vocabulary meaning example sentence

part of speech

à la carte without a side dish Is it possible to get the steak à la

carte? I don't eat potatoes.

à la mode with ice cream Would you like your apple pie à la
mode?

alcohol, liquor a distilled liquid such as rum or This beer has 5% alcohol.
noun whiskey

all you can eat customers pay one fee and can These are all you can eat fries, so let
eat as much as they wish me know if you want more.

appetizer small snack before a meal Would you like some garlic bread or
noun another appetizer to start?

appetizing looks pleasing to eat I'm afraid these pancakes don't look
adjective very appetizing.

apron a cloth covering worn over the Remove your apron before you come
noun clothes while cooking out to the dining room.

awful (taste) very bad taste The customer said that her pasta
adjective was awful.

bar place in an establishment where If you sit up at the bar you don't have
noun people go to get a drink to order any food.
(especially alcoholic drinks)

barbeque southern style of cooking over a The barbeque wings are our
noun/verb grill specialty.

barstool tall seats that customers use at The guest fell off his barstool before
noun the bar he even ordered a drink.
bartender staff member that mixes, pours, I do part-time work as a bartender in
noun and serves alcoholic beverages a local pub.

beverage drink Can I bring you

noun some beverages while you look at
the menus?

bill, cheque, the slip of paper that tells the Table 3 would like you to bring them
check customer how much to pay their cheque.
noun

black coffee coffee without any milk Should I bring some cream, or do you
noun take your coffee black?

boil style of cooking that involves We usually boil the potatoes first so
verb placing food in a deep pot of that they will cook faster.
extremely hot water

book off mark a day that you cannot work I need to book off the first week of
verb May.

booster seat a plastic unit that fits on top of a Will your child be needing a booster
noun chair to help small children reach seat today?
the table

booth, bench type of seating in which people sit We'd prefer a booth if you have one
noun side by side on a cushioned area available.

booze alcohol You've been into the booze already,

(slang) haven't you?

bottle opener a device used for opening beer All of the servers keep bottle
noun bottles that don't twist off openers on their keychains.

bread basket slices of bread and butter served I'll bring you a bread basket to hold
noun before and with a meal the kids down until dinner.
breaded rolled and cooked in bread The shrimp is breaded in our
adjective crumbs homemade batter.

buffet self-serve tables of food that are The plates and everything you need
noun set out for the customer to pick are up at the buffet.
and choose from

burnt overcooked to the point of The toast is burnt around the edges.
adjective turning black

buspan rubber tub used for collecting The buspan is stacked so high it's too
noun dirty dishes heavy for me to carry.

busboy, busser a person who helps out in a Ask the busboy to help you bring out
noun restaurant (especially clearing and all of the food.
setting tables)

cash paper money payment I don't have any cash. Do you accept
noun Visa?

cash out counting and submitting the Don't forget to include any coupons
verb payment of all of the customers from tonight when you cash
bills at the end of one's shift out later.

cashier staff member responsible for We don't have a cashier; you have to
noun collecting customer's money at pay your server.
the front of an establishment

charge to add a fee I will have to charge you an extra

verb dollar to add ice cream.

check on make sure the guests are satisfied You should always check on your
verb guests about two minutes after you
serve the meal.

chef staff member who is Our head chef is one of the best
noun professionally trained to prepare cooks in town.
food
clear remove finished or unused items You need to clear this table and set it
verb from a table for four.

cocktail an alcoholic drink with juice Would anyone care for a cocktail on
noun this warm sunny day?

coffee maker machine that dispenses coffee You need to teach the new waitress
noun into a glass container for pouring how to operate the coffee maker.

coffee round an offering of coffee and refills Let's ask the busboy to do a coffee
noun around a section of a restaurant round while we take a smoke break.

combo, mixture The combo platter has veggies, ribs,

combination and chicken fingers.
noun

comment card a piece of paper that customers When she asked for a comment
noun are given to record their dining card I knew she was going to
experience complain about the food.

complaint a problem with service or food The guest brought his complaint to
noun the manager.

condiments types of sauces that are added for All of the condiments you should
noun flavouring (i.e. mustard) need are on the table.

