How to Confidently Order Food in a Mexican Restaurant (Cheat Sheet with 60+ Phrases)

If you’re traveling to Mexico, you surely want to enjoy the delicious Mexican food. However, dining out can be intimidating if you don’t know Spanish. Knowing a bit of the local language goes a long way, especially outside the main tourist areas. With some Spanish phrases, you can not only communicate your needs, but locals tend to be more open when you try to speak their language. So, for your next visit to a Mexican restaurant, download my cheat sheet to learn the basic vocabulary and local customs. !A comer! (Let’s eat!)

melmextravel.com blog posts may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may receive a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my Privacy Policy for more information.

Phrases for Confidently Ordering Food in a Mexican Restaurant

In the following, you can find typical phrases and customs sorted by situation. From entering the restaurant, ordering drinks and food to paying the check – you’ll always know now what to say. For a quick overview, you can download my cheat sheet to take with you wherever you go.

1. Entering the Restaurant

In Mexico, polite manners are very important. Starting in the right way sets a positive basis.

• Buenos días (Good morning) – Used before noon.
• Buenas tardes (Good afternoon) – Used after noon until sunset.
• Buenas noches (Good evening/night) – Used after sunset.
• Con permiso (Excuse me) – Used if you’re trying to get past someone.
• ¡Buen provecho! (Enjoy your meal) – Used to greet other guests sitting in the restaurant irrespective of whether they’re eating or not.
• Disculpe (Excuse me) or simply Jóven (young man) – Used to get a server’s attention.

2. Asking for a Table

When entering the Mexican restaurant, the waiter might ask you for how many people you need a table. This is what you can answer:

• ¿Para cuántas personas? (For how many people?)
• You can reply:
  • Para dos, por favor. (For two, please.)
  • Somos cuatro. (We are four.)

If you’re dining alone, say:

• Solo para mí, gracias. (Just for me, thanks.)

If the restaurant is busy, they might ask:

• ¿Tiene reserva? (Do you have a reservation?)
  • If you do, say Sí, a nombre de… (Yes, under the name…).
  • If not, say No, pero ¿tienen una mesa disponible? (No, but do you have a table available?)

When they offer you a choice of tables to sit, you can point to the one you like and say:

• Aquí está bien. (Here is okay)

3. Ordering Drinks

The waiter will probably ask you first if you want something to drink:

• ¿Algo para tomar? (Do you want something to drink?)

You can order the drinks menu:

• El menu de bebidas, por favor. (The drinks menu, please)

Or you use some of the following common phrases:

• ¿Qué bebidas tienen? (What drinks do you have?)
• ¿Tienen agua natural o agua mineral? (Do you have still or sparkling water?)
• Una botella de agua, por favor. (A bottle of water, please.)
  • 👍 Pro tip: If you want to make sure that the water you get is still bottled (for example, for hygienic reasons), ask for a bottle.
• ¿Cuál es el agua del día? (What is the water of the day?)
  • “Agua del día” is a freshly made drink of some kind of juice (for example, mango, tamarind, pineapple, etc.) with lots of water, so it doesn’t get too heavy and helps still your thirst. A great option if you want to have something non-alcoholic and more healthy than a soda.
• Un agua de jamaica, por favor. (A hibiscus drink, please.)
  • 👍 Pro tip: If you want your drink without ice, say “Sin hielo, por favor.” (No ice, please.)
• Una cerveza, por favor. (A beer, please.)
• Un vino tinto, por favor. (A red wine, please.)
  • 👍 Pro tip: If you want your red wine at room temperature, add “al tiempo” (at room temperature). Else you might get it cooled.

4. Ordering Food

Finally, it’s time to order the food. If you didn’t get the menu yet, you can ask for it:

• ¿Podría traerme el menú, por favor? (Could you bring me the menu, please?)

A good tip is to ask for recommendations:

• ¿Qué me recomienda? (What do you recommend?), or:
• ¿Cuál es la especialidad de la casa? (What’s the house specialty?)

A lifesaver if you’re not a fan of heat:

• ¿Esto es picante? (Is this spicy?)

If you’re ready to order, you can say:

• Voy a pedir… (I’m going to order…)
• Para mí, [platillo], por favor. (For me, [dish], please.)

