[an error occurred while processing this directive]
BBC HomeExplore the BBC

27 December 2009
Accessibility help
Text only
BirminghamBirmingham

BBC Homepage
England
»BBC Local
Birmingham
Things to do
People & Places
Nature
History
Religion & Ethics
Arts and Culture
BBC Introducing
TV & Radio

Nearby Sites

Black Country
Coventry
Hereford & Worcs
Stoke

Related BBC Sites

England
 

Contact Us

Like this page?
Send it to a friend!

 

WM Features

A traditional English Breakfast
A traditional English Breakfast

Bizarre Cafe is your favourite greasy spoon

BBC WM's Breakfast Show came live from the Bizarre Cafe Sanctuary on Friday 9th March 2007 - your choice for the best greasy spoon in the West Midlands!

Listen to BBC WM’s Breakfast Show from 7 - 10am with Phil Upton by clicking on the link to the right >>

BBC WM's hunt for your favourite greasy spoon ended with a winner...

The Bizarre Cafe Sanctuary on Newtown Road!

Phil Upton and his team had spent a week asking listeners decide on their favourite cafe in Birmingham and the Black Country.

The Bizarre Cafe
WM's Breakfast team & Bizarre cafe staff

Five greasy spoons were nominated by WM listeners - and the Bizarre Cafe Sanctuary on the Newtown Road ended up with the most votes!

So Phil, never one to miss out on a fry-up, along with BBC WM's Jo Tidman and Cayte Walker broadcast the Breakfast Show live from the Bizarre on Friday 9th March 2007.

Many thanks to all who voted. Click the links above to see pics of the other five nominated cafes. You can still add your comments at the bottom of this page!

last updated: 14/03/07
 
Have Your Say
Your name: 
Your comment: 
 
The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted.

Debbie
Elucid-8 cafe in aldridge market hall is the daddy, food is fab and nothing is too much trouble for the staff!

John
I missed the vote, but that means you've missed Rosa's Cafe in Birmingham. So far and away the best breakfast in the city that I don't have sufficiently descriptive words.

Neil
Mg's cafe The Best Cockney & Yam Yam Breakfast you will ever eat ps The essen is not a Greasy spoon its too posh

Lee
you can not beat it Mgs Cafe

Gary
MG'S Cafe birmingham new Road. Best in the midlands

Checkley of Hall Green
Green Hill Café, Hall Green (Opposite Yardley Wood Station). Is the one for me.

Si Reeve
It has to be the (sadly closed as of a fortnight ago) Knife n Fork on Bristol Road in Selly Oak. When I was a student you could feed yourself there for a week on £5. Gone but not forgotten.

Edward Morgan
asked my daughter to e mail the food at pear tree cafe excellent deserve to get award

Malcolm - Halesowen
Gillian and all the girls at the pear tree cafe do wonderful breakfasts always pop by -

Mark - Halesowen
always pop into the pear tree when in the area good food and quality

Andy - Halesowen
Ace food at the pear tree cafe ladies great

Richard Cope
pear tree cafe ace great food

maz
greedy pig

Tony
Essen breakfasts - lovely any time of the day

ann
greedy pig

Terry M
Have to give my vote to Essen. Its just the place to go for breakfast

Nicholas
Essen gets my vote

Susan
Essen must win. Brilliant breakfast any time of day!

Nicole
It has to be Essen in Wylde Green

Steve-sutton
Essen-you cant beat it for great food and service. Breakfast is really good can recommend it

Jamie
Essen is the best for breakfasts. The breakfast sandwiches are also highly recommended. Always a pleasure to go to Essen

Rob
Essen - try it you wont be disappointed. Brilliant place to eat. Breakfasts are really good

Cath
Always guaranteed a good breakfast from Essen.

Geraldine
We all love to order our breakfast sandwiches from Essen. We all like different things but nothing is too much trouble for Jim and his staff. Thank you to them for their hard work

Brian
Essen is a really good place for Breakfast. Cooked just how you like it. Top quality food and service

Claire
Recommend Essen breakfast to start your day

Tony
Breakfasts are lovely, whatever time of day. Lovely atmosphere in the place

Lin
I love going to Essen anytime of day. The food is the best around and Jim and staff are really good. The breakfasts are a must. Well done to Essen

Akeela
The Studio (on Cannon street)! It use to be 'The Orange Studio, when there was an orange phone job on the ground floor. I love this cafe! You can sit in it's idyllic and relaxing enviroment and let your mind drift. You would never know that's in the heart of the city centre. It does the tastiest vegetarian full breakfast and their porridge with maple syrup is delicious!Or you can have toasted bagels with cream cheese and a selection of jams, as well as a variety of muffins. Their breakfast smoothies are yummy as well as nutricious :). Everything is reasonably priced and the staff are very welcoming and helpful.

