Glossary
Server Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential server terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key server vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in server training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- 86
- Sold out.
- Allergy flag
- An alert to the kitchen.
- Check average
- Average spending per table.
- Comp
- A free item.
- Covers
- Guests served.
- Double seat
- Two tables seated at once.
- Fire
- Telling the kitchen to start a course.
- In the weeds
- Overwhelmed and behind.
- Pre-bus
- Clearing plates during the meal.
- Run food
- Delivering food to tables.
- Section
- The tables a server is assigned.
- Side work
- Cleaning and stocking duties.
- Tip out
- Sharing tips with support staff.
- Turn
- Seating a new party at a table.
- Upsell
- Suggesting additional items.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Server practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Server training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.