Diner & Kitchen Lingo: English Vocabulary List

to cancel a customer's order

"The kitchen had to 86 it."

"The restaurant ran out of salmon, so the manager told the staff to 86 that item from the menu for the rest of the evening."

a very well-done or overcooked burger

"The burger was hockey puck."

"I ordered my burger medium-rare, but what I received was a dry, overcooked hockey puck."

a small, inexpensive diner, often serving fried or simple food

"The greasy spoon diner opens at 6 AM."

"The greasy spoon diner opens at six am and serves cheap fried breakfasts to construction workers."

a cheap, simple, or no-frills eatery

"He made a quick-and-dirty fix."

"The quick and dirty fix held the pipe together long enough for the plumber to arrive."

a small hotel or guesthouse that provides the residents with a resting place and breakfast

"We stayed at a bed and breakfast."

"We stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast during our holiday in the countryside last summer."

overwhelmed by too many customer orders

"The waiter was in the weeds with too many tables."

"The busy waiter was in the weeds because his section was full of customers all needing attention at once."

coffee

"He needs his morning java."

"He needed his morning java before he could even think about having a conversation with anyone."

to prepare a carry-out order

"Let's put wheels on it."

"We're running late for our meeting, so let's put wheels on this lunch order and get it to go."

(of a fried egg) cooked on one side without flipping

"My eggs are sunny-side up."

"I like my eggs sunny side up with the yolk runny and bright yellow."

having all the standard toppings or extras, especially on a sandwich

"I want it with the works."

"For my birthday, I decided to treat myself to a loaded baked potato with the works, including all the fixings."

a tradition of eating tacos on Tuesdays, sometimes promoted by restaurants

"It's Taco Tuesday!"

"Many families look forward to Taco Tuesday as a fun and easy weeknight meal tradition."

lacking excitement or movement

"The party was dead."

"The abandoned amusement park had a dead atmosphere, filled only with silence and decay."

to cook something thoroughly or to a preferred well-done state

"Burn the steak."

"Please ensure you burn the chicken thoroughly to avoid any undercooked portions."