cook prepare and heat food until it is The guest says that this chicken
verb/noun ready to serve isn't cooked enough.

corkscrew tool for removing the cork from You will need to learn how to work
noun the top of a wine bottle. a corkscrew before you start
bartending.

counter flat area often used for placing I left one of the salads on the
noun dishes on or preparing food kitchen counter by mistake.

coupon a slip of paper that offers the Your coupon is only valid for food,
noun customers a discounted rate not for alcoholic drinks.
complimentary free of charge The desserts are complimentary
adjective because the dinner took so long.

creamer small plastic container of cream Will you need more than
noun for coffee two creamers for your coffee?

credit card a plastic card that allows people You forgot to sign your credit
noun to pay for something later card slip.

customer, guest person who goes to an It is our policy that the customer is
noun establishment to be served always right.

customer service treatment of guests Our restaurant got the award for
noun having the best customer service this
year.

cutlery, tools for eating with (fork, knife, In a fine dining restaurant the staff
silverware, spoon) has to polish the silverware.
utensils
noun

cut (sby) off stop serving a customer any more I cut off the man with the beard
verb alcohol because he'd had too much to drink. I
had to cut him off.

debit (card) a kind of bank card used to pay Can we pay by debit here, or do you
noun directly from bank account only take credit cards?

deep fried cooked in a large pot of oil Most of the appetizers on our menu
adjective are deep fried.

defrost, thaw remove frozen food from the Don't forget to defrost some pies for
verb freezer to prepare tomorrow.

delicious very good taste The cookies were so delicious they

adjective were gone in half an hour.
delivery food brought to the home Do you have delivery or do we have
noun to come in to eat?

designated driver person in a party who agrees not Is there a designated driver in your
to consume alcohol in order to party or are you taking a taxi?
drive everyone home safely

dessert sweet treat after a meal I think we're too full to

noun have dessert tonight.

dessert tray a plate of all of the desserts that I'll bring the dessert tray around and
noun customers can view and order see if I can tempt any of you with a
from slice of cake or pie.

dirty dishes plates that customers are finished I'll just clear these dirty dishes and
with make some room for you.

discount at a cheaper cost We got a discount because we are

noun regular customers.

dishpit area in the restaurant where the Jody is not going to want to go into
noun dirty dishes are placed. the dishpit today.

dishwasher the staff member/machine that Can you bring the dishwasher these
noun washes the dirty dishes pans to clean?

doggie bag unfinished food that is packed up I can't finish my steak, but I'll take
noun for the customer to take home a doggie bag.

double two shots of alcohol in one drink Make that a double in a tall glass,
noun please.

draft beer from a keg that pours out of We have a selection of local beers on
noun a tap draft.

dressing liquid topping for salads Would you like Italian or

noun French dressing?
dry no sauce I'll have dry toast with two eggs.
adjective

entrée, main the largest part of a meal (after The entrées are after the lunch
course appetizer, before dessert) specials on page 6 of the menu.
noun

fast-food an eatery that offers quick We don't provide table service. This
noun inexpensive food is a fast-food restaurant.

fine dining a very expensive eating The waiters wear bowties because
noun establishment it's a fine dining restaurant.

float small amount of cash used to I need a roll of quarters for my float.
noun make change at the beginning of a
server or bartender's shift

free refills beverages that can be filled again Have all of the soda you want;
without any cost it's free refills here.

fry cook over an element in oil Don't fry the vegetables too long or
verb they will go soggy.

garnish food that is added to a plate for Don't forget to garnish all of the
noun/verb appearance or colour(i.e. parsley entrees that go out.
or fruit)

glassware group of drinking glasses Make sure the glassware doesn't

noun have any spots before you put it
away.

gloves (plastic) covering for the hands to Whenever you are handling food
noun prevent the spread of germs make sure you are wearing gloves.

gratuity, tip extra money given as a thank you When we have a large party we're
noun for service allowed to add a 15% gratuity to the
bill.
greet say hello and welcome customers Your priority as a hostess is
verb to the establishment to greet the guests at the door with a
smile.

grill cooking over iron slats that allow The healthiest way to prepare meat
noun/verb for oil and fat to drop down is on a grill.

