansing, MI Knoxville, TN Spring Lake, MI Wok and Roll Washington, DC Wok in the Park St. Louis Park, MN Wok Inn Boston, MA Wok Inn Chinese Buffet Magnolia, TX Wok N Roll Atlanta, GA Ayer, MA Marion, IL Morrisville, VT Wok N’ Roll Cambridge, MA Laporte, IN Wok N’ Talk Boston, MA Wok On In New Haven, CT Wok On The Beach Myrtle Beach, SC Wok Star Springfield, MO Winterville, GA Wok This Way Chicago, IL Wok to Walk New York, NY Wok-N-Go Danville, KY Wok-N-Roll Austin, TX Murfreesboro, TN Wok-N-Roll Express Overland Park, KS Wok’N Roll Magnolia, NJ Woksabi Collingswood, NJ Yang Kee Noodle Louisville, KY You-A Carry Out-A Clarksville, IN Yum Mee Chinese Restaurant Bath, ME

*This sentence has been updated to use 2014 Census population estimates; it originally included Atlanta but cited the metro area population.