Going to a Restaurant in English: Travel English

Vanessa: Hi, I'm Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com.

Let's eat dinner together.

You're invited to a fancy restaurant with an excellent server.

Today you'll experience wonderful service and you'll also learn some useful expressions

for restaurants.

This month in the Fearless Fluency Club, we're talking all about restaurants.

If you become a member of the course for only $5 for the first month, you'll meet Ted, an

expert server.

You'll learn all about his experiences serving in restaurants in different types of dining

experiences in the U.S.

It's a good chance to get an insider's perspective.

Today you'll watch a common restaurant role play between my husband, Dan, the server,

and me, I'm the customer in the restaurant, but I'm not going to be stopping after each

section to explain it.

That's what we'll do in the Fearless Fluency Club, so if you'd like to get extra explanations

for each of these sections, join me in the Fearless Fluency Club for this lesson set

about restaurants starting on March 1st.

Without any more hesitation, I invite you to join me to dine in this fancy restaurant

in my kitchen.

Let's go.

Dan: Hi, welcome to the Outback Steakhouse.

Two?

Vanessa: Yes.

Dan: Do you have a preference inside or outside?

Vanessa: It's a little cold today, so maybe inside.

Dan: Okay.

Right this way.

Is a table okay?

Vanessa: Sure.

Dan: Here's some menus.

Your server will be right over to explain the specials and take your drink order.

Vanessa: Thanks.

Dan: Okay.

Dan: Hi, welcome to Outback.

I'm Dan.

I'm going to be your server today.

Vanessa: Hi. Dan: Have you been here before?

Vanessa: No, I haven't, but he has.

Dan: Great.

Thanks for dining with us.

Our specials are on the menu board over here.

We have a surf and turf, grilled trout with a four-ounce filet mignon for 19.99, and a

fried chicken plate with grilled seasonal vegetables for 15.99.

Would you like either of those or would you like help with the menu?

Vanessa: I'll just take a look at the menu for a little bit.

Dan: All right.

Can I get you started with a drink, an appetizer, maybe our famous Bloomin' Onion?

Vanessa: I'll just have a glass of water, thanks.

Dan: Okay.

Lemon?

Vanessa: Sure.

Dan: All right.

I'll be right back with that.

Dan: Here's your water.

Vanessa: Thank you.

Dan: Have you decided what you'd like?

Have any questions?

Vanessa: Yeah, I think I'm going to go with the fried chicken special, but what are the

seasonal vegetable?

Dan: Let's see.

We have zucchini, squash, and carrots.

Vanessa: Okay, I'd like that.

Can I also have a side salad?

How much is it?

Dan: The side salad is $1.99.

What would you like for dressing?

Vanessa: Well, what have you got?

Dan: We have Italian, Ranch, Thousand Island, and a lemon raspberry vinaigrette.

Vanessa: I think I'll go with the vinaigrette.

Can I have it on the side?

Dan: No problem.

So we have the fried chicken special, a side salad with a lemon raspberry vinaigrette on

the side.

Vanessa: Yes, that sounds great.

Dan: All right.

I'll put in your order and I'll be right back with the salad.

Vanessa: Thank you.

Dan: All right.

Here's your side salad with a side of dressing.

Vanessa: Thank you.

I think I'm also going to get a beer.

Dan: Okay.

Vanessa: What do you have on tap?

Dan: We have Blue Moon, Bud Light, Corona, and a local beer, Highland IPA.

Vanessa: I think I'll get that local beer, the Highland IPA.

Dan: Great choice.

Can I see your ID?

Vanessa: Sure.

Here you go.

Dan: Okay.

I'll be right back with that.

Vanessa: Thanks.

Dan: All right.

Here you go, Highland IPA.

Vanessa: Oh, thanks.

Dan: Enjoy.

Dan: I have the fried chicken special.

Vanessa: Thank you so much.

Dan: Can I get you anything else right now?

Vanessa: No, this looks great.

Thanks.

Dan: All right.

Enjoy.

Dan: How is everything?

Vanessa: Oh, it's good, thanks.

Dan: Would you like another IPA?

Vanessa: No thanks, I'm fine.

Dan: All right.

Enjoy.

Dan: How was your meal?

Vanessa: It was great, thanks.

Dan: Can I interest you in our dessert special, cheesecake with fresh strawberries on top?

Vanessa: Oh, no.

That was a big meal, thanks.

Dan: Okay.

Here's your check, but take your time, whenever you're ready.

Vanessa: Oh, I'm ready.

You can take it now.

Dan: All right.

Thank you.

Dan: Here you go.

Thanks for dining with us.

Have a great night.

Vanessa: Thanks.

Dan: Bye-bye.

Vanessa: Bye.

I hope you enjoyed this fun role play video.

I have a couple of questions, though.

Why did Dan say, "Is a table okay?"

Does he expect me to sit on the floor?

And was it rude when I asked how much the side salad was?

And why did Dan give me a pen at the end of the meal?

If you'd like to really dig deep into restaurant culture in the U.S. so that when you visit

Disney World or New York, you feel comfortable, make sure that you join me in the Fearless

Fluency Club in the month of March, and we'll talk about all of these things in more detail.

There's a link in the description.

And now I have a question for you.

How often do you eat out?

This is a wonderful phrasal verb to say go to a restaurant.

"I eat out five times a week."

"I eat out once a month."

"I rarely eat out."

This means you're going to a restaurant, you're not eating in in your house, you're eating

out, so let me know.

How often do you eat out in your daily life?

Thanks so much for learning English with me, and I'll see you again next Friday for a new

lesson here on my YouTube channel.

Bye.

Dan: Here's some menus.

Your ... don’t laugh.

Vanessa: Because it's funny, okay.

Dan: Here's some menus.

Your server will be right over ... Dan: Here's some menus.

Your server will be right over to explain the ...

Dan: Here's some menus.

No, I've got to address the monkey.

Dan: Here's some menus.

Your server will be right over to take ... your face.

Vanessa: I'm trying so hard not ... Dan: I've got to look at the monkey.

Vanessa: Okay.

I'm trying so hard not to laugh.

Dan: I'll look at the monkey.

Okay.

Dan: Here's some menus.

Your server will be right over to take ... Dan: Here's some menus.

Your server will be ... Vanessa: I can't.

Dan: He was so tender.

Vanessa: I love the menus.

I love the menus.

The next step is to download my free e-book, Five Steps to Becoming a Confident English

Speaker.

You'll learn what you need to do to speak confidently and fluently.

Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more free lessons.

Thanks so much.

Bye.