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The Best 8 AI Phone Answering Services for Restaurants

Check out the 8 best AI phone answering services for restaurants in 2025, built to handle reservations, missed calls, and boost guest satisfaction.

Presented by Black Elk Digital What’s This? September 11, 2025

A few years ago, I was working with a mid-size restaurant group that had grown fast: six locations, steady traffic, and a solid reputation. But the call handling? It was chaos. Hosts were juggling walk-ins and waitlists while the phone rang off the hook. Reservation requests went to voicemail. Catering inquiries never got returned. The team wasn’t dropping the ball. They just didn’t have the bandwidth.

That’s when we started testing AI answering services. Not generic voicemail bots, but purpose-built tools that could actually manage restaurant calls: book reservations, confirm hours, handle basic questions, and escalate the right ones to the manager. We didn’t just improve the customer experience; we started recapturing revenue.

If your team is missing calls, it’s probably costing you more than you think. This guide breaks down the best AI answering services for restaurants in 2025 and how to pick one that actually solves the problem.

What to Know Before You Let AI Answer Your Restaurant’s Phone

1. Reservation Handling

Not every AI tool is built for restaurant reservations. Some can actually book, reschedule, or cancel directly through integrations with platforms like OpenTable or SevenRooms. Others just take a message, which means more work for your staff and a higher risk of error.

2. After-Hours Coverage

A lot of guests call outside of business hours, especially for next-day reservations or catering inquiries. A good AI system should offer 24/7 call handling, not just voicemail fallback. It should also distinguish between urgent calls and routine questions, so you're not walking into a mess every morning.

3. Menu and Specials Support

The best systems let you preload menus, allergen info, and daily specials, so your team isn’t fielding the same five questions over and over. This is especially useful for restaurants with rotating offerings or seasonal changes. Bonus points if you can update info through a dashboard without calling support.

4. Call Volume Capacity

Don’t assume one AI = one caller at a time. Modern platforms should be able to handle multiple simultaneous calls during peak hours, reducing hang-ups and voicemails. This is a must-have for restaurants that experience lunch or dinner rushes with high call spikes.

5. Catering and Large Party Inquiries

These are often the most valuable calls you’ll get. Make sure your AI can flag and escalate large-party or catering inquiries in real time, either via SMS to the manager or an instant email handoff. Losing these calls to a generic inbox can mean losing four-figure bookings.

6. Language Coverage

If your restaurant serves a multilingual community, language support is not optional. Look for AI that can offer at least Spanish-English switching by default, or more if needed. This isn’t just about accessibility; it’s about respect and service consistency.

7. Text and SMS Features

Not everyone wants to talk. Some guests prefer to text their order, confirm a reservation, or ask about wait times. The best services offer text-back features that convert missed calls into ongoing SMS conversations, giving your guests another way to interact without tying up your staff.

8. Brand Customization

Your AI shouldn’t sound like a call center from another industry. Choose a platform that lets you script your own greeting, set your own escalation logic, and match your restaurant’s tone and pace. That’s what keeps the guest experience consistent across in-person and phone channels.

9. POS and CRM Integration

Higher-end tools can push reservation data into your CRM or sync caller info with your POS system. That means fewer double bookings, cleaner customer records, and better insight into who’s calling and why. It's not essential for every restaurant, but if you're growing, it’s worth considering.

10. Cost vs. Opportunity Loss

If you’re losing even a few high-value bookings a month, you’re probably covering the cost of a solid AI service without realizing it. Look beyond flat pricing and think in terms of recovered revenue and reduced staff burnout. The right platform doesn’t just pay for itself; it protects your margins.

Full Reviews: Top 8 AI Phone Answering Services for Busy Restaurants

1. Rosie AI: Best for 24/7 Call Coverage and Reservation Support

Founded: 2024
Headquarters: Remote

Why Rosie AI is the best AI answering service for restaurants: Rosie AI was built specifically for businesses that can’t afford to miss a call, and restaurants are a perfect fit. Once you forward your phone line, Rosie AI answers instantly, around the clock, using a voice model trained to sound professional but natural. It captures reservations, handles common questions about hours or menu items, and can text confirmations back to guests automatically.

