Going out to eat is always fun. That is, until the wait for your food feels like it takes forever. Whether you’re with friends, family, or kids who need a distraction, restaurant games are the perfect way to pass the time. The best part? You don’t need fancy supplies. Some games can be played completely hands-free, while others just use menus, napkins, or whatever’s already on the table. So, here are 15 of the best games to play in restaurants while you wait!
EASY GAMES TO PLAY IN A RESTAURANT WITH NO SUPPLIES
1. 20 QUESTIONS
20 Questions is one of those classic games that works just about anywhere, including during road trips and in restaurants. To play, one person secretly thinks of a person, place, or thing. Then, everyone else has just 20 yes-or-no questions to figure it out. You can’t just blurt out guesses. The key is narrowing it down. Ask questions like:
- Is it a food?
- Can you find it in this restaurant?
- Is it alive?
The game usually turns into a hilarious mix of clever deduction and wild stabs in the dark. If no one figures it out before the 20th question, the thinker wins. Play as many rounds as it takes for the food to arrive.
2. CATEGORIES
For a game with a bit more of a competitive edge, try Categories while you wait for your food at a restaurant. Before you begin, think of a category, like:
- Ice cream flavors
- Disney characters
- Things you’d find in a kitchen
Then, players take turns naming something in that category, one by one. Remember: No repeats, and no hesitating. If you freeze or repeat something that’s already been said, you’re out. And the last player remaining wins and chooses the next category!
3. WOULD YOU RATHER
One of our favorite games to play in restaurants is Would You Rather. This is a great way to get conversations started as well. In this game, players simply take turns asking “Would you rather…” questions, and everyone has to pick one of the two options. The trick is making the choices tough. Here are some Would You Rather question examples:
- Would you rather only eat dessert for every meal, or never eat dessert again?
- Would you rather laugh or cry extremely loudly?
- Would you rather have no one show up at your wedding or funeral?
4. ALPHABET GAME
This fun restaurant game is all about speed. To play the Alphabet Game, start by picking a theme like:
- Animals
- Foods
- Movie titles
Then, start at A and go through the alphabet one letter and one player at a time. If the theme is “food,” players might say: Apples, Bread, Cheese, Dragonfruit, and so on. Whoever gets stuck or can’t come up with a word in that category for the next letter of the alphabet is out. And the last player remaining wins!
5. WHO AM I?
One person thinks of a famous person, character, or even someone you all know. Everyone else can only ask yes-or-no questions to figure out who this person is. Ask questions like:
- Are you alive?
- Are you a singer?
- Are you in movies?
The first person to guess correctly wins and gets to choose the next identity. For a twist, you can also play the version where you stick the name on someone’s forehead (using a napkin and pen) and they have to figure out who they are.
6. RHYME TIME
This is a very simple game anyone can play. Pick a simple word like “cat,” and go around the table taking turns naming rhymes: bat, hat, mat, sat. Easy, right? But after a few rounds, it suddenly gets tough, and people will start blurting out nonsense words. The first person to stumble or repeat a rhyme is out.
7. I SPY
I Spy is one of the best easy games you can play in restaurants while waiting for your food. To play, one player secretly chooses something they can see around them and says, “I spy with my little eye something…” and gives a hint, usually a color or the first letter of the word they’re thinking of. Everyone else takes turns guessing until someone gets it. The winner becomes the next spy.
8. I’M GOING ON A PICNIC
Why not play a memory game while waiting for your food? The first player starts the game by saying, “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing…” followed by a random item. Then, the next person repeats the phrase before adding something to the list. As you play, the list will grow longer and longer, making it more and more difficult to remember every item in order! If you miss one or make a mistake, you’re out! And the last player remaining wins.
9. BUILD A STORY
If you want to exercise your creative juices, you could play a game like Build a Story. As you might be able to guess from the name of the game, players build a story together, one sentence at a time. The result is always unpredictable and hilarious!
10. TRUE OR FALSE
Each player takes turns saying a statement about themselves. It can be something true or something totally made up. Then, everyone else has to guess whether it’s true or false. It’s a mini version of the ever-so-popular ice breaker game Two Truths and a Lie, but faster and funnier. You’ll be surprised by what people admit!
GAMES TO PLAY IN RESTAURANTS WITH MINIMAL ITEMS
11. TIC-TAC-TOE
To play Tic-Tac-Toe, all you need is a napkin and a pen. Draw a grid of nine squares, then two players take turns drawing Xs and Os on the squares. The first player to line up three in a row wins, whether that’s diagonal, vertical, or horizontal. It’s quick, easy, and perfect for filling short gaps of time. If you want to make it harder, try Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe, one of our favorite whiteboard games.
12. HANGMAN
Another pen-and-napkin classic is Hangman. In this restaurant game, one player thinks of a word and draws blank spaces for each letter. The others guess letters one at a time. Wrong guesses start building the stick figure, such as its head, body, arms, and legs, until it’s too late!
13. MENU SCAVENGER HUNT
Why not play a game at a restaurant that involves a common restaurant item: the menu? Everyone gets a menu and a challenge. Here are some example challenges:
- Find a dish under $10
- Find the weirdest ingredient
- Find something that starts with the letter P
You can play speed rounds where the first person to find it wins, or longer rounds where you each collect points for your findings.
14. COUNT IT
For this easy game you can play in a restaurant, pick something on the table, such as sugar packets, salt packets, or even how many lights you can see in the restaurant. Everyone guesses the total before counting them up. Closest guess wins. You can also make it harder by guessing totals for bigger things, like:
- How many items are on this whole menu page?
- How many people are wearing blue shirts in the room?
15. ORIGAMI CHALLENGE
For this game, each player will need a napkin. The goal. Fold the napkin into the coolest design possible. Whether you’re creating a boat, a swan, or something a bit more abstract, the best design wins! You can even have your waiter decide on their favorite.
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