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Some might say becoming a successful pro athlete is one of the hardest things in the world to accomplish. Though those people probably never tried to run a successful restaurant. Success in both? Well, that’s almost inhuman. Still. A handful of pros have also managed to open some pretty spectacular restaurants, and not just as franchisees. Whether it’s a swanky San Francisco bourbon bar helmed by a legendary chef, or a chain of laid-back barbecue spots in the Midwest, these athlete-owned restaurants have proven they are championship material.
Eighth Rule | San Francisco, CA
What is it? This little bourbon lounge ensconced in San Francisco’s Westin St. Francis is the brainchild of two Bay Area legends – Chef Michael Mina and future Hall of Famer Steph Curry.
Why we love it: It’s the kind of moody, dimly lit spot you’d expect to spot pro athletes hiding out from the paparazzi even if it wasn’t owned by one of the GOATs. The bourbon selection could also make a case as the Bay Area’s best, a destination for anyone who’s into whiskey.
Time Out tip: Absolutely make a reservation. The space caps out at 40 people and on weekends you won’t find an empty seat.
Address: 335 Powell St, San Francisco, CA
Opening hours: Daily 5pm–midnight
Expect to pay: Drinks range from $20-25 each. The Wrong Turn tops the list, made with Sagamore rye, calvados, and spring aromatic bitters. Mina’s bites are a flat $15 a plate, per guest. The wagyu braised short rib and morel agnolotti are more than a meal’s worth.
Polo Room Palm Beach | Palm Beach, FL
What is it? The only restaurant we know of that is owned by a professional polo player. And not just any player, the venerable Babe Ruth of polo, Nacho Figueras.
Why we love it: You don’t need to know anything about polo other than what you saw in “Pretty Woman” to appreciate the Polo Room. It captures the sport’s essence of old money and South American style, with a big menu of gourmet Argentine food set in a space that feels like the clubhouse at an uber-exclusive golf club.
Time Out tip: Take some time before your meal and peruse the historic polo photos on the wall. You’ll learn a little about the game, and it puts you in a polo frame of mind.
Address: 251 Sunrise Ave, Palm Beach, FL
Opening hours: Fri, Sat 4:30pm–midnight; Wed-Thu, Sun 5pm–midnight
Expect to pay: It’s polo in Palm Beach, so pack your wallet and your Black Amex. The prime steak empanadas are an Argentine delight at $24 an order. Pastas range from $44 for butternut squash agnolotti to $85 for lobster pasta. The charred prime filet skewer is our pick for top entrée at about $68.
Bo’s Beach | Fort Lauderdale, FL
What is it? A beach bar and restaurant right on Ft. Lauderdale beach, owned by former Miami Dolphin Kim Bokamper.
Why we love it: Surprisingly few casual places along Ft. Lauderdale Beach let you post up with a beer and a burger with the ocean in sight. Bo’s captures the laid-back, post-spring-break essence of modern Ft. Lauderdale, with satisfying food, fruity drinks, cold beers, and plentiful televisions if you’d rather watch sports than the waves.
Time Out tip: Though Bo’s might look like a funky beach bar, its raw bar could hold its own with most gourmet restaurants. The stone crab claws and oysters are a must, and fit the space perfectly.
Address: 600 Seabreeze Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Opening hours: Sun–Thu 11 am–10pm; Fri, Sat 11am–11pm
Expect to pay: Apps like wings, oysters, and peel-and-eat shrimp are around $20. Entrees are $30-40 each, though the two best items – the lobster roll and catch of the day – are both Market Price.
Michael Jordan’s Steak House | Various locations
What is it? Much like MJ is the gold standard of basketball players, his steakhouse is the bar to which all athlete-owned restaurants aspire. It’s as much a Chicago fine-dining institution as Alinea or Oriole, with heavy doses of red leather and old-school class.
Why we love it: MJ’s does more than just slap a celebrity name on a restaurant and call it fine dining. This place oozes excellence just like the man it’s named after, and a great meal is almost as much a guarantee as a Jordan buzzer-beater. The steak selection plays the hits without leaning too hard into trendy stuff like Wagyu. And no, there is no Kobe beef on the menu.