Where Rosie AI really stands out is in its restaurant-specific workflows. You can configure escalation rules, inject brand-specific responses, and connect the AI to your reservation system or CRM through Zapier. For operators who want real coverage without hiring extra staff, Rosie AI delivers predictable performance, easy setup, and high customization. It’s a reliable frontline for restaurants that need to stay responsive without burning out their team.

2. Numa: Best for Text-Backs and Missed Call Recovery

Founded: 2016
Headquarters: Oakland, CA

Numa turns missed calls into conversations by automatically texting callers who didn’t get through. This feature alone makes it one of the most effective tools for restaurants that can’t always answer during peak service. Guests can reply via SMS to make a reservation, ask a question, or place a pickup order.

Numa also works with your existing phone number and doesn’t require new hardware. For teams that are constantly short-staffed or spread thin, this tool helps recapture lost revenue without adding workload.

3. Maple: Best for All‑In‑One POS and Reservation Integration

Founded: 2023
Headquarters: New York, NY

Maple is quickly becoming a go-to AI answering solution for restaurants that want more than just call coverage. It handles phone inquiries with natural voice AI, captures reservations, syncs with your POS, and routes calls based on intent. The system is designed from the ground up for hospitality and integrates tightly with existing restaurant tools.

What makes Maple stand out is its ability to connect the dots between what happens on the phone and what happens on the floor. If you're looking for something that combines AI voice service with real operational visibility—without cobbling together multiple tools—Maple is worth a serious look.

4. OpenMic.ai: Best for Workflow Automation and CRM Sync

Founded: 2020
Headquarters: New York, NY

OpenMic.ai is built for restaurants that want more than basic call handling. Its programmable interface allows the AI to trigger internal workflows, sync with CRMs, and even update customer records automatically.

While it’s more complex to configure, it’s a strong choice for multi-location operators or restaurant groups with a central admin team. If you’re scaling and want something that plugs directly into your data stack, OpenMic gives you that power.

5. RestoHost: Best for Localized Voice Experience

Founded: 2023
Headquarters: United States

RestoHost focuses on making AI sound local. Its voice agents are designed to reflect regional speech patterns and handle common restaurant interactions like waitlist updates, table availability, or menu inquiries.

For regional chains or independents that want their phone experience to feel personal (not like it’s being handled from out of state), RestoHost is a smart fit. It strikes a good balance between professionalism and neighborhood familiarity.

6. Slang: Best for High-Volume Chain Support

Founded: 2019
Headquarters: New York, NY

Slang is purpose-built for chains that need consistency across locations. It handles high call volumes with ease and ensures that every guest receives the same quality of information, whether they're calling your flagship or your newest unit.

It’s already been adopted by fast-growing brands looking to scale without compromising guest communication. If you’re managing multiple units and don’t want to reinvent the wheel for every location, Slang makes coordination easier.

7. Whippy: Best for Conversational AI With Built-In Analytics

Founded: 2021
Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA

Whippy takes a data-driven approach to phone calls. It offers real-time analytics on call volume, caller intent, and conversion rates—so you can see what your guests are asking and how well your AI is handling it. Its voice engine is designed for natural conversations, with multilingual support and sentiment detection built in.

For operators who want both great guest experience and insight into what’s happening on the phone, Whippy provides a full stack of voice AI plus analytics in one package.

8. Ruby: Best for Live Receptionist Backup

Founded: 2003
Headquarters: Portland, OR

Ruby pairs AI automation with a live receptionist team that can step in when needed. This hybrid model is ideal for restaurants that want to ensure every call gets a human touch when the situation calls for it, like large party inquiries or high-maintenance guests.

It’s a more traditional service in some ways, but still relevant for operators who can’t afford to lose personal connection in the name of efficiency.

Getting the Phones Handled Without Adding Headcount

Call handling used to be an unavoidable drag on restaurant operations. You either staffed a host just to manage the phone, or you missed calls and hoped for the best. But AI answering services have completely changed that equation. The right platform doesn’t just take messages; it helps you book more tables, recover more orders, and give guests a professional experience every time they call.

Every tool on this list brings something different to the table, whether it’s voice-first hosting, text-back automation, or full CRM integration. But if you’re looking for a dependable, restaurant-ready solution that’s easy to set up and built to scale with your business, Rosie AI is where I’d start.

With the phones covered, your team can focus on the floor, and your guests get the experience they came for, on the line or in the dining room.

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