And finally, if you have a sweet tooth:

• ¿Me podría traer el menú de postres, por favor? (Could you bring me the desert menu, please?)

When you’re done, the waiter might ask:

• ¿Se lo retiro? (Can I clear the table?)
  • You can answer with “Sí, gracias.” (Yes, thanks).
  • 👍 Pro tip: In Mexico, it’s considered a good custom that the waiter takes away your platter as soon as you’re done, even if the other guests at your table are still eating.

5. Asking for More

If you want to order more tortillas or salsa, you can say the following:

• ¿Me puede traer más tortillas, por favor? (Can you bring me more tortillas, please?)
• ¿Tiene salsa menos picante? (Do you have a milder salsa?)
• ¿Tiene catsup? (Do you have ketchup?)

If you want another drink of the same, you can just point to your empty cup/bottle/glass and say:

• Otra, por favor. (Another one, please.)
  • 👍 Pro tip: Note that this is the feminine version which is valid for another beer, cup of coffee or tea, or glass of wine. If what you ordered is of masculine version, for example, for a mezcal, tequila, and such, you’d need to say:
  • Otro, por favor. (Another one, please.)

6. Paying the Check

When you’re ready to leave, ask for the check. Mexican waiters don’t bring it automatically, you have to explicitly ask for it.

• ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor? (Can you bring me the check, please?)
  • Or simply: “La cuenta, por favor.” (The check, please)
  • 👍 Pro tip: If you’re making a sign in the air with your hand as if you’re signing off or checking off a checkbox, it’s understood that you want the check. This is very useful in busy and loud restaurants where the waiter is further away from you.
• ¿Aceptan tarjeta o solo efectivo? (Do you accept credit cards, or is it cash only?)
  • The waiter might also ask you this first: ¿Tarjeta o efectivo? (With card or in cash?)

When paying by card, you can have the waiter add the tip to the credit card:

• La propina es del diez/quince por ciento. (Tip is 10/15%.)

You can also ask first:

• ¿Puedo agregar la propina a la tarjeta? (Can I add the tip to the card?)

When paying in cash, you can just leave the amount you want to tip on the table and leave. Or if you don’t want the waiter to give you cash back because you would round up anyway to include the tip, you can just hand them the bills and say:

• Así está bien. (This is ok (in the sense of “I don’t need the change back”)).

7. Solving Problems

If there’s a problem with the check or your order, you can say one of the following:

• Perdón, creo que hay un error en la cuenta. (Sorry, I think there’s a mistake on the check.)
• Esto no es lo que pedí. (This is not what I ordered.)

When there’s a serious issue and you want to talk to the manager, say this:

• Quiero hablar con el gerente, por favor. (Can I talk to the manager, please.)

8. Leaving the Restaurant

When leaving, it’s of good custom to say “gracias” (thank you) or “hasta luego” (see you later). You can also add:

• (Todo) estuvo muy rico. ((Everything) was very tasty.)
• Buen provecho (Enjoy your meal) – Used to greet other guests sitting in the restaurant irrespective of whether they’re eating or not.

Summary

Ordering food in a Mexican restaurant doesn’t have to be a hassle. With a few basic phrases and lots of politeness, your dining experience can be memorable and enjoyable. The effort you put into speaking the language will earn you extra points with the locals, that’s guaranteed! ¡Buen provecho! (Enjoy your meal!)

Read Next:

• Basic Spanish Language Guide for Your Next Vacation in Mexico – 70+ Useful Phrases
• 25 Colloquial Mexican Spanish Phrases That Make Speaking to Locals More Fun!
• 17 Typical Dishes of Puebla – A Food Guide
• 19 Best Dishes and Drinks from Oaxaca: A Culinary Deep-Dive
• Best 21 Dishes and Drinks from Yucatán: A Culinary Deep-Dive
• Driving in Mexico: How to Prepare and Stay Safe
• 11 Useful Apps for Traveling to Mexico
• 4 Fun Ways to Learn Mexican Spanish: My Experience with UNAM, Pimsleur, Lingopie & FluentU
• 12 Best Reasons to Move to Mexico in 2025 – And What to Consider