Appetizers are one of the best inventions that the restaurant industry has had, bar none. They’re easy to fire, delicious, and encourage more people to visit your restaurant. No matter what pops into your head when you think of appetizers, the most popular appetizers all have something in common — they’re a gateway to the rest of your food.
Why Appetizers Matter for Your Restaurant's Menu
Appetizers are designed to build one’s appetite; they’re not supposed to be the whole show, and they don’t tend to work as a meal on their own. Instead, they get your guests thinking about food. A quick snack here and a bite there kickstarts their metabolism and, importantly, allows them a chance to think about the rest of the meal.
Perhaps more importantly, though, it allows your staff the perfect chance to sell drinks. Previously, I said that popular appetizers are a gateway to the rest of your food, and here’s why. Appetizers allow your guests a chance to sit and relax without the pressure of being hungry. Because of this, they’re often more willing to sit and drink, peruse the menu, and enjoy your restaurant — in turn, spending more money.
How Appetizers Can Boost Your Revenue
Speaking of spending more money, popular appetizers are an excellent way to increase ticket averages. This is because, if you do them right, appetizers can become the entire draw of your restaurant. Groups will happily swing by to grab a few appetizers and drinks, taking your staff no time to prep and costing the restaurant very little. But, as mentioned above, they can also encourage guests to stay longer and, ultimately, buy more food and drinks because of it.
Either way, appetizers are an excellent way to give a good, affordable reason for people to step through the door — and once you’ve got them in the door, the rest of your menu is sure to charm them.
Speaking of menus, let’s take a look at a few great examples of popular appetizers.
Top 10 Popular Appetizers to Elevate Your Restaurant Menu
Below are ten popular appetizers that can be done in a number of ways while still delivering a comfortable, delicious snack for guests.
Classic Bruschetta
Bruschetta is a great option for restaurants that want a slightly lighter option for their appetizer menu. It’s quick to make, affordable, simple, and requires very little fire time, making for an excellent starter.
Consisting of tomatoes, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and maybe a few kalamata olives, bruschetta pairs wonderfully with toasted bread as a quick pick up.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Spinach and artichoke dip is easy to make, delicious, and costs very little. Even better, it’s a popular appetizer because it’s familiar — most adults have had some variation of spinach and artichoke dip in their life, and it’s almost always killer.
All it takes is a bit of cream cheese and parmesan (and/or another sharp cheese of your choice), spinach, and artichoke hearts, and you’re set. Combine them in a ramekin, bake it off to get a nice crispy top, and serve with pita, tortilla chips, or crispy bread — you really can’t miss with this.
Buffalo Wings
Buffalo wings are a great example of messy, greasy bar food done right. They’re extremely simple, easy to fire quickly, and can be ordered in batches, making for a great “appetizer meal,” should your guests feel so inclined. And don’t be afraid to try out new rubs or sauces; lemon pepper, hot honey, or garlic ginger — the choices are nearly endless.
Calamari
While calamari won’t work for every restaurant (especially if you don’t generally do seafood), it’s an excellent starter for restaurants that are trying to have higher ticket totals. A little bit of deep fried calamari can sell for quite a bit, making for an easy choice at more upscale restaurants. Beer batter or dredge and bread, it’s your choice — just serve it with some lemon and a nice dipping sauce, and you’re set.
Loaded Nachos
Nachos are a classic appetizer for a reason. They’re incredibly quick to make, cost very little, and can be made into a massive shareable plate or a nice little snack. Even better, they offer a lot of room for expression of your restaurant while still keeping their heart and soul. Add a bit of your signature protein or sauce, a touch of house-made pickled veg, and some good salsa, and that’s it!
Mozzarella Sticks
Mozzarella sticks are an obvious choice for any restaurant with a deep fryer. They take minutes to fire and come out ooey, gooey, crispy, and crunchy — all four of the major food groups! Okay, they may not be healthy per se, but they’re a classic popular appetizer for a reason.
Devilled Eggs
Devilled eggs are a mainstay at every tailgate, BBQ, and family gathering in the US and Canada. I don’t know why, I don’t know how this came to be, but it is what it is — so capitalize on it. They require very little effort to make in large batches and can be sold piecemeal or as a full plate, making for a great appetizer that just about everyone will know.
Shrimp Cocktail
Shrimp cocktails are a mainstay appetizer because people love them. While they’re not going to be the best choice for every restaurant, those that can pull them off absolutely should. It’s an incredibly fast pickup time and relatively low-cost appetizer that’s instantly recognizable to a significant portion of the population.
Meat and Cheese Boards
Charcuterie boards have been around for as long as people have had meat and cheese. There’s something innately satisfying about munching on meat, cheese, sauces, and pickles that just feels… right. And best of all, they’re pretty widely accepted as a big-ticket item, meaning you can generally charge a bit more as long as you provide something worth the price.
