What Is A Casual Restaurant And What Makes It Different From Fine Dining?

Going out to eat. Dining out. Grabbing a bite. No matter what you call it, we all know these common phrases are code for eating at a restaurant. But what's not obvious at first glance is the specific type of restaurant experience you are about to embark upon.

One such type, called casual dining, sits comfortably in the middle of the restaurant spectrum — and for good reason, it's the style most of us know best. Its name is a subtle hint at its laid-back, come-as-you-are atmosphere. It's where birthday dinners, weeknight happy hours, and last-minute date nights all happen. With great prices, something for everyone, and locations galore, casual dining hits the sweet spot between convenience and comfort.

If you're wondering what it competes with, far on one end of the dining scale, you have fast food chains – McDonald's (which has many different nicknames around the world), Taco Bell, and the like. Here, the menu is limited and affordable, quick is the name of the game, and more customers enjoy their grub from a bag in their car rather than inside the joint. In a completely different dining dimension, we find fancy fine dining eateries, where special occasion dinner dreams come true and a meal isn't just food but an upscale affair. At times, the line between this formal setting and casual dining can blur — especially from the outside looking in. But inside, there are hints all around that clearly distinguish one from the other — on the menu, in the decor, even in the mannerisms of your waiter.

The charm and uniqueness of casual dining restaurants can be boiled down to factors including atmosphere, service, menu, and price — all of which separate them from the fine dining world. As soon as you enter the threshold of a casual restaurant — perhaps even before — you'll know what you're in for. Rather than the dim lighting, fine china, and refined furnishings of a high-end restaurant, you'll find a more laid-back setting with simple tables and chairs but plenty of amusing, sometimes kitschy, decor littering the walls. Casual restaurants additionally can't resist a good theme. Think: the Tuscan farmhouse that is an Olive Garden or the Wild West-themed vibes of LongHorn Steakhouse. 

In these environments, table service is the norm. But a sharply-dressed waiter won't be coming around with hand towels or offering personalized wine pairings. They stick to simple, take-your-order, deliver-the-food interactions. The cuisine itself is another major deviation. Fine dining restaurants call upon high-class chefs to craft curated menus of aesthetically plated meals with personality. Casual restaurants get straight down to business, with a diverse collection of comfort foods and unsophisticated, familiar favorites. Understandably, this distinction makes casual eateries more affordable, offering larger portions for less. 

No reservations or fancy outfit is required — just bring your appetite and yourself. This is the mantra that casual dining restaurants live by. As a step above fast food and a step below elegant fine dining, casual dining offers both a little something for everyone.