The 25 best TV hangouts

This was also the home of Brooke's "Clothes over Bros" during "One Tree Hill's" run, but it will always be "Karen's Place," the beloved eatery. Single mom Karen, despite what the nosy people thought of her past, was a true inspiration. Her son, Lucas, Haley, who eventually made it her home, and Brooke all worked there at some point, and even amid turmoil and adversity, this was also the place to be in town. 

The center of the Hillman College social scene on this "Cosby Show" spinoff was The Pit. Mr. Gaines ran a pretty tight ship at this campus food stop and also had no problem busting on Dwayne and Ron. The truth was that Mr. Gaines loved those kids as if they were his own, offering them advice and support in his own creative and comedic way. 

When the doctors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (previously known as Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital) needed a place to unwind after work, they'd head across the street to the Emerald City. Joe, the owner, is almost fatherly to a good chunk of the regulars, especially those on the medical staff of the hospital looking to make sense of their current predicaments — or life in general.

The longtime performance home of singer/bandleader Ricky Ricardo in New York City, the Tropicana Club was the place where Ricky could be himself in his entertaining element. More importantly, he could retreat to the music and dance room to get away from wife Lucy's antics. In later years, Ricky became owner of the club, re-naming it Club Babalu.

We could have easily included Eric Forman's basement as well, but we'll stick with actual, fictional establishments. There's not much to this short-order, grill sort of place, but it's apparently got the best fries in the Midwest. It's the ideal Point Place location for Jackie and Kelso's dates, since their relationship doesn't have much substance anyway.

When Freddie and Sam are not hanging at Carly's place on the Nickelodeon hit, the three of them could be found at this innocent teen hangout known for its fruity beverages. It's run by T-Bo, the eccentric manager who continuously tries to sell customers unique food options on a stick, like tacos, turkey breasts and chicken pot pies.

Frequented often by the kids of John Adams High, Chubbie's is one of the more unique hole-in-the-wall hangouts on TV. Customers ordered in code, and the infamous Clown Burger was a favorite on the menu at least to a young Corey, with all those collectible hats. It's one of the more underrated teens hot spots in television history. 

This is the favorite dining option for the Barone family, and whether they were enjoying pizza or pasta, or even carryouts, Ray and Co. took their comedy on location. Known as "Marco's Pizza" later during the show's run, it seemed to deliver some of the best comedic moments between Ray's brother, Robert, and his girlfriend Amy.

Bada Bing was kind of the operation headquarters for Tony Soprano. Silvio Dante, Tony's consigliere, owned the New Jersey strip club that became a key part of "The Sopranos" legacy. Obviously this is an adults-only establishment, and more went down backstage and behind the scenes than on it. Actually, what the dancers were doing was tame by comparison.

The next time we're under the sea, we'll stop in the Krab for its famed Krabby Patty. Look as they've tried, the Krab is an institution to those in Bikini Bottom. With SpongeBob, himself, cooking up the food and Squidward taking the money, it's really a can't-miss combination and is arguably the go-to fast food joint in animated television history.

We know how Frasier Crane likes to unwind and be among friends. So when he moved to Seattle, it was natural he would find a place to spend some of his free time. This time, Frasier traded in his beer mug and rocks glass for a coffee cup. He's in Seattle after all. Plus, he needed a jolt to deal with brother Niles' problems, which they often discussed at the coffee house.

MacLaren's is a place any of-age viewer of "How I Met Your Mother" could relate to, as it was an above-average bar where you could kick back and talk about the dealings of the day, love-life struggles or how to make a marriage work. And if you are Barney Stinson, it's another venue to meet and pick up ladies using creative lines and a precisely executed game plan from the "playbook."

A Pawnee, Indiana, institution since the late 1970s, JJ's is everything one would want from a local diner. While it's known for its killer waffles, the best meal is the one that probably can kill somebody. Ron Swanson's favorite: "The Four Horse-Meals of the Egg-Pork-alypse" that is a 12-egg scramble, bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns, chicken-fried steak with a giant tower of buttermilk pancakes. Yum! 

