How to Order Takeout from 12 Hawks Without the Wait

Call 20 to 25 minutes before you want to pick up, and skip the 11:30 to 1:00 lunch rush and the 5:30 to 7:00 dinner rush if you can. Those two windows are when the kitchen is slammed with dine-in tickets, and takeout orders get slotted in around them. Order outside those times and your food is usually ready in 10 to 15 minutes.

Know what you want before you call

The person taking your order is often also running food or working the bar. A clear order moves fast. A vague one slows everyone down. Check the full menu with current prices and descriptions before you dial so you're not asking someone to read it to you over the phone. Have your sides, temps, and sauces decided. If you're ordering for a family of four with different orders, write it down first. It sounds basic, but it's the single biggest time saver.

Game days change everything

If there's a big game on, especially NFL Sunday afternoons, the bar fills up fast and takeout orders queue behind a full house watching football on every screen. If you want food during kickoff, call ahead of the game start, not during halftime when everyone else has the same idea. Expect a longer wait than normal on those days. It's not a system failure, it's just volume.

Tuesdays don't exist for us

12 Hawks is closed on Tuesdays, full stop. No takeout, no dine-in, nothing. If you're planning a pickup for later in the week, Wednesday through Monday all work. For the reasoning behind the closure and how it affects the rest of the schedule, there's a breakdown in our post on the Tuesday closure and what it means for diners. Worth a quick read if you're a regular and keep forgetting.

Happy hour deals usually don't travel

Happy hour runs Monday through Friday, 2 to 4pm, and it's built around the bar experience, discounted drinks and appetizers meant to be enjoyed on site. Most of those pricing deals are dine-in only. If you're calling in a takeout order during that window expecting happy hour pricing, you'll probably be disappointed. If the deals matter to you, it's better to eat in for that stretch. There's more detail on what's actually included in our writeup on why locals choose 12 Hawks for happy hour, which explains what's covered and what isn't.

Ordering for a group

Group takeout orders, six or more meals, need more lead time. Call at least 30 minutes ahead, and if it's for an event or a large family gathering, call the morning of or the day before so the kitchen can plan for it. Large orders placed 15 minutes before pickup during a busy stretch will not be ready on time. That's just math, not an excuse.

Payment and pickup logistics

Have your payment method ready when you call, or ask if you can pay when you arrive. Confirm the pickup time again when you place the order, especially if you're told 20 minutes and you're coming from outside Ephrata. Traffic on Division Ave isn't usually an issue, but timing your arrival to match the kitchen's estimate keeps your food hot and keeps the counter from backing up behind you.

Ask about substitutions up front

If you need something modified, no onions, sub the fries for a salad, gluten-free bun, say it when you place the order, not when you arrive to pick it up. Kitchens work off tickets. A change made after the ticket is printed means remaking part of the order, which adds time for you and for whoever's behind you in the queue.

Breakfast takeout has its own rhythm

Early morning orders, especially before a work shift or a drive out of Ephrata, move quickly because the kitchen isn't yet dealing with lunch volume. If you're picking up breakfast, you'll generally get the fastest turnaround of the day. It's a good option if you've had a bad experience with a lunch or dinner wait before.

The short version

• Order outside the 11:30-1:00 and 5:30-7:00 rush windows when possible.

• Know your order before you call.

• Skip Tuesdays entirely, we're closed.

• Don't expect happy hour pricing on takeout.

• Give 30 minutes lead time for group orders.

• Mention substitutions when you order, not at pickup.

None of this is complicated. It's mostly about matching your timing to the kitchen's actual workload instead of fighting it. Get the timing right and 12 Hawks takeout is fast, hot, and ready when you walk in. Get it wrong and you're standing at the counter waiting behind six other people who didn't read this first.