North America offers an extremely wide choice of coffee shops, restaurants, food bars, etc, many of which stay open 24 hours a day. All offer value for money and the portions are considerably larger than at home.
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.
As the country has become more culturally diverse, so has the average palate. Today every imaginable dish can be found coast to coast, with an increasing emphasis on fresh and healthy. The following list is simply a sampler of foods that are favourites in most regions.
- Hamburgers.
- Fried chicken.
- Barbecue.
- Cheesecake.
- Key lime pie.
American beer is light, cheap and always served chilled. ‘Budweiser’ is perhaps the most famous brand. It is also worth trying some of the cocktails available in the bars and saloons. American wine, usually from California, has certainly ‘come of age’ in recent years and now presents a very respectable alternative to the more expensive European imports.
There are also many types of bars, cocktail lounges, café-style bars and English-style pubs. Generally speaking, waiter/waitress service costs more.