The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word CHOPHOUSE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
H
O
P
H
O
U
S
E
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "where people go to eat" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case where people go to eat = chophouse.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CHOPHOUSE mean?
CHOPHOUSE noun- An inexpensive restaurant that specializes in chops or steaks; a steakhouse.
- Any restaurant.
- A custom house in China where transit duties are levied.