It was announced last week that Walburgers, the burger restaurant chain co-founded by the famous Wahlberg brothers Mark and Donnie, will expand their restaurant empire once again — this time they have their meat hooks in Pittsburgh, with reportedly two locations opening up in the next year.
The Boston-born brothers opened their first restaurant in their home city in 2011, but the chain has expanded to include locations in Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, Michigan, Nevada, Florida and Canada.
But they’re not the only famous faces lending their celebrity status and financial firepower to please our stomachs.
Here are 20 celebrities you didn’t know were in the restaurant biz.
1. Channing Tatum, Saints and Sinners (pictured)
The New Orleans restaurant is decked out in contemporary bordello décor, a tribute to the Big Easy’s nightlife. Cocktails, specialty drinks and dirty martinis are in store for the bustling crowds.
2. Robert DeNiro, Nobu
DeNiro opened Nobu with relatively unknown chef Nobu Mathsuhisa. The pair opened the first Nobu in New York in 1994 and now claim eateries in 35 cities all over the world including Moscow, Honolulu and Budapest.
3. Lady Gaga, Joanna Trattoria
Lady Gaga became part-owner of her parents’ Upper West Side Italian eatery in 2010. The menu boasts an extensive wine list, featuring “The Gaga Collection.”
4. Susan Sarandon, SPiN
A big fan of ping pong, Sarandon opened a bar and restaurant centered around the sport. There are now five SPiN locations across the US and Canada.
5. Chris Noth, The Cutting Room
Sex and the City star Chris Noth said the show was his inspiration behind his hip New York restaurant. Top performers who have graced the stage include Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Sting, David Bowie and Sheryl Crow.
6. Gloria & Emilio Estefan, Estefan Kitchen
For Cuban inspired fare, jet to Miami’s Estefan Kitchen. Think marinated roast pork and sweet plantain flat breads and croquetas. “This is what people come to Miami for — great food, great drinks, great music,” Emilio told the Miami Herald.
7. Jon Huertas, Clutch
Huertas is seeing huge success on NBC’s smash drama This Is Us, but he also owns a restaurant in Venice, California. the Highway 1 roadhouse bar and restaurant is a hot-spot for classic car and motorcycle enthusiasts. The menu is loaded with barbecue, surf and turf, cocktails and other California favorites.
8. Norman Reeds, Nic & Norman’s
The Walking Dead star’s new restaurant is located in Secoia, Georgia where the series is filmed. The American menu gives a nod to Georgia with southern favorites and Georgia peach cobbler. “It’s something to pay tribute to the area where we shoot the show, and have the cast and the crew have a place to call their own,” says co-owner and TWD director Greg Nicotero told People.
9. Ludacris, Chicken + Beer
The Grammy-winning rapper opened his Southern comfort food restaurant, named for his album Chicken-n-Beer, in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The menu lists dishes like Luda’s Chicken and Pecan Waffles.
10. Ty Burrell, Beer Bar
With 150 beers, the Salt Lake City beer garden can cater to any type of Modern Family fan. Homemade sausages and the breakfast poutine, made with beer gravy, are a mainstay of the brunch menu. “It’s a super simple menu,” Burrell told the Associated Press. “Basic, but well-made and local. Instead of putting the energy into a lot of elements, [we] have fewer elements and are taking the time to make them right.”
11. Eva Longoria, Beso
For a classic steakhouse with Latin flare, go no further than the Desperate Housewives star’s opulent Hollywood eatery.
12. Jessica Biel, Au Fudge
Biel opened her child-friendly eatery in Hollywood as a place where adults can sip cocktails while their kids play in the creativity room. Au Fudge is cleverly named for the faux swearing parents do in front of their children.
13. Dirks Bently, Whiskey Row
Located in downtown Phoenix, the Southwestern cuisine sits alongside a lengthy drink list featuring 40 different types of whiskey. Crowds come for the country music as much as they come for the fare.
14. Jon Bon Jovi, Soul Kitchen
At Jon Bon Jovi’s unique New Jersey eatery, diners pay what they can afford. The menu has no prices. If you can’t afford your meal, you can pay it off by volunteering for a short time in the community-run kitchen.
15. Jay Z, 40/40 Club
The music mogul can include restaurants as part of his ever expanding empire. Opened in 2003, the bar recently had a plush new makeover totaling more than $10 million. Big screen TVs, sports memorabilia and special VIP lounges are everywhere you look.
16. Michael Caine, Langan’s Brasserie
The actor opened the London eatery opened in 1976 with restauranteur Peter Langan and Michelin starred-chef Richard Shepard in the kitchen. Located in swanky Mayfair, Brasserie is famed for its star-studded clientele like Jack Nicholson and Elton John.
17. Scarlett Johansson, Yummy Pop
The actress’s Parisian popcorn shop serves up savory flavors like truffle parmesan and Canadian maple. Johnson opened the business alongside French husband Romain Dauriac.
18. Sandra Bullock, Walton’s Fancy & Staple
Bullock closed her French restaurant Bess Bistro in 2015, but still runs a bakery, coffee and deli takeout shop in Austin Texas. The multifaceted business also boasts a florist and catering operations. The Southern comfort food menu includes ship and grits and, of course, biscuits and gravy.
19. Francis Ford Coppola, Rustic
The Godfather director owns Rustic, a restaurant featuring a mix of — what else? — Italian dishes with international influences as well. Neapolitan pizza is the signature dish. Coppola owns a winery in Sonoma County, California on which his restaurant resides.
20. Dan Aykroyd, House of Blues
Okay, you may have known this one. Famed for hosting live music, House of Blues guests across the country also frequent the restaurant for classic American fare and cocktails. Aykroyd co-founded the HOB in 1992 with the late Jim Belushi and Isaac Tigrett (co-founder of the Hard Rock Cafe).
