As someone who has been following a flexitarian and plant-based lifestyle for years, I've grown accustomed to easily finding delicious vegetarian food locally in Portland, Oregon, and even when I used to live in Nashville, Tennessee.
However, I think we’ve all faced the occasional challenge of trying to find vegetarian options while traveling or on road trips, when fast food restaurants are the only easy option around.
Choosing to eat vegetarian or plant-based meals offers a multitude of benefits for our health, the planet, and the welfare of animals. Not only can it help lower the risk of chronic diseases, but it also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and saves countless animals from cruel factory farming practices.
Unfortunately, tracking down plant-based menu items at fast food restaurants isn’t all that easy. After too many incidents of pulling into a drive-thru only to be greeted with a menu full of meat, I decided to create this guide.
Whether you're seeking out vegetarian options for yourself or simply figuring out the best restaurant to navigate to for your road trip partner who doesn't eat meat — this guide will provide valuable information on the best plant-based options at fast food restaurants in the United States. Plus, the low-down on the new meat alternatives sweeping the fast-food industry.
And if you're ever uncertain, don't hesitate to ask the restaurant whether a particular item is vegetarian or not. Keep in mind that menu items may change over time, and it's important to note that most of these restaurants don't designate vegetarian-only preparation surfaces, which unfortunately means there may be some degree of cross-contamination.
If you’re short on time, here’s our ranking of the fast food restaurants with the best vegetarian offerings:
- Taco Bell
- Starbucks
- Panera
- Chipotle
- Panda Express
- Qdoba
When in doubt, ask the restaurant if an item is vegetarian. Menu items may change over time. And of course, most of these restaurants don’t designate vegetarian-only preparation surfaces — so there may be some degree of cross-contamination, unfortunately.
With that said, let's dive into our comprehensive guide to finding delicious and satisfying vegetarian options at America's most popular fast food chains!
Best Vegetarian Fast Food Options
We’ve compiled this guide based on the top 30 most-common fast food restaurants in the United States — minus pizza and sandwich shops (because it’s pretty simple to figure out how to not add meat to those).
This is a complete list of every vegetarian-friendly on-menu option available at these restaurants. When an item is “off-menu” or is only available at limited restaurants, we’ve indicated as such — so you don’t get your hopes up.
We plan to update this article quarterly, as new vegetarian options become available at more and more restaurants.
Arby’s
We all know Arby’s slogan is “We have the meats” — and unfortunately that means it’s pretty hard to find much else. You’ll do best to stick to the sides menu — but we’re not sure fried potatoes, cheese, and jalapeños constitutes a meal.
Entrées
No vegetarian entrées
Sides
Curly Fries
Crinkle Fries
Mozzarella Sticks
Jalepeño Bites
Bojangles
Bojangles is known for their biscuits — and they actually has some pretty solid vegetarian options available for biscuit lovers. Plus, their sides include a pretty diverse range of foods, including vegetables!
Entrées
Egg & Cheese Biscuit
Pimento Cheese Biscuit
Sides
Bo* Fries
Bo-Tato Rounds
Dirty Rice
Macaroni & Cheese
Mashed Potatoes with no gravy
Cajun Pintos
Cole Slaw
Green Beans
Burger King
In 2019, Burger King was among the first major fast food chains to release a meat alternative nationwide. While the restaurant doesn’t offer very many additional vegetarian-friendly options, their Impossible Whoppers really do hit the spot if you’re looking for a fair-priced fast food burger.
Entrées
Single Impossible King
Impossible Whopper
Sides
Classic Fries
Onion Rings
Mozzarella Sticks
MOTTS Applesauce
More
While this is off-menu (and doesn’t work if you order in-app or online), you can totally customize your own veggie burger with Burger King’s Impossible patty. Mix and match sauces, makes it a double burger, or throw some onion rings between the buns!
Carl’s Jr. / Hardee’s
Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are two chains owned by one company. They share similar logos, menus offerings, and marketing strategies. But unfortunately, they don’t share the same goal of catering to vegetarian customers. While Carl’s Jr. recently launched Beyond Burgers at all of their locations, Hardee’s doesn’t have any vegetarian entrée offerings.
Entrées
Beyond Famous Star Burger
Super Star Burger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
Western Bacon Cheeseburger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
The Big Carl Burger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
Original Angus Burger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
Guacamole Bacon Angus Burger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
Jalapeño Angus Burger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
California Classic Double Cheeseburger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
Big Hamburger - Substitute Beyond Meat Patty
All of the above are available at Carl’s Jr. — but not at Hardee’s
Breakfast
French Toast Dips
Sides
Natural-Cut French Fries
Waffle Fries
Fried Zucchini
Onion Rings
Jalepeno Poppers
Cinnamon Roll
Checkers / Rally’s
Chekers and Rally’s are another duo of restaurants operated by the same company — though unlike Carl’s Jr. and Hardees, they have nearly identical menus. Unfortunately, those menus mostly just include meat.
Entrées
No vegetarian entrées
Sides
Famous Seasoned Fries
Fry-Seasoned Monstrella Stix
Funnel Cake Fries
Chick-fil-A
For years, it was nearly impossible to find vegetarian-friendly menu items at Chick-fil-A. Sure, you could ask them to hold the chicken on a salad order. Or you could get Waffle Fries or a tiny little Kale Crunch Side — but there wasn’t really anything substantive available.
That is, until 2023 when Chick-fil-A began testing a plant-based alternative to their fried chicken. Instead of partnering with Beyond or Impossible to make a meat-free chicken, they’ve opted to use breaded, fried cauliflower.
Right now, it’s only available in select markets for a limited time, but hopefully it will be greeted with fanfare and roll out nationwide soon.
Entrées
Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich
Cobb Salad with no chicken
Cobb Salad with cauliflower filet (in select markets)
Spicy Southwest Salad with no chicken
Spicy Southwest Salad with cauliflower filet (in select markets)
Market Salad with no chicken
Market Salad with cauliflower filet (in select markets)
Sides
Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries
Side Salad
Mac & Cheese
Kale Crunch Side
Buttered Biscuit
English Muffin
Hash Browns
Greek Yogurt Parfait
Fruit Cup
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle has long been a refuge for vegetarians looking for a filling, nutritious meal at a fair price. By simply opting out from adding meat to your burrito, bowl, or tacos, Chipotle rewards you with free guacamole.
The fast casual Mexican restaurant has also toyed around with some meat alternatives. They’ve had Sofritas on the menu since 2014 and in 2022, they released a Plant-Based Chorizo for a limited time.
Entrées
Sofritas Burrito
Veggie Burrito
Sofritas Bowl
Veggie Bowl
Sofritas Salad
Veggie Salad
Sofritas Tacos
Veggie Tacos
Veggie Full Lifestyle Bowl
Plant Powered Lifestyle Bowl
Sofritas Quesadilla
Cheese Quesadilla
Fajita Quesadilla
Sides
Chips & Salsa
Chips & Guacamole
Chips & Queso Blanco
Kid’s Fruit
Church’s Chicken
I’ve found that — as a general rule — if a restaurant has some kind of meat in the name, there aren’t going to be very many vegetarian entrées on the menu. This is true, once again, with Church’s.
Fortunately, their extensive “Sides & Sweets” menu comes to the rescue — with a lot of delicious, and potentially filling options.
Entrées
No vegetarian entrées
Sides
Jalepeño Cheese Bombers
Corn
Fries
Honey-Butter Biscuit
Baked Mac & Cheese
Fried Okra
Jalepeño Peppers
Coleslaw
Mashed Potatoes
Apple Pie
Frosted Honey-Butter Biscuit
Culver’s
While most people visit Culver’s for its iconic ButterBurgers, most vegetarians will have to make a hard pivot toward an entirely different part of the menu… the soup menu.
