Tipping is just as important to understand when you’re running a restaurant as it is when you’re dining at one. And if you work at a restaurant, your tipping knowledge has got to be solid, since you rely on tips for the bulk of your income! So, how much should you tip at a restaurant? We’re dishing out answers.
In this tipping etiquette guide, we’ll cover:
- How much to tip in restaurants, from full-service venues to bars
- How much to tip for takeout or delivery (no more wondering, “How much should I tip Uber Eats?”)
- A restaurant tip chart for easy reference
- Tipping best practices to keep in mind
How Much Should You Tip at a Restaurant?
When considering how much to tip at a restaurant, the short answer is: it depends. The type of restaurant you’re dining at and the level of service you’ve received are the biggest factors impacting tip size. We’ll dive into all of this shortly.
What is a good tip at a restaurant, though? If you’re ever unsure, tipping 15% on top of the cost of your meal is a safe rule of thumb.
We know you’ve got more questions. For instance, how much should you tip a server at a fine dining restaurant vs. a barista at a coffee shop? Let’s walk through four different tipping scenarios.
Full Service Restaurants
What should you tip at a restaurant where you receive table service during your meal (otherwise known as full service)? The standard range is 15-20%. If you’re happy with the service, but it wasn’t anything special, feel free to stick with 15% – which is the most common tip, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. If your server went above and beyond, you might choose to tip 20% or even more.
Some restaurants, like fine dining venues, offer a higher level of service that you could also tip more for. The front-of-house staff at these restaurants often have extensive knowledge about the menu and wine list, for instance, which may warrant a bigger tip.
Quick Service Restaurants
Quick service restaurants (QSRs) include places that offer fast food and fast casual dining. The service at these venues differs – at some, you place your order at the counter, wait, then grab your food and sit down. At others, you place your order, sit down, and a staff member brings your food to your table. In either case, the service is fairly limited.
So, how much should you tip at a restaurant classified as a QSR? The standard range is up to 15%. While it’s less common (and not expected) to tip at a fast food joint like McDonald’s, you might choose to tip at a fast casual venue like Panera or Sweetgreen.
Coffee Shop or Cafe
What is a good tip at a coffee shop? Again, the answer depends. If you’re grabbing a drip coffee to go, you might choose not to tip at all. On the other hand, if you’re camped out in a cozy booth with your laptop for three hours, chugging lattes and downing pastries (no judgment – we’ve done it, too!), it’d be fair to leave a 15% tip. Use your discretion.
Bar
Bars and nightclubs, especially those that only offer nibbly snacks as opposed to meals, are yet another story when it comes to tipping. At many of these venues, you’re walking up to the bar, ordering a drink, then taking it away. As a general rule, tipping the bartender $1-2 per drink is a good idea. If you’ve opted for bottle service, tipping between 15-20%, like you would at a full service restaurant, is standard.
How Much Should You Tip When Ordering Takeout or Delivery?
We’ve now answered the question, “How much should you tip at a restaurant?” But what should you tip at a restaurant when you’re not actually dining at the venue? Some Friday nights call for pizza at home on the couch! Whether you’re ordering takeout or delivery, we’ve got tips (pun intended). Wondering “How much should I tip on DoorDash or Uber Eats?” We’ll answer that, too.
Takeout
Picking up a takeout order means you’re not getting the same service as you would if you were sitting down for a meal. However, restaurant staff put work into preparing and packaging takeout orders, so leaving a tip of 5-10% is appropriate.
Delivery
When you order delivery, you’re often paying a service charge. However, there’s a difference between a service charge vs. tip. The former goes to the restaurant while the latter goes to the driver. So, it’s common practice to tip $3-5 on top of the delivery charge.
How Much to Tip on Uber Eats?
Uber itself says, “While tipping is never required, you can add a tip as a way to thank your delivery person for their efforts.” Current and former Uber Eats drivers suggest $5 as a standard amount.
