If you’re late for lunch and looking for something to eat, which restaurant do you go to? If you’re not sure or just want to know what types of restaurants are popular with folks today, here’s a short list of what you can expect to find in major cities. True there are many concepts coming up, but these have stood the test of time.
Bar and Grill Restaurants
Bar and grills like Bonefish Grill serve a variety of grilled foods including steaks, burgers, hotdogs, and fish, and most of them also offer plenty of non-grilled food items like soups, appetizers, desserts and more. The majority of them also provide a host of beverages including alcoholic drinks.
Barbecue Restaurants
These restaurants obviously have a host of BBQ meals and dishes on the menu such as briskets, pork ribs and barbecued entrees, although a growing number are now offering additional dishes such as steaks and salads to go along with the main dish.
Café and Bistros
Also known as a bistro, they are casual eateries specializing in casual and fast food items like cheeseburgers, fries and hotdog sandwiches. Most cafes serve cold dishes like salads and sandwiches as well as hot meals like pizzas and pastas.
Coffee House
A coffee house is an establishment that sells primarily coffee and other caffeinated beverages. While some of them sell food items, they’re usually limited to casual food like sandwiches.
Concession Stand
A concession stand isn’t really a restaurant but a stall where you can buy ice cream, chips and other light snacks as well as hamburgers and hotdog sandwiches. These are usually found near fairs and sports venues.
Diner
Diner is a term used for certain restaurants in the US, particularly those with a retro design, casual and specializes in American food like hotdogs, tuna melts and hamburgers. A good example of this would be Denny’s.
Food Court
This is an eating area in shopping centers where you can find an assortment of food vendors available. Typically, food courts have inexpensive food and a first come, first serve service.
Oyster Bar and Raw Bar
An oyster bar is a restaurant that serves only oysters. Somewhat related to this is the raw bar where oysters, raw shellfish and clams are served. However, some of these restaurants also now prepare cooked food, steamed shellfish and clam chowders. Traditional ones, though, stick with just oysters.
Other Types of Restaurants
A roadhouse is a restaurant or bar that’s found along a highway or town outskirts, such as Texas Roadhouse. A steakhouse, as the name suggests, specializes in beef steaks and different kinds of meats. A tearoom on the other hand, is a restaurant that serves pastries and light meals along with a wide array of teas.
A teppanyaki is a Japanese restaurant where you and the other guests sit around a counter that’s hooked up to a grill. A trattoria meanwhile, is a casual restaurant offering Italian food, similar to what you will find at an Italian American restaurant.
