What Does The Number ‘86’ Mean In Restaurants?

If you’ve watched the Hulu series “The Bear,” you may already be aware that chefs in a restaurant have a language of their own. But there’s one term that needs a little digging.

Chefs always use the term “86” in a professional kitchen. However, it’s not always utilized in the same way; in fact, there are many different contexts the term can be used in.

Let’s say a customer orders a burger without pickles. The chef may read the order to the kitchen as “burger, 86 pickles” to indicate that the pickles need to be eliminated.

The phrase is also used to indicate that something needs to be taken off the menu or that something’s sold out or unavailable. A staff member or a guest can be “86-ed” too.

For instance, if a rowdy customer needs to be shown the door, they are “86-ed” from the restaurant. Additionally, “86” can also be used to fire a staff member.