We Could Soon Be Ordering Food On Rubber-Coated Tablet Menus

A new mass-market service called E la Carte is now testing their tablet menu at twenty different restaurants around Boston and San Francisco. The tablets are specially rubber-coated, and won’t die out on you when you’re ordering because they’ve got day-long battery life. Sure, iPad menus have been done before! But these E la Carte tablets could be a better alternative for restaurant owners; they’re cheaper, more durable, and designed specifically for this purpose.

And if you’re just beginning to doubt how ubiquitous these tablet menus might turn out to be, let this little tidbit change your mind: The company behind the service is expected to announce a deal with a major national chain soon—word is, it’ll be Applebee’s.

Now, what can you do with these digital menus exactly? A lot! You’ll be able to customise and place your orders on it, split the check, and play games while you wait for your food. You can even calculate your tips! But then again, perhaps you won’t need to be so generous if your menu’s done more work than your waiter. [Techcrunch via Eater]