"Fast food" may be America's most enduring contribution to the modern culinary world, but most travelers find the sheer variety - and, for the most part, quality - of the foods available around the US quite astonishing.
Whether it's for basic sustenance or for a special social occasion, most Americans love to
dine out
and, in the cities at least, you can pretty much eat whatever you want, whenever you want. Along all the highways and on every main street, restaurants, fast-food places and coffee shops try to outdo one another with flashing neon signs as well as bargains and special offers.
Whatever you eat and wherever you eat, service is usually enthusiastic - thanks in large part to the institution of
tipping
. Waiters depend on tips for the bulk of their earnings; fifteen to twenty percent is the standard rate, and a bare minimum in major cities.
Regional specialties
While the predictable enormous steaks, burgers and piles of ribs or half a chicken, served up with salads, cooked vegetables and bread, are found everywhere, many visitors find it more rewarding to explore the diverse regional and
ethnic cuisines
...
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Coping as a vegetarian
In the big cities at least, being a
vegetarian
in the United States presents few problems. Most towns of any size boast at least one wholefood or vegetarian café. However, don't be too surprised in rural areas if you find yourself restricted...
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Drinking
Across the country,
bars
and
cocktail lounges
are pretty true to their
Cheers
-celebrated popular image: long, dimly lit counters with a few customers perched on stools before a bartender-cum-guru, and tables and booths...
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