Eskimo Joe's
Corporate brand
UnclaimedEskimo Joe's is a long-running restaurant and bar in Stillwater, Oklahoma, known for cheese fries, college-town hospitality, branded merchandise, and its connection to Oklahoma State University.
Last updated October 24, 2026
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Overview
Eskimo Joe's is a restaurant and bar brand based in Stillwater, Oklahoma, directly across from Oklahoma State University's main campus. Founded on July 21, 1975, by Oklahoma State graduates Steve File and Stan Clark, it began as a bar whose name was intended to suggest that it served the coldest beer in town. Clark later bought File's interest and became the business's sole owner. The business changed materially after Oklahoma raised its legal drinking age from 18 to 21 in 1984. Rather than operating solely as a bar, Eskimo Joe's expanded its food service and developed into a restaurant known for burgers, fries, cheese fries, beer, and a lively late-night atmosphere. Its location placed it within the area commonly known as The Strip, a concentration of bars and student-oriented businesses near the OSU campus. Concerts, themed evenings, and drinking promotions helped establish the venue as a familiar gathering place for students, alumni, and visitors to Stillwater. A major physical addition came in 1992, when the restaurant's two-story building gained an atrium known as the Joe Dome. The space includes a retractable glass roof and became part of the brand's distinctive identity. Eskimo Joe's has also used recurring promotional events to reinforce its social, college-town positioning. In early 2003, it introduced Thirsty Thursday, initially pairing a cover charge with an all-you-can-drink domestic-beer offer. The promotion was later changed to a bottomless-bottles format. The brand extends beyond food and beverage service. Its logo, created in 1975 by Oklahoma State freshman art student Bill Thompson, depicts a smiling cartoon Eskimo Joe alongside his slobbering dog, Buffy. The characters became central to a merchandise business that includes a retail outlet connected to the Stillwater restaurant, a Tulsa location, mail-order and online catalog operations, and seasonal temporary stores in Oklahoma malls. The merchandise has helped make Eskimo Joe's recognizable beyond its local dining footprint. Eskimo Joe's is part of a broader group of themed restaurants associated with Stan Clark. Related concepts included Stillwater Bay Oyster Company, opened in 1984; Mexico Joe's, opened in 1987; and Joseppi's, opened in 2000. These restaurants used related Joe-themed character branding but occupied different culinary positions. Stillwater Bay closed in 2005, while Joseppi's closed in 2014; the building later operated as MoJo's Rock'n'Bowl Grill before that venue closed in 2018. Eskimo Joe's remains the best-known concept in the group. The restaurant has received wider attention through sports, entertainment, and popular-culture references. Sports Illustrated's SI on Campus named it the third-best collegiate sports bar in the United States in 2005. Former President George H. W. Bush mentioned its cheese fries during a 1990 commencement speech, and George W. Bush referred to the restaurant and the same menu item during a 2006 commencement speech. The brand has also appeared or been mentioned in television programs including The Middle and The Oblongs, and was referenced by Jimmy Fallon after a 2009 visit and by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in a 2018 segment involving Stillwater native James Marsden. These references reinforce its identity as an Oklahoma State and Stillwater institution rather than a conventional national restaurant chain.
History
Eskimo Joe's opened in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on July 21, 1975. The founders were Steve File and Stan Clark, both graduates of nearby Oklahoma State University. File originated the name, which was intended to communicate the idea of exceptionally cold beer. The original operation was a bar located near the university campus. Clark eventually purchased File's interest and became the sole owner. The business's direction changed in 1984, when Oklahoma increased the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. Eskimo Joe's responded by expanding its food offering and operating as a restaurant as well as a bar. This transition helped it develop a broader customer base and made casual food central to the concept. Its signature identity came to include burgers, fries, cheese fries, beer, and a lively environment aimed particularly at Oklahoma State students and sports fans. The restaurant sits at 501 W. Elm Street, across from the OSU campus and within the local entertainment district known as The Strip. Its setting contributed to its reputation as a student hangout and a venue for concerts, late-night activities, themed evenings, and promotional events. In 1992, the two-story building was expanded with a distinctive atrium called the Joe Dome. The atrium's retractable glass roof became one of the restaurant's notable physical features. In early 2003, Eskimo Joe's introduced Thirsty Thursday, a promotion that charged a five-dollar cover and offered unlimited domestic beer. The offer was subsequently modified into a bottomless-bottles promotion. Such events supported the brand's positioning as an entertainment-oriented college bar and restaurant, although the business's food service remained an important part of its appeal. The brand's visual identity was established at its beginning. In 1975, Oklahoma State freshman art student Bill Thompson created the Eskimo Joe character and his dog, Buffy. The smiling Eskimo figure and canine companion became widely used on clothing and other merchandise. Eskimo Joe's developed a retail operation connected to the Stillwater restaurant, a Tulsa location, mail-order and online catalog channels, and temporary holiday stores in Oklahoma malls. Merchandise became a significant extension of the brand's local and university affiliation. Eskimo Joe's also formed part of a family of themed concepts associated with Stan Clark. Stillwater Bay Oyster Company opened in 1984, Mexico Joe's opened in 1987, and Joseppi's opened in 2000. For periods, the concepts were promoted collectively under names such as the Three Amigos or the Fab Four. Stillwater Bay closed in 2005. Joseppi's closed on May 24, 2014; its building was converted in 2015 into MoJo's Rock'n'Bowl Grill, a sports bar with American food and bowling, which closed in January 2018. The related concepts used their own Joe-themed mascots, but the Eskimo Joe and Buffy characters remained the most popular. The restaurant has had an unusually visible presence in regional and national references. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush mentioned Eskimo Joe's cheese fries in a commencement speech. President George W. Bush made a similar reference in 2006. In 2005, SI on Campus ranked the business third among collegiate sports bars in the United States. Eskimo Joe's has also been mentioned in The Middle and The Oblongs, and received entertainment-media references from Jimmy Fallon in 2009 and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2018. These appearances reflect its status as a recognizable Stillwater and Oklahoma State institution.
