I find the recitation of nightly specials awkward for the server and uncomfortable for diners—at least for those who are paying attention! I tend to forget the first special after the third or fourth is rattled off (but I’m too embarrassed to ask to have it repeated), so I prefer a written list that I can refer to should I have a question, which I recommend. You can learn a lot by engaging the server. A written list also consistently includes prices, which avoids the awkward “should I mention the cost or not?” issue that comes up when specials are shared verbally. SLM‘s dining team had a few opinions as well.
Amy De La Hunt: “My favorite way to learn of daily specials is to see them on a display at the entrance. It adds a sense of anticipation (or maybe even FOMO). After that, it depends. If the restaurant has a menu with a cover where another sheet listing the daily specials can be easily inserted, I appreciate being able to read them at my own pace, ideally with prices. Having the info available at the diner’s convenience cuts down on what can be an awkward interaction for the server—especially if the guests are extra talkative or if the party arrives at intervals.”
Mabel Suen: “A written list, because I’m the decison-paralysis type and need a minute to contemplate.”
Collin Preciado: “I have what my doctor refers to as comically excessive ADHD, so it usually takes me a couple minutes to get my bearings inside the muted chaos of a restaurant environment. This adjustment period is usually when the server will list off the specials, and even though I am looking directly at their face, my brain almost never registers what they’re saying. But even if I was capable of listening, I probably wouldn’t order the special anyway. To paraphrase the late Anthony Bourdain in his book Kitchen Confidential, specials can be a way for kitchens to get rid of any ingredients that are on the verge of expiration. I’ll usually disregard this advice if the restaurant took the time to print the specials on their own menu, since it suggests the dishes were planned for ahead of time. But if they’re scribbled on a chalkboard, I’m sticking to the main menu.”
Dining critic Dave Lowry: “I make it a habit never to order a nightly special since I’m usually writing about the place’s regular menu, and it doesn’t make sense for me to order and write about a dish that may not be on the menu when the reader visits. That said, I like to hear about the specials. It shows to me that the staff has spent some time going over the food with the kitchen, taken the trouble to memorize the specials. If they are that invested in the food, it’s a good sign.”
Denise Mueller-Peterson: “While I love hearing a seasoned professional describing one feature and a maybe a soup…if there’s more than two items, I tend to have to circle back with questions. A well-formatted ‘feature sheet’ allows the diner or group to make considerations in their own time and offers clear pricing (and, hopefully, some dietary information). Team Paper it is! That said, if I was serving your table, I’d also demurely point to my favorite item and sell it by adding my own whimsy.”
Lynn Venhaus: “Is it strange to like both? Usually, I have my mind made up after looking at the menu, but if I have seen the specials listed, then I’ll ask questions. From working in restaurants, I know the specials often allow the chef to get creative in a different way, and that’s worth checking out. I really like a server who knows the specifics of the special, so if I have questions, they can answer them. That helps ‘sell it.’ It’s fun to check out something new sometimes instead of always going with your ‘go-to.’ That might sound wishy-washy, but if you understand how the chef thinks, it can be worth the gamble.”
Heather Riske: “I generally like hearing the specials read out loud, as it feels a bit more personal. That said, I almost always end up asking for one to be repeated before ordering, so a written list would probably serve me better! A written list can also make it easier to be transparent about pricing.”
Pat Eby: “I do enjoy the performance aspect of a recitation of the specials—the delivery, the opportunity to connect with guests, and the descriptions of the dishes. I don’t mind a table card listing the specials, though, knowing how restaurants these days are often short-staffed.”
Local restaurant owners and chefs came down on both sides as well.
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Travis Howard, On Point Hospitality: “Personally, I prefer written specials and really any menu item to be written. I feel like guests mostly prefer that, too. On the flip side, our managers have to spend an absurd amount of time and energy reprinting menus constantly, so we’re always looking for ways to reduce the amount of time spent printing.”
Adam Tilford, Session Taco, Lapez Mod Mex: “I do like when the server explains them at the table but not robotically, reading them like a menu. I like when it flows like a conversation: how the chef prepared it, where they got the fresh ingredients, and so on. However, if there’s a lot of specials, I prefer to see them on a menu and just have the server hit on a few of their faves. I don’t like when they rattle them off in such a hurry you can’t even understand them.”
Kevin Willmann, Farmhaus: “I reprint the menu with almost any change even mid-service, so I don’t have to depend on servers to recite anything. Think of the ‘telephone’ game. It all gets jumbled up, no matter how hard you try. Also, it plays into our philosophy of presenting the guest with exactly what’s available. There’s nothing worse than having your heart set on a dish only to find out the table next to you is enjoying the last one!”
Mark Hinkle, OO Hospitality: “We update our menu daily, so generally everything is listed on the menu. But our staff at Olive + Oak will verbally share daily oyster offerings, a few of the new dishes or products we are excited about, and maybe a few classics we have become known for. I like the showmanship that can be a part of the experience tableside.”
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe, Peacemaker Lobster & Crab, La Tertulia: “Personally, I prefer to see a mix of both verbal and written. If there are more than two specials, it’s always nice to be able to reference them at any point. From a business standpoint, the added hospitality of the server describing the special or specials helps create excitement and exclusivity.”
Chris Kelling, Katie’s: “As an operator, I prefer a verbal ‘addition’ to the menu (all items on the menu are of course ‘special’), as it gives the server a chance to demonstrate expertise by being both succinct and thorough in their description of said dish and starts the experience with a bit of polish. As a guest, I find a verbal addition to be a good way to gauge how well the server knows not just the menu but food in general and from there I know whether or not to ask for recommendations. It also allows me to gauge on well the team is trained, simply by whether or not they include the price of the featured dish; to me there are few things worse, service-wise, than failing to mention the price in these instances. A written addition to the menu allows me to gauge how engaged a server is, as a server who truly cares about the guest experience will, of course, highlight the item in question and mention that it’s a limited offering instead of just going through the rote motions of discussing the standard offerings.”
Gerard Craft, Niche Food Group: “I think verbal is more personal, but when a server gets a little too busy, that can be the first thing dropped off their spiel. In the end, it also depends a little on the restaurant which works best.”
Brant Baldanza, OG Hospitality Group: “Casual meals or our ‘everyday’ dining spots throw me a couple verbal specials… I never mind. Anything more than two should be on a menu as most already know what they want when they come in. But fine dining or special night out, special me all you want as I love to hear what the chef has to offer. Just don’t make me have flashbacks from my Napoli serving days, when Tony, also a mentor of mine, used to make us carry around a ‘special tray’ with raw meat and fish wrapped in Saran wrap and do our spiel at the table. Napoli does not do this anymore, and I still look at the server like ‘you have no idea the road that was paved before you.’”
Natasha Kwan, Frida’s/Bonito Bar, Diego’s Cantina, Station No. 3: “As a guest, I prefer the server recite them at the table, however if there are three or more, I prefer it printed. It’s hard to pay attention to subsequent specials when you’re still thinking about the first one. At our places, we verbalize our specials. It’s a way for the server to engage, answer any questions and highlight our food.”
Jason Arnold, Hamilton Hospitality: “I prefer the servers and bartenders recite the specials, so that if there are any questions from the table, they can be answered. I also prefer that the specials are done from memory versus reading them. It can be frustrating if the server asks for the order, then if you ask, ‘Are there any specials?’, only then do they tell you what they are.”
Anonymous Owner: “Nowadays, in the gig economy, post-COVID—whatever you want to call it—servers try to do the bare minimum and think they can just rattle off specials by thinking about it in their head. I say, practice it by SAYING IT OUT LOUD. This is your job!”
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