9 menu description mistakes (and how to fix them)

A menu description has one job: help someone decide. Here are the mistakes that get in the way most often, and simple fixes for each.

1. No description at all

"Chicken bowl" leaves guests guessing. Add one line: "Grilled chicken, brown rice, pickled onion, chilli-lime dressing."

2. Adjectives instead of information

"Delicious, mouth-watering, amazing" tells people nothing they would not assume. Replace them with ingredients and technique: "slow-cooked overnight", "charred over wood".

3. Descriptions that run for paragraphs

On a phone, three lines of text per dish turns the menu into a wall. Aim for one line, two at most.

4. Hiding what matters for allergies and diets

Mark vegetarian, egg and non-vegetarian dishes clearly, and name common allergens such as nuts in the description. Guests should not have to ask for basics.

5. Kitchen shorthand

Words your team uses every day may mean nothing to a guest. If you use a regional or technical term, add a few plain words: "khichdi (rice and lentils, slow-cooked)".

6. The same words on every dish

If six dishes are "house special", none of them is. Save the label for one or two dishes you genuinely want to push.

7. Prices that do not match the till

An outdated price is the fastest way to lose trust. Update the menu the same day prices change; with a live QR menu you can do it from your phone in seconds.

8. Listing dishes you no longer serve

Nothing disappoints like ordering something that is not available. Mark it sold out instead of leaving it for staff to explain at every table.

9. No photos for the dishes you want to sell

You do not need photos of everything. A good daylight photo of your best sellers and highest-margin dishes does more than any adjective.