- 2006
George W. Bush mentions the restaurant
[1]President George W. Bush referred to Eskimo Joe's and its cheese fries during a commencement speech.
- 2005
Ranked among leading collegiate sports bars
[1]SI on Campus named Eskimo Joe's the third-best collegiate sports bar in the United States.
- 2003
Thirsty Thursday begins
[1]The restaurant introduced its Thirsty Thursday promotion, later changing the format to bottomless bottles.
- 1992
Joe Dome atrium is added
[1]The two-story restaurant gained an atrium with a retractable glass roof known as the Joe Dome.
- 1990
Cheese fries receive presidential mention
[1]President George H. W. Bush mentioned Eskimo Joe's cheese fries during a commencement speech.
- 1984
Business expands from bar into restaurant
[1]After Oklahoma raised the drinking age to 21, Eskimo Joe's broadened its operation to include restaurant service.
- 1975
Eskimo Joe's opens in Stillwater
[1]Steve File and Stan Clark opened Eskimo Joe's on July 21 near Oklahoma State University. It initially operated as a bar.
- 1975
Eskimo Joe and Buffy logo is created
[1]OSU freshman art student Bill Thompson created the cartoon Eskimo Joe and his dog, Buffy, establishing the brand's enduring visual identity.
Products and positioning
A high-energy college-town restaurant and bar combining casual American food, beer, student-oriented promotions, sports and entertainment culture, and highly recognizable character merchandise.
Signature food
Cheese fries
Eskimo Joe's cheese fries are the restaurant's most publicly recognized menu item. Their visibility was reinforced by references in commencement speeches by Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, making the dish a prominent part of the brand's local identity.
Casual American food · 1984
Burgers and fries
The restaurant's core food positioning centers on casual American fare, particularly burgers and fries. This menu helped Eskimo Joe's evolve from a bar into a restaurant after the 1984 change in Oklahoma's legal drinking age.
Beverages · 1975
Beer and bar beverages
Beer is central to the brand's origin and name. Eskimo Joe's began as a bar and later continued to combine beer service with restaurant dining and student-oriented promotions.
Branded merchandise · 1975
Eskimo Joe's merchandise
Apparel and other merchandise use the Eskimo Joe and Buffy characters created by Bill Thompson in 1975. Distribution has included a connected Stillwater retail outlet, a Tulsa location, mail-order and online catalogs, and seasonal temporary stores.
Controversies
2020
Eskimo Joe's opens public input page amid rebranding petition
In 2020, Eskimo Joe's responded to an online petition that called for a change to its name and mascot and criticized the brand's depictions. The restaurant said it had set up a public input section, was considering all views, and was evaluating a path forward. The petition and the company's response drew attention to the brand's name and imagery.
Marketing campaigns
- 2003Thirsty Thursday
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Eskimo Joe's introduced a Thursday-night promotion featuring a five-dollar cover and unlimited domestic beer. The format was later changed to bottomless bottles.
Outcome. The promotion continued in modified form as a bottomless-bottles offer.
- Holiday merchandise pop-up stores
Oklahoma, United States
The brand has operated temporary retail stores in Oklahoma malls during the Christmas season to sell Eskimo Joe's merchandise.
Brand decisions
1992
Add the Joe Dome atriumOtherBackground
The restaurant was developing as a prominent student and entertainment venue near Oklahoma State University.
Action taken
A two-story atrium with a retractable glass roof was added to the building.
Aftermath
The Joe Dome became a distinctive architectural feature of the restaurant.
1984
Expand from bar service into restaurant operationsStrategyBackground
Oklahoma raised the legal drinking age from 18 to 21, changing the operating environment for a bar-oriented business.
Action taken
Eskimo Joe's added restaurant service and developed a broader food-and-beverage concept.
Aftermath
The business became known for casual food, especially burgers, fries, and cheese fries, while retaining its bar and college-town identity.
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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