Or just putting the option to "add" things, like when restaurants give you the option to add meat. Instead of that, option to "add" dairy. Or having two options. I do like the idea of offering dairy, especially if it is goat & sheep dairy, since that helps open it up to the general community, and also a lot of paleo people do dairy.

I think just being explicit about what is in the food is key, and letting people add & subtract as needed.

If it were my eatery I'd ditch the dogma and just say Realfood, no labels, no boxes, no unpronounceable ingredients, with a gluten free, allergy aware section. Everyone could eat and find something they enjoy. Everyone.

I think a menu set up like Robb Wolf's food matrix (but with less choices, obviously) would be awesome.

Pick your meat, your fat, your veggies and spices: http://robbwolf.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/thePaleoSolution_FoodMatrix.pdf

The menu could rotate based on what's in season. You could add in fruits as dessert.

The hubs and I have joked about opening a paleo place called Just Effin' Steak. Plain, simple and to the point. "What do you serve?" Answered in the name! Though, we thought we could expand potentially and make Just Effin' Steak... n' Bacon!

I'd love to try some expertly prepared "unusual" sources of protein. Bugs, lizards, possibly alligators or some exotic fish or mushrooms that I would otherwise never know how to find, much less prepare.

When my husband and I go out to eat we look at all of the "meat" based entrees and if there is fish offered, we ask if it is wild or farmed. Living in FL we have found "luck" with at least ONE of the fish dishes being local, wild caught. Then we ask for extra steamed veggies in place of rice or potatoes. Voila! We know that it will be cooked in crappy canola oil, but we honestly do not eat out that often :/

How about categorizing the dishes into "strict" paleo and "non-strict"/"loose" paleo?

I've actually thought of this recently, since there's usually 1 thing on a menu that I want to order at best.

Personally, I would make it so they choose their meat/fish/fowl/eggs (which would be fried in a cast-iron pan at fairly low heat with pasture butter) then they choose their green vegetable (which would be steamed to remove some of the oxalates, and then thrown into a greasy pan to finish it off), then they choose their starch (few types of sweet potato, several types of standard potato which would be steamed and then drenched with pasture butter and cinnamon) and dessert would be a mix of berries. I compose all of my meals like this, and I think it's just a very satisfying way to eat.

if you use ghee, most of the dairy intolerant could partake. steak tartare and pate without gluten and dairy would be lovely. beef short ribs that aren't dredged in flour.

Dick's Kitchen in Portland, Oregon is a Paleo-based restaurant. The menu is not exclusively Paleo (that would alienate too many customers), but very much Paleo-friendly, and it even includes a brief explanation of the diet. It's one of my favorite places to eat out, and they're very successful.

http://www.dkportland.com/

King Crab and Chedda Bay Biscuits...oh wait...(sob.)

Many good answers. I'd love to walk in the door and see a sign, "Only paleo-friendly oils and fats used here."

I also like Travis's idea of a build-your-meal approach--each list could include at least 3 "strict" options plus 1 or 2 gray area choices.

Just think! Instead of bread baskets, you'd be handed a bowl of kale chips. You could feel safe getting stir fries without worrying about what they were cooked in. And you could have beverage options such as green tea, water kefir or kombucha.

SWEET!