Time out tip: If you’ve got a group, MJ’s steak flights are the move. You’ll get three of the best steaks on the menu for $225, so everyone can try a little of everything without completely busting your budget.
Address: 505 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago (other locations include the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, and Seoul, South Korea)
Opening hours: Sun–Mon 11am–9:30pm; Tue–Sat 11am–10pm
Expect to pay: Starters are in the $25 range, and the wagyu meatballs are definitely the move. Keep the meat parade going with a steak, starting at $63 for a petit filet and running up to $85 for a bone-in ribeye.
Tresca | Boston, MA
What is it: Boston Bruins Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Borque’s Italian spot in Boston’s North End. Though it’s only been around since 2005, it’s already established itself as one of the top restaurants in Boston, Italian or otherwise.
Why we love it: Tresca is fancy food in a casual setting, the kind of place you could stroll in wearing a hockey jersey and jeans and order swordfish puttanesca without getting a second look. Though it’s elegant, it still feels like a neighborhood restaurant, and if you’re into Italian classics, you’ll leave satisfied.
Time Out tip: Try to snag a table on the narrow upstairs balcony. It feels like you’re eating on a luxury hotel terrace with views out over the North End.
Address: 233 Hanover St, Boston, MA
Opening Hours: Mon–Fri 5pm; Sat, Sun 4pm
Expect to pay: Starters like the nachos bolognese and chicken parm egg rolls hover around $15-20. Pizzas are just over $20. The Gamberini ala Borque is Tresca’s signature pasta, made with Black Tiger shrimp, garlic cream, white wine, and baby spinach. It, like most of the pastas, is $26-34, depending on size.
Arnold Palmer’s | La Quinta, CA
What is it? Much as we’d love to think this was an emporium of iced tea-lemonade concoctions, it opened as golf legend Arnold Palmer’s desert oasis in California. Though the Palmer family sold it a while back, it maintains the name and is still a destination restaurant for golf fans.
Why we love it: The menu might not look like anything groundbreaking at first glance, but its consistent execution has made Arnold Palmer’s the kind of spot seasonal residents turn into a regular haunt. The “something for everyone” concept does everything from poke to meatloaf exceedingly well. The interior also feels like a desert ranch house, giving Arnold Palmer’s more of a sense of place than most athlete-owned eateries.
Time Out Tip: Take a peek inside the Palmer Room private dining space if it’s open. It’s like a mini museum.
Address: 78164 Avenue 52, La Quinta, CA
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 5pm
Expect to pay: Starters run about $23, though the cheapest one is also the best – the bacon-wrapped Coachella dates for $18. Arnie’s Famous Meatloaf leads a lineup of Italian-leaning mains that run in the $35-40 range. Steaks start at $64 for an 8 oz. prime filet.
Ditka’s | Various locations
What is it? Late legendary Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka’s landmark steakhouse. It’s the kind of place you’d expect the guys from the old SNL Superfans sketch to go for a special occasion.
Why we love it: Aside from giving you an excuse to say, “Daaaa Bears!” every ten minutes? Because unlike a lot of restaurants that bear athlete names, Ditka’s offers exactly the kind of food you’d imagine Mike Ditka eating. It sticks to a classic steakhouse menu, with meat-heavy dishes like sausage-stuffed peppers, baby back ribs, and the massive Fridge burger complementing the list of chops. So if you’re looking for sushi, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Time Out tip: If you’re coming from out of town, realize the only remaining Ditka’s in Chicagoland is out in the suburbs. If you go looking for the original spot on Chestnut Street, you’re about six years late.
Address: 2 Mid America Plaza Ste. 100, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill (Second location in Pittsburgh)
Opening hours: Mon–Thu 11am–9pm; Fri, Sat 11am–9:30pm; Sun 10am–8pm
Expect to pay: Starters are around $20; kick off with the Coach’s Pot Roast Nachos for a taste of good, old-fashioned, cardiologist-be-damned Chicago food. Entrees will be $18-28, and though the Fridge burger has the best name, the Wagyu burger with white cheddar and shiitake is better. Steaks start at $58 for the Half Back Filet (8 oz.) and top out at $89 for the bone-in ribeye.
Meski | San Francisco, CA
What is it? One of the most intriguing restaurant concepts we’ve seen this decade, this SF spot from Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green blends Ethiopian and Dominican food. The Afro-Latin menu is endlessly innovative and promises a night of trying things you never have before.
