These 25 Chain Restaurants Have Some Pretty Legit Vegan Options
These 25 Chain Restaurants Have Some Pretty Legit Vegan Options
Feel like eating vegan on-the-go pretty much always involves ordering a side salad sans the meat, cheese, and dressing? Plain lettuce and a few tomatoes gets old fast.
With eggs hidden in "special sauces" and lard in the French fries, finding animal-free meals in restaurants requires a lot of detective work—especially at fast food joints and nationwide fast-casual chains that may not have all of their menu's ingredient info right out in the open for you to sift through.
The next time you're on the road, visiting friends, or just feel like grabbing a quick and easy bite to eat, go for one of the following vegan-friendly eateries. With easy (and delish) vegan options on their menus, you can order and enjoy your eats without having to whip out your magnifying glass. Go ahead and kiss those sad side salads goodbye.
Burger King
When you're craving hardcore fast food, Burger King has several vegan options that'll do the trick. The Impossible Whopper, their classic burger gone vegan, pairs great with their fries (which also happen to be 100 percent vegan too).
1 Impossible Whopper: 470 calories, 16 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 940 mg sodium, 58 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 12 g sugar, 25 g protein
1 medium fries: 380 calories, 17 g fat ( 3 g saturated fat), 570 mg sodium, 53 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 5 g protein
Chipotle
Vegans will obviously need to skip the meat, cheese, and sour cream at Chipotle. Thanks to their Tofu Sorfritas, though, it's easy to build a vegan bowl, burrito, or salad with tons rice, beans, veggies, and (of course) guacamole. The chips and tortillas are totally vegan, too.
1 serving of Tofu Sofritas (not including tortilla, fillings, or toppings): 150 calories, 10 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat) , 560 mg sodium, 9 g carbs, 5 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 8 g protein
Panera Bread
Panera is known for their tasty soups, including their new-ish “broth bowls.” Vegans should go for the Soba Noodle Broth Bowl With Edamame, which is warm, cozy, and full of fun texture. Since other soup offerings rotate, be sure to ask if any of the available options are vegan.
1 Soba Noodle Broth Bowl With Edamame: 330 calories, 11 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 1030 mg sodium, 46 g carbs 6 g sugar, 6 g fiber, 12 g protein
Einstein Brothers Bagels
Nearly all of the bagel offerings at Einstein Brothers are vegan, and now you can order them with a Vegan Cream Cheese Shmear!
1 Plain Bagel: 270 calories, 1 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 480 mg sodium, 56 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 9 g protein
1 serving Daiya Cream Cheese: 90 calories, 8 g fat (6 g saturated), 140 mg sodium, 5 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 0 gi fiber, 1 g protein
The Cheesecake Factory
Its namesake dessert might be inherently un-vegan, but there are other plant-based options at the Cheesecake Factory these days. The Vegan Cobb Salad is loaded with raw and cooked veggies, avocado, chickpeas, and quinoa, while The Wellness Salad tops a kale base with fruit, nuts, and seeds.
1 Vegan Cobb Salad: 1080 calories, 89 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 1280 mg sodium, 58 g carbs, 19 g sugar, 19 g fiber, 16 g protein
1 Wellness Salad: 840 calories, 70 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 1180 mg sodium, 45 g carbs, 23 g sugar, 14 g fiber, 14 g protein
Olive Garden
Very important news: Olive Garden’s breadsticks are made with soy, not butter, meaning Unlimited Soup, Salad and Breadsticks is a 'go' for vegans (as long as you don’t get cheese or creamy dressings on your salad). As for soups, go with the Minestrone, which is also dairy-free. Hold the cheese and you can even make several of the pasta dishes vegan.
1 Breadstick With Garlic Topping: 140 calories, 2.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat). 460 mg sodium, 25 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 4 g protein
1 Minestrone Soup: 110 calories, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 810 mg sodium, 17 g carbs, 4 g sugar, 4 g fiber, 5 g protein
Noodles & Company
Don't hesitate to ask for a pasta dish sans cheese at Noodles & Company; they'll happily accommodate. If you want to order something as-is, though, choose the totally-vegan Japanese Pan Noodles.