Culver’s offers two hearty soups that are fully vegetarian — plus a grilled cheese sandwich (from the kids' menu).
Some locations around the U.S. have a veggie patty option available, but it seems to be pretty hit or miss, so it would be best not to count on it.
Entrées
Harvest Veggie Burger - Currently at select locations
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Tomato Florentine Soup
Grilled Cheese - From the kids' menu
Sides
Side Salad
Wisconsin Cheese Curds
Crinkle Cut Fries
Onion Rings
Pretzel Bites with Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Sauce
Coleslaw
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Steamed Broccoli
Green Beans
Dinner Roll
More
You can also ask for any of their Fresh Salads without meat.
Dairy Queen
For most of its history, Dairy Queen has been mainly known for its ice cream. (Mmmmm… Blizzards!) But in 2004, they rebranded with the tagline “Grill and Chill” — putting a new emphasis on food options.
Unfortunately… essentially none of those food options are vegetarian-friendly. So it might be best to fill up on ice cream and drive on to the next location.
Entrées
No vegetarian entrées
Sides
Side Salad
Fries
Onion Rings
Pretzel Sticks with Zesty Queso
Cheese Curds
Dunkin’
America runs on Dunkin’ — and they’ve got a few simple breakfast items for vegetarians, too. Get yourself some coffee and doughnuts — and maybe even throw in a breakfast sandwich or a bagel.
Dunkin’ used to have Beyond Breakfast Sandwiches — and later, a Southwest Veggie Power Breakfast Sandwich — available at nearly all of their locations, directly competing with Starbucks’ Impossible Breakfast Sandwich — but unfortunately, they decided to discontinue them for some reason.
Entrées
Egg & Cheese Sandwich
Bagels with Cream Cheese Spread
Sides
Donuts
Munchkins Donut Hole Treats
Hash Browns
Stuffed Bagel Minis
Muffins
Croissant
English Muffin
Five Guys
Five Guys has more than 1,400 locations across the United States — and while they don’t have a lot of vegetarian-friendly options available, they have a sandwich option and a fry option, which is probably about all you need at a simple burger spot.
Entrées
Veggie Sandwich
Cheese Veggie Sandwich
Grilled Cheese
Sides
Five Guys Style Fries
Cajun Style Fries
In-N-Out Burger
Unfortunately, even with In-N-Out’s iconic secret menu, there just aren’t very many good options for vegetarians at this iconic burger shop. Many advocates have been pushing for the beloved chain to add some sort of meat alternative to swap meat patties for — and hopefully, the company will bring that to life in the future.
Entrées
Grilled Cheese
Veggie Burger - No burger; just a toasted bun with In-N-Out spread, tomato, fresh onion, and lettuce.
Sides
French Fries
Hashbrown Sticks
Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box, unfortunately, has meat in almost every item on the menu. You have to jump to the breakfast menu or kids' menu before you find anything that’s not a side.
Fortunately, it looks like Jack in the Box is slowly rolling out an Impossible Burger at a number of their locations around the U.S. I was able to test it in Portland and loved it.
Jack in the Box previously tested an Unchicken Sandwich in partnership with Tyson-owned Raised & Rooted. Hopefully the restaurant chain will continue to roll out plant-based options across the country.
Entrées
Impossible Burger - Currently at select locations
Mini Pancakes
Grilled Cheese - From the kids' menu
Sides
Side Salad
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
French Fries
Seasoned Curly Fries
Onion Rings
Stuffed Jalapenos
Apple Bites
Mini Churros
KFC
In 1991, Kentucky Fried Chicken rebranded to KFC with the stated goal of de-emphasizing “fried” at a time when Americans were becoming increasingly health-conscious. (Plus, KFC has way fewer syllables.)