Pete
Essen without a doubt

Denise
Essen it serves a really good breakfast. Essen gets my vote

Debbie
Essen is a lovely place to go and eat. The breakfasts are really good just like everything else at Essen

Keith
I recommend Essen. Breakfasts and sandwiches thoroughly recommended.

Paul
I always go to Essen if I want a big breakfast. Great place to go and eat. Try it

Colin
Essen is my favourite. Always visit there when im in the area. Guaranteed fresh tasty food, and breakfasts are really great. Staff are friendly and welcoming

Sue
Essen for breakfast anytime. Really good little place to go any time of day, you can have breakfast all day long if you want. Well done to Jim and staff

Tracey, Sutton
Essen - you cant beat it. Brilliant breakfasts and sandwiches, well done Essen

Mark
Essen gets my vote on all counts. Food excellent, staff excellent and place excellent

Linda
Essen serve the best breakfasts around. Also fabulous sandwiches. Brilliant value for money. Excellent service and food. Jim and staff are great

Cloe
Essen is the best. Lovely place to go and have breakfast any time of the day! Well done Jim and staff

Harry
Always a good welcome at Essen. Cant beat the breakfasts there, or the sandwiches for that matter. Recommend Essen definitely

Nigel
Essen fabulous little cafe. Breakfasts served whenever you want whatever time of day. Essen policy you can have whatever you want whenever you want it! Food really good, recommend the full breakfasts or sausage and egg sandwiches - great start to the day

Sue
You cant beat Essen, fabulous breakfasts all day if you want. Staff are brilliant, Jim does a fantastic job. Lovely place to eat. Must go to try if youre in the Wylde Green area

Ahmed
Bizarre Cafe

Susan
I vote for the Bizarre cafe, beacuse the food is always good and hot and we go before a Albion home came

Chris Mellar How/Tyco CInderbank Dudley
We vote Peartree Lane Cafe, they always deliver our sandwiches at lunchtime, and breakfast on a Friday, Staff are friendly and nothing is to much trouble for them, we had a lad on a special diet and they made sure they had all the correct foods in for him, used them for the past 8years would not go any where else. VOTE FOR PEARTREE LANE

Jane
Essen is a lovely place to go and eat. Jim is a real character and works really hard to provide the lovely food essen has to offer. The breakfast certainly gives you a good start to the day, you can have what you want and have it cooked how you want. Nothing is too much trouble. I recommend Essen

Pete
Really good breakfasts at Essen or you can even have breakfast sandwiches to take away. Essen at Wylde Green. Jim and staff work really hard

Allison
Essen, always get a lovely breakfast, and staff are great

Andrew Smith
Its the greedy pig for me!!

Chris Pritchard
Always the bizarre cafe for me, i often ring up to pre-order and my food is always ready and piping hot for when i get there. The owner and staff always are friendly and polite and it must be the only cafe that opens on Christmas day!!

Mark Shand
Great food, great atmosphere, and a pleasure to visit..!!

Ben Goodwin
The Knife & Fork Cafe on the Bristol Road in Selly Oak is a must - great food and a crackin' atmosphere. Check it out...

kerry holmes
greedy pig walsall- this is the best cafe goin. jenny will go out her way to provide you with the foods you want. you always get service with a smile... :0)

Jackie Collins
Broad Lane Cafe friendly staff great food lovely cuppa and half price second cup go for breakfast when off work on Saturdays great cafe very clean

derek Thomley
my favourite greasy spoon is the High Flyers Diner at the old airport,good grub nice staff.

Guy Taylor
The best cafe in The Black Country by a mile is The Phoenix Cafe in Great Bridge, you get a full breakfast 2 bacon, 2 sausage, egg, beans, tomatos, black pudding and a fried slice for £2.45 and it's excelleent - You should really try it!

kevin
best ive ever tasted better than mums all the workmates go there

pete,, handsworth
Bizarre cafe is my favourite,,open 24/7 it is totally customer friendly,,food is excellent and portions are plentiful,,

Richie
Essen!

Anne
Essen is a lovely place deserves to win!