1 Regular Japanese Pan Noodles: 660 calories, 16 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 2010 mg sodium, 111 g carbs, 23 g sugar, 5 g fiber, 13 g protein
Dairy Queen
The menu at Dairy Queen is...well, pretty filled with dairy. But if you’re there with friends and in the mood for something sweet, their Misty Freezes are totally vegan, and available in a variety of flavors.
1 medium Misty Freeze: 260 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 40 mg sodium, 65 g carbs, 64 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein
Del Taco
Probably the best place for vegans to satisfy fast food taco cravings, Del Taco serves seasoned plant-based Beyond Meat crumbles. Though the Beyond 8 Layer Burrito typically comes with cheese and sour cream, they’re happy to make it without.
1 Beyond 8 Layer Burrito (including the cheese and sour cream): 550 calories, 21 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 1290 mg sodium, 60 g carbs, 3 g sugar, 9 g fiber, 27 g protein
Johnny Rockets
The Gardein Black Bean Burger at Johnny Rockets is served with lettuce and tomato on a whole-wheat bun, making it one of the most satisfying vegan burgers you can order out.
1 Gardein Black Bean Burger: 620 calories, 40 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 1170 mg sodium, 50 g carbs, 10 g sugar, 10 g fiber, 20 g protein
Blaze Pizza
Thanks to melty vegan cheese, tons of veggie toppings, and a few meatless "meat" options, eating vegan at Blaze is easy. You can customize your own pizza with any variety of vegan toppings, or go for the Vegan Pizza, which comes with red sauce, vegan cheese, vegan chorizo, basil, green bell peppers, mushrooms, red onions, and olive oil.
1 slice (? pizza) Vegan Pizza: 120 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 280 mg sodium, 18g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g sugar, 4g protein.
Red Robin
At Red Robin, go for the Ancient-Grain Veggie Patty on a ciabatta bun to keep it vegan. Lucky for you, the Steak Fries are also vegan-friendly.
1 Ancient-Grain Veggie/Vegan Patty: 130 calories, 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 340 mg sodium, 17 g carbs, 5 g sugar, 7 g fiber, 7 g protein
1 Steak Fries: 350 calories, 16 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 210 mg sodium, 48 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 5 g fiber, 5 g protein
Smoothie King
While many smoothie chains rely on dairy-based ingredients like milk, yogurt, and whey protein powder, Smoothie King makes it easy to order vegan by offering Sunwarrior plant-based protein powder. Two popular vegan orders: the Pumpkin Vegan Smoothie and the Vegan Dark Chocolate Banana Smoothie.
1 20-ounce Pumpkin Vegan: 350 calories, 3 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 130 mg sodium, 80 g carbs, 47 g sugar, 12 g fiber, 9 g protein
1 20-ounce Vegan Dark Chocolate Banana: 350 calories, 1.5 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 75 mg sodium, 81 g carbs, 46 g sugar, 9 g fiber, 11 g protein
White Castle
Yes, the rumors are true: White Castle now offers vegan sliders. Made with Dr. Praeger’s plant-based patties, old-school vegans will love 'em.
1 Veggie Slider with Mustard: 170 calories, 5 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 340 mg sodium, 25 g carbs, 6 g sugar, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein
Subway
Most of Subway’s bread offerings are vegan, but choose the nine-grain wheat for some whole grain goodness. Then, go with a Veggie Delight (without the cheese), or the new Beyond Meat Meatball Marinara.
1 6-inch Veggie Delight without cheese: 200 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 280 mg sodium, 39 g carbs, 5 g sugar, 5 g fiber, 9 g protein
Beyond Meat Meatball Marinara nutrition information not available.
Moe's Southwest Grill
At Moe’s you can get your burrito stuffed with tofu instead of ground beef, which is a serious win for vegans. Go for the whole-wheat burrito and add black beans, and you've got a heck of an animal-free meal.
