Why Do Restaurants Say “86” When Something Is Gone?

Ever heard someone in a restaurant say:

“We're 86 on that.”

They're not talking about a number. “86” is restaurant slang for something that is no longer available, so iff the kitchen runs out of an ingredient or dish, it's been “86'd.”

The funny part?

There isn't one confirmed explanation for where the expression came from.

There are several theories connected to old restaurants, bars and industry slang, nobody completely agrees on the original story.

But the expression survived and became part of restaurant language, so the next time someone says:

“We're 86'd.”

It basically means:

Don't order it. It's gone.

Every industry has little words like this hiding in plain sight.