Roger
Essen

Sasha
I vote for Essen

Jo
Essen!

Andy
Essen! Essen! most definitely Essen!

Paul
Essen is simply the best!

John
Essen! Jim and his Essenettes are great! Fab food, fab service!

Michelle
I vote for Essen!Not too much of a greasy spoon, serves lovely food and drinks. The famous all day Essen breakfast is fab!

Mike
I vote for Essen!

Linda
Essen is the BEST!

Tanya
Its gotta be Essen!

Ken Dean
as a traveller i visit a lot of greasy spoons npt as good as this though

George Chambers
fantastic meal

Roy Taylor
Broad Lane by a mile 1st class meal good service and good looking wenches bar none

sara
Reply to stuart the original greedy pig was in bentley the second was wednesbury and the third is the old corner cafe at caldmore.

SJ
The Greedy Pig at Junc 10 the foods excellent and very importantly there's a large car park. good luck keith & staff

The Red Lion , Bentley
The Staff & Locals of The Red Lion Pub, Bentley all vote for The Greedy Pig at Junc 10 Bentley

steve , walsall
my vote is the greedy pig at junc 10

TYSON THE SHEPHERD FROM WALSALL
The Greedy Pig at Junction 10 is the one for me, The Gaff is a real nice bloke. The Girls are the best and the food ay bad either

TYSON & SARA
THE GREEDY PIG CAFE'S (ALL 3) ARE JUST GREAT, GOOD VALUE, GREAT FOOD, GOOD SERVICE AND FRIENDLY STAFF. GOOD LUCK GUYS

square
the greedy pig at junc 10 walsall is the best good luck to keith kerry and all the staff

sara and louise
we like to greedy pig at walsall because we can sit and chat and dont feel like its just for the blokes . keep it up keith & co

GILMORE BUILDING SUPPLIES WILLENHALL
OUR VOTE IS WITH THE GREEDY PIG AT WALSALL, THE GREEDY PIG SPECIAL IS OUR FAVORITE. ITS BETTER THAN GETTING YOUR OATS AT HOME

sara edwards
keith and all the girls at the grredy pig walsall make your breakfast break the best

Caroline Hall
As an infrequent visitor to the WM I was delighted with the welcome, service and standard of food in Essen.It's got to be my favourite!

andy,wednesbury
I've just started using the Village Cafe in frier street, the big breakfast is well worth it and the dinners are spot on,a good place to eat.

Paula
Essen at Wylde Green is the best place for lovely breakfast sandwiches,from the bread used to the sausages, bacon, egg, mushrooms and ketchup or brown sauce of course. At the office we phone our order through and they are ready waiting for us or Jim even delivers. Whatever you want on your sandwich they will do for you. So friendly and helpful. Thoroughly recommend Essen

diane
Greedy pig walsall. best food around, lovely staffs

LUKE
THE GREEDY PIG 3 WALSALL YOU MUST TRY THE GPS SANDWICH ITS THE BEST

Gem
The Greedy Pig without a doubt

John
Essen at Wylde Green. Lovely choice of food, breakfast plentiful and tasty, and available all day, cooked just however you like it. Jim and staff always eager to please. Lovely place to eat.

STEVE RIGBY
Look no further than the 'BIZARRE' cafe on NEWTON ROAD. Gigantic portions at value for money prices. Well worth a visit.

Gill Bingham
I vote for the Peartree Lane Cafe. Their sandwiches have to be seen to be beleived and they taste great! I am female, black pudding lover. Yummy Yummy

Charlie Jones
I would recommend the Essen Coffee House in Wylde Green - excellent food

Julie
Essen the best place to meet up with my friends and have a relaxing latte with its own smiley face and a yummy bacon sarnie! Staff are lovely too!

Dave
Essen by far the best place for lovely hot breakfast baps made and served by lovely girls!

Becky
ESSEN gets my vote! Quality food, excellent service and very friendly staff-what more could you ask for?

Melanie and Rachel
We love going to Essen for our lunch,laughs,good friendly service,healthy salads followed by fresh coffees. well done Jim and girls for us your the winner.X

Mark
Well its got to be Essen. Fabulous food, fabulous staff, fabulous cafe! Always a pleasure to go there!

Lesley
Greedy pig Walsall Best bacon butty in the midlands. Keep up the good work girls.

Pete
Thought Cayte was blonde - let's have a better shot of what she looks like!

