Americans and Canadians culture Q&A Thread.

[CdnCarrie]

Well, as someone who is technically half Canadian I disagree.

It's not a genetic heritage.
If you have never lived here you are not Canadian. My grandmother was American - can I claim to be one quarter American?

 

[Buzz Rules]

Everything I had in Canada consumption wise was better because of one thing. No HFCS to be found.

And we've had those Kinder things for quite some time now here in the US. My youngest use to want those all the time. And it was a chocolate egg with a toy inside, not separate in the same packaging either. Just a Kinder Egg in an egg shaped plastic package with the candy bars at the register.

So basically a Nestle Wonderball?

 

[fab1976]

I have mostly loved this thread and can’t believe how long it got in such a short time! I’ve lived in Ontario my whole life, as has my husband and my 14 year old son. Neither of them have played hockey . I find hockey is a very strong small town Canada thing. Sure, kids play it in the big cities, but small towns it’s a rare kid who doesn’t play hockey.

I can’t remember what else I read I was going to comment on! I do miss Target and can’t believe how hard they failed when they expanded up here. I don’t cross the land border often in normal times, but it’s been weird to not be able to at all for so long now. I want some Olive Garden, followed by Target and Trader Joe shopping!

 

[Buzz Rules]

Ok, so, what is the best American fast food(ish) joint? My family takes a road trip yearly from Ontario to Florida and it is a tradition to stop at American only chains. As ridiculous as it sounds, this is a serious debate in my house and we PLAN it. I have teen boys though so...LMAO Any recommendations? We've had strong reactions to Cracker Barrell( I hate it, they love it) and Krystal (does anyone find this edible? WTH?)

Applebee’s, Friendly’s, and IHOP are great American restaurant chains.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It's not a genetic heritage.
If you have never lived here you are not Canadian. My grandmother was American - can I claim to be one quarter American?

Nationality, lineage, ethnicity all can be talked about in different ways.

I mean I personally wouldn't be bothered if you wanted to say you have American lineage due to your grandmother. That's not to be confused with being considered a U.S. citizen. TVguy isn't claiming to have Canadian citizenship (well I didn't interpret their comment to mean that but I honestly could be wrong) and you're not claiming U.S. citizenship through your grandmother. Although technically speaking there's is a legal consideration (which is way too complicated to explain here) for "acquired" citizenship for situations when it can be passed down through generations but again way too complicated.

Maybe that's a difference too. We often speak of what our past is in terms of our lineage. Heck in elementary school that was a class assignment.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I have mostly loved this thread and can’t believe how long it got in such a short time! I’ve lived in Ontario my whole life, as has my husband and my 14 year old son. Neither of them have played hockey . I find hockey is a very strong small town Canada thing. Sure, kids play it in the big cities, but small towns it’s a rare kid who doesn’t play hockey.

I can’t remember what else I read I was going to comment on! I do miss Target and can’t believe how hard they failed when they expanded up here. I don’t cross the land border often in normal times, but it’s been weird to not be able to at all for so long now. I want some Olive Garden, followed by Target and Trader Joe shopping!

Baseball and soccer also follow that small town feeling in the U.S.. We often call Canada our 51st state so I like to think we have more similarities than differences.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Ok, so, what is the best American fast food(ish) joint? My family takes a road trip yearly from Ontario to Florida and it is a tradition to stop at American only chains. As ridiculous as it sounds, this is a serious debate in my house and we PLAN it. I have teen boys though so...LMAO Any recommendations? We've had strong reactions to Cracker Barrell( I hate it, they love it) and Krystal (does anyone find this edible? WTH?)

Five Guys, Chick-fil-A (and please don't anyone start with the controversy, just naming a place), I can't speak for Whataburger but that is coming in droves in my metro (you have Mahomes to thank for that). There's been ones already mentioned too. I'm struggling to think of more especially ones you'd pass through going from Ontario to FL.

 

[MrBellatrixLestrange]

I think another cultural difference is the big high school/college football culture in the USA that is absent up north.

I have a friend that grew up in the GTA and he told me that if he had had any inkling that he could have gotten a full ride to play football he would have started when he was young. I didn't think to ask at the time (and I just had lunch with him today but it didn't come up), are college football scholarships now available at some Canadian universities or would that mean he would have had to go to a college down here if he had?

 

[Buzz Rules]

It's not a genetic heritage.
If you have never lived here you are not Canadian. My grandmother was American - can I claim to be one quarter American?

I would say yes but I’m biased. If you have love for our constitution and have an American ancestor, I think that’s special.

