How do you handle writing dialogue with accents or dialects?

An example from a restaurant in Brooklyn. "I'd like the 'samon'." The waiter says, "Pardon?" The guest repeats it. The waiter is still confused. "O, you mean saLLmon?" "Yes. Indeed. I do." The thing about portraying accents and dialects is that you're displaying the differences that you have perceived in someone's speech. Differences to what? To the expected. Who expects it? Which can actually reveal quite a lot about yourself. So you need to know BOTH the accent or dialect AND the thing that makes the accent stand out as an accent. Intimately.

Accents in Dialogue: Less is More Accents add spice, but too much burns the tongue. Phonetic spellings ("Hullo!") confuse readers. Ignoring them flattens characters. The secret? Subtlety. Sprinkle in regional words ("Fixin' to eat"), mimic rhythm ("Y'know what I mean?"), and describe ("Her twang stretched vowels like taffy"). Accuracy is key – research, don't stereotype. Master this, and your characters sing with the music of their background.

Just don’t overdo it. You can make a character have an accent in their dialogue but do so in a way that it is not every time the character speaks. The reader will know they speak in an accent after the first few times. Even telling the reader about the characters voice will enhance the reading experience.

Writing dialogue with accents or dialects is like diagnosing a rare medical condition - you need to research thoroughly to get it right.

I also believe adding in other aspects of the culture like food, a celebration wherever appropriate and using accent sparingly will ensure that it does not seem forced or is difficult to read

Depending on the situation. You might be presenting a story that talks about your ancestors who were only fluent in that dialect. In that case, you have to use it in order to present an authentic account. Eg: No one wants a story narrated by Queen Elizabeth(what the world calls "proper English") when they know that the person in the story does not even speak english. Might as well write it off AI

Literary writing is one part of an artistic expression. While we can have basic rules and guidelines, the end result will depend on the appreciation of, connection to, or the consumption of the reader, or the target audience. Some readers might need and prefer phonetic spellings exaggerated by the story's characters. Other readers might find this redundant and pedantic. Bottomline is, the author or writer must know what his target audience is and/or how he wants his text to be perceived. Are you writing non-fiction or fiction? What is the demographics of your reader? R.L. Stine adjusted his writing style depending on his books and his books have been well-read. Rules can be broken but do research to know which ones.