Greasy spoon cafes

[Jedi Knight]

How legendary were these places?

Not that many left now, at least still in the way they were in the 70's/ 80's.

Most of the ones I frequented as a kid had names from greek history or Shakespeare or something like that:

Athena
Neptune's diner
Othello
Parthenon
Prima Donna

Who can forget:

1. The "coke" that was never mixed quite right from the gun and tasted pretty much like syrup
2. That really loud "frothing" sound the machine made when putting hot milk into the coffee
3. The astonishing chip butties (these places made the best ones EVER) where the butter melted into the teacake with the warmth of the chips.
4. The little numbered ticket (usually yellow or blue) that you got for your food which always ended up drowned in the slops from the tea because they always put it on the side of the saucer
5. Smoke (and lots of it)
6. the "LV accepted here" sign on the door/ window (still don't know what that means, perhaps should look it up)
7. the big white fridge which tapped it's own "Ice Cold Milk"

Great places, great memories.

Please share your Greasy Spoon experiences...

[Richard1978]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

Stockport had 1 or 2 until the 1990s at least.

This is one called Othello's but it's a bit too modern to count, but it does nice all day breakfasts.

Recently I've seen cafes with 1980s Nice Cold Ice Cold Milk stickers in the window.

LV stands for Luncheon Vouchers, that companies would give out for staff. I think they have been mentioned on here before.

Other things I remember about them:

Slush Puppy machines with a large rotated cup on top.

Juice machines with very sweet orange juice sloshing around.

Glass or plastic strip fronted fridges with brand-x soft drinks in.

Trays of chips to go with loads of thick gravy on them.

Wholesale boxes of Kit-Kats on the counter quickly ripped open to allow one to be removed at a time.

Clear plastic display with lots of compartments for choc bars, sandwiches, pasties etc each with it's own door.

Heated stainless steel tray sunk into the counter full of baked beans or mushy peas.

There some pics online of the Savoy Cafe in Hackney just after it closed that is real old-school. I'll try to link them.

[Cooldeepblue]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

We had a great one in Blackpool, in keeping with your Greek name theory it was called the Trojan Cafe. We would all pile there after school to play Top Trumps and one cup of tea could easily last two hours !!

[Richard1978]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

It's possible a lot of greasy spoons were owned by Greek or Italian families, which would explain the names.

Manchester might have some old school ones, I went in one about 6 years ago that wasn't far off being one.

The Arndale had one until it was renovated, it looked like it was last done up in th early 1980s.

I'm surprised I missed those plastic tomato ketchup dispensers!

Sugar in containers like large pepper pots with a nozzle rather than holes.

Your first sight of a donner kebab rotating round, even during the day when no-ones in the mood for a kebab.

Years old video game in one corner almost always with a crowd of teenagers around with only 1 playing, or else out of order.

Whicker backed chairs & matching lamp shades too low over the tables.

Later refurbishments might have those fixed plastic chairs & tables like a fast food restaurant.

Check this link out for the Savoy cafe.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/emilyw...57619950686676

[Sly]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

We go in one in Wakefield called Othello's. It has all the trademarks of a greasy spoon. Big mirrors running up one side of the room, one of those weird waterfall glass things. Sticky carpet. Owner that looks like he should be on some sort of register. Waitresses covered in tattoos that are spelt wrong. Leaking teapots. The place has it all.

Going to that place is like stepping back in time.

[Twocky61]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

There are still quite a few Greasy Spoon cafe's about. There is one at Gloucester bus station where you can get a lovely full English breakfast for £4-ish. The one at Preston bus station was there last time I was up that way a few years ago. Trivia: Preston bus station with the multi-storey car-park above it was the largest bus station in Europe in the 70's but has probably been upsurged by now. On Transport Forum Leyland National buses have been mentioned and I remember early 70's Ribble buses had quite a few at Preston & Southport bus stations. Of course Ribble has been taken over by Stagecoach

Cirencester truck park had a cafe actually called Greasy Spoon a 24 hour cafe which only recently closed down mainly because McD are next door

Codford just outside Salisbury on the A36 I believe there is Hillside cafe still open which again is a great cafe

If you google truckstops you will find loads more where they serve bottomless tea & coffee. Night Owl A5 Rugby £1.05 for first mug tea/coffee then as many refills as you like self service at the refill counter

Then there is Truckhaven Jct 35 M6 Morecombe/Carnforth off-slip a transport cafe

There was a transport cafe Scotch Corner top of A1 but is now a Granada (bah humbug!)

So Greasy Spoons are stll going strong despite the Elf & Hygiene police lol

[Richard1978]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

Bus stations often had a cafe attached or nearby.

Until recently Stockport had the Mersey Cafe just outside the bus station, but has been refitted as a carvery.

The actual bus station building has a chip shop in it, but I'm sure it used to be a snack bar at one time.

According to my Dad when the M1 opened many lorry drivers didn't use it because they missed going to long established transport cafes on the A1 & A5.

[Twocky61]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

There are also layby snack bars especially along the A19 (I think) Scotch Corner to Middlesborough practically every other layby but a lot of roads now prohibit street trading mainly to do with complaints from Trust House Forte who own Little Chef restaurants.

[Twocky61]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

So all in all greasy spoons are doing quite well all things considered

[80sChav]

Re: Greasy spoon cafe's

Bus stations often had a cafe attached or nearby.

Until recently Stockport had the Mersey Cafe just outside the bus station, but has been refitted as a carvery.

The actual bus station building has a chip shop in it, but I'm sure it used to be a snack bar at one time.

According to my Dad when the M1 opened many lorry drivers didn't use it because they missed going to long established transport cafes on the A1 & A5.

I think I have been in the one you mention in Stockport (on the 2nd of my two visits) Richard. If it is the same one (not the Fish and Chip one) it was a "Gem" of a Greasy Spoon without doubt

Sadly though a lot seem to be disappearing through one reason or another compared to even say the late 1990s - why this is I am unsure!! Though i have read it is a lot to do with Healthy Eating etc - but to me if greasy food or whatever is eaten in moderation - that's fair as can be. The sad fact is though nearly every Town had a great Greasy Spoon and often based near a Bus and/or Railway Station too - at least until National Companies like Subway (though it's not really a Cafe/ or Greasy Spoon as such) got in on the act and ruined a great piece of culture that had so many memories for so many decades and brought so much happyness to people too. When I think of the City's and Towns I still visit that have lost their Greasy Spoons it makes me really really sad thinking what these City's and Towns used to be, espeialy too with other personal memories. The loss of the Greasy Spoon (in the droves it has been lost over the years) really is a true loss in itself I feel/think sadly

80sChav

[battyrat]

Re: Greasy spoon cafes

We seemed to visit one of these every time we went on holiday. After I left school and started to get out and about a bit further I used to often end up in one of these places for a good old fried breakfast. Good value for money, the plate always piled to the ceiling. Always needed a much welcomed mug of tea or coffee to wash it down, maybe two cups at times. Most of the ones I knew are long gone and some seemed to have been replaced by those expensive little chef places where the generic food tasted like cardboard at times.