hairnet a covering worn on the head If you don't want to wear a hat, you
noun while preparing food can wear a hairnet.

happy hour short amount of time when We're expecting a rush because it's
noun alcoholic drinks are on sale almost happy hour.

highball alcohol served with soda Our highballs are on for half price
noun today.

highchair a tall chair with a plastic tray The party is for ten plus a highchair.
noun designed for a baby

hold leave off/without I'll take a hamburger, hold the bun.

verb

homemade made from a recipe We serve the best homemade soup

adjective in town.

host, hostess staff member in charge of Please wait and the hostess will seat
noun greeting and seating customers in you.
a restaurant

ingredients all of the different foods that are I'll check the ingredients to make
noun combined in a recipe sure there aren't any nuts.

kettle pot for boiling water for tea I'll put the kettle on and make
noun some fresh tea.

last call the last chance for a person to get We'll have two more screwdrivers
noun an alcoholic drink before the for last call.
establishment closes
lemon, lime wedge a small segment of lemon or lime I'd like a lemon wedge for my ice
noun put on the rim of a glass water please.

lineup a number of people waiting for Is this the lineup to pay or get
noun/verb something seated?

liqueur alcohol that has a syrupy/sweet Can I offer you a coffee liqueur to
noun taste go with your dessert?

make change give customers money back from We can make change if all you
a payment have is large notes.

manager person in charge of a section of a I'd like to speak to the

noun restaurant floor manager about the service.

melt warm to soften (i.e. First, melt two tablespoons of

verb cheese/butter) butter in the microwave.

menu a booklet of all of the food that Do you have a children's menu we
noun can be ordered could see?

microwave a small appliance that heats and We can heat your dinner in
noun cooks food quickly the microwave if you like.

mild not spicy I'd like a half dozen mild chicken

adjective wings.

nightclub establishment where adults go to If you work at the nightclub you

noun dance and drink alcoholic will have to stay until 2 AM.
beverages

non-alcoholic a drink that resembles a certain Can I order a non alcoholic beer?
beverage drink without the alcohol

notepad paper that a server uses to write Just let me grab my notepad and
noun down orders I'll take your order.

on the rocks on ice I'll take a whiskey on the rocks.

on the side request for a food item to NOT be For the nachos, can we have the
put on top of another food item sour cream on the side?

order make a request to a server Is everyone ready to order lunch

verb/noun now?

overcharge give a customer a bill that is too I think you overcharged us for our
verb high (by mistake) drinks; we only had one each.

pack up put in a take-out container for the Would you like me to pack up the
verb customer to bring home rest of that pizza?

party group of people at or waiting for a A party of twelve just walked in

noun table without a reservation.

patio outdoor seeating We closed the patio because it

noun looks like it's going to rain.

paycheque money given to the staff every You'll get a paycheque every other
noun week or two Monday.

pitcher, jug a container with a spout to pour We'll take a pitcher of beer with
noun water, beer, or other beverages four glasses.
out of

portion a separate amount of food The chicken fingers are

noun/verb already portioned in the freezer.

pour dispense liquid from a container Can I pour you folks another glass
verb of water?

prepare get food ready The servers have to prepare the

verb salads themselves.

pub establishment that specializes in I can wear whatever I want when I

noun casual food and alcoholic work at the pub.
beverages
punch clock a machine that staff members I don't want staff members
(used with punch place a card into when they begin hanging around the punch clock.
card) and finish a work shift

punch in, punch out put a card in the punch clock to You can punch out as soon as you
verb mark the time you start and end a finish sweeping the floors.
shift

punch something in enter an order into a computer I'm going to punch in a large order
verb system now, so get ready.

rare cooked meat that is pink inside This steak is too rare for me to eat.
adjective

recipe list of ingredients and instructions Our chef is so talented that he

noun for preparing a certain type of almost never bothers with
food a recipe.

regulars people who come into an You can give the regulars a
noun establishment often complimentary drink from time to
time.

reservation a request to have a table saved We don't take

noun for a certain amount of people any reservations; it's first come
first served here.

restrooms place for people to use a toilet The restrooms are to your left and
noun and wash hands down the stairs.

