Site Forum

Pepsi is from NC and Coke is from Atlanta. So in the Deep South, yes, Coke (or Coca Cola) is the preferred term. In NC, you're more likely to ask for a Pepsi. But those refer to any dark soda for the locals. Restuarants all over the country have specific links to either manufacturer (Coke or Pepsi, but rarely both). And other soda companies (Dr. Pepper/7up Co. is one) use one of those 2 as distributors. So some eateries that only carry Coke products have Dr. Pepper, while others have Mr. Pibb. And some that only carry Pepsi products also have Dr. Pepper while others have Mr. Pibb.

All of this is where the Pepsi Super Bowl commercial (Is Pepsi okay?) and a couple other versions afterwards came from this year. In the far east counties of NC, you ask what soda's do you have? The sparsely populated areas can have one or the other. So if you ask for a Coke but they have only Pepsi... (and vice versa).

I always ask for Mountain Dew, then Dr. Pepper. Of course, Mr. Pibb is okay if you don't have those two. Mello Yello and Sprite are NOT okay b/c they aren't Mountain Dew at all. Mr. Pibb is close enough to Dr. Pepper that I'll settle for it. When I ask for a soda, it's a specific brand. Not like when I ask for a Band-aid or a Kleenex, b/c any brand of adhesive bandage or facial tissue will do at the time.

Growing up on the coast of Virginia and North Carolina even Mountain Dew was refered to as Coke.

Now living in Michigan whenever anyones asks me if I want a pop, I have a hard time not saying "no I already have one in Virginia"