It’s also common practice to tip more to drivers who’ve had to deliver your food during bad weather. After all, delivery doesn’t stop during snowstorms, even if you’re holed up at home!
How Much to Tip on DoorDash?
Tipping guidelines for DoorDash are similar to Uber Eats, starting at $5. A driver for both companies shed some light on the reasoning for this in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“Delivery drivers do not get paid for gas, mileage, or vehicle maintenance. We often have to find parking where there aren’t viable options. We wait in line for your order – sometimes for 15 minutes or more – so you don’t have to,” Shannon Torrence told the publication.
Tip Chart for Restaurants
You now know how much you should tip a server in different contexts, such as fine dining vs. fast food. We’ve also answered questions like “How much should I tip Uber Eats?” and “How much should I tip on DoorDash?” But let’s make it even simpler with this restaurant tip chart.
| Type of Restaurant or Service | Common Tip Amount |
| Full service | 15-20% depending on level of service (i.e. fine dining vs. family style) |
| Quick service | Up to 15% depending on level of service (i.e. fast casual vs. fast food) |
| Coffee shop or cafe | Up to 15% depending on purchase (i.e. drip coffee to go vs. latte and pastry to stay) |
| Bar | $1-2 per drink or 15-20% for bottle service |
| Takeout | 5-10% |
| Delivery | $3-5 or more |
Tipping Best Practices
Still have questions about how much to tip at a restaurant in different situations? We’ve got you covered!
Cash vs. Digital Tips
Wondering which is best? Tipping in cash or via your credit card is a kind gesture, no matter how you slice the pie. However, if you want to ensure your server receives the tip faster, choose cash.
It’s also worth noting that servers often have to ‘tip out’ to their colleagues. What does tip out mean, you ask? It usually involves servers keeping a percentage of the tips they earn, then giving away some tips to staff who don’t earn tipped wages, like bussers, hosts, bar personnel, and sometimes back of house staff. This makes it all the more helpful to tip in cash, so everyone can receive their money the same day.
Tips vs. Service Charges
A service charge is an additional fee that some restaurants include on guests’ bills, generally to cover meal-related expenses. For instance, service charges might include holiday fees during busy periods to account for higher labor costs, or fees for last-minute reservation cancellations during peak times. This helps restaurants offset rising food and labor costs without boosting menu prices.
How much should you tip at a restaurant that applies service charges to meals? You should tip the same as you would if there was no service charge in place because service fees aren’t typically meant to replace tips. Remember, service charges go directly to the restaurant, while a tip goes directly to the server.
Considering that the tipped minimum wage in the U.S. is generally lower than the standard minimum wage (it can be as low as $2.13 per hour in direct wages), many servers will still rely on tips for their income, even when a restaurant has a service charge in place.
Tipping Pre-Tax vs. Post-Tax
We’ve got a straightforward answer for this question. As a general rule, etiquette experts recommend tipping on the pre-tax total of your bill.
Tipping When Splitting the Bill
How much should you tip at a restaurant when you’re splitting the bill with other diners? The simplest way is to divide the total bill by the number of guests and split it evenly among everyone – since in theory, you all benefited from the same level of service. Another way is to each tip a set amount, like 15%, on top of the cost of the specific dish you ordered.
Large Party Tips
At many full service restaurants, an automatic gratuity of 18% will be applied to groups of eight people or more. So, keep an eye out for it when you’re in this situation – you don’t need to tip on top of the auto gratuity!
We’ve now answered the question, “What is a good tip at a restaurant?” You also know what you can expect if you’re receiving tips. Want to share your thoughts on tipping with us? Connect with us on Instagram and send us a message – we love to hear from you!
Katherine is the Content Marketing Manager at TouchBistro, where she writes about trending topics in food and restaurants. The opposite of a picky eater, she’ll try (almost) anything at least once. Whether it’s chowing down on camel burgers in Morocco or snacking on octopus dumplings in Japan, she’s always up for new food experiences.
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