In the food industry, table service has two meanings. It could either refer to the service of foods and drinks being brought to restaurant patrons' tables by waiters, or to the place settings on each table. Many fast food restaurants have counter service which means that patrons are served at counters rather than tables. These types of eateries don't have place settings, while many other kinds of restaurants feature a table service of at least several utensils and a water glass or goblet. After customers order food, a filled plate is added to complete the place setting.

In some restaurants, such as a Vietnamese pho eatery, a bowl rather than a plate completes the place setting since the main fare is noodle soup. Chopsticks and a spoon rather than the typical western place setting of a knife plus forks and spoons are used in the table service of many Asian themed restaurants. In all types of table, rather than counter, service restaurants, waiters use either a tray or a cart to bring foods and drinks to the tables.

Both trays and carts can create challenges for the table service in restaurants. For instance, it may not be easy for waiters to hold a food and drink-packed tray upright while weaving through the spaces between dining tables and the kitchen. A wheeled cart can hold more than a tray and is likely to be sturdier, but unless the establishment is large, it can be difficult for waiters to have enough space to maneuver several carts around the dining room.

Whereas a family diner type of restaurant may have well worn cutlery and plastic drinking cups as its table service, expensive eateries must have more elegant tableware. The decor in upscale restaurants is crucial as patrons not only eat there for the cuisine, but also want to dine in a pleasant atmosphere. The classic, quality, restaurant table look features a tablecloth and fresh flowers as well as sparkling goblets and quality flatware.

A formal western table service has several types or sizes of spoons, forks, and knives. The flatware is used from the outer edges towards the middle where the plate belongs. Larger spoons are for soup, while the smaller ones are used for eating dessert or stirring coffee. All place settings have a regular sized dinner fork, while smaller forks are used for salad or dessert. Knife table service options include steak knives as well as those for bread.