Ian
Frying Pan at Walsall, best crub, good service and cheap too

Alex
I'd like to vote the Greedy Pig 3 as the best greasy spoon. The food is delicious, the staff are extremley friendly and the service is excellent. I would recommend the Greedy Pig cafe to everyone!

Tony Heeley
Best cafe in the country is in Tatbank Rd Oldbury. Broochels!

T. G DINER/ DUDLEY
TOP NOTCH SNAP!!!

DEREK
I LOVE THE FOOD BREAKFAST AND LUNCH UNBEATABLE

R BOWYER
PEAR TREE LANE CAFE BEST FOOD BY FAR - DELD

Steve
Coffee and Cream in Rugeley. Great little place. Superb food and excellent prices.

Tina
ESSEN - Wylde Green Sutton Coldfield -owner Jim and his staff serve you with a smile and nothing is too much trouble, food great quality and choice, full breakfasts and sandwiches hot and cold are delicious and freshly made to order. Its a lovely friendly clean place to eat or sit and have one of their special cappuccinos, something for everyone. If you're on the move they are great for take away orders aswell. Recommend it to anyone in the area.

Claire Griffin in Oldbury
I love pigs pudding but i dont like ot cooked. On a Thursday night we go to watch our friend play darts & it is always there after the match with the food & i love it.

Stuart
Here's some of my personal favourites: Jimmy's Cafe, Parkfield Rd, Wolves (challengee anyone to finish the gutbuster) Coffee n Grill in Bloxwich Town Centre (super speedy service) also, was the original Greedy Pig the one in Bentley in Walsall? Which one opened next?

DAVE H OV SHELDON
ABI'S CAFE IN TYESLEY.REAL GUD MUNCHIES.[BY THE SORTING OFFICE]

Beverley Cope
Hi Phil a lot of greesey spoons are not normally very good for ladies to go into dressed for the office - Pear Tree Cafe Block 2 Grazebrook Industrial Park Pear Tree Lane Dudley 01384 258887 is very office suit friendly the food is ace and the staff wonderful - Kate would love it and the owner is a laugh - Gillian Stead Shes a very hard working woman - and deserves recognition.

Andim
They look terrible, I hope that anyone who does not smoke will be considered in your production team as one of the establishments in the photographs looks like a smoke filled room.

Patrick Fleming
Broochels cafe, Tatbank road, oldbury. Great value for money. extremely clean very nice staff. Have radio wm on!!

GC
the best is the Riverside Cafe in Bewdley.

Rick, Birmingham
I would like to nominate CARASNAX in the caravan opposite Riland Ind Estate in Sutton Coldfield as the very best place for a cooked breakfast and also excellent hot sandwiches.

steve, birmingham
Can you ask Phil Upton what he think of black pudding? I personally love it and my friends and I think it's a bit of a Midlands delicacy, but my girlfriend literally heaves at the mere thought of it. Is loving black pudding just a male thing?

singh
Greedy Pig 3 is the best by far for sure ;)

Mark Richards
Greedy Pig Cafe 3 (Karma, Walsall)The best food in black country. 200% satisfaction

Andy Newman
The best greasy spoon has to be Rosas on Curzon street near the bullring, always busy with a genial atmosphere

daniel
frying pan walsall lovely place 2 eat and socialize great fast service and also cheap

Gayle Taylor
I would like to nominate Greedy Pig 2 in Wednesbury as the best Greasy Spoon. i am a very fussy eater but i have no problems eating a big fat breakfast at this cafe. The Greedy pig has a number of Cafes and I have visited all 3. Even if the cafe is full, you never have to wait for your breakfast.They also make the biggest sandwich i have ever saw called the GPS (greedy pig Special). my dad even has trouble eating on of these.i think this should be nominated as the best greasy spoon in the West Midlands.Youn should go and try it.

dan baker
the fring pan in walsall on stafford street WOW the best breakfast ive ever had!! u must visit there, a proper greasy spoon, thx dan

mark harris, halesowen
Hadleys Cafe in Old Hill is one of the best in my opinion!

Jack meadows
rosas cafe just next to milenium poin. Its the don. Kay, chears, ta

dean jarrott
knife and fork cafe on bristol road selly oak, good food and glamerous waitress

malcolm leach
snacks

SEE ALSO
home
HOME
email
EMAIL
print
PRINT
Go to the top of the page
TOP
SITE CONTENTS
SEE ALSO

BBC WM
BBC WM Kidney Kids Appeal



About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy