Culinary Arts & Cooking vocabulary · Service & Plating
86
Meaning in culinary arts & cooking, with examples
/ˌeɪti ˈsɪks/verbCommon term
In culinary arts & cooking, 86 means: Kitchen slang meaning that a dish or ingredient has run out and cannot be ordered, or to remove it from the menu for now. The origin of the expression is unclear.
In Turkish: bitti, kalmadı, menüden düşmek
How it is used
Said as eighty-six. Used as a verb ("86 the salmon"), with be ("We're 86 salmon" or "Salmon is 86") and as a noun. The kitchen tells front of house immediately so servers stop selling the item.
Example sentences
86 the sea bass! We've just sold the last one.
We're 86 on crème brûlée, so tell the servers.
Common collocations
86 the fish
we're 86 on
86 list
86'd item
Related terms
front of houseThe parts of a restaurant that guests see, such as the dining room and bar, and the staff who work there: hosts, servers, bartenders and managers.
specialA dish that is not on the regular menu but is offered for a limited time, often for one day, using seasonal ingredients or extra stock.
par levelThe amount of an ingredient or prepared item that should be on hand for a shift or until the next delivery. Also called par stock or just par.
ticketA printed or written order sent from the dining room to the kitchen, showing the table, the dishes and any special requests or allergies.
