Everyday English · Restaurant, Café & Food Court
Restaurant, Café & Food Court: 18 Everyday English Words
Build broad recognition of the words children hear while entering a restaurant, ordering at a counter, choosing drinks and desserts, paying, eating at a table and noticing accessibility needs.
What to do
Think of one ordinary outing: enter a restaurant or food court, find a seat, read a menu, order food, get a drink, eat, pay and leave. The words below belong to those moments.
This is a breadth lesson, not a memorization test. Read the word, understand the situation, say or hear it once, and move on. Later scenes will bring important words back again.
Core everyday words
restaurant
noun · RES-tə-rontA place where people order and eat prepared food.
Example: We met our grandparents at a restaurant.
café
noun · ka-FAYA small restaurant that often serves drinks, snacks and light meals.
Example: We stopped at a café for a drink.
food court
noun · FOOD kortAn area in a mall or other building with several food counters and shared seating.
Example: We found a table in the food court.
menu
noun · MEN-yooA list of food and drinks that can be ordered.
Example: I looked at the menu before choosing lunch.
server
noun · SUR-verA person who brings food and drinks to customers in a restaurant.
Example: Our server brought water to the table.
waitress
noun · WAY-trəsA female restaurant server.
Example: The waitress carried two plates to the table.
waiter
noun · WAY-terA male restaurant server.
Example: The waiter asked whether we were ready to order.
host
noun · HOHSTA restaurant worker who greets customers and helps seat them.
Example: The host showed us to a table.
customer
noun · KUS-tə-merA person buying food, drinks or another service.
Example: The customer waited at the counter.
order
noun / verb · OR-derA request for food or drink, or the act of asking for it.
Example: I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich.
counter
noun · KOWN-terA long surface where customers may order, pay or pick up food.
Example: Pick up the drinks at the counter.
tray
noun · TRAYA flat object used to carry food, dishes or drinks.
Example: He carried his lunch on a tray.
napkin
noun · NAP-kinA piece of paper or cloth used to wipe hands or mouth while eating.
Example: Please take a napkin with your meal.
straw
noun · STRAWA thin tube used to drink a beverage.
Example: She drank the smoothie through a straw.
milkshake
noun · MILK-shaykA cold sweet drink usually made by blending milk and ice cream.
Example: He ordered a chocolate milkshake.
smoothie
noun · SMOO-theeA thick cold drink made by blending fruit and often yogurt, milk or juice.
Example: She chose a strawberry-banana smoothie.
refill
noun / verb · REE-filAnother serving that fills a cup or container again.
Example: Dad asked for a water refill.
bill
noun · BILThe statement showing how much must be paid for a meal or service.
Example: The server brought the bill after dessert.
Quick Check
Quick Check
A light check across the restaurant scene.
1. Which word means the list of food and drinks you can order?
- menu
- tray
- bill
- counter
2. Who may greet you and show you to a table?
- host
- customer
- cashier
- driver
3. Which drink is usually made by blending milk and ice cream?
- milkshake
- smoothie
- refill
- bill
4. Which drink is commonly made by blending fruit?
- smoothie
- milkshake
- straw
- tray
Context
Context
Recognize the word inside a familiar situation.
5. The ______ carried our plates to the table. She was the female restaurant server.
6. We finished eating, so Dad asked the server for the ______.
7. Put your lunch and drink on the ______ so you can carry them from the food-court counter.
8. My cup is empty. Could I get a water ______?
Quick-check answers
- 1. menu
A menu lists the food and drinks available to order. - 2. host
A restaurant host often greets customers and helps seat them. - 3. milkshake
A milkshake is usually made with milk and ice cream. - 4. smoothie
A smoothie is a thick blended fruit drink. - 5. waitress
Waitress means a female restaurant server; server is the more neutral general term. - 6. bill
The bill shows how much must be paid. - 7. tray
A tray is used to carry food and drinks. - 8. refill
A refill fills the cup again.