A British TikToker living in the US is going viral for sharing 3 things that surprise him about eating at restaurants

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A British TikToker living in the US is going viral for sharing 3 things that surprise him about eating at restaurants
Brenden Guy's TikTok video shows three cultural differences he says he has found dining out in the US compared to the UK. @brendenandellie/TikTok
  • A Brit living in the US has shared the biggest things that have surprised him while eating out.
  • Brenden Guy reenacted the cultural differences he picked up on, from ordering eggs to tipping.
  • The video has gone viral with 8.4 million views and hundreds of comments.
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British TikToker Brenden Guy has lived in the US for over a decade. But he still vividly remembers adjusting to dining in the US - and all the cultural differences that came with it, he told Insider.

In April, Guy, who goes by @brendenandellie, made a TikTok video in which he reenacts three of the biggest differences he observed at restaurants in the US compared to the UK.

"There are so many differences, big and small, that I still experience on a daily basis, so I thought it would be funny to make a skit out of them," Guy, who lives outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, told Insider.

In the video titled "American Diner Edition," Guy acts as both himself - a British customer in the US - and an American waiter.

@brendenandellie

American Diner Edition (IB: @kacierose4 ) ##cultureshock ##culturedifferences ##britsintheusa ##ukvsusa ##culturaldifference

♬ Wii Shop Channel - McTweet

Since the video was published, it has gained 8.4 million views and the video recently resurfaced with viewers drawing attention to its surprising takeaways.

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Guy said one of the biggest differences he has found dining in the US was the concept of free refills

A British TikToker living in the US is going viral for sharing 3 things that surprise him about eating at restaurants
One major change for Guy was the concept of free soda refills. @brendenandellie/TikTok

The first thing Guy highlighted in his video was his discovery of free refills, which he says are uncommon in the UK in his experience. In the comments section, Guy clarified that he was referring to soda refills, not necessarily water.

"You get free healthcare. We get free refills. Even Stevens," one TikTok user joked about the two countries' differences.

Guy was also confused when asked how he'd like his eggs cooked

A British TikToker living in the US is going viral for sharing 3 things that surprise him about eating at restaurants
Guy was also confused when first asked about how he liked his eggs cooked. @brendenandellie/TikTok

Guy seemed confused when a waiter asked him the simple question: "And how would you like your eggs?"

"So what's the standard egg preparation in England?" one TikToker asked in the comments.

"Fried and runny. No choices," Guy responded.

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Finally, Guy said tipping was hard to get used to

In the video, Guy is spotted leaving behind a single quarter instead of the expected 18 to 20% tip in the US.

Guy told Insider that tipping was one of his hardest things to adjust to after moving.

"It probably took me at least a year living here before I had it down," he said. "It seems silly to many, but I had heard so many different ways of calculating it, different percentage suggestions, not to mention how I would normally handle tips back home in England."

Across TikTok, expat users have created similar content to show the cultural differences they have found in their new home. In fact, Guy said the idea for his video came from another user, @kacierose4, who created a similar series about cultural differences after moving from the US to Italy.

"Travel sparks curiosity and these culture shock videos explore that idea in an entertaining way," Guy said.

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