Ordering Food in a Restaurant Like a Native Speaker

Class Objectives
 
If you visit, study, or live in a foreign country, you will probably go to a restaurant. Many students want to know how to order food in a sit-down restaurant. You will see a typical model conversation between a server and a customer, and then you will practice creating your own conversation.

Photo by Salva Dugo

By the end of the class, you will have:

• learned and used new vocabulary of food and descriptors.
• practiced expressions to become more fluent when ordering food
• been able to better understand food servers in an English-speaking country
• created ordering food conversations

 
Difficulty:Blue Belt and above

MODEL: Ordering Food

Server:Hi, welcome to _____, I’m Mike and I’ll be serving you tonight. Can I get you a drink to start (out with)?
Customer:Yes, could I have a ______, please?/ What do you have on tap?/I’d like a white wine please.
Server: I’ll be right out with your drinks.
Customer: Can I get you some appetizers while you’re deciding?
Server: Yes, these nachos look amazing. Can I order that, please?
Customer: Sure, that’ll be right out.
Server: (After coming back out) Have you decided?
Customer: Yes, I’d like the _____, please.
Server: (For steaks or hamburgers) How would you like that done?
Customer: Medium rare, please.
Server: Of course. What would you like on the side?
Customer: (If you don’t know) What do you have?
Server: Well, you can choose from mashed potatoes, french fries, mixed vegetables, or rice.
Customer: Mixed vegetable sounds great!
Server: Will there be anything else?
Customer: No, that’s all for now. Thank you. (hand the menu back)
(Server brings food)
Customer: Everything looks |amazing!| Excuse me, do you have any hot sauce?
                                               |incredible|
                                               |fantastic|
                                               |great|
Server: Sure, I’ll go get you some. Anything else?
Customer: No, that’s all. Thank you.
(Cultural help: Server comes to check throughoutthe meal.)
Server: How is everything?
Customer: Everything is great! Can I have some more tea, please?
Server: Of course. I’ll bring that right out.
(After eating)
Server: Can I get you guys anything for dessert?
Customer: What do you have?
Server: I’ll bring you the dessert menu.
(Brings the menu)
Customer: I’ll have the chocolate brownie.
Server: Excellent. I’ll bring that right out.
(After eating dessert.)
Server: Will there be anything else?
Customer: No, |we’ll have the check, please.|
                        |can you bring the check whenever you’re ready?|
(Cultural help:Check your bill. If it says “GRATUITY”, that means tip. Usually for tables more than 6 or 8 people, the restaurant adds this.
A standard tip is usually 20%of your bill total. – If your bill is $100, a good tip is $20.
You can add more tipif the service was exceptional, or lessif it was bad service.)

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VOCABULARY

Take notes about the following words so you can understand the meaning. Use context, dictionary definitions, synonyms, explanations, example sentences, pictures,or any other creative way to learn the new words and phrases. NOTE: Please do NOT use your language to understand the concept.

Positive Adjectives
(Extreme adjectives to use when you like something a lot)

Great
Fantastic
Amazing
Incredible
Wonderful

How would you like your steak cooked? 
(From least to most cooked)

Rare – very red in the middle
Medium rare –pink in the middle
Medium – a little pink in the middle
Medium well – cooked through, but not completely brown all the way through
Well done – completely brown through the steak or burger
Throughout – during the entire thing (meal, class, year, etc.)

Condiments/ Spices

Extra Challenge: Look these words up in Google Imageif you don’t know what they are.
Write them down if you don’t know the meaning.
Hot sauce – 
Steak sauce – 
Ketchup – 
Mustard –
Mayonnaise –
 
Salt – 
Pepper –
Oregano – 
Cinnamon – 

Download the Worksheet in PDF or .doc

FLUECNY BUILDERS and EXPRESSIONS

These expressions will help you sound more fluent. Brainstorm and see how you can use these in your presentation.
 
to start out with – a very common thing for servers to say
I’d like…   |
I’ll have… |
I’ll be right out (with)…
These _____ look _____.
On the side – 
That’s all for now |
That’s it for now   |

YOUR TASK: Create Your Order

Now it’s your turn to write your ordering food conversation. I’d like you to find a menu online by typing “*your favorite restaurant* menu” into Google. Choose your meal and write a conversation between a waiter/waitress and a customer(s).
 
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