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Today I’m sharing five fast food chains with vegan options. It’s terrific that even non-vegan chains have started offering more vegan fast food options.
Over the years, vegan fast food options have spread like creamy avocado on toast.
Places like Native Foods and Veggie Grill are exclusively vegan. And they’re popping up in larger cities. It’s so refreshing to see long-lines and busy dining areas in 100% vegan fast food chains.
Vegan fast food
Sadly, places like that aren’t in business everywhere yet. But luckily, even non-vegan chains have started offering more vegan fast food options.
That’s good news for the rest of us living in areas with limited options or when we are on the road in small towns.
Today I’m sharing five fast food chains that have vegan options.
This list is not at all comprehensive. There are plenty more options out there. But these are the places that I personally frequent on occasion.
Chipotle Mexican Grill
It took a long time for me to come around to Chipotle. When I first heard about it, I was living in Los Angeles, home of the burrito. And I didn’t ache for a fast food Mexican chain.
(And if I did, I would have opted for Sharky’s Wood-fired Mexican Grill, where they make lots of tasty organic and vegan options. Unfortunately, they only have one location outside of California. And it’s not where I live.)
Even after the tofu sofritas at Chipotle started getting a lot of press, I wasn’t in a huge hurry to get there.
Then one day David and I were bored of all of our options in Iowa and decided to give it a chance. We ordered hard shell tacos with the tofu sofritas, black beans, salsa, and fajita vegetables. Color me impressed!
The sofritas are made with organic tofu and have a nice hit of spice to them. The grilled vegetables elevate the tacos a bit.
Any time that chains in general and taco places in particular give something specific for vegans that isn’t just “accidentally vegan,” I really appreciate it.
I mean, I like a bean and rice burrito just as much as the next person. But it’s nice to have something that isn’t just a reductionist burrito.
I also like that they display “vegan” right on their menu board.
Along with hard shell tacos, the burritos and bowls can also be made vegan. I like the crunch of a hard shell. But they can get a little overly wet sometimes, because of the liquid in the sofritas and beans. Add some rice if you fear a soggy shell.
You’re good to go with any of these vegan items: soft & hard tortillas, white & brown rice, black & pinto beans, fajita vegetables, sofritas, all salsas, chips, and guacamole.
Bruegger’s Bagels
Fun fact: The first bagel that I ever had was from Bruegger’s. When I was in college, professors would regularly bring them in to class as an incentive.
I don’t know how I’d gone 18 years being bagel free, but that changed with the entrance of Bruegger’s to my life.
Since they were my first bagels, I find them completely adequate. However, don’t set your hopes too high with their tagline about being New York-style bagels.
Or maybe put the emphasis on style. These are the bagels that you eat when you’re closer to Town Square than Times Square.
Bruegger’s has about 300 locations in 26 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada.
Lots of the bagels at Bruegger’s are vegan. My go-to choice is rosemary olive oil, but I occasionally drift to an onion bagel for a change of pace. David usually buys poppy or sesame.
You’re good to go with any of these vegan bagel options: Blueberry, chocolate chip, cinnamon sugar, garlic, onion, poppy, rosemary olive oil, sesame, pumpkin, Bruegger bites, cranberry orange, everything, plain, pumpernickel, salt, and sun-dried tomato.
Steer clear of these non-vegan options: Cinnamon raisin, French toast, 12 grain, egg, whole wheat, 5 grain everything, Asiago parmesan, and jalapeño cheddar.
Bruegger’s recently started offering non-dairy cream cheese! They offer Daiya cream cheese for their bagels.
They also offer hummus as a vegan spread option. However, I don’t recommend it.
I tend to think of hummus as something that’s tough to mess up, but they do it. It’s edible, but pasty & bland. (The oil free hummus shown above was homemade.)
While you’re at Bruegger’s, pick up some bagels to go to make air fryer bagel pizzas, a vegan bagel sandwich, and a vegan breakfast sandwich with eggy tofu & sausage.
Starbucks
In small town America, vegan breakfast options are elusive, and not every coffee shop carries non-dairy milk. So it’s handy that there is a way to caffeinate and break your fast at Starbuck’s.
I usually order a soy misto with extra soy or a soy latte. (They also offer coconut milk and almond milk if you are so inclined.)
Tip: It has been my experience that if you can find a way to say the word “soy” twice to the barista, you’re less likely to end up with cow’s milk in your cup. Somehow just once doesn’t always register. So I always say, “Soy misto with extra soy, please.”
Also if you like extra soy action like I do, you can get more beverage for your money by ordering a grande in a venti cup. Usually, they’ll fill it the whole way.
But what about food?
The best draw food-wise is the oatmeal. They offer classic, my preferred choice, and blueberry.
They pour hot water on instant oatmeal. And you just let it sit while covered for three minutes. Then you can pour on any toppings that you like – dried fruit, nuts, and/or brown sugar.
I rarely make oatmeal at home, but this substantive option is great on the road when lunch is still a few hours off.
Other vegan fast food options?
