In restaurants, à la carte is the practice of ordering individual dishes from a menu in a restaurant, as opposed to table d'hôte, where a set menu is offered. It is an early 19th century loan from French meaning "according to the menu".

What does a la carte mean in slang?

The literal meaning of the French phrase is "by the card," although it's used in both languages to mean "according to the menu." The opposite of a la carte is a table d'hôte, or "meal served at a fixed price."

What is the example of a la carte?

The definition of a la carte is a list of items on a menu which are priced separately. A baked potato on a menu is an example of an a la carte item.