Summary

  • Mods enhance The Sims 4: Dine Out experience, adding new features like faster cooking and extended employee shifts.
  • Custom mods introduce additional menu items, restaurant events, and flexible employee hiring for more immersive gameplay.
  • With caution, modding can enhance the player's gaming experience, but one should be aware of potential risks and conflicts among mods.

In the bustling virtual world of The Sims 4, the promising Dine Out game pack brought exciting opportunities for players to immerse themselves in the restaurant industry and have their Sims discover new recipes by eating at restaurants in town. However, with the initial excitement came a slew of frustrating glitches and limitations that hindered the full potential of restaurant ownership and dining experiences.

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Enter a beacon of hope in the form of mods crafted by dedicated Simmers to breathe new life into the Dine Out experience. From simple tweaks to game changers like new recipes and features, many mods seek to remedy the annoyances of Dine Out while enhancing overall restaurant gameplay.

Updated January 23, 2025 by Jenna Amore: Although the Dine Out game pack offers a foundation for running restaurants, many players find themselves wishing for more depth and variety. To address this, this list has been updated to showcase the best food and restaurant mods, each designed to elevate culinary gameplay.

From expanding menu options and enhancing restaurant management to creating more immersive dining experiences for Sims, these mods bring fresh ideas and exciting features. Whether players aim to streamline operations or add a unique flair to cafés and eateries, these mods provide everything needed to go beyond the basics of Dine Out.

Modding can enhance your gaming experience, but it also comes with risks. Exercise caution when downloading mods, as they may potentially break your game. Players should always ensure that they are downloading from reputable sources and keeping their mod folder updated by checking the mod's website regularly, especially after game updates. These mods may conflict with each other when installed together.

1 Better Chef's Kitchen

Downloads: 26,954

The Sims 4 - The Dine Out and Home Chef Hustle packs work well together
  • Created by BosseLadyTV
  • Requires: The Sims 4: City Living
  • Download Here (Curseforge)

Gamers can enhance Sims' culinary prowess with the Better Chef's Kitchen mod, a versatile addition for restaurants and home chefs in The Sims 4. It takes the Chef's Kitchen lot trait from City Living and expands its benefits to include baking, gourmet cooking, mixology, juice fizzing, and nectar-making skills. This custom lot trait is good for residential lots and businesses such as restaurants and cafes.

This mod requires packs like Get To Work, Eco Lifestyle, and Horse Ranch for full functionality, but even with just City Living and the base game, Sims can enjoy accelerated skill development in cooking, baking, and gourmet cooking.

2 Employees Stay 24 Hours Mod

Downloads: 8,223

The Sims 4: Three employees - a waitress, a hostess, and a chef - all working longer hours thanks to the Employees Stay 24 Hours mod.

With this mod, a simple tweak revolutionizes restaurant gameplay. Originally, Sim restaurant employees only stayed for short shifts before requesting to head home for the day. This limitation often restricts restaurant owners from extending their business hours and maximizing their restaurant earnings.

The Employees Stay 24 Hours Mod does exactly as it says. Employees will willingly work full 24-hour shifts before needing to clock out. This allows restaurant owners to keep their establishments open for longer durations, which enables players to generate more revenue and indulge in extended, uninterrupted gameplay sessions.

3 Restaurant Grand Opening Mod

Downloads: 18,555

The Sims 4 - A restaurant owner excited in front of his new restaurant and the description of the custom grand opening event.

Building the perfect restaurant takes a lot of time and consideration, and opening a new restaurant for the first time can feel underwhelming. Thankfully, the Restaurant Grand Opening Mod allows restaurant owners to host an event that will attract customers and celebrate the business' launch.

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There are various goals for the restaurant owner to achieve to throw a successful social event. The main goal is to welcome customers, but interactions like checking on tables; giving free meals, drinks, and desserts; and recommending food dishes can bring players closer to a gold star event. As a reward for a great grand opening, players will receive a What's On The Menu sign and 10–50 Simoleons in tips.

4 Hire Teens For Restaurants Mod

Downloads: 47,120

The Sims 4 - A teenage Sim working at a restaurant thanks to the Hire Teens For Restaurants mod

This tuning mod offers a small fix for players with unemployed teenage Sims. The base game only allows teens to work part-time jobs such as babysitting, lifeguarding, and manual labor. Unfortunately, The Sims 4 only allows restaurant positions for young adults, adults, and elders. The Hire Teens For Restaurants Mod expands teen employment roles within the bustling culinary world.

