Crowd-Pleasing Labor Day Menu Ideas for Restaurants

Considered to be the unofficial end of summer, Labor Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the season one last time. If you’re looking for ways to give summer one last hurrah and draw people to your establishment, here are some crowd-pleasing Labor Day menu ideas for restaurants that are sure to be a hit.

Appetizers

Labor Day is the perfect excuse for diners to open their meal with light, flavorful starters that celebrate the best of late-summer produce. To help you select the best dishes for your menu, consider these picks:

• Bruschetta – The crisp tomatoes and fresh basil of bruschetta are the perfect way to enjoy summer’s harvest while it lasts–and since it’s easy to eat with your hands and enjoy in small portions, it’s one of the best shareable appetizers.


• Deviled Eggs – A classic at backyard cookouts and holiday gatherings, deviled eggs are chilled bites that are sure to be a hit on a late-summer holiday. To make them extra special for the holiday, add fresh herbs like parsley or tarragon, or perhaps a few splashes of sriracha sauce.


• Chips & Dip – Whether it’s fresh salsa with tortilla chips or yogurt tzatziki with pita triangles, Labor Day is a great time to serve chips and a refreshing sauce. If serving salsa, make it more interesting with some beans and corn; with tzatziki, a nice squeeze of lemon can really perk up the flavor.


• Shrimp Cocktail – For something that feels a bit more upscale, shrimp cocktail would be a great addition to your menu. When paired with a salad, it’s a fantastic meal for someone who wants a lighter option on one of the last dog days of summer.

Brunch 

With the slow pace of a holiday weekend, brunch is a good way to draw people into your restaurant and convince them to stay–and spend–for longer. For a bit of inspiration as to how to make your restaurant’s Labor Day menu stand out from the competition, think about adding:

• Veggie Frittatas – Besides showcasing late-summer produce like zucchini and peppers, vegetable frittatas are also an easy way to expand your selection of vegetarian menu options and appeal to a wider clientele.


• Waffles & Fruit – While there’s nothing wrong with maple syrup, serving waffles with fruit and whipped cream is a refreshing way to take advantage of late-season fruit like peaches and blueberries. Even though canned fruit is usually good enough, using high-quality fresh fruit will really make the dish memorable.


• Bagel Board – A type of breakfast charcuterie platter, bagel boards offer a selection of bagels and toppings, such as avocado, cream cheese, salmon and sliced vegetables. These trays are not only photogenic but also trendy, so you can get away with charging a high markup on these.


• Tea Sandwiches – For guests who want something a bit more elegant, tea sandwiches are one of the best options. The combinations of bread and fillings are endless, so letting customers mix and match is a good way to make the dining experience fun and interactive.

Lunch & Dinner

From quick bites to full meals, it’s important to have solid lunch and dinner options for the holiday rush. Here are a few dishes that’ll help you and your guests make the most of summer’s last hurrah:

• Grilled Pizza – A bit of smokiness takes pizza to the next level, taking a food that almost everyone already likes to something they love. While classic margherita and trendy pesto would work well, you might also want to try barbecue chicken or rib tip versions to go with the cookout theme.


• Greek Salad – From cool cucumbers and crisp peppers to juicy tomatoes and tangy feta, Greek salad is super refreshing on a hot, late-summer day. If you want to take it up a notch, a Delish recipe suggests capers and anchovies as small additions that can add a lot of flavor.


• Skewers/Kabobs – If your guests want more grilled options, try adding skewers/kabobs to your menu. While you could offer fixed combinations of meat and vegetables, letting them mix and match creates endless possibilities—and more reasons to come back.


• Stuffed Peppers – With summer produce at its peak by the end of August, stuffed peppers are a seasonal staple worth featuring. Although most traditional recipes call for ground beef, you can easily make them vegetarian by filling them with rice, beans, cheese and sauteed vegetables.

BBQ Ideas

Even though hamburgers, hotdogs and ribs are barbecue favorites, by early September your customers will probably be tired of the standard fare. If you need ideas on how to switch things up, here are a few ways to pique your customers’ interest:

• Bison Burgers – Most people have never had a game meat burger, so many of your customers would order one out of curiosity. Since bison burgers are still fairly unique, your restaurant’s social media posts announcing the menu item are sure to go viral.


• Grilled Sausages – Branch out from hotdogs and bratwursts and expand your guests’ minds by serving up Polish kielbasa, Mexican chorizo, Louisiana andouille or Southern hot links on hot dog buns, demi baguettes or sub rolls.


• Veggie Burgers – More people are looking for meatless options nowadays, so be sure to offer at least one. Black bean and soy patties are the most common, but breaded and fried eggplant or butternut squash slices are delicious served on a bun, too.


• Naan Bread – Instead of using normal hamburger buns, give naan bread a try. It’s soft yet thin, so the combination of textures will elevate any standard burger into a memorable culinary experience.


