How to Have an English Conversation
at a Restaurant: 7 Common Scenarios
1. Memorize relevant food and drink vocabulary
Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted, ex. Two apples, three bananas, five eggs – in front
of all these nouns can be some number and we can add –s ending to them.
Uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be counted – those are nouns which are usually
measured in grams, kilograms, or which are in liquid state – so they cannot be counted, only
measured. So, for example: one litre of milk, a kilogram of flour or sugar, five litres of water or juice.
You cannot put a number in front of these nouns or add –s ending to them, ex. It is wrong to say two
sugars or three waters.
Review vocabulary related to restaurant positions
Here are the most common restaurant jobs:
Host: When you walk through the front door, there will likely be a person
standing at a podium. This is the host, and their job is to seat you at a
table.
Server or waiter/waitress: This is the person who takes your order and
delivers your food. Server is the most common term, because it can be
used to refer to a man or woman. However, some people say waiter (male
server) or waitress (female server).
Manager: This is the boss. You can recognize them because they’ll
probably wear more professional clothing than the other employees. They
might wear nice pants and a button-up shirt, and male managers will
probably wear a tie. Some managers visit tables to ask how everything is,
and you can ask to speak to the manager if something is wrong—or if you
want to tell them that everything is amazing.
Cook/chef: These two terms refer to the person cooking your meal in the
restaurant kitchen. Cook is usually the term used in a more casual
restaurant, such as Olive Garden or IHOP. Chef is used in a nicer place,
like an upscale (expensive and fancy) local restaurant.
Familiarize yourself with the names of each course
At most restaurants, you’ll see five main sections on a menu:
Appetizers: These are small dishes the table can share before the main
meal. A server will usually ask something along the lines of, “Do you want
to start with an appetizer?”
Entree: The main meal.
Side items or sides: The smaller dishes that come with the entree. For
example, the main part of the entree could be fried chicken, and the side
items are salad and potatoes.
Dessert: The food you eat after the entree. Dessert is usually sweet, like
cake, pie or ice cream. Many servers ask, “Are you saving room for
dessert?”
Drinks: Sometimes drinks are listed on the back of the menu and divided
up by alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. In some restaurants, there’s a
separate menu for alcoholic or specialty drinks.
How to Have an English Conversation at a
Restaurant: 7 Common Scenarios
1. Talking with the Host
Remember, the host is the person who greets you when you enter the
restaurant. They’re usually standing at a podium, or you may see a sign
that says, “Please wait to be seated.” This means that the host might be
with another customer right now, but they’ll be back to greet you.
Maybe you called ahead of time to make a reservation, which means the
restaurant knows you’re coming and has a table set aside for you. If that’s
the case, the conversation will probably go something like this:
Host: Hi, welcome to [restaurant name].
You: Hello, I have a reservation.
Host: What’s your name?
You: John Smith.
Then, the host will say something like, “Right this way,” and you can
follow them to your table. Or if they aren’t ready yet, they’ll say
something along the lines of, “Your table will be ready in a few minutes.”
What if you don’t have a reservation? Then the conversation may look
something like this:
Host: Hi, welcome to [restaurant name].
You: Hello, we’d like a table for two people.
Host: Would you like a table or a booth?
You: A booth.
Then the host will likely say either, “Right this way,” or if the restaurant is
crowded, they may tell you,”It will be a 10-minute wait.”
When you ask for a table for two people, the host might ask you, “Do you
have a reservation?” In this case, you’d respond, “No.”
2. Asking the Server Questions
How is the fried chicken made? (You may want to know what seasoning
comes on the chicken or what type of oil they fry the food in.)
What side items come with the fried chicken?
Can I substitute one side item for another? (If you don’t like a side item
that usually comes with the fried chicken, you can ask to replace, or
“substitute” it with something else. For example, you may choose to
substitute the potatoes with macaroni and cheese or vegetables. The
server could say yes or no, or they might tell you that you can, but it’ll
cost a little more.)
What do you recommend?
3. Ordering Food
There are a few common phrases you could use to order food. Here are
some examples:
I’ll have the fried chicken.
I would like the fried chicken.
I’d like to order the fried chicken.
Can I have the fried chicken?
In certain cases, it makes sense to use “we” instead of “I.” This is often
the case if you’re ordering something for everyone, not just yourself.
We would like to share the mozzarella sticks.
We’ll start with an appetizer.
We’ll have a pitcher of beer.
Sometimes, your order will require the server to ask follow-up questions.
Here are some common questions the server may ask and some possible
responses.
Server: How would you like your steak/burger cooked?
You: Medium-well, please.
Server: Which two sides would you like with your meal?
You: I’ll have french fries and grilled vegetables.
Server: What dressing would you like with your salad?
You: Ranch, please.
4. Making Positive and Negative Comments About the Food
After delivering your food, your server should check on your table once or
twice to see how everything is. Here are some possible phrases you could
hear:
How is everything?
Does everything taste good?
How did everything come out?
Here are some possible positive and negative responses:
It’s delicious!
Everything is great, thank you.
Actually, my food is a little cold.
Excuse me, I ordered french fries, but I got potatoes.
The server will likely ask, “Can I get you anything else?” You may ask for
another drink, a refill of water, extra dressing or some condiments.
5. Dealing with a Problem
Is there a problem with the food or anything else in the restaurant? When
reporting a problem, it’s good to use polite phrases.
Excuse me, my food is cold.
Pardon, this isn’t what I ordered.
May I speak to your manager, please?
Here are a couple of phrases you could hear from the server after you
report a problem:
I’m sorry!
Would you like to speak to a manager?
I’ll get the manager for you.
Would you like me to get you something else?
When something goes wrong with a customer’s food, many servers send
the manager to the table so you can talk to someone in charge. They do
this either to make the customer feel comfortable by talking to someone
who’s “higher up,” or because the manager actually does have the power
to give you a discount in the restaurant’s computer system.
6. Paying the Bill
It’s customary for the server to bring the bill to your table before you even
ask for it. However, if the restaurant is busy or your server has forgotten
to deliver your bill, you might need to ask for it. Here are a few things you
can say:
Excuse me, we’d like the bill.
We’re ready to pay.
Can we have the check, please? (“Check” and “bill” mean the same thing
at a restaurant.)
Do I pay you, or do I pay up front?
The server may have some questions, such as:
Can I get you anything else, or are you ready for the check?
Would you like a box? (If you didn’t eat your whole meal, your server may
ask you if you’d like a box to take your left-over food home.)
Will you be paying together or separately?
Will that be cash or card?
