Fast Food Restaurant
Pre-Listening
What is a popular fast food restaurant in your area? What type of food does it serve?
Listen and Read
Listen to the recording about fast food restaurants, answer the questions, and then read along with the audio recording.
Listening Quiz
Select the best answer for each question, then press Check Answers.
Use arrow keys to choose between options within each question.
1. The man usually orders __________, large fries, and a drink.
2. What does the man NOT put on his sandwich?
3. The man’s roommate ________.
When I need a bite to eat, I often drop by a local fast food restaurant and buy a quick meal. I usually order a cheeseburger, a large order of fries, and a medium-size drink. On the cheeseburger, I ask them to put everything on it: onions, lettuce, mustard, ketchup, pickles, and tomato, but I ask them to hold the mayonnaise. I also order some water to wash everything down. If I’m really famished, I might order a chocolate shake.
I sometimes pick up something for my roommate who eats like a horse, so I have to order at least three hamburgers. I usually pay with cash, but I sometimes pay for the meal using my debit card. I don’t eat fast food too often because it contains a lot of fat, but more and more restaurants are offering healthier choices like salads and chili, so there’s usually something for everyone.
Vocabulary and Expressions From the Audio
- bite to eat (expression): a small meal or snack
- We stopped at a fast food restaurant to grab a bite to eat before the movie.
- drop by (phrasal verb): to visit a place briefly or without a formal plan
- We decided to drop by the burger place on our way home.
- fast food (noun): food that is prepared and served quickly, usually at a low cost
- When she doesn’t have time to cook, she picks up fast food on the way home from work.
- order (verb): to ask for food or a product that you want to receive
- She stepped up to the counter and ordered a burger and a large soda.
- order (noun): the food or items that a person has asked for; can also refer to a single serving of a menu item
- The cashier read back his order to make sure everything was correct.
- He added an order of fries to go with his burger.
- hold (verb): to leave out an ingredient when preparing food
- She asked the server to hold the mayonnaise because she doesn’t like it.
- famished (adjective): extremely hungry
- By the time they reached the restaurant, the kids were absolutely famished.
- pick up (phrasal verb): to collect or retrieve something, such as a food order that is ready
- She went to the counter to pick up her order after her number was called.
- eats like a horse (expression): to eat a very large amount of food
- My brother ordered three burgers and two sides because he eats like a horse.
- pay (verb): to give money in exchange for something
- He went to the register to pay for his meal.
- cash (noun): physical money in the form of bills and coins
- She didn’t have her card with her, so she paid for her meal with cash.
- debit card (noun): a card linked to a bank account that is used to pay for things electronically
- He tapped his debit card on the reader to pay for his order.
- offering (noun): something that is available or provided, such as items on a menu
- The restaurant recently added salads and fruit cups to its offerings for customers who want healthier options.
Role Play
Use the internet to find a menu in English of a restaurant near you (if possible). With a partner, take the roles of a customer and server. Take turns ordering food and taking orders. Think of possible problems that can happen in such situations (e.g., the wrong order, the food is cold, your glass or silverware is dirty, the service is very slow). Think of expressions that can be used to resolve these problems.
Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages of eating at a fast food restaurant? Consider convenience, cost, and nutrition in your answer.
Online Investigation
With so many fast food restaurants in business, it is difficult to know which provides the best value in terms of price and healthy food choices. Using the internet, compare the food choices at two different restaurants and come up with your recommendations on which place provides the best quality meal. Explain your findings.
Online Listening Practice (from www.esl-lab.com):
- Joe’s Hamburger Restaurant: Listening Conversation
- Restaurant Guide: Vocabulary Building
- Fast Food: Restaurants and Changing Eating Habits (Video)