Somewhere on your menu right now, a dish is gathering dust. It once earned its place, maybe even drew a crowd. But in 2026, guests keep scrolling past it. That quiet corner of your menu isn’t a failure—it’s an invitation. With a little imagination, yesterday’s overlooked item can become this year’s most talked-about plate.

The trick is knowing which dishes are cooling, why they’ve lost their spark, and how to reawaken them for the diner who’s sitting at your table today. Below, we walk through items losing ground in 2026, according to Datassential’s and Mercury News’ data. Read more below.

Menu Items Customers Aren’t Ordering in 2026: 

1. Niçoise Salad

The Niçoise once felt like the height of sophistication. Lately, though, it’s drifted to the edges of the menu. Yet look closer and you’ll see a dish practically built for this moment. It’s high in protein and fiber, leans on affordable pantry staples, and stars the tinned fish that younger diners can’t get enough of.

The new spin: Rebuild it as a “Tinned Fish Board Salad.” Swap tuna for beautiful oil-packed sardines, mackerel, or trout, presented with a little drama—the tin nestled right on the plate beside jammy eggs, blistered green beans, and crisp potatoes. Lean into abundance so it eats like a full, satisfying meal rather than a delicate afterthought. For lunch service, offer a grab-and-go protein version that busy guests can grab with pride.

2. Mudslide Cocktail

The mudslide slipped when bottled mixes made it feel cheap and ordinary. But indulgence is thriving in 2026, and this drink has everything it takes to become the thing everyone in the room suddenly wants—that irresistible pull when one guest spots another’s glass and simply must order one too.

The new spin: Reposition it as a camera-ready dessert cocktail. Build it fresh with real espresso, quality Irish cream, and a dramatic swirl of chocolate down the inside of the glass. Serve it with a touch of theater—a torched marshmallow, a shard of chocolate bark, a whisper of cocoa across the rim. Then extend the flavor into an affogato-style pour-over dessert or a plated finale. (Or, take it even further, and make it non-alcoholic!)

3. Shrimp Cocktail: Reimagine the Table’s Old Opening Act

Shrimp cocktail arrived with decades of nostalgia behind it and has slowly faded into a reliable-but-forgettable opener. The issue isn’t the shrimp. It’s the format. Chilled shrimp hanging over a glass with a ramekin of ketchup-based cocktail sauce doesn’t communicate value in 2026—it communicates a steakhouse from 1987.

The new spin: Keep the shrimp; transform everything around it. Offer a “Crudo Board” format—beautiful chilled shrimp plated flat on crushed ice alongside three distinct dipping sauces, each representing a different region or flavor profile: a yuzu kosho aioli, a charred tomato and smoked paprika sauce, a habanero aguachile. Add a garnish of microgreens, citrus zest, or pickled shallot for color and freshness.

4. Chicken and Waffles: 

Chicken and waffles had a golden decade. Then it landed on practically every brunch menu in America, and the magic dimmed. Today, it often arrives as a predictable stack that delivers comfort without surprise. Guests who once sought it out now skip it when they sense it’ll be the same as the last three places they tried.

The new spin: Make the waffle stand out—think brown butter and malted milk, a cornbread waffle with jalapeño flecks, or a savory Belgian-style base seasoned with herbs and parmesan. Elevate the chicken with a daring marinade: buttermilk and hot sauce, a Korean-inspired gochujang glaze, or a honey-sriracha lacquer finished under the broiler. Swap the traditional syrup for something unexpected: a calamansi honey, or a spiced pepper jelly.

5. French Onion Soup

French onion soup has a dedicated fan base and zero buzz.

The new spin: Serve it in a cast-iron crock with a visible, blistered gruyère crust that guests can crack open at the table. Consider an elevated variation built on a richer, wine-forward broth with a crowned layer of caramelized shallots instead of standard onions. For summer or warmer markets, build a lighter riff: a chilled French onion velouté with a gruyère crisp and a swirl of crème fraîche.

Need Help with Your Restaurant’s Menu? Contact Avery Restaurant Consulting Today!

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