Before I truly begin this review, I think it would be appropriate in this context for me to share a bit of background information about myself. You see, I was born with a neurological condition which, among several other things, negatively affects my hand-eye coordination. In light of this, I’ve been advised by various doctors over the years to engage in activities which might help my coordination recover over time.

My former optometrist specifically mentioned that video games could potentially help in this endeavor. As such, I’ve found myself occasionally hunting for games which seem to help with this issue. I recently remembered the existence of a game which fits that bill quite nicely. The game in question is Cook, Serve, Delicious!, developed and published by Vertigo Gaming.

Cook, Serve, Delicious! is a restaurant management simulator within which you’re tasked with building up the reputation of your restaurant in order to earn it a five-star designation. To accomplish this, you must prepare and serve many different foods to thousands of customers.

Going about this process as efficiently as you’re able will generate positive “buzz,” which typically leads to more customers; more customers translates to more income, which you can use to further establish your restaurant’s reputation by purchasing new menu items and various types of upgrades.

You begin the game operating a zero-star restaurant which has recently reopened. One of your first tasks is to purchase a few different foods from a decently long list. Whichever foods you choose to purchase will constitute your initial active menu for a given day. Keep in mind, however, that most of the purchasable foods which generate more income than usual are typically quite expensive to initially acquire.

Serving items from your active menu to customers will generate income based on each item’s menu price. You can then use this income to purchase different menu items or upgrade those you’ve already purchased.

I highly recommend purchasing as many different menu items as possible over your first few days in business. If you generate enough income to do this, you’ll be able to change up your menu as often as you see fit. You’ll want to shake up your menu frequently due to a concept referred to by the game as “menu rot.”

This concept means that if certain items remain on your active menu for more than two consecutive in-game days, potential customers will lose interest in your menu because they desire new, “fresher” items to choose from.

Thankfully, I’ve found it remarkably simple to keep track of and avoid menu rot. Not only will you be able to clearly see it upon checking your active menu before beginning each day; you’ll also be notified via your in-game email inbox each time menu rot occurs. Thus, you’ll be able to temporarily remove the offending items from your active menu, even if only for a day or two.

Additionally, you can simultaneously combat menu rot and avoid having to alter your menu frequently by purchasing certain menu items that the game refers to as “staple” dishes. These items, such as beer and ice cream, do not cause menu rot; therefore, they can remain on your active menu for as long as you desire.

Of course, the main aspect of Cook, Serve, Delicious! and the part of it that has helped strengthen my hand-eye coordination is the process of actually preparing and serving items from your menu. As you might imagine, each item on your menu requires different preparation methods which entail different combinations of button presses.

Because of this, I would recommend starting out with foods that are easier and/or faster to prepare while you’re learning the game’s intricacies and developing the necessary muscle memory. Specifically, items such as beer and ice cream require a minimal amount of button presses. For example, all you need to do is hold the down arrow key for a few seconds to pour an appropriate amount of beer.

I should mention at this point that you’ll need to purchase different “stations” (such as a grill, stove, or deep fryer) in order to prepare simple items that actually require cooking, however. Until you’ve purchased these various stations, a significant portion of the list of purchasable foods will be out of your reach.

I recommend that newer players start out with items which are simple and quick to prepare for one main reason. Twice a day, around noon and 6PM, your restaurant will experience the classic concept of a rush hour. During these events, several customers will place orders at once. You’ll have to prepare and serve their perfectly-prepared orders as quickly as possible if you don’t want them taking their business elsewhere.

My previous point leads me to another hectic aspect of gameplay within Cook, Serve, Delicious!, namely the concept of customer patience. Obviously, customers aren’t going to wait all day for you to prepare their order. If you don’t serve their order within a certain amount of time, they’ll storm out and, as aforementioned, take their business elsewhere. That’s bad news for any positive buzz you’ve managed to generate.

Thankfully, there are restaurant upgrades you can purchase which will extend the patience of your customers. For example, you can purchase table snacks for a small fee, or even upgrade your restaurant’s air conditioning to convince them to give you more time to prepare their orders.

In addition to preparing and serving each customer’s order in a timely manner, you’ll occasionally be required to perform chores such as washing dishes or taking out trash in order to keep things running smoothly. While you’re focused on a chore, you cannot work toward preparing a customer’s order.

You can, however, serve fully-prepared orders (such as a pizza that just finished baking). These chores can be a significant annoyance if you’re serving particularly impatient customers or trying not to be overwhelmed by a rush hour, but they aren’t nearly as much of a nuisance during slow hours in my experience.

As I mentioned earlier, your ultimate main objective is to have your restaurant designated as a five-star destination. You’ll be presented with to-do lists which detail exactly what you need to do to progress from no stars to one, from one star to two, and so on. These checklists usually aren’t particularly difficult to complete once you’ve got the hang of the game’s mechanics, but they can prove to be time-consuming for reasons out of your control.

There is one last gameplay aspect I feel deserves mentioning. I noted earlier that you’ll be notified by email of occurrences such as menu rot. Beyond that, however, I’ve found that it’s quite important (and potentially lucrative) to pay attention to certain emails you may receive.

For example, you’ll be notified via email of upcoming safety inspections and things of that nature. However, you’ll also occasionally have the chance to earn some extra cash, usually from the same source. Someone who refers to himself as “Crazy Dave” will challenge your skills as a chef and restaurant manager from time to time by offering bets. If you accept one of his bets and complete a challenge which he details in an initial email, you’ll usually earn a considerable amount of money.

To conclude, I quite enjoy Cook, Serve, Delicious!, and that’s not just because it helps me cope with one of the physical aspects of my disability. While I am often overwhelmed by the sheer amount of orders I have to complete, especially during those accursed rush hours, I feel a strong sense of accomplishment if I manage to make it through a shift at the restaurant with no mistakes.

Honestly, when I was first starting out with the game, I used to internally question customers who visited my restaurant and ordered a beer at nine o’clock in the morning. As I added more complex foods to my menu, however, I began to cherish customers who wanted “easier” orders, like beer or fried chicken.

On that same token, I began to despise customers who ordered nachos or pizzas with every possible topping in existence, especially those who placed such orders during rush hours. Suffice it to say, there’s a very good reason I don’t work in the food service industry. I’m much more comfortable living vicariously through greatly enjoyable games like this one.

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Cook, Serve, Delicious!

$8.95 USD

8.6

Score

8.6/10

Pros

• Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master
• Decently Beginner-Friendly

Cons

• Gameplay Can Become Overwhelming
• Gameplay Can Eventually Become Formulaic

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