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71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
Food,LifestyleMAY 20, 2026

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them

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If your idea of fine dining is a date at Olive Garden, you’re probably used to menus stating exactly what’s on them. Each dish has a simple name, and its components are clearly listed below. But nowadays, restaurants will use any tactic they can to up their prices, including using a heavy hand to smother their food in fancy buzzwords.
Have you noticed recently how many menus are suddenly featuring hot honey, truffles, and microgreens? These trendy buzzwords don’t only make meals more Instagrammable, they also seem to be a tactic restaurants use to justify their high prices. Threads users have recently been discussing some of the most popular phrases restaurants are haphazardly slapping on menus, so we've compiled a list of them below. Enjoy reading through, and be sure to upvote the ones that make you lose your appetite too!

#1

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
A QR code instead of a menu.
36points

#2

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
I just hate the word “gastropub.” It sounds like someone farting in the bathtub.
30points

#3

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
Deconstructed. Just say you can't assemble the ingredients together to form a dish.
28points

Just like anything else, restaurants have trends that come and go every season. Remember when Dubai chocolate was everywhere? Pistachios are still pretty popular in anything and everything. Tiramisu has also been having a moment on social media recently, as well as matcha.

When it comes to dining out, though, Michelin Guide reports that there are a few big trends coming our way this year. Apparently, char, smoke, and flame are to be expected on every fine dining menu. “Time” is also now considered an ingredient, particularly for components that have been fermented for ages. And we can expect to see creative contemporary spins on traditional cuisines.

#4

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
“Seasonal fruit” and it is always cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, no matter what season it is
27points

#5

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
When every other word is in English, but they throw in a random french word like haricot. shut the hell up with your sysco green beans.
25points

#6

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
Appetizers being called “shareables”. Because now they can charge $18 for some beer cheese pretzels.
20points

As far as what influences how we cook at home, social media plays a major role. There are constantly new food trends popping up on TikTok, such as the viral Biscoff yogurt “cheesecake” trend that started in Japan. And who can forget the mouthwatering Turkish pasta

But according to Ingredient’s 2025 trend report, a few global cuisines have been influencing home cooking as well. Georgian and African cuisines have become increasingly popular amongst home cooks around the globe. Classic French, Mexican, and Portuguese cuisines are growing in popularity too. And plenty of people have been experimenting with fusion cuisine, putting a twist on traditional flavors.   

#7

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
Chilean Sea Bass.
There is no such fish. It’s Patagonian tooth fish with a PR team.
19points

#8

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
Hand helds (they’re sandwiches)
18points

#9

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
‘Hand crafted cocktails’ well yeah, what else are you going to do it with? Your feet?
17points

Is this list making you hungry, or are you simply rolling your eyes at all of these buzzwords, pandas? Keep upvoting the ones that you’re tired of seeing, and let us know in the comments if you’ve noticed any other trendy words taking over menus. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another article from Bored Panda featuring wild dishes from restaurants, look no further than right here

#10

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
I once saw "flourless chocolate cake with a dialogue of fruit coulis" on a menu.
A dialogue??? 😂
17points

#11

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
Mocktail. It’s $15 juice. Actually, I love a mocktail but the price enrages me. You’re literally not giving me alcohol but I don’t get a discount? Stop it.
14points

#12

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
I got a salad that featured “lettuce flakes”
14points

#13

“Elevated” and “craveable” both infuriate me.
13points

#14

The possessive on French menus. The equivalent of “Glazed pork loin with its assortment of fire-roasted root vegatabkes,” or “pan-seared Brussels sprouts with their lardons served under a cloche of maple smoke.”
Report
13points

#15

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
Best one I’ve encountered was “freshly-dug potatoes.”
12points

#16

I remember once seeing "potato puree" on the menu and I asked, "So like, loose mashed potatoes?" The server laughed and was like, "Yeah pretty much" lol
12points

#17

71 Words That Restaurants Started Using In Their Menus And People Can't Stop Rolling Their Eyes At Them
Encrusted when referring to fried food.
11points

#18

“Market Price” Just tell me hmtf it costs, if I wanted to play games of chance I’d go to a GD casino…
Report
10points

#19

Entrees when they mean ‘Main Courses’
10points

#20

Crudité. You mean an overpriced veggie tray I could get at the deli in my local grocery store for 1/3 of the cost?!
8points
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