What US Consumers Want from Restaurants in 2026

If you’ve been trying to read the room lately, you’re not imagining it: the room changed.

Dining out in the US is up (OpenTable reports an 8% year-over-year increase), and plenty of people still say they’ll spend more on restaurants this year. But the way they spend is getting… sharper. Guests aren’t swearing off restaurants. They’re swearing off regret: paying “full price” for a meal that feels smaller, slower, or less satisfying than it used to.

That tension sits right at the center of US restaurant consumer trends 2026: demand is real, but tolerance is thin.

So, when people ask what US diners want in 2026, they’re usually asking something more specific: what makes a restaurant worth it in 2026, when everyone’s doing mental math and comparing the experience to everything else they could do with that money.

Here’s what keeps showing up across the reports, and in actual diner behavior.

The six trends operators can act on.

1. Value Still Wins, but “Value” Means Fairness, Not Cheapness

McKinsey’s restaurant read for this year makes a point that operators feel in their bones: people are visiting, but they’re buying fewer items per visit in a lot of categories, especially at burger and coffee chains.

And when diners say an experience “wasn’t worth the money,” the complaint isn’t always the price tag. It’s quality and portion size. Food & Wine summarized the same pattern: a growing group of diners feel they’re paying more while getting less, and they blame shrinking portions and disappointing quality as much as the bill itself.

That’s the core of restaurant customer expectations 2026: the check has to make sense with what lands on the table.

Practical tips (the non-glamorous stuff that helps):

• Build “trust items.” Two or three menu choices that never drift in portion or execution. When budgets tighten, diners come back to what feels safe.
• Stop hiding the trade-down. A smaller portion can work, but it has to be positioned honestly (and priced like it).
• Use time-based value instead of constant discounting. OpenTable notes early dining is up (that 4–5 pm window rose year over year), which is a gift if you want a margin-friendly promo window.

2. People Want a Reason to Go Out (and “New” Does a Lot of Work)

A surprising amount of 2026 US dining trends can be summarized in one sentence: diners are trying to make nights out feel like something, not just a transaction.

The surveys show experiential dining up 46% year over year, and nearly half of Americans say they’re more likely to book when there’s something special going on — pop-ups, collaborations, chef’s tables, the “one weekend only” energy.

This isn’t just for white-tablecloth restaurants. Neighborhood spots can do it, too. In fact, OpenTable’s press release calls out that many diners prefer neighborhood gems over the newest openings.

Tips to make “experience” doable (without blowing up the kitchen):

• Pick a format that repeats. A monthly guest dish, a seasonal drop, a themed night that uses your existing prep.
• Give the staff a one-line story. Guests don’t need a lecture. They do like hearing “this is from X chef we’re collaborating with” or “we’re running this for two weeks.”
• Make it easy to book. If the experience is special but the reservation flow is messy, you lose people before they even show up.

3. Spontaneous Dining Is Up, and Waitlists Have Become Part of the Product

This one matters more than it sounds.

OpenTable reports “Notify Me” alerts up 84% year over year. That’s not just a feature metric — that’s US dining behavior 2026 in numbers. People are willing to decide late. They just want clarity.

What diners expect from restaurants in 2026, when they’re walking in or hunting last-minute tables, is not perfection. It’s communication that feels honest.

Tips (small moves, big payoff):

• If you quote a wait, update the wait. Silence makes a 20-minute wait feel like an hour.
• Treat cancellations as inventory. A text list, a loyalty nudge, a quick push to your regulars.
• Think about seating formats. Counter seating is trending up in OpenTable’s data, and it helps you capture “I’ll take anything, just feed me” demand.

4. Delivery Isn’t Going Away, but It’s Under Pressure

Off-premise is still a habit. The problem is the fee stack and the “why is this so expensive now?” moment.

Food & Wine cited a LendingTree study that found delivery costs nearly 80% more than pickup for the same meal on average, and that gap changes behavior fast.

So when you think about how Americans choose restaurants 2026, the decision tree often looks like:

• “Do I feel like going out?”
• “If not, do I feel like paying delivery fees?”
• “If not, can I justify pickup?”

That suggests a pretty clear operator play:

• Make pickup feel like the smart option: bundles, family meals, “pickup-only” value.
• Tighten the delivery menu. Not everything travels well, and diners punish you for soggy food even if it’s the driver’s fault.
• Get serious about menu consistency across channels, because “wrong modifier, wrong price, wrong item” is the kind of friction that quietly kills repeat business.

5. Health Has Changed Shape: It’s Protein, Portions, and Control

A few years ago, “healthy” meant salad, maybe a grain bowl. Now it’s way more about macros, satiety, and smaller appetites.

Technomic’s 2026 trends call out smaller portions becoming more common, plus snacks/shareables, alongside “craveable” food with health-forward additions like protein and fiber.

This is also showing up in the broader conversation around GLP-1 usage and appetite shifts; the Food Institute has been tracking how portion size and nutritional framing are changing as a result.

So, what customers want on menus in 2026 often translates to:

• Smaller portions that still feel satisfying
• Protein-forward options that don’t taste like compromise
• Customization that doesn’t require a negotiation with the server

Tips:

• Offer a “small but serious” plate that’s built around protein and texture, not just fewer calories.
• Make swaps easy (and not punitive). If customization feels like a surcharge festival, diners notice.
• Put allergen/ingredient clarity where people can find it quickly. They want control without having to ask.

6. What’s Trending on Menus Is Comfort… with a Passport

NRA’s 2026 culinary forecast frames it well: comfort and value are shaping menus, and classic formats are getting global twists. Smashed burgers are on top, but so are mashups like Caribbean curry bowls, plus protein-packed meals and low-alcohol drinks.

That mix matters because it serves two very different diner moods:

• “I want something familiar and safe.”
• “I want something that feels like a mini escape.”

If you’re building for both, you don’t need an endless menu. You need a couple of familiar anchors and one rotating item that gives people a reason to talk.

Checklist for Operators

If you’re trying to map what matters most to restaurant customers 2026 without turning it into a 40-slide strategy doc, these questions catch a lot:

• Would a first-time guest immediately understand what they should order here?
• Do you have 2–3 items that reliably deliver on portion and quality?
• Is there a reason to visit this month (a limited dish, a collab, a small event)?
• Can a guest book, wait, and pay without friction?
• Does pickup feel intentional, or like the “sad option” next to delivery?
• Are you offering portion flexibility and protein-forward choices without making it feel like diet food?

If you’re writing a one-sentence summary of what US consumers want from restaurants in 2026, it’s this: diners want fewer disappointments per dollar.

They’ll spend when the experience feels fair. They’ll return when the basics stay consistent. They’ll talk when there’s something new to try. And they’ll quietly disappear when the restaurant makes them work too hard for a meal that’s supposed to be enjoyable.