English Listening - Restaurants in the US
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Welcome to the Listening Time Podcast. Hey everybody, this is Connor and you're listening to episode 208 of the Listening Time Podcast. I hope you're all doing excellent. I hope that you're ready to practice your listening in English. And in today's episode...

I want to talk a little bit about restaurants in the U.S. and maybe give you some practical advice and some tips in case you ever come to the U.S. and you want to eat well here and

um, not have any, um, confusion about the different things related to restaurants here and, uh, that kind of stuff. So, uh, I'm sure this will be interesting for you. Uh, I know I've talked about restaurants in general before in, I think different episodes probably. Um,

But I want to focus specifically on restaurants in the U.S., the culture of restaurants here, some advice, because I often talk to people who visit the U.S. and don't

don't have the best experience in the U S in terms of the food that they ate, or maybe they were confused about how to pay and about tips and tax and all that kind of stuff. So I think that this episode will serve as a useful guide for you. Uh,

not an official guide. You should also do some other research as well, but, uh, it will give you some tips when it comes to this. So hopefully you find this interesting. And of course it will be good practice for your listening as always. Uh,

And I want to remind you that you can check out my advanced episodes in which I speak fast by becoming a Listening Time family member.

People usually love these advanced episodes because they help you get accustomed to fast English, English spoken at normal speed. If you're interested in those advanced episodes, the link to sign up is down below. And also check out my U.S. Conversations podcast. It's a lot of fun. I talk to

All kinds of different people from all over the country and we talk about the different regions of the U.S. and cultural elements and all kinds of different things. It's a lot of fun and it's great practice for your listening, so that link is also down below.

And as always, please remember to give this podcast a five-star rating if you haven't done so already, and write a review if you can. All right, let's get started. Are your ears ready? You know what time it is. It's listening time.

Okay, let's talk about restaurants in the U.S. First, let me talk about the fact that many foreigners have had bad experiences with food in the U.S.,

I've talked to different students who have traveled here and they were disappointed by the food or they just didn't have the best experience. They thought that they would eat better than they really did. And that's unfortunate. And I don't want that to happen to you. So I wanted to talk.

talk a little bit about that. First, let me say that if you were to tell an American living here that foreigners often have bad experiences with the food here, they don't think it's very good, people here would probably be very surprised to hear that.

there are some places around the world, uh, where the locals accept the fact that their food isn't the best. Uh, they understand why people might say that here in the U S I think most locals here would be very surprised because we eat really well in the U S. So, uh,

why are foreigners having bad experiences. And I'm not saying that this always happens. I'm not saying that this is something that I expect to hear whenever I talk to a foreigner about their trip in the U.S., but it sometimes comes up. So I wanted to address that. So first of all, I want to give this piece of advice that

In the U.S., don't just show up to a restaurant because you saw it and it looks interesting, it looks good, you want to go in. Of course, you can do that if you want to, but if you really want to have the best experience and try the best food, it's going to be easier to do so if

If you look at reviews, I know that, um, in many countries, um,

there isn't this whole culture of leaving reviews, uh, for businesses, restaurants and hotels and all of that. Like maybe, um, a small percentage of the population does that, uh, in the U S we love reviews. Okay. People love, um, leaving reviews, uh,

looking at other people's reviews, using reviews to decide whether or not to go somewhere or buy some product. And if you actually look at the reviews, they're often very detailed in the U S I always joke about this with my wife, how, uh,

When we look at restaurant reviews in Mexico, they're often very short and simple. Something like, "Very good." "Delicious food." Just a few words. That's pretty common. I've seen that a lot in Mexico.

However, in the US, a lot of people leave very detailed reviews. So this is another reason why I'm telling you to utilize the reviews because you can get very detailed accounts of a person's experience at a restaurant.

They'll tell you what dishes they ordered, what was good or bad about them, what their husband ordered, what he liked. You'll see reviews that are paragraphs long. Okay? So use this. You can gain more information about the restaurant before deciding whether or not to eat there. So,

Yes, you can just show up to places, but why not look at the reviews? If you're visiting a country that loves to leave detailed reviews, I always, always look at reviews before I go to a restaurant or

that I have never been to before. Okay. Virtually a hundred percent of the time. Okay. So I'm just telling you to do what I always do. Okay. So look at the reviews and

Americans can be very critical in their reviews, so also be aware of that. They might deduct stars because of

minor things. So it's good to read the whole review just because they put four stars instead of five doesn't mean that the food isn't great. Maybe they, uh, deducted a star because of some other thing. Okay. Um, another thing I wanted to mention is that in the U S we have two

of chain restaurants, meaning it's not just a single family owned restaurant. No, uh,

This is a restaurant that has many locations with different workers at each one, and the experience might be different depending on which one you go to. Of course, we have the famous fast food chains, right? You know them. But not just those. There are a lot of restaurants that we would not consider fast food restaurants

but are chains. There are so many chains, okay? And I would recommend that in most cases, if you're on the hunt for the best food, meaning you're searching for the best food,

Oftentimes, it's not at these chain restaurants. Don't get me wrong. Some of the chains are very good. There are exceptions to what I'm saying. For example, one of the best restaurants in the U.S. is a fast food restaurant called In-N-Out.

