History and culture
US diner coffee and New Orleans chicory culture
The American diner tradition of endless-refill filter coffee and New Orleans' distinct chicory-coffee tradition are two well-documented, genuinely different pieces of US coffee culture, both predating the more recent specialty-café wave.
Each section below is labelled by how well-established its claims are — look for the label under each heading.
Diner coffee and the "bottomless cup"
Documented history · United States
The American diner tradition of filter coffee served in a thick ceramic mug with free refills is documented as a longstanding, distinctly American service convention, historically associated with diners, truck stops and casual restaurants rather than dedicated coffee shops — a different service model from the per-drink specialty café model that grew alongside, not instead of, it.
New Orleans chicory coffee
Documented history · New Orleans, United States
New Orleans' tradition of blending roasted chicory root with coffee is documented as having developed from historical supply shortages (chicory extended a limited coffee supply during periods of disruption, including Civil War-era shortages), and the blend has persisted as a distinct, deliberately chosen local tradition long after supply constraints ended — often served as café au lait with hot milk. See CoffeeHQ's coffee substitutes guide for chicory itself.
Related
How to order this abroad
Preparation traditions
How this history is practised today, in CoffeeHQ's international preparation atlas.