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“Artisinal”: 71 Subtle Words Restaurants Use That Are Just Code For “We’re Ripping You Off”
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!
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#1
“Seasonal fruit” and it is always cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, no matter what season it is
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#2
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.
#3
Deconstructed. Just say you can't assemble the ingredients together to form a dish.
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
‘Hand crafted cocktails’ well yeah, what else are you going to do it with? Your feet?
Laserleader 1 hour ago
Apparently there is a difference between a mix used for a cocktail (pre-made or store bought) and mixing all the ingredients when ordered. Is that what they mean?
#5
Chilean Sea Bass.
There is no such fish. It’s Patagonian tooth fish with a PR team.
Laserleader 1 hour ago
In Alaska we have 3 names for each of our 5 species of salmon (bet you didnt know each species taste very different). So who cares if it has multiple names as long as you know what it tastes like?
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
I once saw "flourless chocolate cake with a dialogue of fruit coulis" on a menu.
A dialogue??? 😂
#8
Appetizers being called “shareables”. Because now they can charge $18 for some beer cheese pretzels.
#9
I got a salad that featured “lettuce flakes”
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
I just hate the word “gastropub.” It sounds like someone farting in the bathtub.
Fungus John 1 hour ago
it always makes me think of gastroenteritis. not a good idea to market your restaurant as a place that will give me the s***s
#12
Best one I’ve encountered was “freshly-dug potatoes.”
Barbara Wilcock 1 hour ago
Disagree a little. Our local shop sells fresh dug vegetables from local farmers. You can tell from the smell and dirt
#13
A QR code instead of a menu.
#15
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
#16
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.
ghtqbmfs5q 28 minutes ago
Yep, juice in a fancy glass with a ridiculous price tag. Tasty though…
#17
Foraged and heritage anything, especially “foraged”. Like the sous chef was out in the woods yesterday. 😏
Laserleader 1 hour ago
Actually that is an important distinction. Foraged means it came from the wild and not grown on a farm. But you gotta be careful that it is not a subsistence food that is illegal to sell.
#18
Farm to table. Everything came from a farm and ended up on a table. It’s about the in between.
(I own an organic farm with a restaurant onsite and don’t even use that stupid saying)
Laserleader 1 hour ago (edited)
Again this is the distinction between FARMED foods and WILD caught/forged foods. So, you can't farm moose but you can buy moose steaks from a distributor that has contracts with hunters.
#20
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.”
#25
Queso cheese & naan bread. Just say cheese dip & bread, and stop charging me $20 for it.
turk 1 hour ago
Queso implies that there it is a Mexican-style cheese dip, with spices or peppers. Naan is a specific type of Indian flatbread. If I ordered these and got cheese dip and bread, I'd think it was false advertising. Some of these comments are just people being proud of their ignorance.
#28
“Market Price” Just tell me hmtf it costs, if I wanted to play games of chance I’d go to a GD casino…
#32
This is a restaurant, not a freaking museum. "Curated" is some ridiculously pretentious nonsense.
#35
"homemade" - it's a restaurant! How can it be homemade?
"fresh" vegetables/fruit/salad/anything... Were you thinking of serving stale food?
#38
"Twice-baked." Um, what??
I can reheat leftovers at home.
#39
Any place of business, including restaurants, that boast that their product is “world famous.”
#40
"Lobster" when you know damn well it's Langostino. Which is a lobster but stop playing in my face
#42
Maybe not fancy, but there's no such thing as a Philly Cheesesteak.
#43
Not roll my eyes but I’m grossed out when I see bone marrow on a menu. I donated bone marrow - so … ewww
#44
I very dislike, a QR code, please seat me with a proper menu. Also when you walk in at a restaurant and there are several tables open and they ask you if you have a reservation 🙈🤣
#45
Head to tail
I’m sorry but I’m a vegetarian and that phrase makes me nauseous
Barbara Wilcock 1 hour ago
If you k**l an animal, don't waste anything. How do guys think you get sausage and pepperoni
#46
Wagyu
Laserleader 1 hour ago
A specific description of how the animal is raised and treated, like the word Kosher.
#48
Crudité. You mean an overpriced veggie tray I could get at the deli in my local grocery store for 1/3 of the cost?!
#49
Charcuterie. Pretty sure it’s meat and cheese on a platter that we’ve been eating forever
#51
Crudo. I speak Spanish so it’s just so jarring (and pretentious) to see the word raw. Just say what it is.
#60
My husband HATES the word drizzle.
#63
Liver pâté is chilled boo boo 💩
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