Video games are great. Food is even better. Everyone enjoys a good meal. It is one thing all of humanity can agree on. Video game characters are no different. Since the days of Pac-Man eating fruit in mazes, video game characters have been filling their digital stomachs.
Some noteworthy video games feature iconic restaurants. Other times, game characters just need to grab a bite and get caught up. For those with reservations about indoor dining, these virtual locations can scratch that itch. Here are some appetizing examples.
8 Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza – Five Nights At Freddy’s
How can this one not be on a list about restaurants in video games? Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza is the main location of Five Nights at Freddy’s, the first game in what would be a juggernaut franchise and cultural phenomenon created by indie developer Scott Cawthon.
This location is the twisted fun house version of Chuck E. Cheese’s. During the day, it looks like a friendly enough kids' pizza restaurant. At night, the colorful rooms become eerie, and the animatronics that greet kids during the day begin to wander the halls at night, possessed by the souls of murdered children.
7 Dex’s Diner – LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, people were hungry. The galaxy is full of humans and alien species that could use a good meal. One modest dining spot to check out is Coruscant eatery Dex’s Diner, run by friendly neighborhood Besalisk Dexter Jettster.
Dex’s Diner serves as the central hub of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, which was one of the most fun games based on Star Wars to have come out at the time. The diner has a chrome interior accented by red booths and window frames. Characters unlocked throughout the game gather there, and occasionally get into fights outside. Levels based on all three of the prequels can be accessed here.
6 The Akuda Bar – Beyond Good And Evil
Beyond Good and Evil follows young woman and budding nature photographer Jade, as she and her warthog uncle, Pey’j, delve into a world of conspiracy and interplanetary warfare. In their quest for the true reasons behind planet Hillys’s war, Jade and Pey’j head down to the Akuda Bar.
There, Jade can learn about a secret treasure from the bartender, play a round of air hockey with Francis, or test her luck with Peepers upstairs. The Akuda Bar also hides the secret headquarters of the IRIS Network, an underground news network investigating the activity of Hillys’s self-proclaimed protectors, the Alpha Sections.
5 Pizza Hut – Crazy Taxi
The failed Sega Dreamcast was short-lived, but its library included some creative titles not found on other systems, many of which are now known as classics. One of these is Crazy Taxi, Sega’s arcade racer that requires Taxi drivers to transport as many passengers to their destinations as possible.
Crazy Taxi’s map featured several real-world brands, including clothing stores and restaurants, one of which is Pizza Hut. Seeing the restaurant’s iconic red roof is a surreal experience in-game.
4 The Oh Deer Diner – Alan Wake
Bright Falls in Alan Wake is the home of Deerfest, an annual celebration that attracts people from all over. While they eagerly await the event, Bright Falls has notable sites to explore, including the local diner.
The Oh Deer Diner is a classic Americana diner in downtown Bright Falls. There, customers can be served by Alan Wake superfan, Rose. The walls are decorated with photos alluding to Bright Falls’ history. The coffee is supposed to be amazing as well. If customers are lucky, they might be able to find there the Anderson brothers, two members of legendary metal band Old Gods of Asgard.
3 Pizza Planet – Toy Story Video Game
Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story was the first full-length computer generated movie. Along with the film came a video game for the SNES and SEGA Genesis that covers the bases of the movie’s plot. One such plot point is when Woody and Buzz sneak into a Pizza Planet truck and infiltrate the restaurant to find Andy.
The Pizza Planet level is bathed in cosmic purple. Under the guise of a soda cup and a box of food, Woody and Buzz have to dodge food falling from tables and sodas ejected from vending machines. The interior has a slick futuristic design to complement the space theme.
2 Goofy Goober – SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants has graced Nickelodeon’s television screens for over two decades. The franchise has also spawned multiple video games, such as Battle for Bikini Bottom and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
In the latter title, SpongeBob drowns his sorrows at the Goofy Goober, a Western-styled “saloon,” after not getting the managerial position for the Krusty Krab 2. Patrons of the Goofy Goober are welcomed by a giant talking peanut. The Goofy Goober staff are constantly trying to reign in SpongeBob and Patrick, being that they are hammered from multiple Triple Gooberberry Sunrises.
1 Clik Clak Diner – Night In The Woods
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Mae returns to her hometown of Possum Springs in Night In The Woods after dropping out of college. She doesn’t have much sense of what direction she is going. It is great to meet up with some old friends, but the winds of change are blowing through town, carrying the autumn leaves with them.
Thankfully, Clik Clak Diner is there. It is a simple, unassuming restaurant from the outside, but it is a great place to grab a slice and enjoy good company. Maybe the pizza does not rank the highest on Greggory’s pizza scale, but the place has character.