In the South East, they bring you sweetened (usually far too sweetened for my tastes) iced tea. This is amazingly universal.
I live in NC and have been probing the border for years.
For “nicer” restaurants, the universal sweet tea boundary seems to be precisely at the NC/VA border.
I don’t think it’s bizarre to expect that my food be in ready-to-eat condition when it’s served, why should drinks be any different?