Woodies Diner, Hove

[Andy Lynes]

Woodies Diner near to Hove lagoon is a 50's style diner, decked out in shinly melamine, sparkly leatherette chairs and surf boards hung from the ceiling. Think "Ed's Easy Diner" goes Beach Boys. The menu is made up of pizza, burgers and wraps plus heart stoppingly rich desserts. Breakfasts are also available from 10.00am. Full menu details are on the website.

This place is a real find, with only its slightly out of town location a drawback for visitors to the city, although dead handy no doubt for Fatboy Slim and Zoe Ball who live just around the corner (no idea if they eat in the place however). Burgers are 8oz, nicely cooked and garnished with decent-ish fat chips, probably out of the deep freeze. Service is excellent, attentive, friendly and very tolerant of kids. Dinner for 4 with cokes came to £36.00 plus service.

[Stephen Jackson]

Ohhhh....Seeing the words 'Brighton' and 'Burger' in close proximity set off a serious Pavlovian reaction in me, and I apologise for hi-jacking the thread so early on. Is it a pure coincidence that Fatboy and Ball's child is named Woody? What a name, eh? Woody Slim; He'll have to change that before he gets to secondary school...

I was at Uni in Brighton (a good few years ago now) and for many happy years lived in Hove (Lansdowne Place; very nice it was too). Down the road was the most fantastic burger joint called 'Grubbs'. There was one up Western Road too, and also one in Kemptown I believe. The Hove one had a great creaky paternoster lift that brought the burgers down from the kitchen above, and it was always fun to guess whose greasy brown paper bag was whose as they appeared through the little hole in the ceiling. At the bottom they slid satisfyingly down a steel chute onto the counter below, and were whisked dramatically over to the waiting punter. The burgers were excellent; big fat meaty things loaded with fresh lettuce and thick slices of tomato, and you could choose from oh, about a million toppings. The same toppings applied to the rather toothsome vege-burgers too, and they did really good chips slathered with mayo, as they should be. Many memories of scoffing baconburgers on the beach with friends, juices dripping down to the elbows, with a bottle of red shared into 7-11 waxed-paper cups, and the Hove sunset adding apposite mood lighting...

Can someone tell me if Grubb's still exist, and at the risk of making a grown man cry like a baby, can they tell me if they're still as good?

[Andy Lynes]

Grubbs are still going strong. I used to live just around the corner from Kemptown branch which was an after pub staple for my wife and I, in the days when we used to go to the pub together. I haven't had a Grubbs in a very longtime but I used to think they were pretty good. I was also quite partial to the odd chili burger from Uncle Sams, also still trading, but again have not had the pleasure for many years.

[Stephen Jackson]

Well that IS good news.

I'm ashamed to say that I've not been back since, which is bizarre because I think Brighton's just about the coolest place in the UK. I also remember fondly a fantastic pub about halfway between Falmer and Lewes called (snigger) The Juggs. The perfect beer garden; fine ales, decent food. Summer evenings were made for that place.

Edited July 17, 2003 by Stephen Jackson (log)

[Lord Michael Lewis]

Seeing as how we're turning this into 'Memories of Brighton', is the Zap club still there? I have fond memories of being rolled out from there onto the shingle and down to the sea by my good friend and fellow peer, Jago Eliot.

[Andy Lynes]

The Juggs is good, plus they have quite a nice play area for the kids. In town, I have just discovered the Basketmakers Arms in Gloucester Street, just behind the Gloucester nightclub, which is a proper boozer, albeit one full of middle class professionals. Just opposite is the Eagle pub and bakery which I really must get around to trying soon.

[Stephen Jackson]

Don't get me started on the Zap Club. One of The Primitives' last gigs, packed to the rafters, running into the sea. Bliss.

[Andy Lynes]

The Zap is still going strong. The last time I was there, Psychic TV were throwing a party to celebrate the release back into the wild of the last dolphin from the Brighton Aquarium, and war was declared on Iraq whilst they were on stage. A strange evening all round really.

[fresh_a]

I remember the Ed's just behind the Lanes and not far from the Zap, but they went out of business years ago..good burgers, nice people...

[Andy Lynes]

Ed's in Brightin was part of a small chain. They are still trading in the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent and in central London I believe.

[hornet]

I can really recommend The Eagle pub. It is a pub with its own bakery so the bread is unsurprisingly excellent. But there is more to the food than that. I have had a veggie lasagne on one occasion that was excellent (I am a carnivore at heart). The other time sausage a mash. Each time everyone in my group has loved the food and there was a good selection of specials each time I have been there. Like many Brighton places, veggies are very well catered for - there were at least 5 choices on the main menu.

This isn't over fussy michelin star wannabe cooking - just really well cooked food that fills you up. From what I can remember the mains were around £6.