Synonyms

greasy spoon

American

noun

Slang.

a cheap and rather unsanitary restaurant.

greasy spoon British

noun

slang a small, cheap, and often unsanitary restaurant, usually specializing in fried foods

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

greasy spoon Idioms

A cheap restaurant, especially one serving short-order fried foods. For example, College students short of cash tend to eat a lot in that greasy spoon. This expression also implies that the restaurant is not very clean. [c. 1900]

Etymology

Origin of greasy spoon

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That same greasy spoon appears in other TV and movie shots, including a scene with Meg Ryan in “Sleepless in Seattle.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He told the man he was looking for a job and the man, who worked for a loan company, told him he should buy the little greasy spoon.

From Los Angeles Times

She maintains an eclectic list of favorite L.A. eateries, from greasy spoons to elevated Italian and American spots.

From Los Angeles Times

In a greasy spoon just off the New Jersey Turnpike, two men sit down for coffee.

From New York Times

Casual diners ordered meatloaf and burgers at the local greasy spoon.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023