All the same I am curious about local customs in these places. Information from bar researchers welcome.
An example of local customs is, many years ago I lived in Montreal and worked in an predominantly french speaking Industrial suburb known as Lachine. Occasionally the office guys would have a wet lunch at the local corner tavern predominatly frequented by Quebecios not always pleased to see Le Anglais in their tavern. There was no bar to stand at: drinkers were expected on arriving to sit down immediately at a table and stand only to go to the loo or when leaving. This apparently gave some control over the patrons: preventing pushing and shoving and ultimately fights.
Once you sat down the male waiters would immediately slam two small glasses of draft local beer (Labatt 50) on the table. One for now and one to drink next.On each table was also a salt shakers to use on your beer to restore the beer head. A strange custom. Fancy beers were a no-no.
Raise your hand and the waiter would repeat the exercise of beer delivery. Your beer coaster would be marked with strokes as a beer counter. When you had finished drinking the waiter would tally the stokes and you would pay the waiter. The rougher places had sawdust floors so falling down was not so painful.