I know that some of you have probably heard of this before. This is the best fast food chain. Almost everyone would agree. That's why you will always see a long line of cars at every in and out at all hours of the day because it's a great chain restaurant. So there are definitely exceptions to this.

But for me personally, I tend to find some of the best food at restaurants that aren't chains. They're just a single family owned restaurant, uh,

a hole in the wall, as we might call it, meaning it's not this big fancy restaurant. It's a small little family owned restaurant. Those often have some of the best dishes that you will try. And we have a lot of those places, which is good news. So we have tons of chains, but we also have a lot of

of single family owned restaurants as well. Little hole in the walls. Okay. So I would recommend to do a good amount of research beforehand. Look at the reviews. Look at the ratings. See

what people are saying about different restaurants, notice whether the restaurant is a chain or not. And again, I'm not saying that if it's a chain, it's automatically worse. Sometimes you'll see a restaurant that has like three different locations in the city, but that's because sometimes

The first location was so successful. The food was so good that they had to open up another one and then another one. Sometimes it's like that. Okay. So don't get me wrong, but just notice these things.

And one other piece of advice I wanted to give is don't feel like you need to eat quote unquote American food, right? And don't think that American food means just burgers. Okay. So in my opinion, the specialty of the United States when it comes to food is

is the variety and having a lot of international cuisines. Okay. If you're in a big city in the U.S., you're going to find an abundance of variety. You're going to find tons of

of restaurants from different countries that you might never have thought of trying their food. This is not the case in every country and in every big city around the world. In many places,

variety is limited and it can be hard to find a restaurant from Laos, for example, right? Whereas if you're in a big city in California, you're going to find Laotian restaurants. Okay. So there is a ton of variety, a ton of international food, which is often very good.

And then if you do want to try American food, I would recommend trying barbecue. And this can be different in different states, of course, but our barbecue is very good. And Southern food in general. I'm sure if you look up Southern food in the U.S.,

you'll see a lot of dishes that you've probably never heard of before, and they're very tasty. Uh, so those things, uh, you could call American food and are very good. And then also breakfast, breakfast foods, uh,

We do breakfast very well in the U.S. I don't know if you're someone who likes to eat a big breakfast, but maybe on the weekend or on vacation...

You're more open to eating a bigger breakfast. And if that's the case, I recommend eating breakfast at a restaurant in the U.S. I view a lot of breakfast foods as very American here. And apply those tips that I mentioned before, right? Do your research first.

Look at the reviews, see if these places have good ratings, see if they're like little family owned restaurants.

Look at all that and enjoy. So now let me talk about some other practical things. Let me talk about the price of restaurants. Of course, I can't really go into detail about the exact price of meals because that's very different depending on the state and the city and the restaurant. So there is a huge range there.

But I do want to mention that it is expensive in the U.S., okay? There's no hiding this fact. It is expensive to eat out in the U.S. Many people are shocked when they travel here and they see how much things cost. It is expensive.

However, if you save some money beforehand, knowing that you want to travel to the U.S. and eat well, I'm sure that you can find some places within your budget that have good food. And sometimes the more expensive food is not the better food.

There are some cheaper places here that are very good. And I don't like to spend a ton of money at restaurants. So I usually try to find cheaper places that have good food. There are a lot of them here. But just know that when I say cheaper places...

They're still not that cheap compared to many other countries. So I want to prepare you for that. Okay. But I also wanted to talk about tax and tip. So the tax is usually not included in the price on the menu. Okay. You have to be aware of that.

This is the same at grocery stores and everywhere else. The tax is usually not included in the price. So you have to know that when you go to pay for that thing, it's going to cost more than the price shown.

That can be a surprise to a lot of people and they might be confused about that and they get annoyed by that. But that's how it is in the U.S. One good thing about that is it really makes you aware of how much tax you're paying. In other countries,

you kind of, uh, don't see this, uh, in terms of sales tax. Uh, you kind of forget that that's included in there. At least here, you know, that you're paying this extra amount. Um, you are conscious of the fact that the government takes, uh, this percentage. And so, uh,

I think it's helpful to at least be conscious of that. But yeah, it's usually an annoying thing for a lot of foreigners when they're here. Another thing is the tip. I've talked about this before.

We have a very extreme, extreme tipping culture in the U.S. I'm not a fan of it, but this is how it is. Nowadays, at the time of recording this in 2025, people tip more.

At least 15% at restaurants. When I was younger, that was the standard. Now 18% is becoming the standard. So that's a lot. By the way, I'm in Southern California. So in other parts of the country, it might still be less than that. But if you go to California, which many people do,

18% is becoming the standard. And of course, tips are technically optional, but it doesn't really feel like that. If you don't tip at a restaurant where there are waiters and waitresses, then that can be very awkward. They might actually ask you why you're not leaving a tip.