Starbucks offers vegan bagels, as well as avocado spread that can be used as a topping. Starbucks’ vegan bagels include sprouted grain, plain, raisin, and blueberry.
They also have some packaged items like potato chips, dried fruit, nuts, and the like. Options vary by location.
Blaze Pizza
Blaze Pizza is a California-based chain that is spreading across the country.
There are roughly 145 restaurants in 31 states and Canada. They have a location in Des Moines and Iowa City.
They invited me to come out for a free pizza to give it a whirl. The set-up is similar to Chipotle, where a pizza maker behind the counter slides down a row of toppings with you, asking which ones you’d like on your individual pizza. (Depending on your appetite, one pizza could serve two.)
What to order:
Both the traditional & gluten free crusts are vegan. You can go with the thin crust or high-rise for a little extra, which gives a more pillowy crust.
David went with the extra dough, and that would be my choice next time. It had more chew to it.
The classic red and spicy red sauces are vegan along with the barbecue sauce or olive oil. They also offer Daiya vegan cheese if you roll that way. (I prefer to go cheeseless.)
Their vegetable topping options include: artichokes, arugula, banana peppers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, chopped garlic, fresh basil, jalapenos, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, red onions, red peppers, sautéed onions, spinach, and zucchini.
The pizzas are then cooked in a brick oven for 180 seconds and served with blackened crisp edges.
Noodles & Company
I wrote about the vegan options at Noodles & Company several years ago. It’s still one of my most popular posts.
Noodles & Company is a fast casual chain that’s similar in tone to Panera or Baja Fresh. They have a few vegan fast food options. However, there used to be more.
They kept my favorite option – Japanese pan noodles with udon noodles, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms in a sweet soy sauce.
Their current vegan options include:
Japanese pan noodles, tossed green side salad with balsamic vinaigrette, penne rosa without cream and cheese, spaghetti marinara without cheese, pasta fresca without cheese & cream, Thai green curry without shrimp, spicy Korean beef noodles without beef & replacing ramen with udon noodles, and zucchini romesco without cream & cheese.
You can add organic tofu to any option for a couple dollars more. So I usually get a small order with added tofu, and I find that’s plenty filling for one.
Zucchini noodles were also recently added to their line-up. They can be used in any dish (instead of other noodles) for an additional charge.
I tried the Thai green curry recently, which is one of their new options. I had it with tofu instead of shrimp.
The flavor was pretty one note. And the pineapple in the dish felt incongruous. Also, I’d opt for a different type of noodle if I were to have it again, because the skinny noodles couldn’t hold the sauce well.
(The thick udon noodles in the Japanese pan noodles would be a better fit.)
It wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t need to order it again.
Christa says
The pinto beans at Chipotle aren’t vegan, they have pork in them, I believe.
Cadry says
They don’t have pork in them. They are vegan. You can see all of the nutritional info and what is vegan here: https://chipotle.com/allergens
Dianne says
They used to have pork in them, but Chipotle made them vegan a few years ago.
VeganLinda says
Years ago the pinto beans at Chipotle weren’t vegan. They are now. Which is one of reasons it is so nice for bloggers to update the chain restaurant vegan options from time to time.
Erin Hack says
Oohhh, Blaze Pizza looks amazing! I’m going to have to check them out the next time I am in Des Moines . Thanks for sharing!
Cadry says
My pleasure, Erin! It’s nice to see Des Moines getting some more options. Plus, Blaze is a good place to go with kids and families.
Dianne says
Such great options! I keep hearing good things about Blaze Pizza. I need to check it out!
Cadry says
Yeah, Blaze is a good quick casual option. I went there with my best friend and her kids, and everyone found something that appealed to them.
Shauna says
I didn’t know that Blaze had thin and thick crust options! Dan doesn’t like crispy/thin crust pizzas so we haven’t made it to Blaze yet…maybe I can convince him now!
Cadry says
I usually like thin/crispy crusts, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much better it was with the extra dough. It just gave it more oomph.
There’s a taco place in the same building that appeared to have some basic black bean/vegetable options. If that was more appealing to Dan, you two could always split up for your orders, and there’s an outside dining area.
Bianca says
I LOVE the tofu sofritas so much! We have two Chipotles here, and both are way out in the burbs so I don’t get there often. But I’d eat there all the time if they were closer.
We don’t have that bagel place around here (never heard of it), but I wish we did! Those bagels all sound awesome. We also don’t have blaze, but there’s an Uncle Maddio’s, another build your own pizza chain, and they also have Daiya (I’m a Daiya pizza eater. The more, the better).
Cadry says
The tofu sofritas are surprisingly good! So often when restaurants are trying to appeal to a wide variety of palates, they tone spices way down to the point of being boring. Plus, so many places are clueless when it comes to tofu. But at Chipotle, they hit the right amount of spice and texture. The taco/burrito options in our town are downright disappointing. So I’m glad there’s somewhere we can go when we want tacos but don’t feel like cooking.
