how common (or uncommon) is vinegar as a condiment in the US?

39 comments

1. Vinegar is very uncommon as a condiment

2. Not common in most Restaurants on my side of the country. Mostly only in seafood restaurants.

3. No, it’s not a common table condiment. But some restaurants will have bottles of Heinz malt vinegar to bring out upon request. Especially if fried seafood is on the menu. Five Guys (burgers and fries) has vinegar next to the ketchup.

4. Its fairly rare to see malt vinegar at the table for fries (chips) but many places do have some.

   In southern restaurants you’ll often see vinegar if they serve collard greens. Piccadilly cafeteria used to have it in cut class decanters at every table!

5. I’ve only seen it where fish is heavily served. What do people put it on?

6. Common if fish and chips or other fried seafood dishes are served. Much less common anywhere else.

7. If you specifically order fish and chips, they will usually serve vinegar. Generally not otherwise. Fries are typically served with ketchup.

8. I rarely see vinegar on the table, the usual condiments are salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce. You’ll see malt vinegar in a British style pub, hot sauce in a Mexican restaurant, balsamic vinegar and olive oil in an Italian restaurant.

9. You can get a bottle upon request, at least at places that serve fish. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a bottle on a table before though. It’s not a common condiment here.

10. Here (New Jersey) it’s very common on Italian sandwiches and down the shore they put it on French fries

11. Most places have malt vinegar available. You might have to ask, though.

12. I see (malt) vinegar in a decent number of establishments that specialize in french fries and other fried food. Five Guys always has it available. I never see anyone using it, though.

13. If you ask for malt vinegar at most places in the US they will have it but it’s not super common. The only thing I put it on is fish and chips

14. It is not a typical table condiment in the US.

    Usually on a table you’d find salt, pepper, and probably ketchup and mustard. You may find steak sauce if it’s a steakhouse , or hot sauce if it’s a Mexican restaurant.

    Malt vinegar is usually available on request in restaurants that serve fried fish, but it isn’t the normal condiments to go with fried seafood.

    (EDIT: Since OP is British, one of the two main steak sauces in the US, A1, that you could find at any place that serves steak, is basically the same as British “Brown Sauce”, even served in a bottle in the same shape)

15. It’s really not, there are vinegar based bbq sauces that are very common, especially in North Carolina, but plain vinegar is not a common condiment

16. It’s not very common. It’s more common in mid-tier burger joints and anywhere that sells fried fish.

    I do keep a bottle of malt vinegar on my kitchen table, though. It gives frozen greens a nice boost.

17. In the southern United States, you’ll see Louisiana, Crystal, texas pete, or if you’re lucky here in Alabama, Alabama sunshine. Those sauces are mostly vinegar with a tiny bit of heat, and I imagine we would use them the same way. I’m really not sure what these folks are talking about you’ll just see hot sauce at the Mexican restaurants, there’s a whole sub genre of hot sauce that’s on the table of like half of local white folks’ places.

    I love ordering my sub sandwiches with oil and vinegar

18. Not common at all

19. Some places near the Canada boarder will have it, but it isn’t common elsewhere.

20. It’s available but it isn’t usually standard already on the table.

21. I wouldn’t expect to find it on the table unless the restaurant sold fish and chips.

22. Not common at all. But, I use malt vinegar on my fries.

23. Not particularly common outside of seafood restaurants.

24. Never

25. I like it on thick cut fries, but it isn’t very common to have on tables. At pubs or seafood places it may be on the table or at least requestable but that’s it.

26. I’m not sure I would ever consider putting it on anything. Just my personal opinion, I am sure there are some people who like it in the US.

27. I like it on fries and subs, but it’s not common. Table condiments here are mostly ketchup and hot sauce.

28. Unfortunately very uncommon.

29. Very uncommon and I wish it wasn’t the case

30. About the only time I see it used by itself is on Italian subs but even then it’s with oil and herbs, so may as well call it a vinaigrette. It’s more often a component of other condiments such as ketchup, mustard, vinaigrette (of course), hot sauce, most barbecue sauces, some ranch dressings, mayonnaise, giardiniera, relish, pickles, etc.

    The only times I have used vinegar in my home kitchen was mixing it with other things for a salad dressing, and marinades and sauces for barbecue or stir fry. In a restaurant, they are going to have those premixed so no need to have vinegar at the ready.

31. Very imo

32. Here in the U.S., not once have I ever seen vinegar used as a condiment in restaurants or served as a condiment at home

33. Depending on where you’re going it’s pretty common

34. I fucking love soaking my fries with vinegar 😰 Usually the only places I see it available as a condiment is at food trucks at a fair

35. Vinegar is an option for submarine sandwiches, pickled products for sandwiches in general which brings some vinegar; like pepperoncini.

36. Only with pub style fish n chips. And even then, rarely.

37. >I noticed there’s no vinegar bottle next to the salt and pepper.

    Why would there be, by default? As the man said, we don’t do that here.

38. It’s pretty rare. Some places will have malt vinegar for fried fish or fries, but it’s not usually on every table at most places.

39. In comfort food places in the South it’s not uncommon for a jar of hot peppers in vinegar to be on the table. It isn’t very common otherwise.