How I Met Your Mother: 10 Most Memorable Scenes In MacLaren’s Pub

Every great sitcom typically tends to have a ‘hub’ where all of the main characters hang out outside of their homes, and for How I Met Your Mother, that location is MacLaren’s Pub. This bar plays host to many of the show’s funniest and most important moments, whether it be drunken ideas or heartfelt conversations, there is a lot that takes place within this location.

The bar is a perfect setting for a show like this, as it makes sense that they would all want to hang out in this type of location. Of course, not all of the most important moments happen here, but this is one of the most iconic locations on the show for a reason.

10 “Vomit-Free Since ’93”

Obviously, with a bar setting, it is no surprise that there are plenty of drunken moments within How I Met Your Mother’s MacLaren’s Bar setting. One of the funniest is when Ted decides to start doing shots and calls Robin, while she is on a date.

He takes the time to tell everyone he won’t be sick because he is, “vomit-free since ’93.” However, this scene really goes to the next level when he puts on the jukebox and starts singing to everyone, and Robin, until he falls off a table onto the floor.

9 “We Should Buy A Bar”

During the episode, “Three Days Of Snow,” Ted and Barney make it clear that they wish they could own a bar together. Luck comes their way in the form of a storm which leads to Ted and Barney getting their chance to run MacLaren’s themselves.

With Carl wanting to close the bar in order to go and shelter, the two men look after the bar and it leads to complete chaos. When a full marching band turns up, they end up living their dream and having a major party inside of the bar, and then their own apartment, which leads to some hilarious moments.

8 “Lesson Two – Get A Suit”

Speaking of Barney and Ted, while they’re already friends when the show begins, there is a flashback scene throughout the series that reveals how they meet. That just so happens to be in the toilets of MacLaren’s, where Barney begins imparting his ‘wisdom’ onto his future best friend.

This is the first time that Ted learns some of Barney’s lessons, which just so happens to include Ted needing to go out and buy a suit, which is something that Barney continues to tell him countless times throughout their lives.

7 Where Does That Door Go?

Throughout the series when it comes to MacLaren’s, the group is often just seen sat in the same spot, their booth. However, during one episode where Lily is pregnant and needs a distraction, she asks the group to tell her the story of ‘Where does that door go?’

This leads to a scene in the bar where one by one, they investigate a door that they’ve never opened before. Each character heads in and is shown looking incredibly excited, until Marshall heads in. He opens it to find a closet, with the rest of them scaring him, which is a simple, yet effectively funny scene.

6 Gael Enters The Bar

Enrique Iglesias is a really fun cameo role in How I Met Your Mother, playing Robin’s boyfriend, Gael. He’s a character the rest of the group aren’t sure about, mainly because of how Ted feels about Robin at that time, so when he first arrives and meets everyone, it leads to a hilariously awkward scene.

He introduces himself as Gael, which leads to the three men constantly changing his name, trying to work out how to pronounce it. The rest of the scene is just as funny as he points out things that American’s do, almost mocking them as the rest of the group react accordingly.

5 Slap Bet

The slap bet is a fantastic running gag throughout the show between Marshall and Barney and while this ends up taking on a whole life of its own, the original bet was made inside MacLaren’s. As well as that, the original slap and Barney’s three return slaps all happen there as well.

These are the scenes that helped create the hilarious slap bet which proved to be so popular and funny that the writers continued to make gags based around the slap bet throughout the rest of the series.

4 Alone With His Thoughts

A lot of the best moments from MacLaren’s comes when the group is all together, but this moment is actually when Ted sits all on his one in their usual booth. After all of his friends are too busy to come with him to see Robot vs. Wrestlers, he sits with Barney in his imagination talking to him.

It leads to him wishing that he got to spend extra time with ‘The Mother’, and is actually a really emotional moment. Ted speaks about how much he loves his friends and wishes he could spend more time with them, but he makes it clear it is his wife he wanted to be with even more.

3 Barney Is The Best Man

When Marshall and Lily get engaged, Ted and Barney often debate over who will be his best man. However, during one moment at MacLaren’s, it is decided that it will be Barney, as Lily reveals that he flew to San Fransisco to bring her back together with Marshall without anybody knowing.

The scene shows a great flashback scene to that happening, but it is Marshall’s reaction inside the bar which really makes this a great scene. It’s a moment all about friendship and love and is one that shows just how much Barney is willing to do for those he cares about.

2 Marshall Loses His Father

While this moment doesn’t take place directly inside MacLaren’s it happens right on the doorstep and is easily the most emotional moment in the entire series. With Marshall incredibly excited about the news of Lily’s pregnancy, he rushes outside of the pub to try and call his father.

However, he is greeted by Lily who delivers the heartbreaking news, and Marshall’s reaction is one of utter heartbreak. It’s a very upsetting scene, but one that is done incredibly well and certainly has a lasting impact on viewers.

1 Meeting Robin

Ultimately, the best moment inside of MacLaren’s Pub has to be from the pilot episode, as this is the location where Ted first sees Robin. Considering how the show ends and how big of an impact Ted and Robin’s relationship has on the show, this moment is an iconic one.

While it doesn’t take long for Robin to feel like a natural fit within the group of already established friends, at first they don’t know her until Ted meets her. It’s a love at first sight situation for Ted, and the scene really does set up the entire show.

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