The Dug Out Cafe

stantoncarlisle

theres nowhere else like this 18th December 2008

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Established in 1919, the great-great granddaddy of Londan Cafes can still show the young 'uns a trick or too. As one of my chums put it "McDonalds coming to Golders Green was just a blip in the life of the Dug-Out". There are a few books that tout the idiosyncratic colourful & individualistic folk art known as Roadside America; the Dug-Out would give those taste expanding pioneers a real run for their money. Its day glow Orange front and black lettering brighten up the mottled back alley that slides all the way down to the main street.
Past a few rows of plastic seating for al fresco dining the sign says Bikers Welcome in computer spaced lettering. A motorbike leans against the right wall as if to verify that the sign is true. The venerable Caff is down an orange soaked staircase lined with circular mirrorsand boasting a sculpted ashtray complete with carefully molded dog-ends. Inside the menu is a mixture of greasy classics and Hungarian delights. On the local front you have the English Breakfast fry-up, the Full Monty(even more heart attack fodder) and the Belly Buster - enough fried bacon, black pudding, eggs, hash brownies to quench the sturdiest of cabbie's hunger pangs. Hungarian dishes included Goulash, Beef Stew, Cabbage Stuffed with Spicy Pork, Chicken Kiev and Chicken Breast. The Stuffed Cabbage served with rice was excellent. The Chicken Kiev dry but pretty good. The Goulash had sadly gone - even though I got there just after 12 o'clock! Same with the Beef Stew. Looks like if you want the good stuff here you have to get there early. Most dishes were £4.50, the grease plate specials a bit more.
The staff are a friendly bunch of individuals working on a counter constructed from a few pieces of wardrobe. Behind them on the wall was a Northern Line tube map with Golders Green scratched out and the Dug-Out written in red. The main room of the cafe was dotted with a smorgasbord decor that would not have been out of place in John Waters' Pink Flamingos - that is if he's honed his taste over a decade. The walls were a delightful hodge-podge of record sleeves, photos of moustache champions, Euro erotica, religious imagery, rock'n'roll icons, pipes and other interesting folderol. Under the table behind me was a painted clay dog digging an escape hole. The whole dining space was a treasure chest of the absurd seamlessly blended. Low ceilinged & spacious with lots of tables, sofa nooks, places to hang out, eat or dally on the internet. A sign outside boasts of a Wi-Fi connection.
The notice board has flyers for "Ton-Up" events - bikers used to fuel up here before hitting the North Circular. The Dug-Out opens early around 7 am and closes at 3 in the afternoon. Get there if you love London Cafes - this place is to Caffs what Dracula is to Vampires. Older, wiser, more powerful, with chutzpah and style.