A greasy spoon is a small, cheap restaurant typically specializing in short order fare. [1] [2]
A greasy spoon is often located alongside a main road to serve passing motorists, particularly a truck stop catering particularly to truck (lorry) drivers; this is known as a transport cafe in Britain.
The term greasy spoon—used to describe small and inexpensive diners and coffee shops—became popular in the United States as early as the 1920's. [3] [4]
Nicknaming cheap restaurants after an unwashed spoon dates back at least to 1848: [5]
"The Gabbione [in Rome]... has withal an appearance so murky and so very far removed from cleanliness, that the Germans have bestowed upon it the apellation of the 'Dirty Spoon'."
The earliest appearance in print of the specific term "greasy spoon" was in 1906, in a story in Macmillan's Magazine, referring to an eatery in Paris frequented for a time by Robert Louis Stevenson: [6]
"A tradition exists in the studios of Montparnasse, where Stevenson has already become almost a legendary figure, that "cousin Bob" (R.A.M. Stevenson, the well-known art-critic) one day found his relative moping in the darkest corner of the Cremerie in the Rue Delambre, - an eating-house much frequented by artists, and familiarly known as The Greasy Spoon..."
Many typical American and Canadian greasy spoon diners focus on griddled, grilled, or fried food, such as hamburgers, french fries, chili, eggs and omelettes, bacon, sausages, pancakes, waffles, fried chicken, Spam, and fish and chips.
Sandwiches are also popular, as are beef stew, baked beans, and hearty soups. Regional fare is often served. Since the 1970s, many Greek immigrants have entered the business. Coffee, iced tea, and soft drinks are the typical beverages, as alcohol is usually not offered due to the prohibitive cost of a liquor license. Pie, savouries and ice cream are popular snacks and desserts. [7]
A typical American greasy spoon or diner may offer a full meal for a special price, sometimes called a blue-plate special. A British or Irish cafe will typically offer a "full cooked breakfast" all day.
Although there are now far fewer establishments due to the dominance of corporate fast food restaurant chains, a certain nostalgia exists surrounding a greasy spoon. Evocative characteristics include "counter service”, jukeboxes, and hearty comfort cuisine. The greasy spoon is a common trope in movies and TV shows. [8]
Restaurateur and television personality Guy Fieri, on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives , pays homage to such eateries across the United States. [9]
Comic strips and humorous magazines have often lampooned the greasy spoon diner. The Better Half had Bert's Beanery, and Dagwood Bumstead continues to eat at Lou's Diner in Blondie. The kitchen and mess hall in Beetle Bailey provide the military equivalent of a greasy spoon. Cooks tend to be unkempt in some way – hirsute, unshaven, tattooed, wearing a stain-covered apron, or smoking a cigarette while working.
A diner is a type of restaurant found across the United States and Canada, as well as parts of Western Europe. Diners offer a wide range of cuisine, mostly American cuisine, a casual atmosphere, and, characteristically, a combination of booths served by a waitstaff and a long sit-down counter with direct service, in the smallest simply by a cook. Many diners have extended hours, and some along highways and areas with significant shift work stay open for 24 hours.
Cha chaan teng, often called a Hong Kong-style cafe or diner in English, is a type of restaurant that originated in Hong Kong. Cha chaan teng are commonly found in Hong Kong, Macau, and parts of Guangdong. Due to the waves of mass migrations from Hong Kong in the 1980s, they are now established in major Chinese communities in Western countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Likened to a greasy spoon cafe or an American diner, cha chaan tengs are known for eclectic and affordable menus, which include dishes from Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style Western cuisine. They draw comparisons to Western cafés due to their casual settings, as well as menus revolving around coffee and tea.
A lunch counter or luncheonette is a small restaurant, similar to a diner, where the patron sits on a stool on one side of the counter and the server serves food from the opposite side of the counter, where the kitchen or food preparation area is located. As the name suggests, they were primarily used for the lunch meal. Lunch counters were once commonly located inside variety stores, pharmacies, and department stores in the United States throughout the 20th century. The intent of the lunch counter in a store was to profit from serving hungry shoppers, and to attract people to the store so that they might buy merchandise.
