Greasy spoon
Encyclopedia
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term originating in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to mean a small, especially cheap, archetypal working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
or diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
. The term is now used in many English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
speaking countries to mean the same thing. The name "greasy spoon" is used to imply a less-than-rigorous approach to hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
and dishwashing, and appears in use in the early 20th century.
United States
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, burger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
s, hash brown
Hash brown
Hash browns or hashed browns are a simple potato preparation in which potato pieces are pan-fried after being shredded, julienned, diced, or riced. In some cultures, hash browns or hashed browns can refer to any of these preparations, while in others it may refer to one specific preparation. In...
s, waffle
Waffle
A waffle is a batter- or dough-based cake cooked in a waffle iron patterned to give a distinctive and characteristic shape. There are many variations based on the type and shape of the iron and the recipe used....
s, pancake
Pancake
A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side...
s, omelette
Omelette
In cuisine, an omelette or omelet is a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan, sometimes folded around a filling such as cheese, vegetables, meat , or some combination of the above...
s, deep fried chicken
Fried chicken
Fried chicken is a dish consisting of chicken pieces usually from broiler chickens which have been floured or battered and then pan fried, deep fried, or pressure fried. The breading adds a crisp coating or crust to the exterior...
, and sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
s. These are often accompanied by baked beans
Baked beans
Baked beans is a dish containing beans, sometimes baked but, despite the name, usually stewed, in a sauce. Most commercial canned baked beans are made from haricot beans, also known as navy beans – a variety of Phaseolus vulgaris – in a sauce. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, a tomato...
, french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, coleslaw
Coleslaw
Coleslaw, sometimes simply called slaw in some American dialects, is a salad consisting primarily of shredded raw cabbage. It may also include shredded carrots and other ingredients such as fruits and vegetables, apples, onions, green onions, peppers and various spices.-History:The term "coleslaw"...
, or toast
Toast
Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
. Soup
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
s and chili con carne
Chili con carne
Chili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included...
are generally available. Since the 1970s many Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
immigrants have entered the business; as a result, gyros and souvlaki
Souvlaki
Souvlaki or souvlakia is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It may be served on the skewer for eating out of hand, in a pita sandwich with garnishes and sauces, or on a dinner plate, often with fried potatoes...
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
Blue-plate special
Blue-plate special or blue plate special is a term used in the United States by restaurants, particularly diners and cafes. It refers to a specially low-priced meal, usually changing daily. It typically consists of a "meat and three" , presented on a single plate, often a divided plate...
. 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
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, greasy spoons are also referred to as café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s 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
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
, black pudding, bubble and squeak
Bubble and squeak
Bubble and squeak is a traditional English dish made with the shallow-fried leftover vegetables from a roast dinner. The main ingredients are potato and cabbage, but carrots, peas, brussels sprouts, and other vegetables can be added...
, burger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
s, sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
s, mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s and chip
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
s, traditionally American items like Hash brown
Hash brown
Hash browns or hashed browns are a simple potato preparation in which potato pieces are pan-fried after being shredded, julienned, diced, or riced. In some cultures, hash browns or hashed browns can refer to any of these preparations, while in others it may refer to one specific preparation. In...
s may also be available. These are often accompanied by baked beans
Baked beans
Baked beans is a dish containing beans, sometimes baked but, despite the name, usually stewed, in a sauce. Most commercial canned baked beans are made from haricot beans, also known as navy beans – a variety of Phaseolus vulgaris – in a sauce. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, a tomato...
, cooked tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es, and fried bread
Fried bread
Fried bread, or fried slice, is bread which, after being sliced and fried, typically in reserved bacon fat, is served as part of a meal. Typically it is fried in the same pan as other ingredients in a meal, to absorb their flavour....
. 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
Bacon butty
A bacon sandwich is a form of sandwich made from cooked bacon between two slices of bread, usually buttered...
and sausage sandwich
Sausage sandwich
A sausage sandwich is a sandwich containing cooked sausage. It generally consists of an oblong bread roll such as a baguette or ciabatta roll, and sliced or whole links of sausage, such as hot or sweet Italian sausage, Polish sausage, German sausage , Mediterranean merguez, American andouille or...
being particularly popular. The main drink in a British working men's cafe is usually tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, especially "builders tea
Builders tea
Builder's tea is the nickname for strong, cheap tea, as is often drunk by builders when taking a break. The tea variety used is typically Assam tea, usually served in a mug with milk and, often, one or more sugars...
