Restaurants

There are two main types of restaurants in the U.S.: fast-food and ftill-service restaurants. Fast-food restaurants are called so because little time passes between the time a patron orders a meal and the time he receives it. The style of fast-food restaurants is much like that of a cafeteria. In a fast-food restaurant, patrons go up to a counter to order their meal. It is then placed on a plastic tray which patrons bring to a table. Fast food tends to be mass-produced. Items such as hamburgers, hot chicken sandwiches, pizza, and salads are typical of fast-food fare. Eating in a fast-food style restaurant is also much less expensive than eating in a full-service restaurant. A typical dinner in a fast-food restaurant costs from $ 3,00 to $ 6.00. It is expected that patrons will finish eating arid¹ leave the fast-food restaurant within 30 to 45 minutes. In full-service restaurants, patrons are seated at tables and a waiter conies to take the patrons' orders. Food is then brought to the patrons by the waiter. Dinner at full-service restaurants can vary from $ 10.00 in a less expensive restaurant to $ 50.00 in a very expensive restaurant. It is expected that patrons will finish eating and leave full-service restaurant within an hour or an hour and a half. Usually patrons give the staff at full-service restaurants a tip of 15 % of the bill. It is not customary to tip in fast-food restaurants.

At breakfast coffee shops are popular, reasonably priced restaurants are popular for breakfast, lunch, dinner and just a snack.

Lunch is usually served between noon and 2:00 p.m. Sandwiches are a very popular quick lunch in both the U.S. and Canada.

Fast-food restaurants are popular in the United States for quick, inexpensive meals or snacks. You order your food and take it to a table yourself. If you order your food "to go", you take it out of the restaurant. Tipping is not necessary in this kind of restaurants.

Dinner time varies somewhat in the U.S. In small towns it may be as early as 5:00 p.m., while in large cities it may be as late as 9:00 p.m. It's best to call for a reservation in expensive or well-known restaurants.

Dinner, being often the most substantial meal of the day, usually includes a main course of meat, poultry or fish, accompanied by side disches such as soup, salad and vegetables. Lunch in the U.S. tends to be a lighter meal (often a sandwich, yoghurt, or a light entree). Breakfast meals can vary from cereal and milk to eggs and pancakes or French toast. Brunch, a common Sunday meal, served between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., is really a combination of traditional "breakfast" and "lunch" dishes.

Cocktail parties are popular for both business and social functions. They may be casual or formal and are often held between 6:00 and 8:00 in the evening. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres or snacks are usually served.

You'll find restaurants for every situation in the U.S. If you're in a hurry, you may just want to grab some "junk food" at a grocery store or a candy counter, or you can get a bite to eat at one of the many fast-food chains, like McDonald's, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Taco Time. Or you can get a sandwich "to stay" or "to go" from a sandwich shop or deli. Some of these places have tables, but many don't. People eat in their cars or take their food home, to their offices or to parks. If you prefer siting down but still don't want to spend time, you can try a cafeteria. At all of these places, you sit down, and you don't have to tip anybody—but you usually have to clear the table you finish!

Coffee shops are less expensive and less dressy than fine restaurants. So are pizza places, pancake houses, sandwich shops and family restaurants. But the name of a restaurant won't necessarily tell you much about the kind of place or the food it serves.

Like most fast-food restaurants and cafeterias, many restaurants don't serve alcoholic beverages. This is often because they want people to feel comfortable bringing their children. Minors can eat at restaurants that serve beer and wine, but they are not allowed to enter pubs, taverns, cocktail lounges or bars, You may be asked to show some ID that prove your age before you go into a bar.

If you stay at a hotel, rates at hotels, especially in resort areas, are sometimes quoted with or without meals. Under the European plan, meals, if available, are extra. Under the American plan, the price includes both meals and lodging, and guests take those meals in the hotel dining room. A modified American plan consists of lodging and two meals (usually breakfast and dinner in the evening).

Amtrak is the major national train company in the U.S. It serves many cities, towns and rural areas throughout the continental U.S. If you are planning travel on your own, you may call Amtrak for information about train service and rates.

All passengers should be at the station at least 30 minutes prior to boarding (if you need to purchase a ticket, you should allow at least an additional 30 minutes). There are announce­ment boards in the station which advise passengers to which track the train they wish to board will arrive. Train arrivals may also be announced on a loud speaker. As you board the train, you will choose between smoking and non-smoking cars. After the passengers are seated, the conductor of the train will begin to collect tickets. The^conductor will take your ticket and place a seat marker (with your destination written on it) above your seat. You should take this with you any time you get up from your seat. If yofu have a round-trip ticket, the conductor will rip out the appropriate portion of the ticket and give the xtfher.por­tion to you, as wellas place a seat marker above your seat. Just before you arrive at your destination, the seat marker will be removed by the conductor. If you have a porter carry your lug­gage, it is appropriate to give him/her a tip.