Line Cook Job Description: Duties, Skills and Template
Short answer: A line cook prepares and cooks dishes at an assigned station, such as the grill, sauté or fryer, during service. Line cooks set up their station before the shift, follow recipes and plating standards, call and hear tickets with the expeditor, follow food safety rules and clean and break down the station at close.
Every plate on the pass comes from a well-set station.
Line cook job description template
Job title: Line cook
Reports to: Sous chef or kitchen manager
Summary: Cook and plate dishes at an assigned station to recipe, on time and safely.
Duties
Set up the station with prepped ingredients, tools and backups.
Cook and plate dishes to recipe, portion and plating standards.
Check temperatures and label, date and rotate food.
Help with prep before and during service.
Keep the station clean during service and break it down at close.
Report low stock and equipment problems to the chef.
Skills and requirements
Knife skills and basic cooking techniques.
Able to work fast in a hot, busy kitchen.
Knowledge of food safety. A food handler card where required.
Able to stand for long shifts and lift heavy pots and boxes.
Available nights, weekends and holidays.
Kitchen stations
Station
What it cooks
Grill
Steaks, burgers, chicken and grilled vegetables
Sauté
Pan dishes, pasta and sauces
Fry
Fried foods and sides
Garde manger
Salads, cold appetizers and desserts
Kitchen terms like “on the fly” and “86” are explained in restaurant lingo.
Line cook vs prep cook
A prep cook gets ingredients ready before service: washing, cutting, portioning and making sauces. A line cook cooks dishes to order during service. In smaller kitchens one cook often does both. Use a line check sheet before each service.
Schedule your line to the covers
EZTime schedules cooks by station and expected covers, sends break and overtime alerts and records hours with the time clock, so you can control labor cost.
Frequently asked questions
What does a line cook do?
Cooks and plates dishes at a station during service, sets up and cleans the station and follows food safety rules.
What is the difference between a line cook and a prep cook?
A prep cook prepares ingredients before service; a line cook cooks dishes to order.
What skills does a line cook need?
Knife skills, speed, food safety knowledge and teamwork.