Sliders
Sliders are a great appetizer because they can be sold in batches, just like wings. Offer them individually or in sets of two or three, and you’ll find that many tables will just order sides of fries and sliders with their drinks for the night. They’re quick, affordable, and easy — and you can get creative with them, should you desire.
Unique Appetizers for Your Menu
Now that we’ve gotten the more popular appetizers out of the way, let’s get creative. Below are a handful of delicious, unique ideas for your next menu.
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Bacon-wraped dates aren’t entirely uncommon on their own, but this preparation certainly is.
Begin by piping honeyed chevre (goat cheese) into your pitted dates. Wrap them with par-cooked bacon or pancetta and set aside for service. Once ordered, add hazelnuts and gorgonzola cheese to the sautee pan, brulee with cognac or brandy, and toast. Serve them with an onion bacon jam and watch the rave reviews roll in.
Ahi Tuna Tartare
Steak tartare is an appetizer that most people either love or hate. Sushi, on the other hand, seems to be a near-universally beloved meal. If we combine the two and make ahi tuna tartare, chances are that it’ll go well. Serve it like you would traditional tartare, with chips or bread, and pair it with a sesame-soy glaze, wasabi, and an egg yolk, and you’re off to the races.
Fried Avocado Bites
Deep fried avocado is an interesting thing. It almost melts inside the breading or batter when fried, meaning it’s similar to a mozzarella stick in terms of texture. What many people don’t think about, though, is that it also makes for an excellent addition to sushi! If you already have sushi-grade ahi, throw some deep fried avocado bites under ahi sashimi (and add a sauce or two), and you’ve got a hit on your hands.
Charred Octopus with Chimichurri
If you’re already running the calamari mentioned above, charred octopus is a great way to make the most of what you have on hand — should you have a grill. Charring the octopus and serving with a nice herbal chimichurri and a nice aioli makes for a quick pick up that’s stunning on a plate.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers
While I personally prefer to do this with serrano peppers, you can really do it with just about anything. From jalapenos to bell peppers, filling peppers with honey-whipped goat cheese and charring them is simply magical. Serve them alongside pepper jam for bonus points.
Cauliflower Buffalo Bites
Cauliflower Buffalo bites are a great vegetarian alternative for guests that want wings but don’t eat meat. And, when done properly, they’re often better than “normal” wings! Just be sure to dry roast the cauliflower before deep frying it to ensure a nice, crispy exterior to cling onto that delicious Buffalo sauce.
How to Effectively Incorporate Appetizers into Your Menu
With those examples out of the way, let’s talk about how to actually implement appetizers into your menu.
Balancing Popular Favorites with Unique Offerings
Popular appetizers, as seen above, aren’t the end-all, be-all of appetizers. Classics that everyone knows are easy, yeah, but having a bit of creativity to differentiate your restaurant from others is also crucial. Try to have a combination of familiar offerings that most people will love with a few unique creations that reflect what your restaurant does best — you’ll find it does wonders.
Most restaurants do well with a roughly 60/40 split of popular appetizers like fries, onion rings, or bruschetta alongside a few more creative options. Your unique appetizers will encourage foodies to swing by, while the classics will make it easier for everyone to find something they like.
Adjusting Portion Sizes for Cost-Effectiveness
Appetizers shouldn’t be built as a meal, plain and simple. Commonly, you’ll see restaurants that load their appetizers as heavily as possible; while that’s great for the customer, it tends to be less great for the business. Larger portions cost more, leading to lower profits on what should be low-cost items — and we don’t want that.
Instead, appetizers should satiate hungry guests without filling them and, importantly, they shouldn’t be a reasonable option as a meal on their own. Rather, opt to build appetizers that are cost-effective and easily shared between a handful of snacky people. From there, you can encourage guests to either order more appetizers to share or to invest in an entree.
Tips for Marketing Your Appetizers
As always, marketing is a major part of successfully pulling off popular appetizers. Let’s chat about how to do that.
Highlighting Appetizers in Specials and Promotions
Specials and promotions tend to highlight more expensive items like drinks and entrees. While that’s fine, they shouldn’t be the only focus of your marketing. As we’ve discussed above, appetizers are a great way to encourage social eating between guests and, importantly, they act as a low-cost barrier of entry.
Highlighting that with specials is a time-honored tradition in bars and restaurants alike thanks to happy hour — and you should be no different! Whether you offer specific specials or a blanket discount on appetizers during slow times, specials and promotions that highlight affordable popular appetizers are a great way to reel in a few guests.
Creating Visual Appeal on Social Media
Appetizers are often simple ordeals, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t shine when highlighted on social media. Even something as simple as a basket of fries can, when cooked and photographed well, be alluring on camera. It’s a great practice to plate up an appealing appetizer or two every week as a snack for staff, take a few pictures, and get it on social media. This allows you to regularly remind guests about any specials or promotions that you may have as well as highlight tasty food on your social media.
.jpg)
