美國餐廳英文

在美國坐下來吃一頓飯，通常照著一套劇本走：host（帶位員）招呼你、server（服務生）自我介紹、你點餐、用餐、帳單來、付款。每個步驟用到的英文，無論是平價小餐館還是稍微正式的餐廳，大致相同。只要你認得這套劇本，就能把注意力放在食物和同桌的人身上，而不是擔心接下來要說什麼。

本指南會走過從進門到離開的完整對話，包括幾個常讓新來者搞不清楚的句子 ——「How are you guys doing today?」、「Still working on that?」、「Is this on one check?」—— 以及怎麼自在地回應。餐廳習俗，包括小費的金額範圍，依地區與餐廳類型而異，請把例子當作起點，再依當下的店家做調整。

預期會遇到的流程

走進一間美國的內用餐廳時，門口附近通常會有一位 host 或 hostess 招呼你。他們會問你們有幾位、有沒有訂位，以及想坐哪裡。如果店裡很忙，可能會給你一個等候時間，或請你留下姓名與電話，桌位準備好後傳簡訊通知你。

入座之後，服務生會在幾分鐘內過來、自我介紹，並通常會自動端水來 —— tap water（自來水）在幾乎所有地方都免費。服務生會介紹當日特餐、問你想喝什麼，並給你幾分鐘看菜單。你準備好後，他們會點餐，有時會問烹調偏好（牛排幾分熟、選哪種沙拉醬、選哪些配菜）。餐點分階段上：先前菜、然後主餐，有時還有甜點。

用餐期間，服務生會過來幾次 ——「How is everything?」或「Can I get you anything else?」—— 並在你吃完後收盤子。準備離開時，你跟服務生要 check（帳單）。大多數內用餐廳是在桌邊付款，不是去收銀台。服務生會把帳單放在一個小夾子裡帶過來，你把卡或現金放進去，他們拿去刷卡後再拿回給你一張單據簽名。你在單據上填小費，放在桌上，就可以走了。

在比較輕鬆的店家 —— 櫃檯點餐的餐廳、fast-casual 連鎖、food hall（美食街）—— 你在櫃檯點餐、先付款，然後自己端餐點，或等他們送到桌邊。劇本短得多，給小費也更具彈性，雖然許多櫃檯店家現在也會在刷卡螢幕上跳出小費提示。

你可能會聽到的常見句子

派得上用場的句子

入內與帶位

• "Hi, table for two, please."
• "We have a reservation under [last name] at 7."
• "We don't have a reservation. How long is the wait?"
• "Is the bar seating first come, first served?"
• "Could we sit by a window, if anything is open?"
• "We're celebrating a birthday — anything in a quieter corner would be great."

詢問菜單

• "Could you tell me a bit about the [dish name]?"
• "What do you recommend?"
• "Is this dish spicy?"
• "How big is the portion? Should we share?"
• "What's in the house dressing?"
• "Does this come with sides, or are sides ordered separately?"
• "Is this enough for two people, or should we get one each?"

點餐與調整

• "I'll have the [dish name], please."
• "Could I get that with no onions?"
• "Could I substitute fries for the salad?"
• "Could I get the dressing on the side?"
• "Medium-rare, please." / "Well done, please."
• "Could you make sure it doesn't have any [ingredient]? I have an allergy."
• "Is this gluten-free? I'm not sure from the description."
• "I'm vegetarian — could you point me to a few options?"
• "Could we get an extra plate, please? We're sharing."

過敏與飲食需求

• "I'm allergic to peanuts. Could you let the kitchen know?"
• "I have a dairy allergy. Is there anything in the kitchen that could cross-contaminate?"
• "I'm avoiding gluten. Could you check what's safe?"
• "Is the [dish] cooked in the same oil as fried items with shellfish?"

要帳單與結帳

• "Could we get the check whenever you have a chance?"
• "We're ready whenever you are."
• "Could we split this two ways evenly?"
• "Could we split this onto two cards, with my card covering the entrees and the other covering the drinks?"
• "Could we get separate checks for the table?"
• "Could we get this boxed up?"
• "Could I get a to-go box?"

餐點有問題時

• "Excuse me — this looks a little undercooked. Could it go back for a few more minutes?"
• "I think I ordered the [dish], but this looks like a different one."
• "This isn't quite what I expected — the description sounded different. Is it possible to swap it for something else?"
• "Sorry, my card was declined. Could you try this one instead?"

