5 Easy Summer Menu Ideas for Your Restaurant
Parts Town / Foodservice Tips, Restaurant Tips / May 27
Summer is when people want to get out and do something, whether it’s fine dining or a quick bite to eat. To take advantage of this eagerness and attract more guests, here’s a list of easy summer menu ideas for your restaurant. With just a few tweaks to your menu, you can make your restaurant the place to be this summer.
1. Get Out the Grill
Everyone loves the taste of grilled and charred flavors, especially during the summer barbecue season. If you want to go beyond hamburgers and hotdogs, here are a few ideas:
Meat
- Chicken – Chicken marries well with a variety of flavors, so you can get creative with marinades such as teriyaki, chipotle-mango and honey barbecue.
- Skirt Steak – It can be a bit tough, so only cook skirt steak to rare or medium rare. Mojo, a Caribbean marinade of garlic, citrus and spices is the perfect way to tenderize the meat and add summertime flavor.
- Kebabs – Although a lot of flavors would work, Greek lemon chicken and vegetable kebabs, paired with a cool mint tzatziki sauce, would be refreshing on a hot summer day.
Vegan / Vegetarian
- Portobello Mushrooms – These meaty mushroom caps are great with a balsamic vinegar and garlic-based marinade. Serve with a side salad or as a sandwich for a complete meal.
- Corn – For something more interesting than just corn on the cob with butter, try elote, Mexican street corn with mayonnaise, chili powder, lime juice, Cotija cheese and cilantro.
2. Use Fresh Ingredients
Summer is the middle of the growing season, so fresh food is abundant. Here are some ways to make use of nature’s bounty:
Fresh Fruits
- Watermelon – Sweet and juicy watermelon is one of summer’s best treats. Although a piece of fresh watermelon is refreshing, serve sorbet if you want to give your guests something special.
- Peaches – Although the season is short, there’s nothing like sweet, ripe peaches. Although they’re great for fresh eating, none of your guests will turn down a slice of peach pie or cobbler.
- Melons – If you want to serve something fancy, try proscuitto e melone, an Italian appetizer of melon and prosciutto slices.
Vegetables
- Tomatoes – Tomatoes are extremely versatile: they’re awesome inun salads, on sandwiches, on pizzas or cooked to make a sauce. Fresh pico de gallo and bruschetta are also good.
- Bell Peppers – If you want to serve something delicious while cutting food costs, consider adding stuffed bell peppers with ground meat, rice and cheese to your menu.
- Okra – This southern favorite is great grilled, fried or stewed with tomatoes. If your guests like New Orleans food, serve shrimp gumbo with okra.
Fresh Herbs
- Basil – Basil plants love heat, so summer is when fresh basil is at its peak. Take advantage by adding it to tomato sauce, margherita pizza or making basil pesto.
- Oregano – Commonly used in Mediterranean and Mexican cuisine, fresh oregano adds a nice touch to any kind of tomato sauce. It’s also excellent sprinkled over pizza or chicken Parmesan.
- Chives – Heat destroys their mild onion flavor, so add finely chopped chive leaves to soups and salads at the last minute, or use them as a garnish for baked or mashed potatoes.
3. Create Cold Sides
Eating cold food on a hot day is a good way to cool off. Your guests will probably get tired of eating ice cream every time the mercury climbs, so consider offering cold sides, such as:
- Potato Salad – For something a bit different, try olivier salad, a Russian potato salad with cubed potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, pickles and eggs.
- Coleslaw – A favorite side at summertime barbecues, switch things up by using red cabbage.
- Caprese Salad – If you have fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, be sure to put this Italian appetizer on the menu. The flavor combination works well in sandwiches, too.
4. Sprinkle in Citrus
A bit of lemon, lime or orange adds a brightness that’s perfect for summer. If you’re looking for ways to add more citrus to your menu, consider:
- Italian Ice – Italian ice is a crowd-pleaser because it’s light, dairy-free and vegan. Although lemon is probably the most common flavor, blue raspberry and watermelon would be good, too.
- Key Lime Pie – Unlike most other citrus fruits, limes are at their peak in the summer. Since key lime pie originated in the tropical Florida Keys, this dessert is the embodiment of summer.
- Citrus Beers – Citrusy IPAs, radlers, shandys and saisons would be a hit at your restaurant.
5. Cocktails and Drinks
Who wouldn’t love a cool drink on one of the dog days of summer? Whether you’re looking for non-alcohol drinks or fun cocktails, good options include:
Summer Cocktails
- Margaritas – A favorite at Mexican restaurants, you can impress your guests by serving peach, blueberry or mango versions.
- Strawberry Daiquiris – Popular at tropical beach resorts, the bit of lime really brings out the strawberry flavor in this cocktail. Be sure to serve in clear glasses to show off the red color.
- Piña Colada – Just one sip of this Caribbean cocktail of tropical fruits and rum will make your guests feel like they are on a tropical island.
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Lemonade – Everyone loves a tall glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. To make it even more flavor, try adding mint and / or ginger to really wow your guests.
- Iced Tea – The sweet and slightly bitter combination is surprisingly delicious. A bit of peach juice is a nice addition, and a lemon wedge is an excellent garnish.
- Fruit Punch – Offering a variety of juices such as orange, pineapple, apple and cranberry and then encouraging your guests to come up with their own combinations would be a lot of fun.