Bodean's

Following on from the Americana of the previous post, we present Bodean's.

An American 'smokehouse', what this means to us Brits is plenty of meaty goodness, with lashings of BBQ sauce. The main one is just off of Regents Street, which means it's just perfect for when you've been out shopping, want something satisfying but not too expensive, and don't want to go near a Maccy D.

There's a downstairs room for a proper dinner feel, but I prefer it upstairs, with its diner decor, and ice hockey playing on the screens. The Soho special is an amazing hunk of meat, and don't be afraid to try the pink goo they serve with it, as it's suprisingly tasty.

Map

Price - A bit more than McDonalds, but much more satisfying - A hot deli sandwich and chips is £4.50.

Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes

If it's Americana you're after, the Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes are where it's at. Styled to look like a 50s diner/bowling alley, it's a brilliant place to have a couple of drinks (a White Russian of course), a burger and fries, and then bowl a few balls. The two karaoke rooms provide plenty of entertainment if you've imbibed a few too many of those cocktails.

During the week it attracts a fairly diverse crowd, with plenty of work parties, but on the first Saturday of each month, it's transformed into one of the happening places in town, as Shake, Rattle and Bowl takes over. All the normal stuff takes place, but DJs play a mixture of Rock n Roll, Northern Soul, Garage Rock and Motown, while all the coolest cats in town get down and boogie, dressed up to the nines 50s style. I've been dressed just in jeans, but felt a little out of place, and would recommend really getting dressed up 50s stylee, it definitely adds to the fun.
Map
Price - More expensive than a normal bowling alley, but definitely worth it. Cocktails £5.