 

[VandVsmama]

Ok, so, what is the best American fast food(ish) joint? My family takes a road trip yearly from Ontario to Florida and it is a tradition to stop at American only chains. As ridiculous as it sounds, this is a serious debate in my house and we PLAN it. I have teen boys though so...LMAO Any recommendations? We've had strong reactions to Cracker Barrell( I hate it, they love it) and Krystal (does anyone find this edible? WTH?)

In CA, NV, and AZ - In & Out Burger.

IHOP is icky.
Applebee's is the sort of place that old ladies go to.

If you're driving to Florida, you need to stop at the Buc-ee's gas station in Daytona Beach. I think there's also one near St Augustine. It's a Texas chain of gas stations. It's epic. Amazing. They have a certified BBQ pit master on staff. The bathrooms are amazingly clean. There's a wall of beef jerky. And just about every dumb knicknack with Buc-ee the Beaver on it that you can imagine. Their pulled pork sandwiches are legitimately really good.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have mostly loved this thread and can’t believe how long it got in such a short time! I’ve lived in Ontario my whole life, as has my husband and my 14 year old son. Neither of them have played hockey . I find hockey is a very strong small town Canada thing. Sure, kids play it in the big cities, but small towns it’s a rare kid who doesn’t play hockey.

I can’t remember what else I read I was going to comment on! I do miss Target and can’t believe how hard they failed when they expanded up here. I don’t cross the land border often in normal times, but it’s been weird to not be able to at all for so long now. I want some Olive Garden, followed by Target and Trader Joe shopping!

While Olive Garden gets a lot of flack I have yet to find a place around here that has as good of tiramisu as they do. I don't shop at Target much but every now and then I do. Right now the shave gel I get is an Up&Up brand (Target's brand). I went into a Trader Joe's once (when almond butter was just getting really popular and to be fair Trader Joe's is divine) and while it was okay I wasn't enamored with it but I know it has a big following and it's understandable why people like it a lot.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

In CA, NV, and AZ - In & Out Burger.

My husband and I just didn't get the hype of this place. When he was stationed out in CA for 9 months in 2019 he went there out of obligation and curiosity and he came away saying "meh I mean it's really not that good" but of course I wanted to be able to say I've tried it as well so the first time I visited him we drove from the airport to the In & Out closest to his apartment and yeah I had to agree with him. It wasn't bad but nor was it that good either. It was certainly busy and stayed that way every time we passed so it's clearly well liked by those who go there.

 

[tvguy]

It's not a genetic heritage.
If you have never lived here you are not Canadian. My grandmother was American - can I claim to be one quarter American?

I know my Grandmother was American too, and my Grandfather immigrated from Czechoslovakia to get the free 160 acres of farm land being given away in Canada. Not sure if either ever got Canadian citizenship to be honest.

 

[Moliphino]

Hockey fans, yes, it's the only opportunity anyone would really hear it. Non-hockey fans, no.

There are Canadian baseball and basketball teams, too.

 

[Buzz Rules]

In CA, NV, and AZ - In & Out Burger.

IHOP is icky.
Applebee's is the sort of place that old ladies go to.

If you're driving to Florida, you need to stop at the Buc-ee's gas station in Daytona Beach. I think there's also one near St Augustine. It's a Texas chain of gas stations. It's epic. Amazing. They have a certified BBQ pit master on staff. The bathrooms are amazingly clean. There's a wall of beef jerky. And just about every dumb knicknack with Buc-ee the Beaver on it that you can imagine. Their pulled pork sandwiches are legitimately really good.

What about Perkins and Red Lobster?

 

[MrBellatrixLestrange]

There are Canadian baseball and basketball teams, too.

True, prior to 1995 I had no idea that Toronto had such a problem with wild velociraptors. If it would help I'm sure we could work out a Chris Pratt loan arrangement to assist our friends in Toronto.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Canadians, do you guys have Cinnabon and Auntie Ann’s Pretzels in your country?

 

[CdnCarrie]

What about Perkins and Red Lobster?

Perkins, Red Lobster and Applebee's are all in Canada.
Well the Perkins in our city all closed in the last couple years.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Canadians, do you guys have Cinnabon and Auntie Ann’s Pretzels in your country?

Shopping mall staples here as well - Cinnabon everywhere.. Auntie Ann’s was definitely in the food court at the Toronto Eaton Centre for a long time - not sure if it’s still there.

 

[declansdad]

Canadians, do you guys have Cinnabon and Auntie Ann’s Pretzels in your country?

There are some locations