Unfortunately, removing “chicken” from the brand name didn’t usher in a beautiful new era of chicken-free menu items. You’ll have to stick to their sides — which are admittedly pretty solid.
KFC was the first restaurant to roll out a national plant-based chicken option, partnering with Beyond Meat to offer the product in more than 4,000 locations. Unfortunately, within a year KFC stopped offering Beyond Fried Chicken and Beyond Nuggets at their restaurants and hasn’t indicated if they plan to bring it back in the future.
Entrées
No vegetarian entrées
Sides
Secret Recipe Fries
Mashed Potatoes without gravy
BBQ Baked Beans
Mac & Cheese
Biscuit
Cole Slaw
Green Beans
Corn on the Cob
Whole Kernel Corn
McDonald’s
A decade ago I was in India, working with a nonprofit, and I paid a visit to McDonald’s for some good ol’ American comfort food. I was absolutely blown away by the number of vegetarian burger options available.
Sure, there’s much more demand for vegetarian (and especially non-beef) options in India — but it left me feeling dismayed that there are so few vegetarian options at American McDonald’s.
The corporation has tested a McPlant (in partnership with Beyond Meat) at several locations around the world — and a few restaurants in the United States — but it’s unclear if they’ll ever roll out nationally.
Entrées
No vegetarian entrées
Breakfast
Hotcakes
Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
More
As far as breakfast goes, one easy option is to order an Egg McMuffin without Canadian Bacon or a Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit without bacon. The Sausage Burrito is also pretty good without sausage.
Sides
Side Salad
World Famous Fries
Apple Fritter
Blueberry Muffin
Cinnamon Roll with Cream Cheese Icing
Baked Apple Pie
Panda Express
Panda Express actually has a solid selection of vegetarian options. You can pair Beyond (Orange) Chicken, tofu, or veggies with chow mein, white rice, or brown rice — giving you a diverse range of options. Plus, a side of veggie spring rolls or cream cheese rangoons could really be the icing on the cake.
Entrées
Beyond The Original Orange Chicken
Super Greens - Pair with chow mein or rice
Eggplant Tofu - Not yet available at all locations
Sides
Veggie Spring Roll
Cream Cheese Rangoon
Chow Mein
Fried Rice
White Rice
Brown Rice
Panera Bread
Panera has one of the largest selections of vegetarian options on this list. Between sandwiches, soups, pastas, salads, and pizzas — it’ll be hard not to find something to suit your taste.
Entrées
Green Goddess Caprese Melt on a Toasted Baguette
Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
Classic Grilled Cheese & Creamy Tomato Soup
Mexican Street Corn Chowder
Mac & Cheese
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Bistro French Onion Soup
Greek Salad
Baja Bowl
Mediterranean Bowl
Margherita Flatbread Pizza
Cheese Flatbread Pizza
Breakfast
Avocado, Egg White, Spinach & Cheese on Sprouted Grain Bagel Flat
Scrambled Egg & Cheese on Ciabatta
Scrambled Egg & Cheese on Brioche
Egg & Cheese on Brioche
Four Cheese Souffle
Spinach & Artichoke Souffle
Green Yogurt with Mixed Berries Parfait
Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecans
Bagels
Sides
French Baguette
Bread Bowl
Hard Boiled Eggs
Chips
Fruit
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Popeyes doesn’t necessarily have a great vegetarian selection. Still, you have to give them points for having a diverse range of sides — including some actual vegetables that aren’t even fried!
Entrées
No vegetarian entrées
Sides
Cajun Fries
Mashed Potatoes without gravy
Grits
Baguette
Biscuits
Mac & Cheese
Corn on the Cob
Cole Slaw
Jalapenos
Qdoba Mexican Eats
Like Chipotle, Qdoba offers a substantial number of options for vegetarians. Whether you want a bowl, burrito, or salad — you can swap out meat for vegetables, guacamole, or Impossible meat.
