In large cities, restaurants are mostly modern and very clean, offering a vast range of cuisines, prices and facilities. Restaurants come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from fast-food, self-service and counter service to drive-in and table service. The ‘diner’ is an integral part of the US way of life; consisting of a driveway, neon lights and simple food served from the counter; these are generally located in or just outside smaller towns. See Food & Drink in the individual State sections for further details on regional specialties.
Things to know: There are also many
types of bars, ranging from the smart cocktail lounge, cafe-style, high ‘saloon’ style bars and imitations of English pubs to the ‘regular’ bar. Generally speaking, waiter/waitress service costs more. Drinking laws are set by the individual States, counties, municipalities and towns, although traditionally closing time in bars is between midnight and 0300.
Legal Drinking Age: The legal age for drinking also varies from 18 to 21 from State to State and the laws on the availability of alcohol run from New Orleans’ policy of anytime, anywhere and to anyone, to localities, such as in Utah, where drinking is strictly prohibited.
National specialties: • Fried chicken.
• Hamburgers.
• Apple pie.
National drinks: • Coca-Cola.
• Espresso.
• Regional wines.
• Microbrewery beer.
Tipping: Widely practiced, as service charges are not usually included in the bill and waiters depend heavily on tips for their income. Waiters generally expect 15 to 20 per cent, as do taxi drivers and hairdressers. It should be noted that a cover charge is for admission to an establishment, not a tip for service. Porters generally expect US$1 per bag.
NightlifeClubs generally stay open until the early hours in cities, where one can find music and theater of all descriptions. Theater tickets for Broadway, New York’s equivalent of London’s West End ‘Theaterland’, can be booked through the Group Sales Box Office, 226 West 47th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA (tel: (800) 223 7565
or (212) 398 8383; website:
www.bestofbroadway.com). Special discounts for group bookings are available. Tickets must be paid for in advance and will be mailed out or kept at the theater box office for collection on the night of the performance. Gambling is only allowed in licensed casinos and the legal age for gamblers is 21 years of age or over.
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