Why we love it: We love all our athlete-run restaurants, but the vast majority are either steakhouses or sports bars. Meski feels like a real, creative concept restaurant where chef Nelson German riffs on classics from both Africa and the Caribbean. If you’re the type who dines out frequently, you’ll delight in a menu of stuff that makes you say, “I’ve never seen THAT!” like branzino escabeche and doro wat with plantains.
Time Out tip: Go with a group and share everything. This is the kind of menu where your adventurous side will want to try each dish, and both Dominican and Ethiopian cuisines lend themselves well to sharing
Address: 1000 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA
Opening hours: Wed, Thu 5–11pm; Fri, Sat 5pm–1am; Sun 11am–3 pm, 5–11pm
Expect to pay: Starters are in the $17-25 range, best spent on either the tibs de maduro or the pollo guisado sambusas. The short list of main dishes is all hits, starting at $30 for the Meski Yestom platter—sort of a collection of Afro-Caribbean vegetable dishes. The arroz con pollo is $36, though the Weski Tomahawk at $190 could feed four Draymond Greens.
Shula’s Bar and Grill | Miami, FL
What is it? The best on-airport restaurant in Florida, and it’s not even close. Though the fabled Shula’s steakhouse in Miami Lakes sadly closed, the legend lives on in the 305 in the D Terminal at MIA, with a second location in Jacksonville Airport’s Terminal A.
Why we love it: Even though airport dining has gotten exponentially better over the past ten years, finding a great steak before a flight is still a tough task. And on the rare, unlikely chance you ever find yourself with a longer-than-expected delay at MIA, a leisurely dinner at Shula’s almost makes you forget that you’ll be getting home two days later than expected.
Time Out tip: Budget at least 90 minutes for your meal. Two hours if you’re the kind of person who gets to the airport at 5 am for a noon flight. Not to say the service is slow, but it is more a steakhouse pace than a “we know your flight is about to board” pace.
Address: 2100 NW 42nd Ave, Near Gate D17, Miami, FL
Opening hours: Daily 6am–10pm
Expect to pay: Sandwiches like the steak wrap and grilled chicken are a little over $25, if you want something on the lighter side. The lineup of classic steaks runs from about $43 for churrasco to $60 for steak frites.
Drae’s Lake Route | Seattle, WA
What is it? A little neighborhood wing spot in Seattle’s Rainier Beach neighborhood, founded by former Washington Husky and New York Knick Nate Robinson. Nate has since sold his interest to family members, but his legacy lives on with some of the best comfort food in the Pacific Northwest.
Why we love it: Drae’s has, flat out, the top chicken tenders in Seattle, best when tossed in a hot wing sauce that packs a spicy, complex flavor. In health-obsessed Seattle, Drae’s bucks the trend with no-BS fried chicken and waffles, and food so popular they often sell out before their daily 1:30 pm closing.
Time Out tip: Their stuff sells out. So set your alarm and get in early.
Address: 9261 57th Ave. S., Seattle
Opening hours: Thu-Sun 10am–1:30pm
Expect to pay: The menu is literally written on a chalkboard, so prices vary as much as Seattle weather during the spring. The strips and wings are sold by the pound, right now in the $12-20 range. Sandwiches and chicken and waffles are $15-20. But make sure to get the chocolate chip cookie before you leave.
Grown | South Miami, FL
What is it? Ray and Shannon Allen’s fresh, whole food restaurant that focuses on healthy options. It was inspired by their son, Walker, whose Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis led the Allens to delve head-on into the world of healthy, nourishing food.
Why we love it: Where most athlete-run restaurants are tributes to the kinds of big, fat-filled foods sports fans enjoy, Grown goes the other direction. It’s become a go-to for health-conscious Miamians with a menu of bowls, salads, wraps, and other vegetable-forward options. Grown also leans on Ray’s celebrity so little that many of its customers have no idea he’s involved.
Time Out tip: The breads are largely gluten-free, so go ahead and order those pancakes.
Address: 8211 S. Dixie Hwy., South Miami, Fla.
