The Ultimate List Of Restaurants Owned By Celebrities

Meredith Galante

Nov 22, 2011, 6:40 AM

As if dominating the silver screen, sports arenas, and Billboard charts wasn’t enough, these celebrities expanded their brands to restaurants.

Some, like Toby Keith and Jimmy Buffett, like to make it obvious they own the eatery, but others care more about elegance than their namesake.

From New York to Atlanta, we’ve got a roundup of the hottest restaurants owned by your favourite bold-faced names.

Bon Jovi's Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, NJ

Cuisine: A 3-course meal based on American Regional cuisine

Fun Fact: There's no prices on the menu because there's a 'pay-what-you-can' policy. Paying for your meal is considered a donation. If you can't pay, they work out an arrangement for you to volunteer in the restaurant.

Gavin DeGraw's The National Underground on New York City's Lower East Side

Cuisine: American

Fun Fact: DeGraw co-owns the restaurant with his brother Joey. The spot offers live music at its New York and Nashville locations.

Yao Ming's YAO Bar & Restaurant in Houston

Cuisine: Chinese

Fun Fact: The restaurant was a dream of Mr. and Mrs. Yao, who wanted to eat Chinese food while interacting with local fans. Yao Ming Bar and Restaurant was born.

Jay Z's 40/40 Club in New York City

Cuisine: New American

Fun Fact: There are four other locations in Atlantic City, Chicago, London, and Atlanta. The name 40/40 derives from a record only four men in baseball have obtained. Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano are the only players to have hit 40 home runs and stole 40 bases in a single season.

The New York 40/40 Club is currently undergoing a major renovation; union protesters were recently seen outside protesting with a giant blowup rat.

Chris North's The Cutting Room in New York City

Cuisine: Eclectic American Cuisine

Fun Fact: Opened since 1999, celebrities such as Norah Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kid Rock, Vanessa Carlton, Chris Rock, Russel Crowe, and Sheryl Crow have performed at The Cutting Room.

Aston Kutcher and Wilmer Valderrama's Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante in Atlanta

Cuisine: Modern Italian

Fun Facts: On the restaurant's website, the atmosphere is described as such: 'Imagine the night stars glimmering through a canopy of trees as a young woman in hip hugger jeans sips a Dolce Flirtini on the patio.'

Michael Jordan's Steakhouse in New York City

Cuisine: Modern American Steakhouse

Fun Facts: Ted Pryor is the executive chef at the New York location, his signature dish is a lush Brioche Crab Cake. There are also Chicago and Connecticut locations.

Robert De Niro's Nobu in New York City

Cuisine: Sushi

Fun Fact: Nobu Next Door in New York City originally opened as an extension of Nobu, but has become its own special place. A wall of seaweed, or nori, frames the entrance door. There are now several other Nobus around the world.

Robert Redford's Zoom in Park City, Utah

Cuisine: American Continental

Fun Facts: The restaurant is in an old Union Pacific railroad depot.

P. Diddy's Justin's in Atlanta and New York City

Cuisine: Upscale Southern and Caribbean Cuisine

Fun Facts: The cuisine is inspired by Sean Combs' grandmother, Jesse Smalls, and her memory.

Dan Akroyd and Jim Belushi's House of Blues in 13 locations across the country

Cuisine: Contemporary

Fun Facts: The very first House of Blues opened its doors in a converted historical house in Cambridge, Mass. in 1992. It hosted live music, original folk art, and delta-inspired cuisine.

Eva Longoria and celebrity chef Todd English's Beso in Hollywood, Calif.

Cuisine: A Latin approach to classic steakhouse cuisine

Fun Facts: The restaurant is attached to Kiss Night Club. This hotspot is known more for its Exotic Adult Juice Bar than its food.

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in Detroit

Cuisine: Southern

Fun Facts: The eatery is named after Keith's single 'I love this bar.' More than 100 items of Toby Keith memorabilia don the walls. There are nine locations total.

Jimmy Buffett's Cheeseburger in Paradise in locations across the country

Cuisine: Caribbean- American

Fun Facts: They're famous for the burgers, and expect to hear Buffett's hits playing in the background throughout your meal.

Ludacris' Straits in Atlanta

Cuisine: Cuisine of Singapore

Fun Facts: The restaurant encourages family-style dining. There are four other restaurants in San Francisco, Santana Row, Burlingame, and Houston.

Justin Timberlake's Southern Hospitality BBQ in New York City

Cuisine: Southern Flare Pub Grub

Fun Facts: There are two New York Locations, one on the Upper East Side and another in Hell's Kitchen. Co-creators Eytan Sugarman and Trace Ayala help run the restaurants day-to-day.

Richard Gere's Bedford Post Inn in Bedford, NY

Cuisine: Italian

Fun Facts: Gere owns the restaurant with his wife and Westchester residents Carey Lowell, Russell Hernandez. There are two restaurants at the Inn, The Barn and The Farmhouse.

Donnie and Mark Wahlburg's Wahlburgers in Hingham, Mass.

Cuisine: American

Fun Facts: The brother's went through quite a process to acquire the 'Wahlburgers' name. A Tom Wahl was using the name for his Rochester restaurant, but the duo struck a deal to use the moniker at this new Massachusetts burger joint.