greasy spoon

noun

Slang.

1. a cheap and rather unsanitary restaurant.

greasy spoon

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of greasy spoon¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Idioms and Phrases

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]