Interview scorecard by role
Restaurant Server Interview Scorecard & Questions
Servers shape the guest experience and drive revenue through upselling and table turns. Hire for warmth, memory, composure during rush and teamwork — menu knowledge can be trained.
What to assess: 5 core competencies
Copy this scorecard. Assign each competency to one interviewer, rate it 1–5 and write down the evidence before discussing the candidate with anyone.
| Competency | What good looks like | Score | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest service | friendly, attentive and anticipatory. | ||
| Composure under pressure | stays organized during rush. | ||
| Accuracy | takes and delivers orders correctly, including allergies. | ||
| Sales | recommends and upsells naturally. | ||
| Teamwork | supports kitchen and colleagues. | ||
| Overall | ☐ Strong no ☐ No ☐ Yes ☐ Strong yes | ||
10 structured interview questions for a restaurant server
Ask the same core questions, in the same order, to every candidate. Probe with "What did you do?" and "What was the result?"
- Tell me about a guest you turned from unhappy to happy.
- How do you handle five tables seated at once?
- What do you do when a guest mentions a food allergy?
- How do you recommend dishes or drinks without being pushy?
- Describe a mistake with an order. How did you fix it?
- How do you work with the kitchen during a rush?
- Tell me about helping a coworker during a busy shift.
- How do you handle a guest who's had too much to drink?
- What's your availability for evenings and weekends?
- Role-play: greet a table, describe a special and take an order with one allergy.
Rating anchors for the critical competencies
Anchors stop one interviewer's "4" from being another's "2". These cover the two competencies that most often separate strong and weak restaurant server hires. Read our interview rating scale guide to write anchors for the rest.
Guest service
| 1 — Below the bar | Transactional; little eye contact or warmth. |
|---|---|
| 3 — Meets the bar | Friendly and attentive. |
| 5 — Exceptional | Reads the table, personalizes service and creates regulars. |
Accuracy
| 1 — Below the bar | Misses details like modifications or allergies. |
|---|---|
| 3 — Meets the bar | Repeats orders back and communicates allergies. |
| 5 — Exceptional | Flawless with complex orders and proactively confirms with the kitchen. |
Red flags to watch for
- Treats allergies casually.
- Negative about guests.
- Unavailable for core shifts.
30-60-90 day plan outline for a new restaurant server
| Days 1–30: Learn | Learn menu, POS and service steps; shadow shifts; pass menu and allergy test. |
|---|---|
| Days 31–60: Contribute | Work full sections; meet check-average goals. |
| Days 61–90: Own | Handle large parties; help train new servers. |
Turn this into a full plan with goals and check-ins using our 30-60-90 day plan guide or the 30-60-90 Day Onboarding Kit.
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How many interview rounds should a restaurant server go through?
Two or three focused stages are usually enough for a small company: a short screen, a structured interview using the questions above, and a practical exercise or final interview. Score every stage on the same 1–5 scale.
What is the most predictive part of a restaurant server interview?
The practical exercise — "greet a table, describe a special and take an order with one allergy." — because it shows real work rather than descriptions of it. Score it against the anchors on this page.
Generate more questions with the free interview question generator.