Entrées
Impossible Fajita Bowl
Fajita Vegan Bowl
Veggie Bowl
Impossible Fajita Burrito
Veggie Burrito
Impossible Taco Salad
Veggie Salad
Cheese Quesadilla
Sides
3-Cheese Queso & Chips
Queso Diablo & Chips
Hand-Crafted Guacamole & Chips
Salsa & Chips
Black Beans
Brown Rice
Cilantro Lime Rice
Sonic Drive-In
While Sonic has several (mostly-fried) vegetarian-friendly sides, they lack any substantive entrées. Your only two on-menu options are a grilled cheese sandwich and their breakfast French toast sticks. You might be able to make some creative special requests with the rest of their extensive menu.
Entrées
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
French Toast Sticks
Sides
Fries
Cheese Fries
Tots
Cheese Tots
BBQ Chip Seasoned Tots
Ched ‘R’ Peppers
Onion Rings
Mozzarella Sticks
Soft Pretzel Twist
Cinnabon Cinnasnacks with Cream Cheese Frosting
Starbucks
With thousands of locations all of the United States, Starbucks has been a go-to for more than just coffee. They’ve continually expanded their food offerings — and it’s clear that they’ve been intentional about offering many excellent vegetarian options.
Their Impossible Breakfast Sandwich and Spinach, Feta & Egg White Wrap have become go-to choices when I need a quick, filling meal while traveling.
Entrées
Crispy Grilled Cheese on Sourdough
Tomato & Mozzarella on Focaccia
Eggs & Gouda Protein Box
Cheese Trio Protein Box
Chickpea Bites & Avocado Protein Box
Eggs & Cheddar Protein Box
PB&J Protein Box
Cheese & Fruit Protein Box
Impossible Breakfast Sandwich
Spinach, Feta & Egg White Wrap
Kale & Mushroom Egg Bites
Egg White & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Bites
Rolled & Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Berry Trio Parfait
Strawberry Overnight Grains
Bagels
Sides
Madeleines
Biscotti
Butter Croissant
Chocolate Croissant
Avocado Spread
Cookies, Brownies & Bars
Loaves, Cakes & Buns
Danishes & Doughnuts
Muffins & Scones
Cake Pops
Fruit & Nut Packet
Snack Bars
Steak ‘n Shake
Steak ‘n Shake is another one of those restaurants that clearly isn’t trying to cater to vegetarian customers. They really don’t have any good options available — and even their sides aren’t anything to write home about.
Entrées
Garden Fresh Salad
Grilled Cheese from the kids' menu
Sides
Fries
Cheese Fries
Onion Rings
Hash Browns
Baked Beans
Applesauce
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is the vegetarian holy grail of fast food restaurants. They proudly emphasize their veggie-centric options via their “Veggie Cravings” menu — and they continue to add new items to it at the same rate as their meat-based offerings.
The chain is also amazing for vegetarians because you can essentially convert nearly any menu item by simply swapping meat for beans, potatoes, or veggies. (Plus, who doesn’t love a Baja Blast.)
In June 2023, Taco Bell even announced they were testing a fully vegan Crunchwrap Supreme.
Anytime I’m on a roadtrip and need to pull off the highway for a quick bite to eat, I’m always down to drive a little bit out of the way to find a Taco Bell.
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Entrées
Bean Burrito
Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito
Black Bean Quesarito
Fiesta Veggie Burrito
Spicy Potato Soft Taco
Black Bean Chalupa Supreme
Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme
Veggie Mexico Pizza
Cheese Quesadilla
Power Menu Bowl - Veggie
Breakfast
Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito Potato
Breakfast Quesadilla Veggie
Hash Brown
Sides
Chips and Nacho Cheese Sauce
Cheesy Roll Up
Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes
Black Beans
Black Beans and Rice
Pintos N Cheese
Cinnamon Twists
Cinnabon Delights
Wendy’s
As ubiquitous as Wendy’s is, it’s surprising they haven’t tries to create any vegetarian entrée options. The only non-side they currently have is their French toast sticks from their breakfast menu.
