Serving Dishes

Restaurant Serving Dishes: What You Need to Know

The best commercial serving dishes for your restaurant will enhance the look and feel of your dining service. From pieces with color and flair to classic whiteware, serving dishes are available in various designs. Some restaurant serving dishes are tabletop staples every foodservice establishment must have: oval platters, square platters, oversized serving bowls, large serving bowls, and several medium serving bowls. Oval platters are optimal for serving roasted vegetables and large meat dishes, while square platters are best for desserts, such as cookies and cakes.

Square platters have more uses than round ones, and for additional versatility, invest in a platter with greater depth. Tabletop self-service requires medium, large, and oversized bowls. Medium bowls are perfect for serving sizeable amounts of food, and we recommend them for rice, pasta, or bread. If you opt for bread, fold a towel over the loaf to create a refined look. Implement large serving bowls for main dishes, such as salad or mixed pasta, and then incorporate the oversized bowl as a serving centerpiece.

Common Questions About Serving Dishes

What are the types of ceramic restaurant serving dishes?

Ceramic commercial serving dishes encompass dinnerware made of clay that has been shaped when wet and hardened by firing. The higher the firing temperature, the less porous and more durable the serving dish will be. After the initial firing, the ceramic body is left unglazed; the glaze is applied before another firing occurs at lower temperatures. Applying the glaze produces a glassy, decorative finish. This finish is an impermeable coating that strengthens the restaurant serving dish, and with it, the ceramic becomes nonporous and optimal for liquid storage.

Ceramic commercial serving dishes are divided into three categories: stoneware, porcelain, and earthenware. Their differences are defined by the constituents of clay and firing temperatures. Stoneware serving dishes vary in color, ranging from light grey to dark red as determined by the clay. This material is fired at a high temperature, and it has a strong, nonporous body that can be glazed or unglazed. Porcelain refers to ceramic restaurant serving dishes that have white bodies and are fired at high temperatures. Earthenware commercial serving dishes are fired at temperatures lower than the other categories. Their color ranges from red-brown to creamy-white. Because these pieces of dinnerware are fired at a low temperature, their clay particles are only partially fused together, creating pores between them. Liquids can penetrate the bodies of earthenware serving dishes, so these pieces are prone to staining. Their walls are thicker than those of stoneware and porcelain dishes, and they can be glazed or unglazed.

What's the difference between hard-paste and soft-paste porcelain commercial serving dishes?

Soft-paste porcelain serving dishes have softer bodies than hard-paste porcelain, and they're slightly porous. The glaze for soft-paste porcelain is fired at a lower temperature than the body, which means it sits on top as a distinct layer. This makes the color appear to sink into the glaze. Hard-paste porcelain restaurant serving dishes are also referred to as true porcelain. This dinnerware is fired at high temperatures. It is hard, nonporous, and strong and has a glassy appearance. The high firing temperature fuses the glaze on hard-paste porcelain to the body, which can be made from china clay or stone.

What are bone china serving dishes?

Bone china restaurant serving dishes have been around for centuries. This dinnerware is a combination of china clay and stone with high proportions of bone ash.