Operations & Staffing
Restaurant Interview Questions
A bank of 33 interview questions organized by role — each with a scoring rubric so you know exactly what to listen for. Pair with our schedule template to onboard new hires faster.
33
Total Questions
6
Roles Covered
3
Question Types
Click any question to reveal the scoring rubric. Use Print or Copy to take these into your next interview.
Why Standard Interview Questions Matter
BLS JOLTS data show accommodation and food service businesses losing about 5.5% of their workforce every month in 2025, most of it through quits. Every bad hire adds training time, mistakes, and another round of rehiring. Structured interview questions with scoring rubrics reduce bad hires by forcing you to evaluate candidates on the skills that actually predict job success — not just whether they seem friendly in a 10-minute chat.
“The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior in similar situations. That’s why behavioral questions outperform ‘tell me about yourself’ every time.”
Three Types of Interview Questions
Each question in our bank is tagged as one of three types. A strong interview uses a mix of all three to get a complete picture of the candidate.
Behavioral
"Tell me about a time..." — reveals past patterns and real experience
Situational
"What would you do if..." — tests judgment and problem-solving instincts
Technical
"Walk me through..." — verifies hands-on skills and knowledge
How to Use This Interview Question Bank
Step 1: Select the role you're hiring for
Each tab contains questions specifically designed for that position. Server questions test guest-facing skills; cook questions test food safety and line management.
Step 2: Pick 4-5 questions per interview
Don't ask all of them. Choose a mix of behavioral, situational, and technical. Use the same set for every candidate applying for the same role.
Step 3: Score with the rubric during the interview
Print or copy the questions with rubrics. During the interview, note whether the candidate hits the "what to look for" points or triggers red flags.
Need job descriptions to pair with these questions? We have templates for line cooks, prep cooks, bussers, and bartenders.
4 Tips for Better Restaurant Interviews
Use the same questions for every candidate
Consistency lets you compare candidates fairly. Pick 4-5 questions per role and score everyone on the same rubric.
Listen for specifics, not generalities
Strong candidates give concrete examples with details. Weak candidates say "I'm a hard worker" without evidence. Push for specifics: "Give me a specific example."
Watch for red flags in body language
Eye-rolling when discussing teamwork, dismissiveness about food safety, or blaming every past employer are signals that transcend the words spoken.
End with their questions for you
Candidates who ask about training, growth, or the team culture are investing mentally. Those who only ask about pay and time off may not be long-term fits.
Questions You Cannot Ask, and How to Score the Ones You Can
Federal law enforced by the EEOC makes it illegal to base a hiring decision on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and transgender status), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. Most employers with 15 or more employees are covered (20 for age claims), and the national-origin rules under immigration law reach employers with as few as four. Disability questions before a job offer are prohibited outright. Questions about the other traits are not always banned by name, but the EEOC warns they can be used as evidence of discrimination unless they serve a real business purpose. In a 20-minute restaurant interview, the safe rule is simple: ask about the job, not the person's life.
| Don't ask | Ask or do this instead |
|---|---|
| Do you have any medical conditions or disabilities? | This job means carrying full bus tubs and standing for an eight-hour shift. Can you do that, with or without an accommodation? |
| Are you a U.S. citizen? Where were you born? | Put this line on the application instead: all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States. |
| Are you married? Do you have kids at home? | The schedule is Friday and Saturday closes plus one double. Can you work it? |
| How old are you? What year did you graduate? | For bar roles: if hired, can you show you meet our state's minimum age to serve alcohol? |
| What church do you go to? | Which days and shifts are you available? (Then handle any religious scheduling request as an accommodation.) |
The Form I-9 comes after the candidate accepts your offer, never before. Many states and cities add protections of their own, so put your equal-opportunity policy in the employee handbook and train every manager who interviews.
A simple scoring rubric
Score each answer on the spot against the "what to look for" and red-flag points on its card:
1
Red flag
Hits a red flag on the card or gives no real example.
2
Meets
A reasonable but generic answer that touches one point to look for.
3
Strong
A specific story from past work that hits two or more points to look for.
Ask every candidate for the same role the same five questions and add up the scores. Any 1 on a food-safety or alcohol question ends the process regardless of the total. Write one line of job-related evidence beside each score; those notes show why you hired the person you did. Then hand the winner the matching job description on day one.