How to Take Orders as a Waiter-- Restaurant Server Training 

In-depth training for servers by servers: www.realservertraining.com

Got a front of house interview tomorrow, as someone with little-to-no bar/restaurant experience I've been crashing through loads of these videos to prepare as much as I can and these short broken-down videos on the tricks and tips have been really helpful, thank you!

To me, this is the toughest part of serving: Staying organized with written orders. I feel confident in giving people the food they ordered, but organizing and making sure _everyone_ gets what they want, whether it's drinks, appetizers, deserts, to-go food, an extra sauce, an extra side, all while managing _everyone elses'_ wants and needs during the shift can be overwhelming if we don't develop a system that keeps things in order so we can just go right down the line.

About to start serving with no real experience!! Getting trained on Wednesday, this is immense!!! Thank u

Thinking of being a server just gets my brain in shambles. At the same time I feel like once I get the hang of it I’d be way too good.

I think that organizing your book and writing orders out correctly is a big part for beginners. This video is good and helpful for those with little to no training. If a server can get the top tips and training, plus experience...it becomes like second nature to them.

Just started out as a waitress at our local restaurant and these videos are sooo helpful!!!

Love how straight forward this is, thank you for your help!

Your videos are amazing. I appreciate the edition and the valuable information on them

Done learning.Thank you so much

Amazing tips, thank you so much, going for my 1st interview this Sat, never been a server before lol

Thanks for sharing! I like the comments from these videos. I’m looking to apply for a Server position at a newly opened restaurant in my town. Using these videos to prepare me as I’ve never worked in the food industry before. Wish me luck!

Omg I love the beginning intro transitions!!!! Such great shots!

Nice work! This was the part of serving that I always thought was the toughest especially with large groups.

I've been out of the serving game for 15 years. Just picked it up again and this was EXTREMELY helpful vid! Thanks!

I think you have a good strategy, but some orders are more complex than others and ask for special preparation or substitutions for instance; hence, you need to ensure you have adequate spacing on your scrap paper in between customers. Otherwise, you'll be forced to write in margins, etc and in the fury of the restaurant rush, you may omit, overlook, or confuse one order with another.

These videos are excellent, I'm surprised they don't have way more views

Omg thank you I just got hired as a head waitress with no waitressing experience. Lmao . And I have been stressing over how to properly write out checks .. 👍🏾👏🏿👌🏾💕

To day I’m going to train at new place. Thank you for making very helpful tips.

Getting my first job this summer. I'm pretty excited! This video has helped me prepare for what to expect. Thank you! Hopefully I get the spot :)

Thank you !! Now I’m even more confident for my interview today 😊

This is my first video of his and that intro was EPIC!

Thank you for these videos! I'm possibly getting a job as a waitress soon and I have no idea what I'm doing these videos are so helpful!

Yes sir! Thanks for this video, very helpful Let’s goooooo! Started serving again part time, It’s been over 10 years. Forgot how much fun it is!!!

Phenominal intro!

The biggest thing I wanted to learn thank you 🙏🏽

Wow thank you so much I’ve never been a server before and this definitely has helped me

I got a interview tomorrow and watching these videos is helping me a lot

This was super helpful!! I just started training serving and this was the most difficult for me to learn feeling all over the place with orders lol

Extremely helpful!❤️

Extremely underrated video. I have learned so much seeing a Server's different perspective on waiting tables. Thank you for the videos. :)

That was the best advice on a serving video that I’ve ever seen!

I know you get this comment a lot but your videos are spot on wish you had more views and subs ! I work in fast food but never at a restaurant setting and I’m looking to get a second part time job serving these are incredibly helpful !!!

That intro though 🔥 👌🏼

I randomly typed this on google. Great stuff that you have this down to a science

And am having my food and service practical exam tomorrow. This was really helpful for me. Love from India ❤️

Very cool. You and I structure our books very similarly.

Good training I never did serving or restaurant before so I need the challenge

I definitely recommend you take a book for your orders, I see other staff members tryna do it without writing it down and believe me, they always make a error.

