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The Ultimate Vegan Chain Restaurant Guide

Sharon Palmer

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)

Sides

  • Seasoned Fries and Sweet Potato Fries
  • Cesar salad without croutons, cheese, or dressing 
  • Jasmine rice pilaf

Burgers

  • Beyond Meat Cheeseburger (without cheese; choose dairy-free sauce)
Islands Fine Burgers and Drinks Fresh Cut Island Fries

Grilled Veggie Tacos (without cheese)

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.

Photos by Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN

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