How to Use cafeteria-style in a Sentence

cafeteria-style

adjective
  • Tucked in the back of the store lies a row of tables and an old-school cafeteria-style counter.
    — Natalie Hoy, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Nebu, the cafeteria-style eatery, is open for breakfast and lunch every weekday.
    — Janae Williams, Oklahoman, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Dinner is served by volunteers, cafeteria-style, and guests eat the meal out on the patio.
    — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Meals are served cafeteria-style on the middle deck with warm rice, beans, pasta, and a choice of beef, chicken, or fish.
    — Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Southern comfort food in a cafeteria-style setting.
    — Ella Gonzales may 28, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 May 2026
  • This cafeteria-style macaroni and cheese recipe is full of comforting flavor.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2025
  • This cafeteria-style macaroni and cheese recipe is full of comforting flavor.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
  • The cafeteria-style eatery has a little something for everyone, from pizza and hamburgers to soups and salads.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Kirbee’s will open with cafeteria-style lunch service, Friday through Sunday.
    — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 June 2026
  • Brennan, who had previously just played small background parts, went on to describe how his childhood home had a cafeteria-style milk machine and a milkman who delivered.
    — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Johnnie’s Grill has a more expansive, cafeteria-style feel, with a broader menu of breakfast plates, sandwiches, and burritos.
    — Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2026
  • This cafeteria-style restaurant, located in a turn-of-the-century inn, has been around for 93 years and still remains a favorite for even the most discerning of foodies.
    — Claire Gallam, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 July 2016
  • For anyone who appreciates no-frills, honest food served cafeteria-style, the meat-and-three format is a Southern institution worth seeking out — choose one protein and three sides from a rotating daily menu.
    — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Youngsters at the club’s flagship location on South Genesee Street in Waukegan — 70 overall — take their dinner cafeteria-style from an opening in the kitchen.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Over at Hirafu, the locals tend to gravitate toward Bo-Yo-So, which is right on the slopes, and the King Bell Hut is a cafeteria-style mid-mountain spot with warming noodles and soup curries (a must-try local dish).
    — Brent Rose, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Dec. 2022

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cafeteria-style.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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