A dated American term for a casual cafeteria-style eatery that specializes in lunch service — think counter seats, daily specials on a chalkboard, and quick service for the midday crowd. Luncheterias were common in mid-20th century American cities, filling the gap between a proper sit-down restaurant and a diner. The word has a charming retro quality that captures the optimistic, can-do vocabulary of the postwar American food scene.
Every weekday at noon, the office workers would pile into the luncheteria on the ground floor for soup and a sandwich.
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(US, dated) A cafeteria where lunch is served.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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