I'm going to have to go around like one of those bloggers and snap pictures of them. :)

But I find your observation amazing. They are truly EVERYWHERE in America.

I don't recall ever seeing this, either. Maybe it's a chain thing?

We seem to have one person, the OP, who never sees the drink prices, and several already who see them all the time. OP - dunno where you've been going, but just go somewhere else. It really is easy to find restaurants with drink prices on the menus.

according to http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/425437

Drink prices are on the menu maybe 50% of the time. (I have zero experience with chains).

Mixed drinks (martini, Gin/Tonic, scotch/rocks, etc.) - Usually never
Beer - 50/50
Whatever's on the "Drink Menu" - Generally always

Yeah, I'm not crazy. :)

I particularly liked this quote from that thread:

"This is a uniquely American thing. Almost no sit down restaurant puts drink prices on anything but wine. Drinks (including non-alcoholic) are traditionally a huge source of profit for restaurants in the US, so the food is cheap and the coke is not and they don't exactly want you to notice. For instance, six years ago, I was a broke college student living in Hawaii for a summer. I splurged and went to Friday's and asked about the price of a coke. It was $5.50, my meal was $8.00. Needless to say, I just got water. Go anywhere in Europe or the Caribbean and you will see the price of every beer, and spirit clearly printed. Eastern Europe goes a step further and marks measurement line on every glass so you know you got what you paid for."

But apparently not everybody notices this!!

Who the heck pays for booze in LAS? Just sayin'. :p

Isn't the free booze actually the most expensive kind? Just sayin'

:p

I find the missing prices on drinks rather common. Sure some places post prices or specials. However I commonly see the prices for drinks missing.

I never investigated this because I thought there was actually a law in many areas that you CAN'T post alcohol prices, but that could have just been made up.

...obviously people reading this thread don't ever get a menu at an airport bar. Prices for anything besides wine are nonexistant...and many don't really list wines at all unless there is a wine list I don't know about b/c i don't drink wine.

I actually DO notice, because I am the sort who would never order something without knowing what it costs. And I have NEVER come across one of these places.

I will also say that for the most part that I am able to find drink prices, either by using the main menu or a drink/alcoholic beverage one.

My observation is most US restaurants have booze prices listed on single menu or a separate booze menu. Of course most initial drinks are ordered before anyone has a chance to look at any menu as they ask for booze orders when they bring the menu. I do ask for prices more and more as all to often there can be unpleasant consequences for not doing so.........eg the $8 draft beer or $11 house wine I have seen recently.

MisterNice

^^^^

1. We were at a restaurant in Germany. We ordered tap water and they tried to charge 3 euros for it. I asked in German where it was on the menu. It wasn't. :rolleyes: I told them for that price, my wife & I could each have a beer. :D

2. At another restaurant in Germany, they said they only had hot water. I told them in German that warm water was OK. They then said they had no drinkable water. :rolleyes: That was the only restaurant open at that hour so we shared a large German beer (very good) that was only 2 euro. :)

All the other restaurants we went to in Germany, Austria, Switzerland had tap water at no charge.