Welcome to our Daily English Listening Practice with this week’s series:

Role Play: At a Restaurant

If this is your first time here: Check out Restaurant Role Play Part 1 for the beginning of the Restaurant Role Play and English Dialogue

American Restaurant: at the top
British Restaurant: scroll down

Grab the Transcripts to Download Here

American Restaurants

USA – Appetizers – Come Out First

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This American English clip is between a restaurant hostess and a customer.

—Transcript—

Server: Hi guys, can I get you started with some appetizers?

Customer: Actually, can we go ahead and order?

Server: Sure, no problem, what can I get for you?

Customer: Uh, let’s get the fajitas platter for two and then the nachos.

Server: Okay, do you want it to come out altogether or do you want the nachos to come out first?

Customer: Uh, can we have the nachos out first please?

Server: Yeah of course.

……

Server: Can I clear that out of the way for you?

Customer: Oh, sure.

Server: And the rest of your meal should be out shortly.

Customer: Thank you.

Culture Notes:
If you ask the server, “Could we go ahead and order?” or “We’d like to go ahead and order.” They’ll assume you want to skip appetizers or order them with your main course. This is usually said in an American restaurant because most servers go in order of drinks, appetizers, then they move on to main course and dessert, but if you want to speed it up a little you can use this phrase. “Do you want it out first?” or “Do you want that to come out first?” means that you’ll get the plate as an appetizer, and then your meal will come after you’ve finished it.

USA – Appetizers – Altogether

[wonderplugin_audio id=”82″]

This American English clip is between a restaurant hostess and a customer.

—Transcript—

Server: Hi guys, so what can I get you started with?

Customer: Can we go ahead and order everything at once?

Server: Yes, of course, what can I get for you?

Customer: Uh, can we have the Tex Mex platter and I’ll have the surf and turf please.

Server: Sure, how would you like that steak cooked?

Customer: Uhm, medium well.

Server: Medium, well, no problem, and would you like everything out at the same time?

Customer: Can we just have it altogether please.

…..

Another Server: Hi guys, did someone order the Tex-Mex platter or did you guys want it just in the middle.

Customer: Yeah, can we just have it in the middle.

Server: Sure, of course here you go, would you like some side plates with that?

Customer: Oh yes, please.

Culture Notes:
Sometimes restaurants have “runners” to bring food quickly to the table. They aren’t servers and they may not know who ordered what. They’ll hold up the food, say the dish name, and you can hold your index finger up slightly to show that it’s your meal. If you’re going to share something, tell them to “Put it in the middle, please.” or “We’re going to share that one.” or “Could we have some side plates with that?”

USA – No Olives – On the Side

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This American English clip is between a restaurant hostess and a customer.

—Transcript—

Server: Okay, we’ve got the appetizers cleared out of the way, would you like to order your entrees?

Customer: Yeah, can I get the Hawaiian pizza, but with no olives, please.

Server: Sure, no problem. That comes with a side salad, what kind of dressing would you like?

Customer: Uh, what kind of dressings do you have?

Server: Well, we have a light vinaigrette, we’ve got a caesar, and then we’ve got an Italian dressing,.

Customer: Okay, can I have the vinaigrette on the side please?

Server: Yeah, of course.

Culture Notes:
Picky eaters love American restaurants. You can add or take off almost anything you want. Casual restaurants are used to hearing “No… this.” “Can you add… this.” It’s very common, but to be polite, try not to change the entire meal! If you have dietary problems, please ask the server. Is this Gluten Free – Vegetarian – Nut-free? I’m allergic to tomatoes… Most restaurants have special menus online with ingredients to help save you some time choosing a meal at the restaurant. Getting sauce on the side is also very common, and it isn’t a problem at all.

USA – Another Table

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This American English clip is between a restaurant hostess and a customer.

—Transcript—

Server: Hi guys, so what can I get for you?

Customer: Actually, we were looking at that table over there… what do they have?

Server: Oh that’s our chicken fried steak.

Customer 1: Oh, yeah can I have one of them please?

Customer 2: Yeah, make that two.

Culture Notes:
It’s not rude to ask another table what they’re eating, especially if it looks delicious! Americans are usually pretty friendly, so asking “Oh, excuse me, but that looks delicious, what is that?” in a friendly way is not strange. Only ask tables close to yours while you’re sitting down, don’t stand next to them or invade their personal space, since most Americans like to have space and quiet when they’re eating. If they’re too far away to ask while you are at your own table, ask the server, they’ll know. “Make that two.” = I also want the same meal.

British Restaurants

Grab the Transcripts to Download Here

UK – Meal Deal

[wonderplugin_audio id=”85″]

This British English clip is between a restaurant server and a customer.

—Transcript—

Server: Hi guys, what starters would you like?

Customer: Uhm, we’d like the garlic bread, but can we go ahead and order our main course, too?

Server: Absolutely.

Customer: Okay, I think I want one of these meal deals that you’ve got.

Server: Okay, so if you order a burger or a sandwich before 3pm, you can get it on our lunch time deal. So it’ll be 5 pounds.

Customer: Okay, I think I’d like the burger then. And could we have everything come out together?

Server: Absolutely.

Culture Notes:
A lot of mid-range restaurants might offer a special lunch time deal to generate more business during lunch and day-times – times when restaurants and pubs are filled with nearby workers. Keep an eye out for little flyers or posters advertising those kind of ‘Meal Deals’ or ‘Lunch Deals’. It usually includes a limited selection of drinks (beer, coffee, soft drink) and something fairly basic on the menu. Meal deals are usually only available during a certain time, or even on a certain day of the week.

UK – Mains Out Soon

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This British English clip is between a restaurant server and a customer.

—Transcript—

Server: Hi there, can I take those plates for you?

Customer: Oh, yeah sure, we’re finished.

Server: Okay, thank you….. I’ve already told the kitchen about your mains, and they should be with you soon.

Culture Notes:
When you finish your starters, your waiter should come and clear your table. They’ll then go and tell the kitchen you’re finished and they should either start or finish preparing your main course. There is normally a 5-10 minute wait between your starter and your main course.

UK – Other Table

[wonderplugin_audio id=”87″]

This British English clip is between a restaurant server and a customer.

—Transcript—

Customer: Oh, what did you just bring over to that table over there?

Server: That was the fajitas, you can probably hear it across the restaurant.

Customer: Oh, yeah, we’d definitely like an order of that please…. Actually, can you make that two orders?

Culture Notes:
See something you like on another table? Ask about it! It’s not considered rude to even ask the other customers directly! If you want to order the same thing as your friend, say: “Make that 2.” / “Make that 3.” This often happens with drinks too.

UK – On the Side

[wonderplugin_audio id=”88″]

This British English clip is between a restaurant server and a customer.

—Transcript—

Customer: Oh, hey, with that burger, could I get all the sauce on the side, please?

Server: Yeah, that’s no problem.

Customer: And, what sort of dressing do you have for the side salad?

Server: Uh, we have an Italian dressing or a vinaigrette.

Customer: I’d like the vinaigrette, but please put it on the side.

Server: Okay, no problem.

Culture Notes:
You can order most ingredients of a meal “on the side”, especially if it’s a sauce or a salad dressing.

UK – Extra Notes

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So much to eat! Hope the language is easy to understand, if you have any questions, you can chat with us in the comments below!

Thanks,
Kat and Mark