The images of classic American diners are one our brains are saturated with even if we’ve never been to one – thank you Pulp Fiction, Grease, Back To The Future and Hollywood films in general. So if you catch a glimpse of a 50s-style American diner as you drive past the Al Habtoor City section of the Dubai Canal, you’re not hallucinating! There actually is one there and it’s called Sauce.
What to expect at Sauce
Flashing neon signage, a giant pop art mural, strains of rock ‘n roll wafting through the outdoor speakers and an outdoor photobooth modelled after the classic car Plymouth Fury all clamour for the attention of passersby. The result is full booths most evenings proving people think it’s pretty awesomesauce.
Attention-grabbing details continue inside the novelty restaurant with formica-topped tables, pleather booths in contrasting fiery reds and soothing sky blues, neon wall fixtures, zig-zag black-and-white flooring.
Name a retro 50s-themed motif and this diner most definitely has it.
Staff in checkered aprons, voluminous poodle skirts and retro server caps? Check.
The cosy lunch counter with high stools done up in splashes of bright colours truly feels like a setting Archie and the Riverdale gang (from the comics, not the show) would feel right at home in. It does one better than Pop’s Shoppe with a TV perched above, belting out music videos from Greased Lightning to Madonna’s Material Girl and setting the mood.
All the 50s razzle-dazzle hits the spot, but so do the classic dinner staples on Sauce’s menu. Jughead Jones for one would gobble up the Sauce Burger made with prime grade Wagyu beef. Hotdogs, loaded sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteaks, and delectable desserts such as the all-American apple pie are the big hitters here.
So why’s the restaurant called Sauce then, you wonder?
The answer to that can be traced to the 20 different types of sauces that this eatery makes from scratch. As Sandy from Grease would say, the condiments are the true ‘studs’ here. From a vividly blue blue cheese mayo to truffle garlic labneh, harissa ketchup and tahini mustard, these original combinations are wonderfully delicious and roots the American diner to its Dubai location.
Continuing with the Grease references, Danny’s ‘cherry soda wit’ chocolate ice cream’ order pales before the mammoth milkshakes at Sauce. Cotton candy-infused The Ocean Fantasy and Mr&Mrs C, a variation on the classic cookies and cream shake are a whole meal by themselves.
As far as greasy spoons go, this joint deserves our summer AND winter lovin’.