# Is there an American restaurant dish concept "Small dish to share"? (prompted from Google Maps question) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 12, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876 "2025-01-12T17:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/1 "2025-01-12T17:35:44Z")
I’ll have to first give a bit of background to this question: I maintain my timeline in Google Maps on my phone, i.e. state that my present location is at a particular venue/business (when Google Maps is not sure at which of several places in the vicinity I am in). Occasionally the Google Maps app then asks me some questions about the place (which I can answer or decline the answer. The following is my English translation of the German language questions the app asks me; the exact wording in the English language setting may well be slightly different. For example with restaurants some questions might be: At your last visit, did you get a table at once (yes/no/don’t know) Is the restaurant popular for: birthday parties (yes/no/don’t know) Is the restaurant wheelchair accessible (yes/no/don’t know) Does the restaurant offer the following dish: calamari (yes/no/don’t know) Does the restaurant offer the following dish: Pizza Margherita (yes/no/don’t know) etc. etc. What makes me curious is the following question: Is the restaurant popular for: small dishes to share (German question was: “… _kleine Gerichte zum Teilen_”) As this is not a set phrase or well known concept in German dining I strongly suspect that this ( **small dishes to share** ) is an American concept translated to German (quite a number of questions that Google Maps asks me about have a strong American flavour, including the obsession about asking about parking for all kinds of businesses, but also the wording of other questions). So: my question: Does the question “Is the restaurant popular for small dishes to share?” make a specific, precise sense to Americans? In what contexts should I answer ‘yes’? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/2 "2025-01-12T17:39:52Z")
> [@Mops](#): > > So: my question: Does the question “Is the restaurant popular for small dishes to share?” make a specific, precise sense to Americans? In what contexts should I answer ‘yes’? “Small plates” or “shareable plates” would be the more common term here in the U.S. The idea is, rather than each person ordering food for just themselves (which would be the norm at most restaurants), the entire group orders a number of different “small plates,” for everyone to share. Restaurant/food styles like dim sum and tapas, in particular, are known for this. [https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/small-plates](https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/on-the-line/small-plates) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/3 "2025-01-12T17:43:50Z")
It’s open for interpretation whether this counts as an “American” concept. While we do have it, it’s found mostly at ethnic places (where by “ethnic”, we mean “not British or German”). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/4 "2025-01-12T17:45:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > While we do have it, it’s found mostly at ethnic places (where by “ethnic”, we mean “not British or German”). Agreed. And, while it’d be an easily-understood term for Americans who frequent those kinds of restaurants, for people who only dine out at traditional American restaurants, they may have no concept of it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/5 "2025-01-12T17:45:58Z")
In my experience eating out, appetizers are usually ordered for sharing at the table, followed by individual entrees. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/6 "2025-01-12T17:46:03Z")
Isn’t this the same as tapas in Spain? I’ve been to plenty of places like this in California only some of which are Spanish ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/7 "2025-01-12T17:46:43Z")
This is where all of the menu items are appetizer size ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/8 "2025-01-12T17:47:25Z")
Are they trying to translate the concept of a shared appetizer? Like Outback Steakhouse’s Bloomin’ Onion? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/9 "2025-01-12T17:48:27Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Are they trying to translate the concept of a shared appetizer? Probably not; I think that they’re getting at the “shared plates” concept/format, like tapas or dim sum. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/10 "2025-01-12T17:52:16Z")
I agree. Appetizers/starters do work that way in the US for a first-course, but whole restaurants centered around that concept? That does sound more like dim sum or tapas than anything I can think of specifically American. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/11 "2025-01-12T17:53:52Z")
Yup. Appetizers, or starters as they’re called some places. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/12 "2025-01-12T17:56:19Z")
In big US cities it’s becoming a thing for general foodie trendy places to offer the sharables. Which are similar to, but not identical with, appetizers. Somebody who doesn’t do big city trendy would probably never have seen it. Yet. Especially relevant to SDMB albeit not the OP, is that Chicago is a leader of this stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/13 "2025-01-12T18:34:27Z")
> [@bump](#): > > That does sound more like dim sum or tapas than anything I can think of specifically American. Yes. I have seen some American restaurants (big city trendy, as above) promote themselves as offering this format of dining with the description “tapas style,” trusting it will be understood that this means ordering a selection of small plates that are not specifically _Spanish_ tapas. I have no explanation for why the app question in the OP is phrased like it is, beyond the general agreement that small shareable plates is indeed a hip trend in American dining. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/14 "2025-01-12T18:37:18Z")
It may be hip but it’s been around for quite some time. There’s a place in little Santa Barbara that’s been here for over ten years. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/15 "2025-01-12T20:37:42Z")
In Chinese restaurants in the U.S., ordering dishes to share is called “family style.” They’re not necessarily small dishes, though. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/16 "2025-01-13T03:06:29Z")
“Family Style” is a thing at a lot of traditional Southern restaurants as well. I’ve been to more than one restaurant where you bought a “meal” for each person at the table, and all that meant was a different proportion of catfish vs. chicken or whatever that was brought on a big platter to the table. This place is fairly famous (and highly delicious!), and it’s all family style, even when the table has multiple families sitting at it. [Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Wilkes%27_Dining_Room) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/17 "2025-01-13T03:09:39Z")
> [@bump](#): > > “Family Style” is a thing at a lot of traditional Southern restaurants as well. There have also been a few chain Italian restaurants – Maggiano’s Little Italy, and Buca di Beppo, for two examples – that specialize in family style, where you pick a few different dishes, and they bring big enough portions of those dishes for everyone at the table to be able to eat heartily. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/18 "2025-01-13T04:05:18Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > is that Chicago is a leader of this stuff. Huh. I’m in Chicago, and I’m unaware of this, but, to be fair, I don’t eat out as often as I did ten or so years ago. Sounds exactly like the kind of place I’d love to visit. I’m a huge fan of the tapas concept. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/19 "2025-01-13T04:17:55Z")
IME, the closest analog to “small dish to share” is an appetizer “for the table.” “For the table” DOES kinda imply at least three diners at the table. When dining with a single person, my habit was usually to say “We’ll be sharing the (_insert name of appetizer here_).” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2025, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-american-restaurant-dish-concept-small-dish-to-share-prompted-from-google-maps-question/1012876/20 "2025-01-13T04:33:41Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > It may be hip but it’s been around for quite some time. Right. Forty years ago, the hospitality industry knew it as “grazing,” but it was no different from what is being described here. A bunch of appetizers for a table of two or more people. It became popular with the rise of sports bars (a new concept at the time), allowing you to eat chicken wings, nachos, veggies, and so on; while drinking beer and watching sports. Nobody ordered a meal, you just ordered a bunch of appetizers and munched on them during the game. Grazing.