The Grease trucks were a group of food trucks located on the College Avenue Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They were known for serving, among other things, "Fat Sandwiches," a sub roll containing a combination of ingredients such as burgers, cheese, chicken fingers, french fries, falafel, and mozzarella sticks.
Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the US, while categorisation differs widely around the world.
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is an American food reality television series that has aired on the Food Network since April 23, 2007. It is hosted by Guy Fieri, and in recent episodes Hunter Fieri has joined his dad in exploring cuisines and restaurants. The show originally began as a one-off special that aired on November 6, 2006. The show features a "road trip" concept, similar to Road Tasted, Giada's Weekend Getaways, and $40 a Day. Fieri travels around the United States, Canada, and Mexico, looking at various diners, drive-in restaurants, and dive bars. He has also featured restaurants in European cities, including London and Florence, as well as in Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Pat's Hubba Hubba, also known as "Hubba's", was a late-night greasy spoon chili restaurant located at 24 North Main Street in the village of Port Chester in Westchester County, New York. Near the New York-Connecticut border, Hubba's caters to the local bar scene by staying open until 5:00 am on the weekends, and at least 3:00 am on weeknights.
A café or cafe is a small restaurant or coffeehouse.
Cart noodle is a noodle dish which became popular in Hong Kong and Macau in the 1950s through independent street vendors operating on roadsides and in public housing estates in low-income districts, using carts. Many street vendors have vanished but the name and style of noodle endures as a cultural icon.
In Britain, a cafe or café, also known colloquially as a caff or greasy spoon, is a small eatery typically specialising in fried foods or home-cooked meals.
The Original Dinerant, or simply The Original, is a diner serving American cuisine in Portland, Oregon, United States. Owned by Sage Hospitality Resources, Guy Fieri visited the "modern" and "upscale" diner to film a 2016 episode of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The diner has hosted competitive eating contests and other special events. The Original has received a generally positive reception and is most known for its glazed doughnut sliders and alcoholic milkshakes. The restaurant's mezzanine level has an amusement arcade and bar called The Dinercade added in early 2019.
Fuller's Coffee Shop is a diner serving standard American cuisine in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District, in the United States. Established in 1947, the restaurant has operated from its location in downtown Portland since 1960. It serves breakfast all day, and the menu features a cheeseburger with a recipe that has not changed since the diner's establishment. Described as a greasy spoon, Fuller's has received a generally positive reception, and appeared in an episode of the television series Grimm in 2017. Founded by Jack Fuller, the diner was later owned by his son John then by Urban Restaurant Group.
Arleta Library Bakery & Cafe was a restaurant in the Mt. Scott-Arleta district of southeast Portland, Oregon, United States. Sarah and Nick Iannarone established Arleta in 2005, and it closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guy Fieri visited the restaurant for an episode of the Food Network's television show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
The Nite Hawk Cafe and Lounge is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Cup & Saucer Cafe was a restaurant with multiple locations in Portland, Oregon.
Batterfish was a fish and chip shop in Portland, Oregon. Previously, the business operated in Encino, Los Angeles, as a food truck in Santa Monica, California, and as a food cart in Happy Valley, Oregon. Batterfish specialized in fish and chips and was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The restaurant closed by 2023.
Mustache Bill's Diner is a diner in Barnegat Light, New Jersey, established in 1959.
Industrial Cafe and Saloon was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Guy Fieri visited the restaurant for an episode of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Pinoyshki Bakery & Cafe, or simply Pinoyshki, is a restaurant in Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. Established in 1994, the bakery previously operated on 3rd Avenue and was known as Piroshki on 3rd, before rebranding in December 2023 and relocating to Capitol Hill in early 2024. Owned by Aly Anderson since 2016, the bakery has been featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
