Fall Menu Ideas & Flavors for Restaurants

When the weather changes in the fall, it’s the perfect time to add new dishes and flavors to your restaurant’s menu. From hearty meals to spiced drinks, autumn specialties bring warmth and variety that can really make your business stand out from the competition. If you’re not sure how to celebrate the season’s harvest, this list of fall menu ideas and flavors for restaurants gives suggestions on how to use seasonal dishes and ingredients to draw more diners–and revenue–to your establishment.

Fall Flavors to Try

Pumpkin Spice

From popular lattes to holiday pies, pumpkin spice is one of the most popular fall flavors. People have come to expect autumn foods and drinks to feature this mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, so be sure to incorporate it into at least one item on your menu from September to December. Fall desserts are the perfect place to start, so if you need inspiration, consider:

• Pumpkin Pie – Pumpkin on its own has a fairly mild flavor, making it the perfect backdrop for the stronger flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg.


• Pumpkin Cookies – The incredible complexity of pumpkin spice makes it the ideal way to flavor pumpkin cookies.


• Spice Muffins – If you’re looking for an easy way to flavor fall-themed muffins, a teaspoon or two of pumpkin pie spice is exactly what you need.

Chai

A rich blend that includes cardamom, cloves and ginger, chai is another spice that you should consider incorporating into your restaurant’s fall menu items. Although most people associate chai with lattes, it works in sweets as well, including:

• Spiced Donuts – Whether you fry or bake them, don’t forget the vanilla glaze that helps cool down the spiciness. 


• Chai Bread – More like a dessert than normal bread, chai bread also has a vanilla glaze that you don’t want to leave out. 


• Chai Cookies – For a twist on the traditional holiday sugar cookie, add tea mix to sugar cookie dough to make chai cookies, then finish them off with either a sugar sprinkle or vanilla glaze.

Maple

In an interview with Moneyish, New York restaurant consultant Jason Kaplan described maple as one of the most versatile flavors you can add to a fall menu. “You can put it into anything from a beverage, to a dessert and even bacon,” Kaplan told Moneyish. “It works really well with a whole bunch of components to offset sweet, salty and sour flavor profiles and adds a very comforting, warm fall feel to it.” If you’re looking to go beyond pancakes and waffles, try using maple syrup in the following dishes:

• Glazed Meats – Combined with liquid smoke or bold spices, maple is amazing as a glaze for grilled chicken or pork chops.


• Roasted Vegetables – Tossing chopped potatoes, parsnips, onions and squash with olive oil, maple syrup and salt is super easy, super simple–and super tasty.


• Pecan Pie – Maple pecan pie replaces some of the sugar with maple syrup, giving the dessert a depth of flavor that you simply can’t get with sugar alone.

Cinnamon

Used in both pumpkin spice and chai mix, cinnamon is a must-have on any fall menu. This warm, aromatic spice is super versatile, so it’s good in both sweet and savory dishes–and even beverages. For ways to use this autumn classic other than in rolls with cream cheese, think about adding:

• Apple Pie – When combined with nutmeg and ginger, cinnamon gives apple pie its unforgettably delicious flavor.


• Beef Stew – Although it might seem odd in a savory stew, Greek stifado and Moroccan tagine are versions that feature cinnamon–if your restaurant’s stew is similar to these, it might benefit from a touch of cinnamon.


• Coffee Drinks – Considering the success of Mexican café de olla and pumpkin spice lattes, adding beverages with cinnamon to your fall coffee menu is definitely the smart move.

Fresh Autumn Produce

Apples

There’s no doubt that apples and fall go hand in hand. Used in everything from cider and spreads to pies and breads, there are a ton of ways to incorporate these autumn fruits into your restaurant’s menu. Here are some of the easiest:

• Baked Apples – While apple pie is always a hit, baking the whole fruit with butter, sugar and spices is a simple way to make a delicious dessert that’s also coincidentally gluten-free.


• Coleslaw – If your restaurant serves barbecue, consider adding a sweet apple cabbage slaw to the menu–it would be an awesome way for guests to cleanse their palates between bites.


• Cocktails – Delish recently listed some delicious fall cocktails that included a fair amount of apple-based concoctions, including an apple cider spritz that’s sure to be super refreshing.

Pears

While apples take the prize for the classic fall fruit, pears are a great addition as well. They have a mild flavor and floral sweetness, making them absolutely delicious if used correctly. These fruits can be incorporated into a variety of dishes, so here are just a few ideas:

• Pear Tart – Pear slices are neatly arranged atop a puff pastry crust, giving this dessert an elegant feel that would make it perfect for an upscale restaurant’s menu.


• Pear Oatmeal – For a light yet delicious breakfast, food blogger Gina of Running to the Kitchen suggests pear oatmeal drizzled with maple syrup.