roll-up a set of cutlery wrapped in a Before we punch out we have to

noun napkin prepare enough roll-ups for the
night shift.

rush a large amount of customers We always have a rush after

noun arriving at the same time church on Sundays.

rush prepare quickly for a certain Can you put a rush on this
noun/verb reason spaghetti; I forgot to punch it in.
sauce liquid flavouring added to food What kind of sauce would you like
noun on your ice cream, butterscotch or
chocolate?

schedule a notice of the time and date each If you want to book off a day, let
noun/verb staff member has to work in a me know before I make
certain period of time the schedule.

seasoning dry flavouring added to food He wants the chicken plain without
noun any seasoning.

self-serve the customers bring their own We have a buffet on, so it's self-
adjective food items to the table and do serve for lunch.
not pay for service

senior's discount a reduced price for people over a We have a senior's discount of
noun certain age (e.g. over 65) 25% on Mondays.

separate cheques a different bill for each We asked for separate

member/group sitting at a table cheques but it all came on one bill.

serve look after a customer, bring items Is there someone in charge

verb to a customer of serving out on the patio?

set get a table ready with items such I need you to clear and set table
verb as cutlery and glassware five for a party of eight.

shade place outside that is not in the We'd like to sit on the patio if
noun sun there is any shade.

shot one ounce of alcohol served in a Let's do a shot to get this party
noun small glass (shot glass) started.

shooter an ounce of alcohol and juice Is there a shooter that has orange
noun combined juice in it?

side dish choice of food that goes with a The two side dishes are mashed
noun main meal potatoes or french fries.
sour acid or fermented taste I think the milk has gone sour from
adjective sitting out of the fridge too long.

sous chef staff member who works under Our sous chef is leaving to become
noun and assists the main chef the head chef at another
restaurant.

specials items that were prepared Would you like to hear

noun particularly for a certain day and the specials before you decide on
are usually at a reduced price lunch.

specialty food item that a restaurant is Homemade fish and chips is

noun popular for our specialty.

spicy hot flavour Any item with three chilies beside

adjective it means that the dish is very spicy.

stay to eat in the restaurant Are these coffees to go or to stay.

verb

stir, mix spin round and round with a Stir the soup for a few minutes
verb spoon before you serve it.

straw long hollow plastic stick for Can I please get a straw for my ice
noun drinking out of tea?

straight up alcoholic drink without any mix or He always has a straight up glass of
adjective ice rum after his meal.

substitute replace one item for another Can I substitute the carrots for
verb corn?

supervisor staff member in charge of When I'm not here George will be
noun watching over things and dealing your supervisor.
with problems

sweet taste with a lot of sugar If you like sweet things, you'll love
adjective our chocolate cheesecake.
take out food that is packed up and eaten You can either eat in or order food
verb at home to take out.
take-out
adjective

two-minute check a visit to a table approximately Don't forget to do your two-

two minutes after the food has minute check to make sure the
been served to check for steak is cooked properly.
satisfaction

terminal computer system for punching in There's one terminal in the kitchen
noun food orders and one on the bar.

till drawer of a cash register that You need a key to open the till and
noun money is kept in make change.

to go to take out of the restaurant We're just going to order a pizza to

verb go.

toppings food items that go on top of other What type of toppings would you
noun food items to add flavour like to have on your pizza?

uniform clothing that staff members have The uniform here is black pants
noun to wear and a white shirt.

waiter, waitress staff member in charge of taking When I got promoted from a
noun orders and serving food and hostess to a waitress I started
beverages making tips.

waiting list list of groups who want a table to We have a twenty minute waiting
noun eat at list tonight.

warm up heat food to an enjoyable Would you mind warming up the

verb temperature for eating baby's bottle for me?

well- done cooked for longer than average The meat was so well-done it had
adjective no flavour.
wine list a menu of all of the wine you can You will notice that we have a lot
noun order from the glass, litre, or of local wine on our wine list.
bottle

winery a place where wine is made, There is another winery up the hill
noun tasted, and sold that you might enjoy stopping at.

wine-tasting sampling different types of wine If you are interested in trying some
adjective wines you should go on a wine-
tasting tour.