Editing Greasy spoon

{{Short description|Small and affordable restaurant}}
[[File:NYC diner Brooklyn.jpg|thumb|250px|upright|A counter in a diner in [[Brooklyn]], New York]]
[[File:Fortess Cafe Restaurant, Tufnell Park, NW5.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A typical British budget [[Cafe (British)|cafe]] in [[Tufnell Park]], London]]

A '''greasy spoon''' is a small, cheap [[restaurant]] typically specializing in [[Short order cooking|short order]] fare.<ref>{{Cite Dictionary.com|greasy spoon|access-date=2019-08-27}}</ref><ref name=caff>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-30879406|title=Cafe culture: The survival of the traditional British 'caff'|author=Duncan Smith|date=13 February 2015|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=2019-08-27}}</ref>

The term is also used in the UK–along with the informal term "caff" for café–to refer to a small privately-owned eatery that traditionally serves [[Full breakfast#England|fry-up]]s and other quick meals.<ref name=caff/>

==Term==
The term ''greasy spoon''—used to describe small and inexpensive [[diner]]s and coffee shops—became popular in the [[United States]] as early as the 1920s.<ref>"greasy spoon" entry, OED</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/greasy#etymonline_v_33790|title=greasy spoon|dictionary=[[Online Etymology Dictionary]]|access-date=2024-06-29}}</ref>

Nicknaming cheap restaurants after an unwashed spoon dates back at least to 1848:<ref>{{cite book
| title=Sand and Canvas: A Narrative of Adventures in Egypt, with a Sojourn Among the Artists in Rome
| author=Samuel Bevan
| publisher=[[Charles Gilpin (politician)|C. Gilpin]]
| year=1849
| pages=[https://archive.org/details/sandandcanvasan00bevagoog/page/n396 370]
| url=https://archive.org/details/sandandcanvasan00bevagoog}}
</ref> {{quote|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 appellation 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]]:<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Douglas |first1=R.B. |title=Stevenson at Fontainebleau |journal=Macmillan's Magazine |date=1906 |volume=I|page=340 |url=https://archive.org/details/macmillansmagaz06unkngoog/page/340/mode/2up |access-date=30 June 2024}}</ref>
{{quote|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...}}

==Menu==
Many typical American and Canadian greasy spoon [[diner]]s focus on griddled, grilled, or fried food, such as [[hamburgers]], [[french fries]], [[Chili con carne|chili]], eggs and [[omelette]]s, 
[[bacon]], [[sausage]]s, [[pancake]]s, [[waffle]]s, 
[[fried chicken]], [[Spam (food)|Spam]], and [[fish and chips]].

Sandwiches are also popular, as are [[beef stew]], [[baked beans]], and hearty [[soup]]s. Regional fare is often served. Since the 1970s, many [[Greek Americans|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, [[savoury (dish)|savouries]] and [[ice cream]] are popular snacks and desserts.<ref>{{cite web
| url=https://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_greasy_spoons_in_toronto/
| title=The Best Greasy Spoons in Toronto
| author=Amy Carlberg
| date=2017-04-03
| publisher=Freshdaily Inc.
| access-date=2019-08-27}}</ref>

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 breakfast#England|full cooked breakfast]]" all day.

==Popular culture==
Although there are now far fewer establishments due to the dominance of corporate [[Fast food restaurant|fast food restaurant chains]], a certain nostalgia exists surrounding a greasy spoon. Evocative characteristics include "counter service", jukeboxes, and hearty [[comfort food|comfort cuisine]]. The greasy spoon as a setting is a common trope in movies and TV shows.<ref>{{cite web
| url=https://www.foodnetwork.ca/dining-out/blog/best-greasy-spoons-diners-across-canada-37133/
| title=12 Great Greasy Spoons to Try Across Canada 
| author=Dan Clapson
| date=2016-07-28
| publisher=[[Food Network]]
| access-date=2019-08-27}}
</ref>

Restaurateur and television personality [[Guy Fieri]], on [[Food Network]]'s ''[[Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives]]'', pays homage to such eateries across the United States.<ref>{{cite web
| url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/diners-drive-ins-and-dives
| title=Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: About the Show
| publisher=Food Network
| access-date=2019-08-27}}
</ref>

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 (comic strip)|Blondie]]''. The kitchen and mess hall in ''[[Beetle Bailey]]'' provide the military equivalent of a greasy spoon. Cooks featured in these tropes tend to be unkempt in some way – hirsute, unshaven, tattooed, wearing a stain-covered apron, or smoking a cigarette while working.

==See also==
{{portal|Food|Companies}}
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Bar mleczny]]
* [[Cafe (British)]]
* [[Cha chaan teng]], Hong-Kong style greasy spoon
* [[Coney Island (restaurant)]]
* [[Dhaba]], an Indian diner
* [[List of diners]]
* [[Lunch counter]]
* [[Mamak stall]]
* [[Meat and three]]
* [[Mickey's Diner]]
* [[Nick Tahou Hots]]
* [[Pat's Hubba Hubba]]
* [[Public house]]
** [[List of public house topics]]
* [[Salisbury House (restaurant)]]
* [[Waffle House]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Hospitality industry in the United States]]
[[Category:Restaurants by type]]