Line Cook job description template

Line cooks run a station during service, cooking each plate to your recipes and timing it with the rest of the ticket. A strong line cook post names your cuisine, your stations and how busy a big night gets, so experienced cooks can tell right away whether they're a fit.

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Line Cook

Full-time
Your Company is hiring a line cook who takes pride in consistent, well-made food. You'll work a station during service, prep your mise en place and help keep the kitchen clean and organized. We're looking for someone who communicates on the line, takes feedback well and shows up ready to cook. If you have some kitchen experience and want to keep growing, we'd like to meet you.

What you’ll do

  • Set up and stock your station with prepped ingredients before service
  • Cook menu items to our recipes, portion sizes and plating standards
  • Call back tickets and coordinate timing with expo and the other stations
  • Label, date and rotate food using first-in, first-out (FIFO)
  • Check and log cooler and hot-holding temperatures during your shift
  • Break down, clean and sanitize your station and equipment at close
  • Tell the chef or kitchen manager when product is running low
  • Help with prep, receiving deliveries and other kitchen tasks as needed

What we’re looking for

  • A year or more of experience cooking on a restaurant line
  • Solid knife skills and comfort on grill, sauté, fry or flat-top
  • Able to read tickets and keep several orders moving at once
  • Able to stand for long shifts, work near hot equipment and lift up to 50 lbs
  • Current food handler card, if our county or state requires one
  • Available for evening, weekend and holiday shifts

Nice to have

  • Experience on more than one station
  • ServSafe Manager certification, or interest in earning it
  • Experience cooking a cuisine similar to ours
  • Interest in menu development or kitchen leadership

Schedule

Full-time, mostly evening shifts with weekends and holidays. Shifts usually start in the afternoon for setup and run through close.

What we offer

  • Shift meal every time you work
  • Steady full-time hours
  • Paid sick time
  • A path to sous chef or kitchen lead as you grow

Add your pay, location and schedule when you post. Jobs that show pay get noticeably more applicants.

Screening questions for a line cook

Ask these on the application form to sort applicants quickly. They’re added automatically when you post this template.

  • Do you have at least one year of experience cooking on a restaurant line?Yes / No · required
  • Which stations have you worked, and at what kinds of restaurants?Short answer · required
  • Describe the busiest service you've worked and how you kept up.Paragraph

Line Cook interview questions

  1. Walk me through how you set up your station before service.
  2. Which station are you strongest on, and which do you want to get better at?
  3. You have six tickets up and you just overcooked a protein. What do you do?
  4. How do you keep track of temperatures and food safety on a busy night?
  5. Tell me about a time a chef corrected your plating or technique. How did you respond?
  6. How do you communicate with expo and the rest of the line during a rush?
  7. What does a properly closed-down station look like to you?

Tips for hiring a line cook

  • Run a paid stage: have candidates cook two or three menu items and work part of a service. You'll see speed, cleanliness and attitude within an hour.
  • Ask which stations they've worked and at what volume. A line cook at a diner and one at a fine-dining kitchen have very different skills.
  • Post on restaurant job boards like Poached and Culinary Agents, and ask your current cooks who they've enjoyed working with before.
  • List your cuisine, shift times and staff meal in the post. Cooks want to know what they'll be making and when they'll get off.