" (a nickname for a mug of strong black tea, such as English breakfast tea
English Breakfast tea
English Breakfast tea is a traditional blend of select teas originating from Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. It is one of the most popular blended teas...
, 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
Instant coffee
Instant coffee, also called soluble coffee and coffee powder, is a beverage derived from brewed coffee beans. Instant coffee is commercially prepared by either freeze-drying or spray drying, after which it can be rehydrated...
, 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
Bread and butter pudding
Bread and butter pudding is made by layering slices of buttered bread scattered with raisins in an oven dish into which an egg and milk mixture, commonly seasoned with nutmeg , is poured.-Instructions:...
, apple crumble
Crumble
A crumble is a dish of British and Irish origin that can be made in a sweet or savoury version, depending on ingredients used, although the sweet version is much more common. It also can be traced to American cuisine during the European colonization of the Americas. A sweet variety usually contains...
and rhubarb crumble. Working men's cafes are not noted for healthy food options though baked potato
Baked potato
A baked potato, or jacket potato, is the edible result of baking a potato. When well cooked, a baked potato has a fluffy interior and a crisp skin. It may be served with fillings and condiments such as butter, cheese or ham....
es with a limited range of fillings and filled bagettes 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
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
were making an attempt to ban the greasy spoon cafes. This turned out to be a hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
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
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
chains. However, they remain numerous all over the UK, especially in certain parts of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
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 breakfast
Full breakfast
A full breakfast is a meal that consists of several courses, traditionally a starter , a main course, tea with milk, toast and marmalade or other preserves. Many variations are possible....
s 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
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
.
See also
- Coney Island (restaurant)Coney Island (restaurant)A Coney Island is a type of restaurant popular in the northern United States, particularly in Michigan, as well as the name for the chili dog after which the restaurant was named.- Genealogy of the name :...
- Mickey's DinerMickey's DinerMickey's Diner is a 50' x 10' classic Art Deco diner car restaurant in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was prefabricated in New Jersey by the Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1937 serial # 1067, shipped to Saint Paul by rail, and installed downtown just before World War II...
- Pat's Hubba HubbaPat's Hubba HubbaPat's Hubba Hubba is a late-night greasy spoon chili restaurant located at 24 North Main Street in the village of Port Chester in Westchester County, New York...
- Nick Tahou HotsNick Tahou HotsNick Tahou Hots, originally known as Hots and Potatoes, is a Rochester, New York, landmark restaurant featuring a dish called the Garbage Plate. The restaurant was founded in 1918 by Alex Tahou, the grandfather of the current owner , and named for Nick Tahou, the founder's son, who operated the...
- Truck stopTruck stopA truck stop is a commercial facility predicated on providing fuel, parking, and often food and other services to motorists and truck drivers...
- Meat and threeMeat and threeMeat and three or meat and three veg is a popular meal combination found in rural cuisine in the Southern United States, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom....
- DhabaDhabaIn India and Pakistan highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as dhabas In India and Pakistan highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as dhabas In India and Pakistan highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as dhabas (singular: dhaba; In India...
Indian diner - Mamak stallMamak stallA mamak stall, is a food establishment which serves mamak food. In Malaysia, the term mamak refers to Tamil Muslims, who generally own and operate them. Although traditionally operated from roadside stalls, some modern mamak stall operators have expanded their businesses into restaurant or...
- Bar mlecznyBar mlecznyA bar mleczny - literally "milk bar" in Polish is a Polish form of cafeteria. They were invented by the communist authorities of Poland in the mid-1960s as a means of offering cheap meals to people working in companies that had no official canteen...
- Ma Kelly's Greasy SpoonMa Kelly's Greasy SpoonMa Kelly's Greasy Spoon is the third album by English rock band Status Quo. It was the first album by the band to leave behind their early psychedelic sound and begin experimenting with the hard rock style which remains their signature sound....
- Waffle HouseWaffle HouseWaffle House is a restaurant chain with over 1600 locations found in 25 states in the United States. Most of the locations are in the Southern United States, where the chain remains a regional cultural icon...
- Salisbury House (restaurant)Salisbury House (restaurant)Salisbury House is a restaurant chain based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Known locally as "Sals," the chain is considered a Winnipeg institution....
External links
- Classic Cafes - The Very Best of London's Twentieth Century vintage Formica caffs