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
A QR code instead of a menu.
#2
I just hate the word “gastropub.” It sounds like someone farting in the bathtub.
#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
“Seasonal fruit” and it is always cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, no matter what season it is
#5
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.
#6
Appetizers being called “shareables”. Because now they can charge $18 for some beer cheese pretzels.
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
Chilean Sea Bass.
There is no such fish. It’s Patagonian tooth fish with a PR team.
#8
Hand helds (they’re sandwiches)
#9
‘Hand crafted cocktails’ well yeah, what else are you going to do it with? Your feet?
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 We featuring wild dishes from restaurants, look no further than right here!
#10
I once saw “flourless chocolate cake with a dialogue of fruit coulis” on a menu.
A dialogue??? 😂
#11
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.
#12
I got a salad that featured “lettuce flakes”
#13
“Elevated” and “craveable” both infuriate me.
#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.”
#15
Best one I’ve encountered was “freshly-dug potatoes.”
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#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
#17
Encrusted when referring to fried food.
#18
“Market Price” Just tell me hmtf it costs, if I wanted to play games of chance I’d go to a GD casino…
#19
Entrees when they mean ‘Main Courses’
#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?!
#21
This is a restaurant, not a freaking museum. “Curated” is some ridiculously pretentious nonsense.
#22
Not keen on “slaw” instead of coleslaw
#23
“Molecular” and “composed”
#24
Foam. And when they bring you food with smoke under a glass dome.
#25
Calling all Indian food ‘curry’ or ‘curries’
#26
“Compote” I don’t need to be overcharged for jam
#27
“Grandma’s (whatever food)”
#28
Wedge Salad
#29
Hand cut, surely there was a knife involved
#30
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)
#31
Truffle oil
#32
Ink. Stop with the squid ink.
#33
Rustic
#34
Micro greens
#35
Mouth feel.
Just give me my wine.
#36
Rocky Mountain Oysters.
#37
Foraged and heritage anything, especially “foraged”. Like the sous chef was out in the woods yesterday. 😏
#38
Any place of business, including restaurants, that boast that their product is “world famous.”
#39
Queso cheese & naan bread. Just say cheese dip & bread, and stop charging me $20 for it.
#40
“Specials” (expiry date inventory management)
#41
Nosh
#42
“Fusion” 🙄
#43
Haricot verts— green beans!
#44
Espuma
#45
Tableside tiramisu makes me livid
#46
Charcuterie. Pretty sure it’s meat and cheese on a platter that we’ve been eating forever
#47
Crudo. I speak Spanish so it’s just so jarring (and pretentious) to see the word raw. Just say what it is.
#48
“homemade” – it’s a restaurant! How can it be homemade?
“fresh” vegetables/fruit/salad/anything… Were you thinking of serving stale food?
#49
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 🙈🤣
#50
“Twice-baked.” Um, what??
I can reheat leftovers at home.
#51
Not roll my eyes but I’m grossed out when I see bone marrow on a menu. I donated bone marrow – so … ewww
#52
Dried shitake mushrooms at a gastropub
#53
Liver pâté is chilled boo boo 💩
#54
Pommes frites
#55
Aguachile. Idk why. Lol.
#56
“Lobster” when you know damn well it’s Langostino. Which is a lobster but stop playing in my face
#57
Cavier…
#58
Wagyu
#59
Aioli. It’s mayonnaise.
#60
“With quail egg…”
#61
Gremolata and EVOO
#62
Gelèe
#63
“Catch of the Day” 🐟
#64
My husband HATES the word drizzle.
#65
Tuscan
#66
Brussels Sprouts anything.
#67
Head to tail
I’m sorry but I’m a vegetarian and that phrase makes me nauseous
#68
Clotted cream. Because ew.
#69
Umami
#70
Dijon.
#71
Maybe not fancy, but there’s no such thing as a Philly Cheesesteak.