Hey, what can I get started for you?
Can I get a [drink]?
standard American English
The usual way to order
For here or to go?
standard
You'll always be asked this
What's your roast today?
standard
Ask about single-origin filter options
Room for cream?
standard
Barista asking if you want space for milk/cream
The American staple — large, filter-brewed, served in a paper cup; bottomless refills at diners
12–24 hour cold-steeped concentrate — ubiquitous in NYC and every major US city
Single-cup manual brew — a specialty bar essential; usually V60 or Chemex
Equal parts espresso and steamed milk — the US adopted it enthusiastically from Spain
The defining NYC drink of the 2020s — oat milk is the default alt-milk in most specialty bars
Ordering to go is the norm — most Americans take coffee in paper cups
Writing your name on the cup is universal at chains but some specialty bars number orders
Tipping at the counter is standard — the prompt is on every card reader
Specialty cafes often have strict no-laptop policies, especially at peak hours
Size vocabulary: short, tall, grande, venti are Starbucks; specialty bars use small/medium/large
Cold coffee is serious — cold brew and iced lattes are year-round, not just summer
15–20% is standard and expected. Card readers will prompt for a tip — 18% is the default suggestion at most cafes.
$4.50–$7 for espresso drinks; $6–$9 for specialty pour-overs in NYC
Did you know? The US drinks more coffee than any other country by volume — about 400 million cups a day — yet the specialty coffee movement that changed the world was born in Seattle and Portland.