Eating vegan at casual chain restaurants, from Denny’s to BJ’s, doesn’t mean you have to be limited to French fries or salads any longer. Times, they are a changing! Many chain restaurants are keeping up pace with the trends for eating more plant-based, and they now provide tasty, satisfying options for vegan diners. In fact, there are plenty of casual chain restaurants that offer a diverse array of vegan options on their menus. These items range from vegan-friendly burgers and sandwiches to pastas, salads, and wraps. And many restaurants offer you the ability to adjust menu options according to your preferences.
Look for Asian tofu dishes in some chain restaurants.
With the rise and popularity of plant-based eating, vegan food options at chain restaurants has expanded. In fact, a 2017 report from GrubHub, the leading take-out service program, found that vegan takeout orders increased by 19% in restaurants from 1,200 cities across the US and London. The Vegetarian Resource Group in 2016 also found that 37% of Americans, regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences, selected plant-based foods when dining out.
The Impossible Burger is increasingly available at chain restaurants.
Popular restaurant vegan food options include veggie burgers, which are served in restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory and Denny’s, and the Impossible Burger, a plant-based burger made with heme, an iron-rich compound that gives meat its rich flavor. The Impossible Burger can be found in several restaurants, such as Dave and Buster’s, Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks, Mendocino Farms, and Umami Burger. Plenty of restaurants also offer a variety of vegan-friendly side dishes, such as salads, fruits and vegetables, and potato products such as fries and baked potato. You can ask your server to add extra sides or toppings, or even ask how the food is prepared to ensure that it is vegan-friendly.
Veggie tacos are a great option at many common restaurants.
The Ultimate Guide for Eating Vegan at Chain Restaurants
This chart lists a variety of popular family casual chain restaurants and corresponding vegan food options on their menus. You can also visit Yelp.com, HappyCow.net or VegGuide.org to explore more local, vegan-friendly dining options in your area. Please notify your food server of your dietary preferences before you order.
Casual Chain Restaurants
Vegan Menu Items
The Cheesecake Factory
Appetizers
Edamame
Salads
French Country Salad with no cheese
Greek Salad with no cheese
Skinnylicious Asian Chicken Salad with no Chicken
Tossed Green Salad with no croutons
Vegan Cobb salad
Sides
Oven roasted broccoli
Grilled Asparagus
Wraps
Thai Lettuce Wraps with no chicken
Burgers
Veggie burger (without cheese and garlic aioli)
Others:
Bowl of Fresh Strawberries (without Whipped Cream)
Denny’s
Breakfast
Grits
Entrees
Amy’s Veggie Burger (without cheese)
Fit Fare Veggie Sizzlin Skillet (with no egg whites or butter)
Bourbon Chicken Skillet (without chicken)
Sides
Seasoned fries
Seasonal fruit
Oatmeal
Broccoli
BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
Salads
House salad without croutons
Pizza
Signature Deep Dish Vegetarian Pizza (no cheese and no butter on crust)
Sides
Veggie baked potato without cheese or sauce
Avocado
Quinoa and brown rice
Rice pilaf
Veggies (asparagus, spinach, broccoli)
Fries
TGI Fridays
Appetizers
Loaded Chicken Nachos without chicken, cheese, and sour cream; add green onions, red peppers, corn and guacamole
Loaded Potato Skins without the cheese, sour cream, and bacon; add black beans, corn, and guacamole
Giant Soft Pretzels (without bacon, butter, and cheese; try with mustard)
Impossible Burger (without cheese and aioli sauce)
Yard House
Salads
Mixed field greens salad (without croutons)
BBQ Chicken Salad (no chicken, no cheese)
Entrees
Gardein Chicken Fried Rice Bowl
Gardein Orange Chicken
Garden BBQ chicken pizza (without cheese)
Gardein Sesame Chicken & Noodles
Gardein Grilled Chicken & Avocado Sandwich (without cheese and mayo)
Veggie-loaded Angel Hair Pasta
Red Quinoa Salad Bowl (no feta cheese)
Sandwiches
Grilled Chicken and Avocado Sandwich (no chicken, cheese and mayonnaise)
Wraps
Shiitake and Crimini Mushrooms Lettuce Wrap
Burgers
Vegan Burger
Sides
Hummus with pita bread
Edamame
Chips and guacamole
PF Changs
Appetizers
Chang’s Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps
Edamame
Sichuan Style Asparagus
Crispy Green Beans
Wok-Seared Spinach with Garlic
Vegetable Spring Rolls
Cecilia’s Vegetable Dumplings
Entrees (you can add tofu to any meal)
Buddah’s Feast
Ma Po Tofu
Stir-Fried Eggplant
California Pizza Kitchen
Small Plates + California Flatbreads
Asparagus + Arugula Salad (no cheese)
White Corn Guacamole + Chips
Shaved Mushroom + Spinach Flatbread (no cheese)
Appetizers
Lettuce Wraps (request with only Chinese vegetables)
Soups
Dakota Smashed Pea + Barley
Lunch Salads (Locations Vary)
The Mediterranean (no Feta or Mustard Herb Vinaigrette)
Lunch Pastas (Locations Vary)
Tomato Basil Spaghetti
Lunch Pizzas (Locations Vary)
California Veggie (no cheese)
Salads
Roasted Veggie (no Dijon Balsamic)
Power Bowls
Shanghai (no butter or shrimp)
Banh Mi (no chicken or Chili Lime Vinaigrette)
Pastas
Tomato Basil Spaghetti (off Menu)
Pizza
California Veggie (no cheese)
Kids
Kid’s Fresh Fruit
Kid’s Fusilli Olive Oil
Kid’s Fusilli Tomato Sauce
Chili’s
Salads
Caribbean salad without dressing
House salad without croutons, dressing and cheese
Sides
Bottomless tostada chips and salsa
Guacamole and chips
Fried pickles without ranch dressing
Flour tortillas
Corn tortillas
Rice and beans
Fries
Sweet corn on the cob without butter
Mandarin oranges
Sliced avocado
Steamed broccoli
Black beans
Asparagus and garlic roasted tomatoes
Salsa
Others
Black bean and veggie fajitas (without cheese, sour cream and butter)
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
Pasta
Pomodoro Tortellacci
Appetizers
Bruschetta without ricotta cheese
Peasant bread
Salads
Rosa’s Signature Caesar Salad without Caesar dressing and cheese
Add Ins
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Fresh spinach
Grape tomatoes
Roasted garlic
Sun dried tomatoes
Olive Garden
Create your own pasta:
Angel Hair
Cavatappi
Fettuccine
Gluten-Free Rotini Rigatoni
Small Shells Spaghetti
Whole Grain Linguine
Pasta sauce:
Marinara
Tomato
Garden veggies (topping)
Soups, Salads and Breadsticks
Breadsticks
Salad with olive oil & balsamic vinegar (no croutons, no dressing)
Minestrone Soup
Sides:
Steamed broccoli
Umami Burger
Impossible VBQ (vegan BBQ) Burger
Impossible Trufflemaker Burger
Mendocino Farms
Seasonal Vegan Menu
Impossible Burger Queen
Mendo’s Smokehouse Tempeh Sandwich
Vegan Banh Mi
Enlightened Falafel Wrap
Dave and Buster’s
Salads
Fresh garden salad (without cheese)
Burgers
Impossible Burger
Others
Avocado Toast (without cheese and ranch)
Information from this chart was gathered from restaurant websites and marketing material. This information may change as restaurants change their menu items.
Written by Mireille Najjar, Dietetic Intern and Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN on April 18, 2019.