重要詞彙

常見費用、政策或文件

美國餐廳的帳單上常常有幾項在食物價格之外的款項。看到不熟悉的項目，付款前要先問清楚。

• 消費稅（sales tax）。 大多數美國城市與州會在餐廳帳單上加消費稅。稅率依地點差異很大。
• 小費（tipping）。 在全套服務的內用餐廳，給小費是慣例，一般落在稅前金額的約 15 到 20%，依服務品質調整。在櫃檯點餐的店家，給小費較具彈性。外帶的習俗不一。刷卡機預設的百分比是建議，不是強制。
• 服務費或自動小費。 有些餐廳會自動加收一筆服務費，特別是針對大型聚餐（通常六人以上）。如果已包含，再額外給小費通常是可選的 —— 結帳前看一下收據。
• 開瓶費（corkage fee）。 如果餐廳允許你自帶葡萄酒，可能會按瓶收取開瓶與服務的費用。
• 現金或刷卡。 大多數美國餐廳都收主要信用卡；有些較小的店只收現金，會在門口貼牌；也有少數店家完全不收現金。進門前先看或先問。
• 分帳。 大多數服務生可以把同一張帳單平均分到多張卡。逐項按人分有時較費工，且尖峰時段可能無法處理。打算分帳的話，請早點告知。

各家餐廳、各地區，甚至不同時段，做法都不一樣。如果對某筆費用不確定，最清楚的做法就是問：「Could you walk me through this charge?」或「Is the gratuity already included?」。

對話範例

沒訂位直接入內

Host: "Hi, welcome in. How many?"

Guest: "Three of us, please."

Host: "Inside or on the patio?"

Guest: "Patio, if it's open."

Host: "It is. It'll be about a 15-minute wait. Can I get a name and number? I'll text you."

Guest: "Sure, it's Chen, 555-..."

Host: "Great. You can wait at the bar, or step outside — we'll let you know when it's ready."

有過敏的點餐

Server: "Hi, I'm Sam. Have you eaten with us before?"

Guest: "Not yet, no."

Server: "Welcome. Our specials tonight are a roasted halibut with corn risotto, and a short rib with potato puree. Can I start you off with drinks?"

Guest: "Just tap water for now. Quick question — I have a shellfish allergy. Is the halibut prepared in the same area as shellfish?"

Server: "Let me check with the kitchen. One moment."

[Server returns.]

Server: "The halibut itself is fine, but the kitchen does prepare shrimp on the same line. The chef recommends the short rib or the chicken tonight to be safe."

Guest: "Good to know. I'll do the short rib."

得體地退回不對的餐點

Guest: "Excuse me — I'm sorry, the steak came out well-done. I had asked for medium-rare."

Server: "Oh, I'm really sorry about that. Let me take it back and have the kitchen redo it. Do you want me to bring something out for you in the meantime, so you're not just sitting there?"

Guest: "No, I'm okay. Thank you for taking care of it."

Server: "Of course. It'll just be a few minutes."

要帳單、分帳，以及卡片刷不過

Guest: "Could we get the check whenever you have a chance?"

Server: "Of course. Is this on one or two?"

Guest: "Two, please. Could you put the entrees on this card and the drinks on this one?"

Server: "I can do an even split — sorry, the system only handles even splits or one ticket per person. Which would be easier?"

Guest: "Let's just do an even split."

[Server returns.]

Server: "Sorry, this card came back declined. Want to try a different one?"

Guest: "Yes, try this one instead. Thank you."

實用小提醒

• 點餐時「I'll have...」和「Could I get...」都既有禮貌又自然。「Give me...」聽起來比學習者以為的還要不客氣。
• 服務生通常會回來幾次確認狀況。一句簡短的「We're great, thanks」就夠了，不需要詳細答覆。
• 如果你只說「water」，許多服務生會給你免費的自來水。瓶裝水通常要明確點，且另外收費。
• 「Still working on that?」只是例行詢問是否可收盤子，並不是在評論你吃得慢。「Yes, still working」或「You can take it, thanks」都行。
• 在全套服務的內用餐廳，給小費是真實的期待。如果服務有問題，與其完全不給，不如降低金額，並考慮向經理反映。
• 分帳很正常。服務生送帳單之前先說，會讓流程更順。
• 把剩菜打包帶回家完全是標準做法。「Could I get a to-go box?」是常用的說法。
• 如果出了什麼問題 —— 菜上錯、廚房很慢、有筆費用看起來不對 —— 平靜、具體的請求通常很快就能解決。