The one thing Wendy’s does have going for it, though, is their baked potatoes. As long as you avoid the bacon, you can load one or two of these up and get a pretty filling meal.
Entrées
No vegetarian entrées
Breakfast
Homestyle French Toast Sticks
Sides
French Fries
Garlic Fries
Cheese Fries
Seasoned Potatoes
Sour Cream and Chive Baked Potato
Cheese Baked Potato
Plain Baked Potato
Apple Bites
Oatmeal Bar
Honey Butter Biscuit
Whataburger
If you’re visiting this iconic Texas-based restaurant as a vegetarian, your best bet will always be to order a salad and ask them to hold the chicken. Their Potato Taquito is also great if you can get your hands on it.
Entrées
Cobb Salad with no chicken
Garden Salad with no chicken
Apple & Cranberry Salad with no chicken
Grilled Cheese
Breakfast
Potato Taquito with Cheese
Egg Sandwich
Egg and Cheese Biscuit
Pancakes
Biscuit
Sides
Apple Slices
French Fries
Onion Rings
Cinnamon Roll
Hash Brown Sticks
Zaxby’s
Our last item on this alphabetical list is pretty representative of most fast food restaurants. Nearly all of their options are meat-centric and their meat-free options seem to be an afterthought. Their sides don’t quite add up to a full meal, but at least you won’t be starving if you do end up here.
Entrées
The Cobb Zalad with no chicken
The House Zalad with no chicken
Kiddie Cheese
Sides
Fried White Cheddar Bites
Fried Pickles
Crinkle Fries
Coleslaw
Basket of Texas Toast
Other Notable Mentions for Eating Meatless
Pizza
Pizza is one of the easiest fast food choices for vegetarians because a cheese pizza is already a delicious meal. Throw some veggies on there and you have yourself a feast.
Look out for major pizza chains like Domino’s, Little Caesars, Papa John’s, and Pizza Hut — or go out of your way to support a local pizza shop.
Sandwiches
Sandwiches are another easy option, with great chains like Jimmy John’s, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and Subway all over the country. Any pre-made sandwich can be made vegetarian by simply asking for no-meat — but there are countless ways you can load up your own sandwich full of delicious veggies.
Local Restaurants
Don’t be afraid to drive a few minutes off the beaten path to track down a local restaurant. The money you spend will stay right in the local community — and they might even be more receptive to substitution requests.
Grocery Store
If you’re on a road trip or visiting an unfamiliar town, you’re not exclusively limited to the standard national fast food restaurants. Don’t be afraid to drive a little bit out of your way to a grocery store and put together your own vegetarian or vegan meal with a few ingredients. (Here’s a grocery list of vegan foods!) It’s not as convenient, but you’ll end up with total control.
Vegan and Vegetarian Fast-Food Chains
In recent years, the U.S. has seen a rise in fast-casual restaurants that cater to vegetarians. Fast food joints like Native Foods, Next Level Burger, and Veggie Grill are popping up across the country and are helping more folks consider how delicious a plant-based meal can be.
If you’re exploring the east coast or west coast, consider looking for some of these regional chains.
Choosing Plant-Based Can Make a Difference in the Restaurant Industry
I do want to add one closing note: Choosing to eat vegetarian at fast food restaurants matters. Every individual action we take makes a difference for animals and the planet — but they’re exponentially more impactful when they cause multinational corporations to change.
McDonald’s is alone the world’s biggest purchaser of beef and the second biggest buyer of chicken — after KFC. And the meat industry has a chokehold on the fast food industry.
Consumer pressure is the only thing that will force the largest meat producers in the world to shift their strategies. When delicious, convenient meat-free options become more available, more non-vegetarians will choose to eat them. And then the cycle continues.
Reward the restaurants that have already gone out of their way to create amazing plant-based options — and demand that others companies follow suit.