Jenn says
Brueggers!!! Those sun-dried tomato bagels are my favorite. I want one so bad right now! This reminds that we really need to try to get together some time. We aren’t that far from each other…maybe if we could meet somewhere in the middle (not sure there is such a place though..lol). Or the next time you wander over toward the CHI. I still really want to hit up that Pig Foot Brewery (I think it’s called) sometime. Something to think about. 🙂
Cadry says
Oh, yes, the sun-dried tomato bagels are my third choice. I used to get them fairly often, until they got replaced by onion bagels in my personal line-up.
It would be great to meet up sometime! I wonder if LeClaire, Iowa would be about half-way… It’s right on the border between Iowa & Illinois. Pig Minds Brewing is a bit of a jaunt for me, but hopefully I’ll get back there again sometime. And there’s a chance that I may be in Chicago later this fall. I’ll let you know!
Ginny says
This is such a great post. I’ve been wanting to make an organized list of vegan fast food that would help me out when I was on the road. This is a good start. Thanks!
Cadry says
I’m so glad to hear it, Ginny! It’s good to know where you can snag a meal when you’re in areas where options are limited.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
This is a great article! I love Sharky’s. There’s one in walking distance from my house!
Cadry says
Oh, lucky lady!
Melissa @ Vegan Huggs says
This is such a helpful post. It’s so nice that there are so many vegan options now. I especially love Chipotle because it’s much healthier than most fast food chains. I love the sofritas, too 🙂
Cadry says
Thanks, Melissa! I’m glad it was helpful.
Sarah says
Love these ideas! Many, many years ago, long before I was vegan, Bruegger’s Bagels was our weekly lunch stop after church on Sundays. My dad would treat us all to a bagel sandwich and I thought it was the best thing ever. I don’t think they have them on the west coast, but if I’m ever back east I’ll have to check them out again!
Cadry says
I just took a peek at their locations, and there are 19 Bruegger’s locations in Southern California. However, they didn’t make it to the Pacific Northwest. Although, I’m sure you’re at no loss for good bagel places in Seattle!
Kris says
I have been hearing great things about Blaze too and hope to check out Milwaukee location soon. On a somewhat related topic what happened to the news that Native Foods was going to open all those new franchises across the country? I am still impatiently waiting for that to actually happen!
Cadry says
Yeah, unfortunately Native Foods started closing a bunch of locations. They were rapidly spreading, and it seems like they might have done too much, too fast. I haven’t heard anything more about the expansion in about a year. I wouldn’t be surprised if they put the kibosh on that dream – at least for a while.
Emily says
Sad to say, the sofritas at Chipotle aren’t vegan here in Texas. I ate them right after they were introduced and I was extremely ill. I’ve only ever been sick like that when I’ve accidentally consumed meat. Mexican food is very easy to veganzie, unless you live in Texas. They put beef/pork lard in EVERYTHING and that often includes the corn! I’ve had instances where I specifically inquired about the beans, was told they were meat-free and was crazy sick. Had the same problem at Jason’s Deli – their minestrone soup is listed as vegan on their menu, but was very clearly made with chicken broth. I don’t think I’ve ever been in so much pain. It’s the reason I don’t trust Panera or Taco Bell, both of which are supposed to have vegan options. Whenever I’m on the road, I always pack my own lunches. I can do Subway in a pinch.
Cadry says
That sounds terrible! Did you contact Chipotle about your experience? All of their recipes should be the same across the chain. Maybe someone isn’t being very careful about cross contamination. I can totally understand why you’d opt for packing your own lunches instead.
KZ says
Yum I love bagels, especially a pumpernickel one with vegan cream cheese. Dunkin Donuts has almond milk now, so between starbucks and them I feel like I can get a coffee anywhere! Also, a little bit shameful, but vegans of my age group often go to Taco Bell, for a quick and shamefully good “vegan crunchwrap” (sub beans instead of beef no cheese no sour add guac add potatoes). I’m definitely guilty of it when I’m back in my hometown and the pickings are slim.
Cadry says
“Vegans of my age group…” Oh, man! This makes me sound like an old lady! 😀 But seriously, I don’t think there’s anything “shameful” about getting vegan food anywhere. The more demand there is for plant-based options, the more restaurants will provide.
Jojo says
Thanks for the great tips Cadry! I’m sure I’ll be using them on my next road trip. Blaze and Noodles & Company look right up my alley!
Cadry says
Excellent! I hope it’s useful on your next adventure, Jojo!
Valerie says
Great list! I really like Naf Naf Grill, which is like a middle eastern Chipotle concept, with everything clearly marked. http://nafnafgrill.com/allergy.html
Cadry says
Oh, good to know! Thanks for the tip, Valerie. I’ve never seen a Naf Naf Grill, but it looks like they have locations across several states. I’ll keep my eyes open for them the next time I’m traveling.
Etgan says
The pad thai at Noodles is vegan if you hold the eggs
Cadry says
Unfortunately, it’s not. If you check out the nutrition and allergen guide on the Noodles & Company website, the Pad Thai isn’t marked as vegetarian. The allergens listed include shellfish and fish, in addition to eggs. They must use fish sauce in the base.