How Much to Tip at Restaurants in 2026

6 min read · Updated February 14, 2026

The Short Answer

Tip 15% to 20% of your pre-tax bill at sit-down restaurants in the United States. That range has been the standard for decades, and despite what some viral social media posts claim, it has not suddenly jumped to 25% or 30%. Those higher percentages exist on payment terminals because businesses set them there — not because social norms actually changed.

If you want a single number to default to, 18% is the sweet spot. It signals that you're a reasonable person who values the server's work without overthinking it. Our tip calculator can handle the math for you instantly.

Factors That Should Affect Your Tip

Not every meal deserves the same tip percentage. Here's what should genuinely move the needle:

Service Quality

This is the big one. Tipping is supposed to reward service, so let it do that job.

• Excellent service (20%+): Your server was attentive, friendly, made good recommendations, timed courses well, and handled any issues gracefully. This is the server who makes the meal better.
• Good, solid service (18%): Everything went smoothly. No complaints. The baseline for a competent server doing their job well.
• Adequate service (15%): Your server got the order right and brought the food, but was inattentive, slow to refill drinks, or seemed disengaged. This is still a fair tip — 15% is not an insult.
• Poor service (10% or less): Orders were wrong, the server was rude, or you were genuinely neglected. Before tipping low, consider whether the problem was actually the server's fault or a kitchen issue. If the server handled a kitchen mistake well, that's still good service.

Things That Are Not the Server's Fault

Don't reduce a tip because:

• The food took a long time (that's the kitchen)
• You didn't like how the food tasted (that's the chef)
• The restaurant was too loud or too cold (that's management)
• Prices were higher than you expected (that's on you — check the menu first)

Your server controls the service experience: greeting you, taking orders accurately, checking in at appropriate intervals, and resolving problems. Judge them on what they can control.

Sit-Down vs. Counter Service

These are fundamentally different experiences, and the tipping expectations reflect that.

Full-Service Sit-Down Restaurants

This is where the 15-20% standard applies. Your server takes your order at the table, brings your food, refills drinks, and manages the pacing of your meal. They're providing an ongoing service over 45 minutes to two hours. Tip on the pre-tax subtotal.

Counter Service and Fast Casual

You order at a counter, get a number, and your food arrives on a tray — or you pick it up yourself. The tipping expectation here is much lower. A tip of $1-2 or 10% is generous. Tipping nothing is also acceptable. The person at the register took your order in 30 seconds; they are not providing the same service as a sit-down server.

The tablet screen that flips around suggesting 20% at a counter service restaurant is a pressure tactic, plain and simple. Don't let it guilt you. More on that in our guide to tipping at bars and coffee shops.

Fine Dining vs. Casual Restaurants

Fine Dining

At upscale restaurants, 20% is the baseline, and tipping above that for truly exceptional service is common. Here's why: fine dining servers are highly trained professionals. They know the wine list, they can explain every dish, they manage complex multi-course meals, and they often work in a team to create a seamless experience. The level of service genuinely justifies the higher percentage.

Also keep in mind that a fine dining check is already significantly higher, so 20% represents substantially more money in absolute terms.

Casual and Family Restaurants

15-18% is perfectly appropriate at diners, family restaurants, and casual chains. The service model is simpler, the expectations on the server are different, and the check is lower. No one at your local diner expects a 25% tip.

Breakfast and Lunch vs. Dinner

There's a common belief that you should tip a higher percentage at breakfast and lunch because the check total is lower. That's well-intentioned but not quite right. Here's a more practical approach:

• Tip the same percentage you normally would (15-20%).
• If the bill is very small (under $15), consider tipping at least $3-5 minimum. Leaving $1.50 on a $10 breakfast after a server attended to you for 30 minutes feels stingy, even though 15% technically justifies it.

The minimum tip idea is really about recognizing that the server's time and effort have a floor value regardless of what you ordered.

Takeout Tipping

This is where things have changed in recent years, and not everyone agrees on the new norms. Here's the honest breakdown:

• Pre-pandemic norm: Tipping on takeout was not expected. Zero was fine.
• Current norm: A small tip of 10% or $2-3 has become more common, particularly at sit-down restaurants where a server or staff member packages your order.
• When to tip more: If you placed a large or complicated order, if they brought it to your car, or if the restaurant is a small local place you want to support.
• When tipping nothing is fine: Fast food, chain restaurants with dedicated takeout operations, or anywhere the ordering process is fully automated.

Nobody should feel guilty about not tipping on takeout. It's appreciated but not obligatory.

Splitting the Bill and Group Tipping

When splitting a bill with friends, make sure the tip doesn't fall through the cracks. It's surprisingly common for everyone to "cover their share" and the tip ends up being 8% because nobody coordinated.

Tip on the full pre-split amount, then divide. If you have a table of 6 with a $300 bill, the tip should be $54-60 (18-20%), split six ways — that's $9-10 per person. Easy.

For large parties of 6 or more, many restaurants add an automatic gratuity. Check your bill before adding an additional tip on top.

When in Doubt

Here's a simple framework:

• Someone waited on you at a table for an extended period? Tip 15-20%.
• Someone handed you something across a counter? Tip $1-2 or nothing.
• Someone delivered food to your door? See our delivery tipping guide.
• You're unsure about a specific situation? Check our complete USA tipping etiquette guide.

Tipping shouldn't be stressful. Use our tip calculator to get a fair number in seconds, adjust if the service warranted it, and move on with your day.