Operating hours: Mon-Sat 9am–4pm
Expect to pay: Fresh-pressed juices are $12. The sandwich/wrap/salad options are also $12, ranging from the Havana to the Kale Caesar. Small batch soups are $6.
Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza | Various locations
What is it? A take on New Haven-style pizza, with thin, crispy, charred crust. Dan Marino is a major partner in the regional chain that briefly flirted with national expansion, now found mostly in the Northeast and South Florida.
Why we love it: New Haven-style pizza is one of those things you either love or you hate. And if you fall into the former, it’s hard not to love Anthony’s Coal Fired. While the pies here differ slightly from the stuff you’d find at Frank Pepe’s or other Connecticut legends, they skew a little more palatable for those used to New York style, as Anthony’s char isn’t as pronounced. The wings are also widely regarded as some of the best in South Florida.
Time Out tip: The daily Social Coal Fired Happy Hour is a straight-up deal, where flatbreads and beers are only $5 each.
Address: Multiple locations
Opening hours: Vary by location
Expect to pay: This will also vary by location, but 12-inch pizzas run $20-26, highlighted by the meatball and ricotta and the Eggplant Marino. There’s also a full menu of traditional pastas like baked ziti and chicken parm for around $20.
Veggie Galaxy | Cambridge, MA
What is it? One of the more interesting concepts among athlete-owned restaurants, Veggie Galaxy is a classic northeastern diner where everything is plant-based. It was created by Washington Commanders defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., who is vegan.
Why we love it: The retro, space-age diner décor is a fun way of telling the world vegans don’t have to take themselves seriously, and the atmosphere inside feels like a laid-back, Boston diner. Except it smells a lot better. Also, the food packs more flavor than typical diner food, since it can’t depend on animal fat for its appeal.
Time Out tip: Do not leave without grabbing something from the bakery. Sugar is plant-based, after all.
Address: 450 Massachusetts Way, Cambridge, MA
Opening hours: Sun–Thu 9am–9pm; Fri, Sat 9am–10pm
Expect to pay: Breakfasts with benedicts made from tofu scramble and Yo! Eggs run $15-20, though the avocado toast is your best bet at $12.99. Lunch and dinner bring a variety of plant-based burgers for $18, and Seitan chicken tenders for $12.
Billy Sims BBQ | Various locations
What is it? A Midwestern chain of fast-casual barbecue spots that’s become so popular most guests know Billy Sims as a place for brisket sandwiches, not a member of the Detroit Lions.
Why we love it: In terms of store numbers, Billy Sims is by far the most successful athlete-run restaurant venture in America. The reason is a menu of easy, approachable barbecue dishes that are more affordable than most pitmaster-run spots. You’ll also find some unusual variations on traditional barbecue, like The Heisman sandwich with bologna, hot links, and either chopped brisket or pulled pork.
Time Out tip: The best thing on the menu is the Frito Chili Pie, which will be all you need to eat that day, plus maybe some Rolaids.
Address: Various locations
Opening hours: Vary by location
Expect to pay: Smoked meat sandwiches—brisket, Polish sausage, pulled pork, and, yes, bologna – hover around $10. Three-meat dinners are a little over $20, or about the same as you’d pay for one meat at a lot of BBQ joints.
Andy Nelson's Southern Pit BBQ | Cockeysville, MD
What is it? Legendary Baltimore-area BBQ restaurant founded by Baltimore Colts linebacker Andy Nelson. It’s been around almost as long as the Colts have been out of Baltimore, and the guy it’s named for wasn’t the team’s brightest star. Still, it endures as one of Maryland’s most beloved places for BBQ.
Why we love it: It’s the quintessential little barbecue shack that you’d never guess was started by a pro athlete. It’s not trying to reinvent barbecue, either. There are no crabs or Old Bay to give it “local flavor.” It’s just good, simple smoked meats that don’t have to be fancy to be great.
Time Out tip: Order ahead. Like any self-respecting barbecue stand these days, Andy Nelson can draw a long line.
Address: 11007 York Road, Cockeysville, MD
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 10am–8pm; Fri, Sat 10am–9pm
Expect to pay: Nothing on the menu short of a catering platter is over $20. A whole smoked chicken comes close at $19, but you can still get a half-slab of Memphis-style ribs for $16.25, and a half-pound of brisket for $13.