Nelson's Diner, a view from elsewhere...

[cosmo]

Picked up one of the UK mags recently: Classic Bike Guide. Nice rag, lovely Metisse on the cover...yada yada.

Inside, there's a pic of a Royal Enfield in Nelson's Diner. Sign claims "A Taste of the USA".

Curious that. *I'm* in the USA (Chicago), and I'm no stranger to a burger or two, so I do a little research. Found their menu.

Hmmm, looks a bit expensive, thinks I. So I do a bit more research, found a local joint that has: A) a reputation for being a bit spendy, and B) an online menu.

(The text 'menu' is the clickable link for both.)

Then I think, Boy howdy, is that place normal for the UK?? But I cannot answer that. The prices, just in raw numbers, not currency numbers, are higher for the UK Nelson's Diner, than for Ed Debevics, IN Chicago, which ain't cheap eats, no matter where you go (meaning in the city proper).
Now if you consider the currency aspect, Nelson's is, to me, so incredibly expensive that those same prices HERE, would mean that you actually could not even GET a burger, because at those prices, the clientele doesn't want to see a burger on that menu.

Question is: Is Nelson's Diner, (A339 Newbury Road, Kingsclere, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 4TA) considered the norm for ordinary English folk??

Cosmo (wordy, ain't I)

P.S. Cheapest Nelson burger, at £8.85 ($14.50) compares to Ed's at £4.57 ($7.50).

[John Stenhouse]

Yes and no! Those are reasonable prices for a premium place, Berkshire is quite pricey, and though I don't know the place personally, Kingsclere is a well to do area.

Chains over here, that is McD and Burger King are about £6 for a meal, that place looks like its selling point is being American as apple pie! For that you pay a premium.

You can get pubs that charge the same as that round here, and some even more. One of the best "Food Pubs" round here start at about £10 for a main and go up, Sunday Lunch there is £15.

Gresy spoon cafes and truckstops do exist over here you just have to know where, ther you could get a meal for £4 to £6 easily.

You pays your money and you takes your choice. If it's any consolation if you walked into Nelsons in full leathers my guess is you'd be a tad underdressed.

[Colonel Nikolai]

In general you're going to find restaurant fare in the USA is much cheaper than in central/western Europe. I used to work with a lot of Brits (for those of you who shop at Sainsbury's, that's my software running those stores: I deserve the blame!) They were constantly amazed that eating a good meal in the US was so cheap. One of them told me it was cheaper than grocery shopping and making your own meals in the UK.

[Nick Calne]

Cosmo, that's about right for a reasonable burger in a restaurant in Newbury.

Pay more...get less. Welcome to England.  But why stop with Newbury....

Try London for that authentic, bitter taste of being ripped off.  You could probably double the prices at Nelsons in the better end of the city and then enjoy the thrill of paying £4.50 for a pint of beer.  :shock:  :roll:  

[oxnsox]

Food ain't cheap in the UK... but you're not paying an 18% tip on top of the price either.....

[Colonel Nikolai]

oxnsox you're right about the tipping thing. But I think the Brits I worked with told me it was still considerably cheaper here in the US for a restaurant.

[Bixxer Bob]

....Try London for that authentic, bitter taste of being ripped off.  You could probably double the prices at Nelsons in the better end of the city and then enjoy the thrill of paying £4.50 for a pint of beer.  :shock:  :roll:  

  you should try Paris!!!  I alsways thought we had it bad in the UK until I went to Paris last November.  £6 for a Costa Coffee,  £7 for a small 0.3CL bottle of Leffe beer.... :shock:

[cosmo]

That's very interesting to me, a bloke who has not been able to travel much (I'm cheap, and usually broke :) )

Are wages better, then??

Good wages here, in Chicago, are about £25,000 ($40,000), though I made near £37,000 last year. Spent about £40....  :(

Cosmo

[Colonel Nikolai]

I took a pay cut over last year, too. Second time in my life, this time I couldn't do much about it. Thankfully I've always been really freaked out about being in debt, so I was able to adjust fairly easily.

I feel for a lot of folks still lookin' for work. I think we need a real manufacturing sector in the US of A. Nothing against the Chinese people, but having everything done over in China and then having the Chinese currency artificially deflated is just Mutual Assured Destruction without nukes, that's all. Not moving forward. Of course SOME people make a lot of money under this scheme, but not most people; certainly not us (I think).

Oops, thread hijack, I'll shut my piehole now.

[John Stenhouse]

You want really silly, the average house price in the cotswolds (yeah it's expensive here) is £324,000, the average wage is £18,000.

you can get a mortgage for, at best, 4 times your salary!

[Colonel Nikolai]

Wow, that's a horrible ratio! Although sadly that ratio didn't stop people from buying homes here, which was the bigger problem.

[Bixxer Bob]

I took a pay cut over last year, too. Second time in my life, this time I couldn't do much about it. Thankfully I've always been really freaked out about being in debt, so I was able to adjust fairly easily.

I feel for a lot of folks still lookin' for work. I think we need a real manufacturing sector in the US of A. Nothing against the Chinese people, but having everything done over in China and then having the Chinese currency artificially deflated is just Mutual Assured Destruction without nukes, that's all. Not moving forward. Of course SOME people make a lot of money under this scheme, but not most people; certainly not us (I think).

Oops, thread hijack, I'll shut my piehole now.

What I don't get is the hypocrisy of turning China into the factory of the world, then giving her a hard time over her carbon footprint :?:

[Nick Calne]

Average salary for the UK is £24,000, I'm told,  Enough for a burger in Nelson's - just!

What makes the transatlantic thing interesting is the variance in the exchange rate.

Sometimes a pound is worth $1.25 and sometimes it's nearly $2.00.
 :shock:

[Colonel Nikolai]

What I don't get is the hypocrisy of turning China into the factory of the world, then giving her a hard time over her carbon footprint

You're right. It is hypocritical: I think since the US and the Chinese economy has in many important aspects (shudder) become one economy with two parts in the last 20 years, maybe we should take responsibility as say it's *our* footprint, not *their* footprint and act accordingly.

[cosmo]

I like positing that buying Chinese is patriotic.

I like the reaction, like I just pissed in their Wheaties (US breakies cereal)

Yet, considering all the money we (USA) owe China, buying Chinese IS patriotic, it's paying off our nat'l debt.

And while there are a lot of folk whinging on about buying "American Made" and all, there are 47 times as many buying the cheapest crap possible - and lovin' it.

When you are the only one buying from a business, said business will close tomorrow.

Back on topic: methinks it doesn't matter so much the exchange rate, as the wage to price ratio stays the same, unless it's me buying you the pint.
And, to me, a pint's just not worth a Hamilton.

Cosmo