Is Diet Coke With Lemon a Regional Thing?

[Linda VH]

I was in the Admirals Club at Boston Airport last week. Got a glass of wine and asked for a "diet coke NO lemon" because DH hates the lemon and it is usually served that way - I thought. Bartender throws a lemon in the glass and pours the diet coke. I tell him - no lemon and he says that he heard lemon and would never put it in a diet coke unless requested. Was snide about it and I was sorry I'd already tipped him. SO does diet coke usually come with lemon where you live?

[iluvcookies]

In NYC and the 'burbs, it is common. I don't think I've ever ordered Diet Coke and not gotten lemon.

[bagelman01]

I make a point of telling servers NO Lemon if ordering a diet cola or a glass of Tap water, as the are the norm here in south central Connecticut

[dave_c]

I'm on the West Coast. Lemon is usually added upon request. In fact, lemon and Diet Coke is not a common combination.

[bagelman01]

Back in the late 70s we instructed our servers (Connecticut) to put a lemon wedge in all diet colas. This allowed them to identify which cola was DIET when serving the table.

[hazelhurst]

It used to be that the only way people could choke down Tab cola was with lemon or lime. Now I think it is more of a flavor "zip."

[Karl S]

Not in the Boston area. I understand why the bartender misheard you; his default was no-lemon.

[MonMauler]

I know that I have been served Diet Coke with a lemon on the rim, in the glass or on the side, but I honestly can't remember when. I travel a lot, and I often order a Diet Coke, as it is my soft drink of choice, but this is just not a practice I have seen often. I'd say that less than 1% of the time I order a Diet Coke is it served with a lemon or am I asked if I would like a lemon.

Edit: Oh, and because of my experiences above, I definitely would not fault the bartender in this situation. Since it's just not a thing I see often, I would have thrown a lemon in the Diet Coke upon hearing the word, especially if I were busy, the place was loud, the pronounciation was poor, etc., and I didn't process the word "no."

[hazelhurst]

This is intriguing. The first time I ever saw Coke--the REAL coke---with lemon was in New York City in the 1960's. It was at the Waldorf and for a long time I thought it was just a little "luxury touch." then a friend from Indiana told me that they had "lemon coke" in the 1940's, at the soda fountains. I still do it from time-to-time in Louisiana but I don't think it is common here. Then again, Cherry Coke is rarer than it once was (ignoring the canned version). It might be a lingering memory of the fountain cokes.

[Njchicaa]

You always get lemon in/with diet cola here in NJ

[ladooShoppe]

I would have thought the bartender would have at least put the lemon on the side of the glass instead of in the glass.

[CanadaGirl]

It is sometimes served that way where I am (Halifax, NS) but not always. If I had to guess, I'd put it at about 50/50. I'm assuming we are ignoring fast food spots.