• BBQ Ribs – If you’re looking for barbecue menu items with wide appeal, ribs should be on your list. Whether rubbed with spices or basted with sauce, they’re a favorite summer treat for many that few customers will be able to pass up.

Side Dishes

Even if the charred bison cheeseburgers and Mexican chorizo sandwiches are the focus of your restaurant’s Labor Day menu, side dishes help to round out the meal. Continuing with the cookout theme, good additions to the menu include:

• Pasta Salad – Cool and tangy, pasta salad is always a hit. Be sure to include halved cherry tomatoes, chunked cucumbers and diced bell peppers to take advantage of the late summer produce.


• Potato Salad – For something creamy and also gluten-free, put potato salad on the menu. If you really want to mix things up, add some beets: not only will they add flavor, but they’ll also turn the mayonnaise dressing an Instagram-worthy shade of purple.


• Colorful Coleslaw – No barbecue is complete without coleslaw. Since your customers will likely be tired of the cabbage version by early September, try serving an apple, broccoli or carrot slaw.


• Stuffed Tomatoes – Tomatoes should be on every restaurant’s menu in the summer. Instead of just putting them in sandwiches or salads, why not hollow them out, fill them with cheese and bread crumbs and then bake. 

Serving caprese salad is a good way to take advantage of late summer produce.

Salads and Healthy Foods

Although juicy burgers and mayonnaise-dressed salads are sure to be popular, it’s good to have some healthy menu items, too. To appease your more health-conscious customers, consider offering:

• Zucchini Noodles – Cheap and plentiful at the end of summer, you should definitely put zucchini on your restaurant’s Labor Day menu. It can be grilled, steamed or even fried, but turning it into noodles is a great way to offer a low-calorie, low-carb pasta substitute.


• Tomato and Chickpea Salad – The zestiness of tomatoes and the nuttiness of chickpeas go well together. Add some diced red onion and chopped parsley, along with a garlic and lemon vinaigrette, and you have a dish that can be a side or main course.


• Roasted Corn Salad – After roasting the corn and cutting off the kernels, add chopped red bell pepper and purple onion. Finish off the salad with a Mexican street corn-inspired dressing of lime juice, mayonnaise, cilantro and grated cheese.


• Caprese Salad – Add some sophistication to your menu with a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad. Although the salad is great on its own, Jamielyn Nye of I Heart Naptime suggests pairing caprese salad with toast, burgers or kabobs for a complete summer meal.

Desserts

No meal is complete without something sweet at the end, so don’t forget about dessert. Fruits like peaches and watermelon are in-season, so be sure to incorporate them into recipes like:

• Peach Cobbler – A southern classic, peach cobbler is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday. Although cakey cobblers are nice, there’s nothing like an old fashioned peach cobbler with pie crust to really make your customers rave about your food.


• Grilled Fruit – Grilling really brings out the flavor in fruit, especially the sweetness. Stone fruits like peaches and plums are perfect candidates, as are watermelon slices. If you want to take this dessert to the next level, serve with ice cream.


• Ice Cream Cake – For an easy dessert that’s great for a crowd, use ice cream sandwiches to make a cake. Alternate layers of ice cream sandwiches and fudge sauce or pudding in a disposable pan, then freeze. This will go fast, so make a couple batches.


• Watermelon Sorbet – If you want to put a healthy dessert option on your menu, start by putting watermelon chunks in the freezer. Once they’re fully frozen, blend with some lime juice until a smooth sorbet forms, then serve immediately.

Watermelon sorbet would be a great healthy dessert option on your restaurant’s Labor Day menu.

Drinks

After eating barbecue, salad and desserts, your guests will need something to wash down all that good food. It makes sense to take advantage of what’s in season, so make sure to add some of these drinks to your Labor Day menu:

• Watermelon Sangria – Add watermelon chunks and lime juice to pink or red Moscato. Sangria needs to chill in the refrigerator, so plan ahead since this is sure to be popular. If you’re concerned about sangria going to waste, give away free drink tokens as part of your restaurant’s Labor Day promotions so more people get to try your delicious drinks.


• Plum-Basil Gin Fizz – If you want something unique on your restaurant’s drink menu, combine slices of plum and basil leaves with simple syrup, gin and lime–it’s sure to be a conversation-starter.


• Mint Lemonade – Sometimes called a “virgin mojito,” mint lemonade is common in Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon and Egypt. Many people add the mint flavor by simply blending mint leaves with lemonade, turning the drink a translucent green.


• Peach Sweet Tea – A twist on sweet tea, start by brewing some black tea and then set it aside. Next, cook mashed peaches and sugar until a syrup forms. Strain out the fruit and add the syrup to the tea. A small squeeze of lemon will make the flavors really pop.