• Pear Sangria – Swapping out Granny Smith apples for D’Anjou or Bartlett pears is a nice way to change up this brunch favorite without giving it a full makeover.

Blood Orange

Blood oranges have a beautiful color and bittersweet flavor, making them a welcome addition to a variety of dishes. Using this fruit in your salads, drinks and even sauces can add the hint of autumn comfort that customers will love as the temperatures drop and the leaves change. Want to get creative? Include a sorbet or ice cream made with this fall fruit.

• Cocktails – From martinis to screwdrivers, using blood orange juice will give your beverages an attention-getting color that’s likely to increase the sales of your restaurant or bar’s most profitable cocktails.


• Cakes – Add blood orange juice to white or yellow cake batter, then cover with cream cheese frosting for an unforgettable dessert.


• Salad – Blood orange and grated fennel packs a sweet, peppery punch that diners are sure to remember.

Sweet Potato

A favorite vegetable in southern states, sweet potato is a great alternative to pumpkin in autumn recipes. Its orange color and sweet flavor make it versatile enough for either sweet or savory dishes, giving you a lot of options. If you need ideas on how to incorporate sweet potato into your restaurant’s fall menu, try:

• Sweet Potato and Cranberry Salad – Roasted sweet potato salad with dried cranberries and dressed in maple vinaigrette is a fantastic way to celebrate the season.


• Sweet Potato Mash – For guests who are tired of the old standard, this is a sweet, colorful alternative.


• Sweet Potato Pie – Common at southern Thanksgivings, it’s one of the best ways to showcase fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Fall Dish Ideas

Comfort Food

As explained by GrubHub, diners seek out comfort food during the fall and winter months to warm them up from the inside out. Serving customers homestyle classics not only fosters an emotional connection with your restaurant but also encourages them to stay longer, increasing the likelihood that they’ll order another drink or try dessert. When it comes to hearty staples, the following are always a win:

• Mac and Cheese – If any of your customers are cheese lovers, they’ll love seeing macaroni and cheese on the menu. It’s especially appropriate on a barbecue restaurant’s menu because of its association with southern cooking, but you could tweak the recipe to make it fit with almost any cuisine.


• Chicken Pot Pie – Although you could definitely cut slices out of a larger pie or pan, offering individual pot pies baked in mini pie plates would bring a whimsical twist to a classic comfort dish.


• Pot Roast – Whether you put a beef or pork version on your menu, make sure your guests have plenty of mashed potatoes, steamed rice or fresh bread to soak up the flavorful juices.

Soups and Stews

Sticking with the hearty theme, soups and stews always make a great addition to a fall restaurant menu. From vegetable beef and chicken noodle to bisque and minestrone, there’s an option for every menu type and cooking style. If you’re not sure which are the best, here are a few of the top selections:

• Chili – Customers who like food with a kick will get excited if they see chili on the menu. Whether you make it with or without beans, remember to serve with a big slice of cornbread.


• French Onion – Savory broth, caramelized onions and melted cheese make this a favorite of many. Although it’s made with humble ingredients, serving it in a decorative dish and using fancy cheese can elevate the dining experience–along with the price point and profit margin–significantly.


• Butternut Squash – Flavored with garlic, thyme, rosemary and sage, this soup is spiced perfectly for harvest season. Although chunks of squash in vegetable or chicken broth are fine, pureeing it in a blender to make it smooth and creamy takes it to another level.

Apple Pie

Nothing says fall quite like apple pie. With a buttery crust and juicy filling, it’s one of the most popular desserts in restaurants and bakeries. While there’s nothing wrong with the standard version, putting a twist on the autumn classic is a great way to stand out from your competitors. To make your pie stand out from all the others, try:

• Dutch Apple – Adding some toasted nuts to the buttery crumble will give your pie even more crunch.


• Caramel Apple – While you might expect it to be overly sweet, topping apple pie with caramel actually adds an incredible depth of flavor.


• Hand Pie – A type of turnover, hand pies have all the flavor of apple pie but in a portable form, making them perfect for restaurant diners who want their dessert to go.

Roasted Turkey

The centerpiece of many holiday meals, turkey is a must-have on your fall menu, especially if you’re planning on doing any Thanksgiving promotions for your restaurant. If you’re looking for ideas on how to work this autumn staple into your offerings, consider:

• Turkey Dinner – Adding a Thanksgiving-style turkey dinner to your fall lineup lets customers enjoy a holiday favorite they normally eat only once a year–and since you’re doing all the hard work, they’ll happily pay a premium for it.


• Pot Pie – While the chicken version is more popular, using turkey is a fantastic way to repurpose leftovers.


• Meatballs – Lower in fat than beef, ground turkey meatballs can be kept moist with plenty of chopped onion and smothered in pumpkin sauce.