Best AI tools for taking restaurant phone orders in 2026
Hospitality
Conor Robinson
At a glance
Sadie: best for restaurants on Square that take pickup orders, in the US, Canada or Australia.
Loman: best for US restaurants on Toast, Clover, SpotOn and other POS systems that want pickup and delivery orders by phone.
Maple: best for ordering, payments and upselling on one plan.
VoiceBit: best for US independents that want phone, web and delivery ordering together.
Phone orders are some of the best orders you get. No delivery app commission, and a customer who chose you. They also arrive at the worst time, when the kitchen is slammed and nobody has a free hand.
AI phone ordering takes those calls for you. Here's how it works, what separates good tools from bad ones, and how four popular options compare.
Quick note: Sadie publishes this guide. We've included ourselves and compared every vendor using its own public pages as of November 2026.
How AI phone ordering works
A good AI ordering call goes like this:
The AI answers and asks if the caller wants to order.
It walks through your menu, including sizes, extras and "no onions".
It reads the order back so nothing gets lost.
It quotes a pickup time, ideally based on how busy your kitchen is right now.
It takes payment by card on the call or by a text link, or marks it as pay at the counter.
The order lands in your POS and kitchen, just like an online order.
The magic is step 6. If staff have to retype orders from a message, you haven't saved much time.
What to look for
Your POS is supported. This is the deal-breaker. Check before anything else.
Your menu syncs automatically. Change a price or remove a dish in your POS and the AI should know within minutes.
It handles modifiers properly. Sizes, extras, swaps and special requests are where AI ordering usually goes wrong.
Smart pickup times. "15 minutes" on a Friday night is a broken promise.
Payment up front. Paying on the call or by text link means fewer orders that never get picked up.
Pickup vs delivery. Some tools only take pickup orders. Check if you need delivery.
The options compared
Sadie
POS systems named by the vendor: Square; Deliverect; Toast in pilot
Payment: Text payment link or pay at counter
Pickup or delivery: Pickup (texts your online ordering link for delivery)
Pricing: Orders plan $349 per location/mo, billed yearly
Loman
POS systems named by the vendor: Toast, Square, Clover, SpotOn, Aloha, Olo, Shift4 and more
Payment: Card on the call
Pickup or delivery: Pickup and delivery
Pricing: From ~$199/mo (pages differ)
Maple
POS systems named by the vendor: Toast, Square, Clover, SkyTab, Lightspeed, SpotOn and more
Payment: Payment on the call
Pickup or delivery: Not stated
Pricing: Pro plan $350/mo
VoiceBit
POS systems named by the vendor: Toast, Clover, Square, Lightspeed, HungerRush, SkyTab and more
Payment: Not stated
Pickup or delivery: Phone, web and delivery ordering
Pricing: Not published; month-to-month
Details come from each vendor's public pages in November 2026 and can change. Always confirm before you buy.
Sadie: best for Square restaurants
Sadie takes pickup orders by phone straight into Square. It uses your Square Online Menu, including variations and modifiers, and picks up menu changes within minutes. It quotes an earliest pickup time based on recent Square order activity, refreshed about every 15 minutes, and callers pay by text link or at the counter. Regulars can reorder "the usual".
Good to know: Square phone orders are pickup only. For delivery calls, Sadie can text your online ordering link. Toast ordering is in pilot.
Loman: best for US restaurants on Toast and other POS systems
Loman is built around phone orders. It takes pickup and delivery orders, captures card payments and sends orders to a long list of POS systems, including Toast, Clover and SpotOn.
Maple: best for orders, payments and upselling
Maple's Pro plan takes orders into your POS, takes payment on the call, suggests add-ons and texts order confirmations. Its cheaper Voice plan answers calls but doesn't take orders.
VoiceBit: best for phone and online ordering together
VoiceBit takes phone orders, reads them back and sends them to your POS, and also offers web and delivery ordering.
Try it before you buy
Call each tool and place:
Your most complicated real order, with swaps and extras.
An order where you change your mind halfway through.
An order at your busiest hour, and ask for the earliest pickup time.
Then compare what the AI confirmed with what landed in your POS. If they don't match exactly, keep looking.
For pizza shops specifically, see our guide to the best AI answering services for pizza restaurants.
FAQ
Can AI take phone orders for a restaurant?
Yes. The best tools take orders with modifiers, read them back, take payment and send them straight to your POS.
Which POS systems work with AI phone ordering?
It depends on the tool. Loman, Maple and VoiceBit each list Toast, Square and Clover. Sadie takes orders into Square, with Toast in pilot.
Can AI take delivery orders by phone?
Some can. Loman lists pickup and delivery orders. Sadie's Square ordering is pickup only, but it can text callers your online ordering link for delivery.
How does the customer pay?
Usually by card on the call or by a secure text link. Some tools also let the caller pay at the counter.
How much does AI phone ordering cost?
Roughly $199–$350 a month per location, depending on the tool and plan.
Want to hear Sadie take a real order?