That intro was fire

Gracias amigo te amo ♡

Sometimes we r just 2 servers serving 21 tables in a c restaurant with a rude boss 😅 but these videos helped alot we r doing good guys i love this job

That intro tho!!! 🥶

Great tip! I’ve got an interview at Dennys tomorrow! Wish me luck! I used to wait tables at chilis about 20 years ago !!!

The Bar/Bowling Alley/Arcade/Movie theater that I serve at uses handheld tablets for order taking and it’s an absolute godsend, very easy and reliable to use

Great help

i just started serving and was struggling to keep whos order was who. idk why i didn’t think of numbering them! thank you so much 🙏🏻

Pro tip: Use a tape recorder or audio recording app in your apron. Discrete earpiece,1.2x playback speed as you tap the orders in. Suddenly, best and fastest server in the restaurant.

This video is really help for me.

I just wanna say this was one of the coolest intros I’ve ever seen y’all really made serving look like an action movie scene haha

Thanks I have a interview with Applebees to become a server and felt overwhelmed because I never did it before but this helped A lot

Dude ty so much for making this so clear and easy. My kitchen just switched from buffet to made to order and I’ve been fumbling so bad 😅😢.

THANK YOU, I start training tomorrow and Im super nervous

Being as organized as you are, you might want to consider ordering a waiter wallet… I’ve got one, I love it

This helps a lot😢

I didn’t even apply yet but I’m so nervous to work up in front with ppl if I get a server job I need to be 100% sure I know what I’m doing to not make a fool of myself and not hold everyone up😭

nice production!

It's been a while I stop working as a waiter and event host in one of the most famous restaurant here in the Philippines. Due to this pandemic bad luck struck me so I decided to work abroad as a waiter.. So I need as much information to refresh my learnings as a waiter.

Wow! So. Easy.

Very well organised. If I may just add my opinion. In 10 years of work in places of high criteria and lot's of work, for me the best way is. 1) Same as yourself, write down the table number and introduce yourself as well as say: "Hello, Good evening, my name is .... , welcome to Restaurant .... . 2) Take the drinks order within the first 5 minutes of guest's sitting down or at least when opening the the menue's (optional) ask if they would like some water and whether should it be still or sparkling or both. 3) Depending on what type of restaurant it is, go and order the drinks in the bar and after that while the drinks are being prepared type the order in the computer (This is the way we keep track of the tables and orders). 4) After the drinks are prepared go to the table, give everyone their drink (NOTE: Every time to be given from the right hand side with your right hand) and proceed to ask if they are ready or if they maybe need some help with ordering food (recommendation etc.). 5) After taking the food order take it to the kitchen and if needed prepare the cutllary and deliver it to the table. You are now finished until the kitchen ringsthe bell. P.S. Another pice of advice. Themost important thing that set's apart good server from a great one is how much steps he/she saves while working. For example: Youhave to bring a bill to table 4, a ketchup to table 6, drinks to table 14, etc. Trying in doing all od those at the same time or as much as possible at the same time is the key. Aswell as never havingempty hands. There are always things to clean, take, bring and so on. Never leave empty bottles on the table, never forget to ask if they want more of them and NEVER EVER let a lady pour a drink or God forbid wine by herself. It's just polite from you to do so. Good luck everyone.

Thank you man. Learning is next level. But I don't know what drink is what, and I don't know how to make the drink. Any advice?

Nice affects dude.

Thank you

Thank You very much!

Thx bro

I like the ones with the zipper pouch where servers can hide their coke in.

