Understanding the Menu

If you are going to be working in a restaurant, it is important that you understand the menu. Different menus use different words to mean the same thing. They also use certain words to make food sound more delicious. It isn't just the server who should know the menu. Hosts, bartenders, and bussers may also get asked questions about the menu from the guests. Cooks have to know the menu inside-out as well. After all, if an item says it is smothered in mozzerella cheese it can't just have a sprinkling of cheddar.

Most menus are divided into sections. You may need to help a guest find the entrees, or desserts. A guest might call a drink a beverage or a refreshment. Learn the different terms that are used so that you can understand and serve your guests promptly and accurately.

Menu Section

	Also Known As	Example Items
Appetizers	Appies, Finger Food, Combo Platters, Snacks, Starters	Garlic Bread, Cheese Plate, Nachos
Salads (and Soups)	Garden Fresh, Greens, Light Fare, Lighter Favourites, Low Calorie Choices, Low-fat Selections	Tossed Salad, Caesar Salad, Soup of the Day
Sandwiches	Burgers, From the Deli, From the Grill, Lunch Menu, Wraps	Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Veggie (Garden) Burger, Steak Sandwich
Italian	Noodles, Pasta, Pizza	Spaghetti, Pepperoni Pizza, Fettucini
Main Course	Entrée, Dinners, Main Dish, Main Event	New York Steak, Chicken Stirfry, Hearty Stew
Sides	Accompaniments, On the Side, Side Dishes	French Fries, Rice, Grilled Veggies
Seafood	Catch of the day, Fish, Fresh from the Sea	Fish and Chips, Battered Shrimp, Smoked Salmon
Mexican	South of the Border, Tex-Mex	Fajitas, Nachos, Enchilladas
Specialties	Signature items, Favorites, Pleasers, 5 Stars	BBQ Ribs, Hot Wings, Chicken Cordon Bleu
Desserts	Sweets, Treats, For the Sweet Tooth	Apple Pie, Mocha Cheesecake, Banana Split
Beverages	Drinks, Non-alcoholic beverages, Refreshments	Soda Pop, Juice, Milk
Wine and Beer	Coolers, Draft, Liquor, Specialty Drinks, Spirits, From the Bar	House Wine, Jug of Beer, Peach Cider
Kids Menu	Juniors, Kids Stuff, Little Tikes, For the Munchkins	Spaghetti and Meatballs, Cheeseburger, Chicken Fingers

Descriptive Words and Expressions on a Menu

Menus often contain special language to make items sound delicious. These words and expressions can also convince the guests to order more food, such as appetizers or dessert. It is useful for servers to learn these expressions in order to sound more knowledgable and achieve better sales. In many English speaking countries, especially North America, having higher sales means earning better tips.

Description	Meaning	Example item
available with	Guests can have this food served a different way.	All burger selections are available with whole wheat buns.
bottomless (free refills)	Guests can have more without paying.	Coffee and tea is bottomless.
chunky	many large pieces of meat or vegetables	A steaming bowl of chunky vegetable soup
coated in, glazed	covered in a sauce (often before cooking)	Breast of chicken coated in teriyaki sauce
crispy	makes a crunchy sound when you chew	Caesar salad with fresh lettuce and crispy croutons
drizzled with	a small amount of liquid poured over top	Apple pie and vanilla ice cream drizzled with butterscotch
finished with	final step of the food preparation	A generous portion of spaghetti and garlic tomato sauce, finished with homemade meatballs
fresh	just off the farm/ out of the garden/	All omelettes are made with three fresh egg whites.
garnished with	decorated with	Our dinners are garnished with fresh parsley and seasonal fruit.
generous portion, heaping, loaded with	a large amount of	All sandwiches are served with a generous portion of fresh cut fries.
home style, homemade, made from scratch	from a recipe (not a package)	Try our chef's homemade chili with fresh baked bread.
juicy	with liquid remaining for taste	Garden salad with juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions
lightly breaded, battered	rolled in bread crumbs, eggs, or other mixture and cooked	Our fish is lightly battered in beer.
marinated in	left in fridge to soak up sauce/juice/flavoring	Our steaks are marinated in a rich peppercorn sauce.
medley	variety, mixture	A vegetable medley tossed in olive oil and served over rice
mouth watering	appearance causes mouth to salivate	Finish your meal off with one of our mouth watering desserts.
on a bed of	on top of a layer of	A ginger chicken stir fry served on a bed of rice
seasonal	produce varies at different times during the year	Ask your server about our seasonal fruit pies.
seasoned with	herbs and spices added	Roasted chicken seasoned with fresh basil and oregano

Matching Exercise

Match the menu items with the menu section they belong in.

1	Dessert	a	Big Daddy's Hamburger with fresh cut fries
2	Starters	b	Homemade Iced Tea
3	Specialties	c	Junior Spaghetti and Meatballs
4	Refreshments	d	Peach pie a la mode
5	Seafood	e	Mouth watering garlic cheese toast
6	Sides	f	Loaded mashed potatoes
7	Kids Menu	g	Chef Brian's homestyle chili
8	Sandwiches	h	Lemon and herb glazed Salmon
9	Spirits	i	Seasonal tossed greens
10	Salads	j	1/2 litre house white

ANSWERS: 1d, 2e, 3g, 4b, 5h, 6f, 7c, 8a, 9j, 10i

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