Restaurant lingo decoded: A glossary of terms every diner should know

Ever visited a restaurant and heard a phrase you'd never heard before?

You're not alone. The restaurant industry has its own jargon, and sometimes it can be hard to figure out.

If you've ever been curious about certain words and phrases, this glossary of some of the most used and popular phrases could help.

General dining-out terms

A La Carte

A la carte is a French phrase that refers to an item sold separately. For example, at upscale restaurants, a la carte items could include mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or French fries.

Bartender

The person behind the bar making drinks. Other names for a bartender include barkeep, barman, bar chef, mixologist, and barmaid. There is a debated difference between a bartender and a mixologist, as with mixologists there is the connotation they are going to make fancier cocktails than a standard bartender. But they all generally do the same job: make and serve drinks to customers.

Food truck/cart

"Food truck" and "food cart" are usually used interchangeably, but the vehicles themselves have slight differences. Food trucks are actual trucks outfitted with kitchens. Food carts typically are trailers or similar non-driving vessels with partial or full kitchens built into them.

Food (truck/cart) pod

A pod is a location where multiple food trucks and carts gather. These are usually semi-permanent stations for the carts, but can sometimes rotate. A pod is usually at least three or more trucks parked in one spot.

Full service

A full-service restaurant is a type of restaurant that provides table service. Guests are taken care of by waitstaff throughout the entire service, whether it be an extremely upscale or standard experience.

Last call

Last call is the phrase the bartender will say to indicate it is the final time someone can order a drink before the bar closes. This is usually done about an hour before the establishment formally closes and primarily at bars. Restaurants also have last calls, but most people will associate the phrase with bars.

Market price

Market price refers to menu items whose cost is determined by how much the establishment pays to obtain them. The price fluctuates regularly, often because the items are expensive or difficult to source. These are typically seafood or other seasonal products, and their cost depends on market conditions at the time of purchase.

Prix fixe

A prix fixe dining experience is a set menu with a fixed pricing. These are usually done at high-end restaurants or special occasion dining experiences like chef's tables.

Quick service

Quick service is another type of restaurant, in which the priority is providing quick and cheap food service. These types of restaurants are often fast food or counter-service. The menu is comprised of standardized, cheap foods, the atmosphere and service is casual and they usually open for more hours than standard full-service restaurants.

Well drinks

Well drinks are cocktails made using the house liquor. "Well" refers to the house liquor, and is usually the cheapest option on the menu. It is used when you don't explicitly request a specific brand.

Working dining industry terms

86

If an item has been "86'ed," it means the dish has run out for the day.

Campers

Campers are customers who have eaten and paid their bill but continue to stay. These customers "camp" at the table long past their dining period, holding up other guests who could be seated and dining.

FOH/BOH

FOH refers to front-of-house, meaning all the staff that work on the customer-facing side. BOH refers to the back of the house, encompassing the kitchen staff and those whose jobs are not visible to customers.

On the fly

Ever had your order forgotten? If your order was said to be "on the fly," it means the kitchen should rush a dish.

Overhead

Overhead refers to the additional factors that go into calculating food costs, these include electricity, heat, cost of labor and more.

POS

POS is the point of sales system, which at the minimum handles transactions but can also be advanced to take reservations and other restaurant data.

Top

The word is usually used in the phrase as a "two top" or "four top," top indicating the number of people in a party.

Em Chan covers food and dining at the Statesman Journal. You can reach her at echan@gannett.com and follow her on X @ catchuptoemily.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Restaurant lingo decoded: A glossary of terms every diner should know