""Is this overloud restaurant muzak an American thing? I don't think that restaurants who use it here in the UK generally play it all that loudly.""

I think UK rstaurants on the whole tend to be fairly good.
It's pubs, shops and diners like MDonalds and Burger King that seem not to understand the damage they can cause.

Funnily enough, one of the worst places to eat has no music at all.

Wetherspoons generally sound like an amplified parrot house. I have the same problems holding a conversation as I would at a disco. So much for the intended peaceful meal with the gentle hum of conversation. Everyone is shouting to be heard above all the others.

Ear plugs are not the answer, as they reduce my ability to hear even more severely.

Don T.