looking for a translation

[ratcreature]

I'm looking for the English word for "Kaffeeklappe", i.e. an establishment where workers can buy cheap meals (and as the name implies coffee) but which is not serving alcohol like pubs are. Traditionally they were located in or near the industrial areas, like in the harbor. These first opened in the 19th century as part of the anti-alcoholism movement. The official German term was "Volkskaffeehalle" (public coffee hall?) but the informal term is much more common. It comes from the food being served from the kitchen into the dining area through a serving hatch. They are not very common anymore, having been replaced by various fast food options, I guess. Is there an English equivalent? I thought maybe "greasy spoon" might fit, except that the dictionary tells me that term dates only to the 1920s, and I'm looking for the 19th century thing.

Comments

[ratcreature]

So the English term coffee house was not the equivalent to what in German is called "Kaffeehaus", like the famous ones in Vienna, that is more known for the cultural associations, like Bohemian poets meeting and such?

[penknife.livejournal.com]

It was in its earliest form. By the mid-19th century, though, coffee houses had become less fashionable in England as a cultural/political institution (replaced in large part by the club), and there was a push to create working men's coffee houses as part of the temperance movement. So I think if you're specifically talking about the 19th century, it's your best bet as a term for "a cheap restaurant that doesn't serve alcohol."