As a member of the industry, it is imperative that you are familiar with the following hospitality terms.

A La Carte. This is a restaurant term for how a meal is served and ordered. Think of this as the opposite of a “set menu.” Here, the guest can order whatever dish they like with adjustments.

Table d’Hôte. A multi-course menu offered at a fixed price.

Foodie. Someone who appears to know everything about food and cooking (that may or may not be true).

SOS. This is an abbreviation of “sauce on the side.”

Charcuterie. Add this to your must-know list of hospitality terms if you work at a wine bar or other swanky businesses. This is a specific type of cooking that’s focused on the preparations of sausage, bacon, ham, and other meats. It also usually refers to a board of assorted meats, cheeses and light accompaniments.

Dupe. Information passed to the kitchen from the front-of-house team so the chef knows what dishes to prepare.

Ghost restaurant. This is a restaurant that doesn’t contain seats and makes all of its money through food delivery.

Mise en Place. A French term for the procedure kitchen staff must follow to ensure everything is in place correctly.

Omakase. A Japanese term that means “leave it up to you”. It’s when guests leave the choice of their meal to the chef.

Runner. The person who runs back and forth between the kitchen and dining area delivering dishes. Typically, they’re not assigned specific tables.

Sommelier. A person who specializes in wine and knows how to match dishes to their perfect bottle.

Three Martini Lunch. Dining experiences that take place at lunchtime and cater to lawyers and businesspeople. This hospitality term is also a slang term.

Zero out. When a customer completes payment on their balance.

“5 out!”. A term chefs use to tell the kitchen that a dish in progress will be ready in five minutes.

“86”. A restaurant slang term for when the kitchen has run out of a specific dish, beverage, or ingredient. They “86” that item from the menu, so other servers don’t try to sell it.

Adam and Eve on a Raft. A diner expression for two eggs on toast. You can add “wreck ‘em” if you need the eggs scrambled.

Bev nap. You know the small square napkins placed under the drink to prevent wetting the bar’s surface? They’re known as bev naps. Blue-plate special. Lower-cost menu options are usually switched up daily in diners and cafes.

Camper. The least favorite customer for a restaurant. Campers finish and pay for their meals but remain seated at their table for some time afterward.

Couldn’t cook their way out of a paper bag. Refers to someone who claims to be a great chef but isn’t exactly a master of the craft.

Dead plate. A dish that can’t be served to customers, usually because something’s gone wrong during the prep or cooking.

Dine and dash. Those unthinkable customers who have their meal but leave without paying for it.

“Nuke it.” This refers to microwaving a dish to heat it (or cook it) for the guest.

“Pump it out”. Prepare food quickly or “pump it out.”

“Push it.” If a restaurant needs a particular dish or drink to sell more readily than others, you need to “push it.”