Whether it is the corner greasy spoon or the white linen place, what both restaurants strive for is reliability.
Ordinarily wouldn't be my first choice, but they make surprisingly good coffee for a greasy spoon.
British Dictionary definitions for greasy spoon
greasy spoon
noun
1.
(slang) a small, cheap, and often unsanitary restaurant, usually specializing in fried foods
Slang definitions & phrases for greasy spoon
greasy spoon
noun phrase
A small, cheap restaurant, lunchroom, or diner: The Marx brothers ate in coffee pots and greasy spoons/ your above-average greasy spoon in Boston's Back Bay(1925+)
Idioms and Phrases with greasy spoon
greasy spoon
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 ]