Restaurants in the United States
In the United States, you will find every kind of cuisine: American, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, French, Lebanese, Greek, and much more. There is also a very wide range of restaurants, from fast food to fine dining. Americans are big restaurant fans, so you will see countless chains everywhere. By “chains,” I do not mean only fast food, but also franchise restaurants in general. Whatever type of place you choose, service is usually attentive from the moment you arrive. If you do not like a dish, it is often replaced without extra charge and without any argument.
Americans also love eating out and usually have dinner fairly early, often around 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. You will also notice many drive-throughs on the road, sometimes only for drinks, where you can stop without even leaving your car.
Service
Outside of fast-food restaurants, you are usually greeted by a host or hostess who asks how many people are in your group and seats you. Once you are at the table, the server generally introduces themselves, says a polite greeting such as “Hello, how are you today?”, hands over the menus, and asks whether you would like something to drink.
Do not be surprised if the server comes back shortly after your food is served to make sure everything is fine. Once you have finished eating, your plates are usually cleared quickly and, in many casual restaurants, the check is often brought right away, sometimes without even asking whether you would like dessert. Upscale places, French restaurants, or chains known for desserts such as The Cheesecake Factory are more likely to leave more time.
Water, sodas, and ice
Wherever you go, except in most fast-food places, you will almost always be served a large glass of water as soon as you sit down. It often has that very American “chlorinated” taste that visitors notice right away. This water, like most soft drinks, is usually filled with a huge amount of ice. If you do not want ice, simply say, “With no ice, please.”
For sodas and many non-alcoholic drinks, you usually pay once and get free refills. The same thing happens in many fast-food restaurants, where self-service soda fountains let you refill as much as you want.
Food
In general, the same staples appear on many menus across the country: burgers in many versions, ribs, cornbread, French fries, broccoli, garlic bread, hot dogs, corn dogs, nuggets, and desserts with a lot of cinnamon. Each state also has its own specialties. In Florida, for example, seafood is everywhere: crab claws, conch, dolphin fish, and more. You may also see alligator on some menus, and Cuban cuisine is very common. As for desserts, key lime pie is one of Florida’s signature sweets.
Doggy bags
Portions are often generous, even for Americans, so it is extremely common for the server to ask whether you would like a doggy bag, or more commonly, a box, at the end of the meal. This custom exists in almost every kind of restaurant, so never hesitate to ask to take the rest of your food with you.
Tips
Tipping is very important in the United States, especially for servers. In general, the tip represents about 10% to 25% of the final bill depending on how satisfied you were with the service. When you pay by card, you often write the tip amount by hand on the receipt after the payment is processed. Be careful, though: some restaurants already include it in the bill under the word “gratuity.”
Kids-friendly restaurants
In almost every restaurant in the United States, there are children’s menus, often printed on placemats or sheets with games and coloring activities. If you are dining with young children, high chairs, booster seats, and space for a stroller are also commonly available.
