cover charge

American

noun

a fee, in addition to the cost of food and drink, charged by a restaurant, nightclub, etc., for entertainment.

cover charge British

noun

a sum of money charged in a restaurant for each individual customer in addition to the cost of food and drink

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cover charge

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

cover charge

Pro tip: Bring cash for the cover charge, or plan to use the on-site ATM.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

He was looking for something other than just another fancy dinner, and for him, the $47-per-person cover charge was well worth it.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2025

There's a cover charge for show nights, but bowling is reasonable if you have a group, as it's only $35 per lane, per half hour.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2023

While diners with reservations don’t have to pay the show’s cover charge to eat upstairs, it might be loud.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 4, 2022

Friday nights were college nights at Club Victor, which meant no cover charge and a chance to dance to the offerings of a local bandmaster, Vic Meyers.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023