This is one bar that doesn't discriminate. It seems anybody is allowed in: dogs, babies and even the Grim Reaper (aka Death) hang at the Quahog watering hole. Though it's not the best animated bar on television, it has great karaoke and loyal regulars who will put their lives on the line for their favorite gathering spot.

Owned by the most handsome man in Stars Hollow, "Luke's Diner" is the place to go for great breakfasts, burgers or even a simple cup of coffee. Now, Luke can be grumpy at times, but it's only because he can't seem to find consistent help. Plus, his poor-man's teenage rebel nephew, Jess, causes more trouble than good — not to mention, Lorelei's high-maintenance ordering at times. We hear his pumpkin pancakes with homemade cinnamon butter are pretty good? 

When it comes down to it, "Rob's Place" was nothing special in terms of food or atmosphere. However, it had one of the great TV waitresses of all time in the salty Shirley. Her wise cracks, put downs and sarcasm made her perfect for the job. Nobody had more fun throwing shade toward Rerun than Shirley, who actually loved her job and the people — at least most — she served.

"Paddy's" is kind of like the dysfunctional version of that certain bar located in Boston. It's definitely not a place to bring the family and really any decent human for that matter. Mostly, the people who run it — Dennis, Dee and, of course, Frank — are pretty much a step above human waste. Then again, they are part of what makes this outdated, essentially dilapidated, Irish-style bar in South Philly somewhat endearing. Plus, how many places like this have their own theme song?

This is the best fictional, animated bar in television, if for any other reason than its gracious host, Moe. Homer and Barney are regulars, and while it is not as raucous and inappropriate as, say, "The Drunken Clam," "Moe's" is a step up from a dive bar. A big supporter of Duff beer, Moe is frequently on the business end of Bart's prank phone calls.

Hands down, this is the best name of any fictional bar in television history. Set in the Santa Monica area near Jack and the girls' apartment, it sports a cool, casual '70s vibe and is a perfect place to unwind, have a cocktail or even approach an attractive customer at the bar. In the early seasons of the show, it was just another place for one of the classic, comic misunderstandings we expected from "Three's Company."

Aside from Jerry's apartment, Monk's was often where the Seinfeld gang could be found hatching schemes, trying to solve the world's problems and even taking dates. From stickler manager Larry, to Paco the careless cook and stoic Ruthie Cohen behind the cash register, Monk's only added to the Seinfeld mystique. 

The preferred hangout for Zack Morris and Co., The Max was pretty much the place to be when the gang was not making life difficult for principal Mr. Belding. Owned, at least early in the classic high school version of the series, by an amateur magician named Max, it even held a dance contest, with the great Casey Kasem as host. Zack, Slater, "Screech," Kelly, Lisa and Jessie — even Tori — seemed to concoct or conclude most of their schemes there, though we never actually saw them eat much.

It was kind of hard to figure that rich kids from Beverly Hills had no better place to spend their weekend evenings than at a burger joint. Run by the goodhearted Nat Bussichio, the "Pit" was the only place that Dylan ever felt comfortable and a second home to Brandon. Famous for its mega-burger, "The Peach Pit" housed regulars like Steve McQueen and Burt Reynolds back in the day.  

Hands down, Arnold's is the best fictional burger joint that did not serve alcohol — at least not that we knew about. Originally it was owned by Arnold (played by the great Pat Morita) until he got married. Then the lovable Al Delvecchio took over, and the place was even more popular. Plus, who can beat the entertainment? Whether it was Potsie Weber crooning or Leather Tuscadero rocking out, "Arnold's" was place to be for Milwaukee teenagers.

"Friends" is the show that made hanging out in a coffee shop the "it" thing to do for 20-somethings, who are still doing it well into their 30s and 40s. Central Perk featured the Rachel-obsessed Gunther, the orange, velvet couch and Phoebe's memorable live version of "Smelly Cat," and it is as much a part of television iconography as Fonzie's leather jacket and Archie Bunker's chair. 

The place where everybody knows your name was more than just the basis for this legendary sitcom. It was home. While we shared countless laughs with Sam, Norm, Cliff, Carla and the rest of the gang, it was the place where all their insecurities could be checked at the door. In Boston, the "Cheers" brand is going strong as a major tourist attraction unlike many that Hollywood has spawned.