Interactive WWW Activity
Reading a Menu: Hamburger Mary's

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For this activity, you will practice your vocabulary, reading, and writing as you look at a menu from a real American restaurant.  When you click on an answer, look at the top of this page to find out if your answer is correct.  Your score for this activity will also appear at the top of the page.

Part One: Thinking about the Topic

Hamburger Mary's is a typical American diner located in San Francisco. What do you know about American diners? Think of four examples of typical American food you might find on this menu.
Part Two: Vocabulary
1 The beverages on this menu include tea, coffee, and Diet Coke.  What does the word beverages mean?
cold drinks
hot drinks
drinks
2 My roomate doesn't eat meat. She's a ________.
vegetable
vegetarian
meat eater
 

Part Three: Reading

Next, you are going to visit an on-line menu for Hamburger Mary's.  The menu is really long.  Use the links at the top of the page to guide you to the right section.  (Just click on the link, and the menu will open in a new window.)
1 When can you order breakfast at this restaurant?
mornings only
up to 1 p.m.
anytime
2 What comes with every dinner served at Hamburger Mary's?
nothing--just the meal you order
soup or salad
soup, cole slaw or sald and a choice of potato or cottage cheese
3 Which of the following is NOT listed as a vegetarian option the restaurant's menu?
a garden burger
a grilled chesse sandwich
three bean vegetarian chilli
4 Which of the following beverages is NOT listed on the menu?
grapefruit juice
Diet Pepsi
Iced Tea
 

Part Three: Writing

Now, go to  PartyLand's discussion forum on International Cooking and Cuisine Events, and write your answer to one of the following questions: 

  1. If you went to Hamburger Mary's, what would you order?  Why?
  2. What is your favorite kind of American food?
  3. Have you ever been to an American-style diner?  If so, tell about your experience.  Where was it?  What did the diner look like?  What types of food were on the menu?  Do you remember what you ordered?  Would you like to go back to this diner?  Why or why not?

Part Four: Links

What Is a Diner?--To find out more about diners and what they are, visit this page from Diner City.

Cuisine.net--Find out more about restaurants in the US, includes reviews, menus, and photos.  Categorized by city.

Diner City: Guide to Classic Diners and the American Roadside--Listings and descriptions of diners across the US.

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