1 12-Inch Whole Wheat Burrito With Tofu and Black Beans: 537 calories, 18 g fat (6 g saturated), 1035 mg sodium, 72 g carbs, 6 g sugar, 19 g fiber, 27 g protein
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
P.F. Chang's offers an entire vegetarian menu, all of which can be made vegan upon request. (Since dairy isn’t a staple in Chinese cuisine, it’s easy to veganize things without compromising flavor.) The Buddha’s Feast is a classic vegan choice, and comes either stir-fried or steamed.
1 Buddha’s Feast, stir-fried: 380 calories, 8 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 2330 mg sodium, 53 g carbs, 30 g sugar, 9 g fiber, 27 g protein
Wendy's
Okay, Wendy’s is admittedly not the greatest place for vegans. But if you’re stuck at one, you can make it work. Go with a Baked Potato and a garden side salad with Italian dressing and no cheese.
1 Baked Potato: 270 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 25 mg sodium, 61 g carbs, 3 g sugar, 7 g fiber, 7 g protein
Qdoba
If you’re in a mall food court and spy a Qdoba, head that way. Both their corn and flour tortillas are vegan, and while they don't offer vegan meat substitutes, beans, rice, veggies, potatoes, and guac will keep you satisfied. The Tortilla Soup, which you can get in a deep-fried tortilla shell, is another great vegan choice.
1 Medium Tortilla Soup (without the crispy flour tortilla bowl): 100 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 1390 mg sodium, 11 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 4 g fiber, 3 g protein
Red Lobster
Vegans may not partake in any claw-cracking at Red Lobster, but they can still find a few satisfying bites at the popular seafood chain. The fried Dragon Broccoli, which is topped with a sweet chili sauce, is straight heaven. Plus, the French Fries (and a few other sides) are also vegan.
1 Dragon Broccoli: 440 calories, 24 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 1620 mg sodium, 48 g carbs, 10 g sugar, 4 g fiber, 8 g protein
1 French Fries: 430 calories, 17 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 790 mg sodium, 62 g carbs, 12 g sugar, 5 g fiber, 6 g protein
Starbucks Coffee
In addition to offering a choice of vegan coconut, soy, and almond milks for your coffee, Starbucks also has one particularly great vegan to-go option: the Lentils and Vegetable Protein Bowl. It's made with roasted veggies, lentils, brown rice, and lemon-tahini dressing.
1 Lentils and Vegetable Protein Bowl With Brown Rice: 650 calories, 29 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 670 mg sodium, 80 g carbs, 10 g sugar, 21 g fiber, 23 g protein
Mellow Mushroom
The totally-vegan Hummus With Veggies appetizer is an easy option at Mellow Mushroom. You can also build your own vegan pizza pie with toppings like Follow Your Heart vegan cheese, veggies, and tempeh or tofu.
1 Hummus With Veggies Appetizer: 540 calories, 30 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 1040 mg sodium, 59 g carbs, 13 g sugar, 10 g fiber, 10 g protein
Taco Bell
At Taco Bell, vegans can Live Mas with a "Fresco-Style” Bean Burrito or the Veggie Cantina Power Bowl. Side dishes like the cinnamon twists, cilantro rice, beans, and chips and guac are also vegan-friendly. Plus, many other orders can be veganized if you hold the cheese or sour cream.
1 Fresco Bean Burrito: 330 calories, 7 g fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 990 mg sodium 54 g carbs, 11 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 11 g protein
Quizno's Subs
Die-hard Quiznos fans know that the Veggie Guacamole Sub, filled with guac, black olives, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms is nothing to sneeze at. Order it without cheese and opt for the dairy-free balsamic vinaigrette to make it vegan.
1 8-inch Veggie Guacamole Sub (including cheese): 810 calories, 44 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 1610 mg sodium, 81 g carbs, 10 g sugar, 7 g fiber, 28 g protein
Dunkin' Donuts
The English Muffin at Dunkin’ is vegan-friendly, as are most of the bagels, including Cinnamon Raisin. You can also opt for a warm cup of oatmeal or a latte with almond milk.
1 Cinnamon Raisin Bagel: 320 calories, 1 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 510 mg sodium, 76 g carbs, 13 g sugar, 4 g fiber, 11 g protein
Including Burger King....