Honestly, nowadays, it kind of just seems like a tax. Okay, it seems like something you have to pay. You don't even think about it.

Unfortunately, that is what it has become for many people. That's how it feels for me, just like a restaurant tax or something. So unfortunately, that's the case. You need to know that. And

Also know that if you go to a restaurant with six people or more, it is very common for the restaurant to add a tip automatically on your check.

And you might not realize this. You might not see the warning. Maybe there's a small sign somewhere that says parties of six or more will have an automatic 18% tip warning.

added to their check. Or maybe this is written in very small writing at the bottom of your check. So you need to be aware of that because even though that's already added in, they'll still give you the option to tip more on your check. I

I've heard stories of foreigners who didn't know this and they ended up tipping extra even on top of the automatic tip that was added because they didn't realize that this was added in. So be aware of that. Okay. Like I said, the tipping culture here is extreme.

If you want to avoid all of this tipping culture, if that seems a little bit ridiculous to you, like how much money you have to pay at restaurants,

You might want to eat at restaurants that have a system where you pay at the counter, you pay at the cash register, and then they call your number and then you go bring your own food to the table.

At those types of places, a tip is not mandatory because there is no one that is serving you your food. It's like fast food, like you're paying at the counter and you take your food when they call your number. But I'm not telling you to go to fast food places. There are other restaurants where it's like this.

where they don't have waiters coming and checking on you and bringing you your food. And I really like to go to those places because I know that I don't have to leave this huge 18% tip there. So it makes the meal a lot more affordable. So just know, though, if you go to these places and you pay with card,

The little machine, the iPad or whatever it is, will ask you for a tip. And the cashier is usually right there. They're watching you. So it's kind of awkward because you might feel bad about pressing the no tip button when the person is watching you right there.

And there's just some pressure involved, right? You can press no tip. That's fine. But a lot of people feel awkward about that. I think the only way to avoid this awkwardness is to pay with cash because then there's nothing that is asking you for a tip. Yes, you can leave a tip in the jar that they have where, uh,

there are dollars and coins inside, but it's not the same thing. Uh, it's a lot less awkward. Uh, you don't have to press a no tip button while the worker is working.

looking at you. So that's my advice. And lastly, let me just give you a few practical tips. So when you pay at a sit-down restaurant with waiters and waitresses, at the end of your meal, they'll ask you if you want anything else. And if you say no, they'll bring you your check.

So you don't ask for the check. They'll bring it to you once they've determined that you're done because you've said that you're not going to order anything more, no dessert. So they bring you your check. You don't need to ask for it. And you leave the cash there on the check if you're paying in cash or if you're paying with card, you leave your card there.

I know this is strange and scary for a lot of people, but this is how it's done in the US. This is what's normal here. You leave your card, they'll take your card, and then they'll run it and bring it back to you after that. When we say that they run your card, that means they charge your credit card.

They'll bring it back to you, to your table, with the receipt, and then you write the tip

and the total amount. And afterwards, they'll add that to your charge. So they bring the check. You don't ask for it. You leave your card. They take your card. They bring it back. You write the tip and total and sign it. And then you leave.

So I know that's different in other countries. So I wanted to mention that. If you're leaving a tip in cash, you can just leave it on the table when you leave.

That's something you can also do. And just a few more things. Water is free at restaurants in the U S. So if you don't really care about drinks, uh, you just want something to drink and you want to save money, get water. Water is free with free refills. So that's a great tip for you.

Usually soda and coffee come with free refills. That's typical. Maybe not at every restaurant, but many restaurants have free refills if you get a soda or a coffee or something. It's also good to know that the portions might be big for you.

At many restaurants in the U.S., they give you a lot of food. So that's something that you should know. Many people don't realize this until their food comes to their table. So just know that. And just a few helpful words. The word party.

refers to your group of people that you're going to the restaurant with. So you might say a party of four, meaning there are four of you who are going to eat together there. So the hostess at the front might refer to your group as your party. The word gratuity

This refers to a tip. This is like a formal way of saying tip. So you might see a little sign that says that an 18% gratuity will be added to parties of six, for example. The word entree, right?

This refers to the main dish, right? The main part of the meal. A lot of people think that means appetizer, but no, it means the main dish.

And if you have leftovers that you want to take home, usually we ask for a box. So they don't put it in there for you. They don't wrap it up and give it to you. They bring you a box and then you put it

your leftovers in the box to take home. So we usually say, can I get a box for this? That means I didn't finish it.

Can you bring me a box so I can take this home? So those are a few terms that I wanted to include here. There are probably more, but hopefully this episode was helpful for you and I gave some practical advice. Hopefully you'll be better equipped to go to restaurants in the U.S. in the future and

Remember that you can sign up for my advanced podcast episodes in which I speak fast by becoming a Listening Time family member. That link is down below. And the link to my U.S. Conversations podcast is also down below. That's a really fun podcast in which I talk to native speakers from all over the U.S. It's great practice for your listening, so check that out.

And please give this podcast a five-star rating and write a review if you can. All right. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. And I'll talk to you on the next episode of Listening Time.