Greasy spoon

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 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:[6] A tradition exists in the studios of Montparnasse, where Stevenson has already become almost a legendary figure, that "cousin Bob" (R.A.M.

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.

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.

[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.

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.