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 specialities.
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 specialities:
• Fried chicken.
• Hamburgers.
• Apple pie.
National drinks:
• Coca-Cola.
• Espresso.
• Regional wines.
• Microbrewery beer.
Tipping: Widely practised, 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.

Clubs generally stay open until the early hours in cities, where one can find music and theatre of all descriptions. Theatre tickets for Broadway, New York’s equivalent of London’s West End ‘Theatreland’, 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 theatre 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.

Variety, late opening hours, competitive prices and an abundance of modern goods typify US shopping. Many small stores, specialist food shops and hypermarkets are open 24 hours a day. Clothes and electronic goods can be bought direct from factories. Retail outlets range from flea markets and bargain stores to large chain department stores. Malls are a popular way of shopping in the USA and consist of a cluster of different kinds of shops in one building, often a few storeys high, connected by an indoor plaza. Note that a sales tax is levied on most or all items in most States and the addition is not included on the price label; sales tax can be anywhere from 3 to 15 per cent, depending on the State; some States have no sales tax at all. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900/0930-1730/1800. There may be late-night shopping one or two evenings a week. Some States permit Sunday trading.