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Its meat pies, mash and mushy pies are legendary but Sydney's best known late night eatery has fallen out of favour with its increasingly upper-crust neighbours.
Harry's Cafe de Wheels is a pie cart and tourist icon located in the harbour-side district of Woolloomooloo, right next to the city's Garden Island naval base.
Established on the eve of World War II, the tiny food stall has been a must for visiting celebrities since the 1940s, when the likes of Frank Sinatra and Marlene Dietrich tucked into its famous pie floaters, a pie sitting in a lake of pea soup.
More recently Pamela Anderson, Virgin boss Richard Branson, Rolf Harris and Elton John have wolfed down its chicken, curry and vegetable pies and pasties. It is held in such affection that it has been listed by the Australian National Trust.
But the garishly-lit stall's development consent is about to expire and wealthy locals are calling for it to be moved or closed down altogether.
They say Harry's Cafe, which opens most nights until 3am, causes problems of noise, litter and traffic as late-night snackers descend on the area after a night in the local pubs.
"I don't think it's an appropriate location," Heather Buttrose, an interior designer who lives in a luxury apartment opposite Harry's, told a local paper at the weekend.
"Cars pull up with their radio on full blare and open the doors to get a pie. This is a residential area at 4am."
A powerful alliance of more than 30 judges, lawyers and business executives have written letters of complaint to the local council. But other high-profile locals have leapt to the defence of the colourful kiosk. John Laws, one of Australia's most famous talkback radio hosts, argues that part of the charm of Woolloomooloo is Harry's.
Woolloomooloo was once a gritty working port, where tens of thousands of Australian soldiers embarked on troopships for the two world wars.
But the timber wharf from where they left has been redeveloped as an exclusive apartment complex which counts among its residents Gladiator star Russell Crowe.
The owner of Harry's Cafe insists that far from bringing down the tone of the neighbourhood, the pie van makes it more secure. "We make a big difference to safety," said Michael Hanna yesterday.
"If you've had a few too many to drink and you sit down outside the stall, there'll always be someone to keep an eye on you."
Hanna has vowed to fight his well-heeled opponents.
"If they get their way, we'd be at war. We won't go quietly."
