Fast Buck Freddies - Canterbury - TravBuddy

If you're hungry in Canterbury, you're probably looking to eat somewhere quaint and historical. You're probably not in the market for a bad imitation of "Florida-style" American food, served in a kitchy decor ironically just minutes from the most stunning archetechtural display in southeastern England. Oh, you are? Well, then I have the place for you.

Fast Buck Freddies, self-described as "Florida on a plate," was not a place I planned to ever visit. I had just moved to Canterbury from Orange County, California and like most travelers I wanted to experience someone else's culture, not a rehashing of my own. After several months, however, curiosity got the better of me and I just had to try it. Surprisingly, the food isn't bad, as long as you're not looking for a gourmet meal. They've got steaks and root beer floats, which is great if you're feeling a little homesick. The exchange rate isn't so good for Americans in England right now, but Fast Buck Freddie's is actually pretty cheap all things considered.

But the best part is the restaurant itself. The placemats, descibing the obviously fictional account of the American who married an English woman and moved to Canterbury to start a dinner joint, are hysterical. The pictures of Florida plastered to the walls are from the mid-80s at best, and you can tell not a single employee has ever been stateside in their lives. I went twice with other Americans in the last couple months I lived there, and I was never disappointed. Fast Buck Freddies is not the place to go if you've only got a day in town, or if you don't have a sense of humor about that sort of thing. But if it sounds appealing, you're in for a treat. Go for the laugh, but think of the food and the price as bonuses.