Rise of the fine-dining restaurant where customers are made to order their own food at the counter and asked to pay tip before they've eaten

A new trend of fine-dining restaurants forcing customers to order expensive meals at the counter are sweeping across the states. 

'Counter cuisine', as it has been dubbed, is when diners wait in line to order their entire meal - start to finish with drinks - and then pay before even sitting down. 

Despite skipping the step that entails table service, restaurant patrons are still expected to tip generously on top of the price of food. 

While this system is normal for a low-key lunch spot or a casual eatery at the lower end of the price scale, U.S. restaurants have started using the counter method for menus where items cost upwards of $40 and fine wine comes by the bottle.

Despite the casual ordering system, food at these spots are usually served in courses on formal dinner plates and proper silverware. 

Birdie's in Austin, Texas , is one of the spots to adopt the high-end eatery meets casual customer service approach to ordering (Pictured: TikToker Olivia Adriance at Birdie's)

Birdie's in Austin, Texas, is one of the spots to pioneer this paradoxical high-end eatery meets casual customer service approach.  

'We treat the counter as the first interaction at a fine-dining restaurant,' Arjav Ezekiel, co-owner and beverage director of Birdie's, told the Wall Street Journal. 

Birdie's regularly changes its menu - but the restaurant is currently serving a minute steak for $36 and a rockfish dish for $34, both which would be ordered at the counter.

The eatery offers a selection of small plates that range from $14 to $24, snacks from $7 to $13 and desserts for around $14. 

A glass of wine ranges between $14 and $28 and Birdie's carries a huge range of bottles from around the world. 

At the counter, customers typically spend about five minutes talking to an employee who helps them match their choice of food with the right glass of wine. 

The goal of this system is to create a personal connection between servers and diners while slowing down orders so that the kitchen doesn't get overwhelmed. 

At the counter, customers typically spend about five minutes talking to an employee who helps them match their choice of food with the right glass of wine (Pictured: TikToker Olivia Adriance at Birdie's)

Diners see perks to the system as well. Even though they aren't being served on, it means they can avoid the stress of booking a reservation that often comes with eating at high-end restaurants. 

Customers can still flag down servers if they have a question or want to order another round of drinks. 

Birdie's opened in 2021 - and management has tweaked their style over the years as the business has grown.

These changes included hiring more people to roam the floor and take follow-up orders rather than forcing settled diners to have to get back in line again. 'We've done more things to make people comfortable once they sit down,' Ezekiel says. 

Marisa Bittenc-Muramoto, 34, is a project manager who has visited Birdie's a handful of times - she says she's now gotten used to the system and will hop back in line with her glass of wine in tow. 

'You can kind of hang out and chitchat,' she adds. 'It's no different than having to grab a seat at the bar.'

Some customers struggle with the tipping aspect. Megan Koppenhoefer, a 44-year-old healthcare administrator, said ''There's a certain discomfort that happens when you're already tipping on that amount without being served at a table.'

Other restaurants in major U.S. cities have adopted similar ordering methods. John's Food and Wine in Chicago forces customers to order at the counter, but also provide QR codes for refills of wine or cocktails

Other restaurants in major U.S. cities have adopted similar ordering methods. John's Food and Wine in Chicago forces customers to order at the counter, but also provide QR codes for refills of wine or cocktails. 

Despite being able to order Hamachi crudo for $23 or duck breast for $47 - the restaurant still uses the fast-food style of service. 

Adam McFarland co-owns the restaurant - he said the team has been fine-tuning the model since they opened in 2023. 

McFarland said both of the owners, who are also chefs, prioritize roaming the restaurant dining floor each evening, and that diners are served by the chefs or the sommelier. 

A popular eatery in the Arts District of Los Angeles also runs on a similar ordering system. Diners at De La Nonna, a restaurant that doesn't take reservations, are greeted by a host who leads them to their table - and then they return to the front of the restaurant where orders are taken at a counter

Customers of John's have mixed feelings about the unique dining experience. Coabi Kastan said she was apprehensive at first, but now she visits on a weekly basis and finds the method especially useful when she wants to enjoy nice food but can't be bothered to wrangle a reservation.

Mariana Suarez said that ordering nice high-end food at a counter makes her feel rushed and that she would rather mill over the menu for a bit. 'You don't necessarily have time to do that,' Suarez, 24 said. 

A popular eatery in the Arts District of Los Angeles also runs on a similar system.

Diners at De La Nonna, a restaurant that doesn't take reservations, are greeted by a host who leads them to their table - and then they return to the front of the restaurant where orders are taken at a counter. 

De La Nonna offers good quality food for reasonable prices, like pizzas for under $20 and posh starters like tuna tartare for $17.

The restaurant offers good quality food for reasonable prices, like pizzas for under $20 and posh starters like tuna tartare for $17.

Because of the lack of service, the business requires less employees - which means they get paid more and receive perks like health insurance.  

'We run a leaner team, so everybody makes more money,' Lee Zaremba, who opened De La Nonna in 2021, said.