Greasy spoon

The Regency Cafe in Pimlico, London, is a well-preserved 1940s "greasy spoon" cafe.

Greasy spoon is a colloquial or slang term originating in the United States to mean a small, especially cheap, archetypal working class restaurant or diner. The term is now used in many English speaking countries to mean the same thing. The name "greasy spoon" is used to imply a less-than-rigorous approach to hygiene and dishwashing, and appears in use in the early 20th century.

United States

Small diner counter in Brooklyn.

Many typical American greasy spoons focus on fried or grilled food, such as fried eggs, bacon, burgers, hash browns, waffles, pancakes, omelettes, deep fried chicken, and sausages. These are often accompanied by baked beans, french fries, coleslaw, or toast. Soups and chili con carne are generally available. Since the 1970s many Greek immigrants have entered the business; as a result, gyros and souvlaki meats are now a common part of the repertoire, often served as a side dish with breakfast as a replacement for bacon or sausage. A full meal may be available for a special price, sometimes called a blue-plate special. Regional fare is often served. Coffee, iced tea and soft drinks are the typical beverages, and pie and ice cream are popular desserts.

United Kingdom

A dish with baked beans, black pudding, sliced sausage, fried mushrooms and toast

In the United Kingdom, greasy spoons are also referred to as cafés or "working men's cafés", which in the South is often colloquially referred to as a "caff". Not all cafés are greasy spoons, however. A greasy spoon is rarely if ever part of a chain or group. Today a typical UK working men's cafe pays attention to hygiene and typically customers can see food being prepared in a clean kitchen area behind the counter.

The typical working men's cafe serves mainly fried or grilled food, such as fried eggs, bacon, black pudding, bubble and squeak, burgers, sausages, mushrooms and chips, traditionally American items like Hash browns may also be available. These are often accompanied by baked beans, cooked tomatoes, and fried bread. These are served in a variety of combinations and usually it is possibly to order any combination. This part of the menu is generally referred to as "breakfast" even if it is available all day.

Hot and cold sandwiches are also often available, the bacon butty and sausage sandwich being particularly popular. The main drink in a British working men's cafe is usually tea, especially "builders tea" (a nickname for a mug of strong black tea, such as English breakfast tea, usually served with milk and sugar and is typically robust and flavourful with a brisk character and a dark red colour). Often the only coffee available will be instant, though this has slowly changed with the increased proliferation of coffee drinking. British working men's cafes will sometimes also offer bread and butter pudding, apple crumble and rhubarb crumble. Working men's cafes are not noted for healthy food options though baked potatoes with a limited range of fillings and filled baguettes may be available.

The greasy spoon was also the mainstay of British lorry drivers who travelled the major truck roads such as the A1 and the A6 prior to the opening of the motorways, see also Transport café. These cafes were not only stops where the driver could eat, but also made convenient meeting places where the trade unions could talk to their members. In 2001, a story broke in the UK press about how the European Union were making an attempt to ban the greasy spoon cafes. This turned out to be a hoax based on an EU report about eating habits of long distance drivers and their health.

In the United Kingdom, the traditional greasy spoon or working men's cafe has been in decline due to the rise of fast food chains. However, they remain numerous all over the UK, especially in certain parts of London, Birmingham, Manchester, Derby and many seaside towns. The demand for their style of cuisine has resulted in the establishment of greasy spoons all over the world and particularly in European coastal resorts located within an hour's coach ride from charter airlines' destinations. At such locations, full breakfasts may be consumed on an all-day basis (to accommodate late rising clients) and are sometimes accompanied by day-old copies of the Daily Mirror or The Sun.

See also

• Coney Island (restaurant)
• Mickey's Diner
• Pat's Hubba Hubba
• Nick Tahou Hots
• Truck stop
• Meat and three
• Dhaba Indian diner
• Mamak stall
• Bar mleczny
• Waffle House
• Salisbury House (restaurant)

External links

• Classic Cafes - The Very Best of London's Twentieth Century vintage Formica caffs