Teenagers can now be hired as hosts, servers, or even chefs, contributing to the efficient operation of the restaurant. Beyond its practical implications, this mod also adds depth to gameplay by reflecting real-world diversity in the workforce. Players can now create dynamic narratives involving ambitious teens eager to gain work experience and contribute to their family's income.

5 Custom Food Interactions

Downloads: 2,556,118

The Sims 4 - New interactions from the Custom Food Interactions mod

The Custom Food Interactions mod is a must-have for Sims 4 players who love to experiment in the kitchen or run a thriving restaurant. This mod introduces new interactions, allowing Sims to create a variety of custom meals, drinks, desserts, and snacks. With recipes ranging from soups and salads to shakes and treats, it significantly expands the range of dishes Sims can prepare.

Beyond just cooking, this mod empowers skilled Sims to turn their passion into profit. They can sell their custom food creations to local shops or even start a home-based catering business. This feature is ideal for restaurant owners and chefs, as it allows players to build a unique menu that stands out from the usual base game offerings.

6 Functional Custom Bar

Downloads: N/A

The Sims 4 - The new alcohol options from the Functional Custom Bar mod

The Functional Custom Bar mod introduces a new bar from buy mode with an extensive drink menu, featuring 11 name-brand beers, such as Budweiser, Samuel Adams, and Guinness. For Simmers who want to expand their drink options even further, an add-on by the same creator offers classic cocktails like mimosas, margaritas, and daiquiris, giving Sims a taste of real-world favorites.

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Ideal for building lively bars, upscale lounges, or casual restaurants, this mod allows Sims to enjoy a wider variety of drinks when dining out. Whether they're grabbing a cold beer with friends or sipping on a cocktail at the bar, the Functional Custom Bar mod brings more authenticity and variety to The Sims 4's dining and nightlife scenes.

7 Drinks Machine

Downloads: N/A

The Sims 4 - Drinks added from the new Drinks Machine mod

Looking to diversify Sims' drink menus? The Drinks Machine mod introduces a versatile drink machine object that offers a wide range of beverages, including hot drinks, sodas, milkshakes, and slushies. The convenience of having a single machine that serves multiple types of drinks makes it a practical and valuable asset for any business or restaurant.

The drinks machine comes in an array of colors and patterns, allowing players to select a design that perfectly matches the aesthetic of their business. Whether it's running a trendy cafe, a family diner, or a high-end restaurant, there’s a design that will fit seamlessly into any establishment.

8 More Cafe Options

Downloads: N/A

The Sims 4 - The new options for food and drink with the More Café Options mod
  • Created by Littlebowbub
  • Requires: The Sims 4: Get Together
  • Download Here (Patreon)

For Sims who prefer hands-on cafe management, the More Cafe Options mod is the perfect way to elevate their menu beyond just a basic drink machine. Cafe owners can offer a wider variety of food, including cakes, light bites, sweet treats, and pies. Plus, there are plenty of new coffee options, such as lattes and specialty brews, that allow Sims to customize their drink orders.

Whether Sims are grabbing a quick snack or indulging in a delicious dessert, the expanded menu makes dining out more enjoyable and realistic. For cafe owners, it opens up new opportunities to craft unique menus and attract more customers, making it a valuable addition for anyone looking to build a cozy, successful coffee shop or restaurant in The Sims 4.

9 More Restaurant Menu Options Mod

Downloads: N/A

The Sims 4 - A screenshot of the menu options for a restaurant with the More Restaurant Menu Options mod installed

The More Restaurant Menu Options mod empowers restaurant owners to expand their menu offerings, providing customers with a wider array of choices to tantalize their taste buds. Originally, each restaurant could only choose 30 meals for their menus. This can become limiting for ambitious restaurateurs who aim to offer a diverse range of dishes.

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Two files are available for download. One increases the options to 50, while the other brings the total to 100. Players should choose one of these to install at a time. This flexibility allows players to tailor their establishments to their preferences and the needs of their customers.

10 Hungry Plumbobs Fast Food Counter

Downloads: N/A

The Sims 4 - A Sim working at a Fast Food Counter from a mod

When there are Sims who are starving and on the brink of death, waiting for a slowpoke chef is not going to cut it. The Hungry Plumbobs Fast Food Counter mod adds a fast food counter designed for quick and efficient service. Sims can conveniently order a variety of meals, pizza, and snacks, ensuring they get their fill without the lengthy wait times.

Available in four different color combinations, this counter can seamlessly fit into any restaurant or fast food joint's decor. This mod not only enhances the dining experience by offering quick service but also adds a visually appealing element to Sims' culinary businesses.