It’s Time for Restaurants to Stop Serving Bread Before Meals

Let’s get this out of the way—I love bread as much as the next person. In fact, I was one of many who had a homemade bread phase during the pandemic (shoutout to my family for accepting, and ultimately, consuming, that time in my life). I often served the loaf before or beside a meal—restaurant style—at home. When restaurants ramped up service again, so did the pre-meal bread. In fact, most of us, if not all, will quickly notice if free bread isn’t offered before putting in a meal order. Why is that? 

In a society that expects instant gratification, serving bread before a meal gives diners something to do before their meal arrives, so some diners may be disappointed when a basket doesn’t appear on their table. But apart from giving patrons something to snack on while they wait for their entrée, what purpose does pre-dinner bread actually serve? 

Every time a restaurant serves rolls, I do exactly what’s expected: I eat them. Maybe it’s the infamous Texas Roadhouse rolls served with cinnamon butter. Or maybe it’s the perfectly crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-in-the-middle bread served with pads of butter at my favorite fine dining spot. Or maybe— just maybe—it’s my local go-to restaurant that serves three kinds of bread: white, rye and multigrain (and I’ll be trying all three, obviously). Whatever the case is, I will eat the bread if it’s put in front of me. And it’ll be so mouth-wateringly delicious that I’ll eat another slice. And then the conversation will distract me, so I might even go for a third without realizing it. Do you see where the problem lies? I’m now too full to enjoy the meal that I came for. 

I’ll wait days—even weeks—for reservations to trendy new restaurants that I’ve been dying to try, only to end up filling up on bread before the main course. Chains like Texas Roadhouse are a once-in-a-while tradition with my friends and siblings, and very rarely do I ever make a dent in the steak and vegetables after the rolls are placed on the table. I’m not complaining about the flavor of bread—it’ll always be delicious—but what about that (hopefully) flavorful main dish that you’re spending your hard-earned money on? 

These days, times are tough, and living is pricey. I want to actually enjoy the first course that I paid for. If I’m not filled up on bread, I may even order that second course and dessert, with room to spare for a nightcap. As a customer, I may end up spending more money, but I’ll get a better feel for the restaurant’s offerings, which may leave me with a better impression. The restaurant, of course, makes more money, as does the server. It’s a win-win. Of course, many restaurants do work this way—serving bread only as an integral component of specific dishes rather than a pre-appetizer, particularly in fine dining settings with tasting menus, where the bread enhances the food. Think apps like bruschetta.

Serving un-ordered bread can also be a huge food waster. How many times have you finished the bread basket only to have your server bring you another, just for it to go uneaten? When you leave, that bread will still be sitting in the basket, untouched, waiting to be thrown into the garbage alongside that half-eaten entrée of spaghetti another customer couldn’t finish. Per the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, 17% of the food on diners’ plates goes uneaten, and 55% percent of leftovers never make it into a to-go box or leave the restaurant. Not all of that waste is bread, of course, but it is one of the most wasted types of food, causing pretty significant environmental and economic impacts. 

Look—I’m not calling on customers to stop enjoying bread before a meal. I’m also not expecting this piece to sway the entire restaurant industry in the U.S. to suddenly stop serving bread. However, I most certainly am asking guests to rethink how they approach the bread basket. Practicing mindful consumption can go a long way, such as stopping when you’re feeling full or asking the waiter not to bring over the included bread if you don’t truly want it. Stuff those extra slices into your to-go box versus leaving them to be thrown away (who doesn’t want bread with their leftovers?!). And if you don’t intend on eating your dinner scrapes immediately the next day, throwing them—and the bread—into the freezer works wonders. Just defrost the bread in the oven and spread on some softened butter. You can even get more bang for your buck by utilizing the extra bread for next-day sandwiches. Search for better alternatives—that’s all I’m asking.