Adult ESL Lessons: Restaurants (Intermediate)

This is Lesson 12, “Restaurants,” from our collection of intermediate-level adult ESL lessons. The lesson features advertisements from several restaurants, followed by comprehension questions and discussion questions. This content-packed lesson is written with relatively simple English to help students transition to a more advanced level of English understanding and fluency. This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many other adult ESL lessons like this one in our book ESL Pathways: Bridges.

ADULT ESL LESSONS: Restaurants (Text-Only Version)

• What kind of restaurants do you like to go to?
• How often do you go out to eat?
• What is your favorite restaurant?
• Why do you like this one so much?
• Do you like trying new foods?  Why?
• Do you like Western food?  What kind?
• Do you like any other international food?  What?
• What kind of food do you dislike the most?  Why?

Read some different restaurant advertisements.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What’s the name of the Italian restaurant?
2. What kind of food does Alvarez serve?
3. At which restaurant can you sit outside?
4. Are any of these places open 24 hours?
5. Which restaurant requires a reservation?
6. Which restaurant serves pasta?
7. Can you get chow mein at Alvarez?
8. What does Lino’s boast?
9. What day is Chen’s closed?
10. Where is the Irish Rose?
11. What is Chen’s phone number?
12. What kind of alcoholic beverages does the Irish Rose have?
13. What time does Chen’s open?  Close?
14. What is the Sunday special at Alvarez?
15. What day is the Irish Rose closed?
16. Which restaurant has a special for children?  What is it?

Discussion Questions:

1. Which of the four restaurants would you prefer to try?  Why?
2. Which one would you least like to try?  Why?
3. If you traveled to America, what kind of food would you like to try?
4. If you traveled to Europe what kind of food would you like to try?
5. If you traveled to China what kind of food would you like to try?
6. If you traveled to India what kind of food would you like to try?

7. If you moved overseas, would you cook at home or eat out?
8. Which are easier to use: a knife and fork or chopsticks?
9. What things are on the table in a restaurant?

10. How do you usually dress when you go out to eat?  Casual or formal?
11. Is western food more or less healthy than the food in your country?  How?
12. Which restaurants in your city are considered to be fine dining?
13. What is the most expensive restaurant in your city?  Is it worth the price?
14. What is a good time to go out for dinner?  Early or late?
15. Do restaurants in your country offer an ‘early bird’ special?

16. Have you ever worked in a restaurant?  If so, describe your experience?
17. Do people usually tip in your country?  How do you feel about tipping?
18. What kinds of people work in a restaurant?
19. Have you ever found a fly in your soup?  If so, what would you do?
20. What would you do if the chef burned your food?

21. If your teacher cooked you dinner, what do you think he/she would cook?
22. If you cooked dinner for your teacher, what would you cook?  Why?