This is how I do it and I never even seen this video before

I was a server almost 8 years ago.However, I am thinking about becoming one again. I loved being a server but I always had one problem. I never really was good with doing big party orders. I was completely confused on how to take them😅 I would do your method you show here but a lot of times ppl would just yell out there drink/food orders and I never would understand whose checks went together because they would just yell out their orders and and it would be so many ppl. I would sometimes put the wrong orders on the wrong checks..I know to ask how many checks is this gonna be today but I’m still confused on how I would organize it…I used to spend forever at the pos computer trying to figure out whose check went with whose..it was so stressful. I really want to be comfortable taking big party orders if I choose to become a server again. If you see this can you please tell me an easier way, there has to be one I know it😅

love the watch man. where did you get it from

Bro Morning Shift is Inhuman cuz the Hotel kicks out People before 11 AM and the People wake up at 6 to 8 and flood the Restaurant at 8:30 to 9:30 AM and the Disorganization & Stress becomes real especially when some other Coworker(s) who were suppose to be there with you don't show up because they too tired working other jobs or making irresponsible sleeping decisions. Evening Shift is way better because People come in like 10 minutes apart from each other and you gave them their Drinks and gave them their Food and then the next set of People come in. There's a smoothe rhythm about Evening Times. By the time Hotel People come around, you already have everything stocked and ready to go between 7 to 9 PM.

“This is how i structure my book” im sorry but it had me dying

Question, why don’t you do one side drinks and flip the paper over for the appetisers?

I recently got hired as a server and these tips are very helpful. We have tablets. Do you hand write orders and then input the orders in the system? Or do you input orders right into the tablets in front of the tables? Also, how do you service tables when there are multiple seatings at the same time? Would you greet each table, start taking orders one table at a time, and then get the drinks for all the tables? How to manage when it gets busy?

Omg I got a sever job 🤦🏽‍♂️tomorrow so I can here 😊

I’m 16 and got an interview this Tuesday and I’m so scared I don’t think I can be a waiter I can barely talk to people in any situation my anxiety is crazy

can you make one for writing the orders? how you abbreviate and write down food items

Recently got a job serving at cracker barrel. It would be nice if they would actually show me all of this, you know like they're actually supposed to do, instead of me just trying to figure it out

♋ Beautifully made video. Also precise, to the point & polite (Polite = music choice && volume🔑) 🏆

Your intro has no right to go that hard

can you do a video on how to carry your book around? Also your pens, wine key etc?

Line cook learning so I can take a server shift to assert dominance

Where do you get the black book

I am getting trained for Texas Roadhouse server I am a sa right now and all the servers told me to come to the server side and cause I’m great and fast at bussing , nervous because I don’t wanna drop the food , and forget the menu

Cool!)

How do you deal with picky customers or customers that want something different do you remember it or write it down?

So do you cross it out when you put it into the system? Or do you cross it out when you pick it up and put it on the table?

i think whats hard to start waitressing is getting embarrassed by messing up, its awkward and definitely messes me up

If this system works for you that’s good I do it differently if I have a party of six I ask if it’s gonna be all together or separate food with drink food with drink simple it’s all separate now I just have to hit one seat change 2 seat change all tickets will be separated simple

The intro… 😱

Staple your order sheets together. Keep them all till the end of your shift. Where are your notes or 86 list. Of course, you know everything, it is in your head. Why do you even need to write down the orders then?

How would you remember which table is which table lol 🙈 or do some restaurants do sections so your not only focused on your section?

I'm training for 5 years later.

I'm 16 and am getting my first job ever for the summer lol

I just started working and no one has even said anything about training me. Is this normal? So far they just basically let me out in the wild and said that the others with experience will help me but it’s so informal and I’m nervous.

Server for 12+ yrs.. I Never have a checkbook book in my apron. I've lost my entire day's pay, receipts & money owed to resturant..plus I can't bend down easily. I neatly pocket receipts and cash in a fold in my apron. One side has notepad with the back cardboard removed. Pens in middle pocket.

Mostly all good advice..except the apps.. they should also be by seat# not just free at top.. especially with multi course..even if they order as center of table. If they split .. is assigned to who & seat that ordered them. I denote any apps with line under like upside down division. Draws my eye to fire first

Is it the waitstaffs job to take it to the register? And how hard is it to figure out the register?

"Trial by fire" they said.. I'll.... train myself on RU-vid then lol

Can we write like instead of salmon+1 can we write salmon x2 ?

hey im a newly hired server and i was was wondering to ask what do you mean by card stock cut in thirds ?