Whether you’re short on time or away from home, fast food can be convenient. Luckily, vegan fast food options are popping up more & more.
This means even more plant-based options, even in unlikely places.
I love a 100% plant-based restaurant as much as the next vegan.
Few things make me happier than opening up a menu & being able to order anything on it.
But in some towns, vegan restaurants don’t exist.
You pull up Happy Cow, and the phone almost starts smoking for lack of options.
In those cases, it’s lucky indeed to know that vegan fast food options are starting to spread.
When you’re starving and in Middle of Nowhere, Farm Country, it’s nice to have nationwide chains with plant-based menu options to fill the gap.
Here are some vegan fast food options.
Keep in mind that restaurants change their menus. Also, what’s available in one part of the country may not be in another.
Chipotle
Vegan options abound at Chipotle with black & pinto beans, fajita vegetables, rice, salsa, guacamole, and their beloved tofu sofritas.
The pleasantly spiced organic tofu makes a meal there all the more satiating and flavorful.
My standard order is a set of three hard shell tacos. But you can also get any of your preferred ingredients in a bowl or burrito.
Burger King
Even when you’re in a small town, you can likely find a meatless burger, thanks to the Impossible Whopper at Burger King.
They have over 7,000 locations for you to grab a burger and fries. Just request no mayo.
Other plant-based options include oatmeal, hash browns, and Dutch apple pie.
White Castle
If you prefer your burgers in slider form, drive on up to White Castle.
They offer the Impossible slider or a veggie slider on mini buns.
Order without cheese – unless you live in New Jersey or NYC, where dairy-free cheddar is available.
Fill out the meal with french fries or applesauce.
Dairy Queen
Need a cold, sweet treat?
At select locations of Dairy Queen they offer Dilly Bars made with coconut milk ice cream. It’s covered in a crunchy chocolate coating.
Bonus: It’s also gluten-free.
Baskin Robbins
Baskin Robbins has had a non-dairy option on the menu for as long as I can remember with their Daiquiri ice.
But now dairy-free consumers have more options with non-dairy mint chocochunk, cookies ‘n’ creme, and lemon sorbet.
Order your scoop in a cake cone or cup. The sugar cones contain honey, and the waffle cones contain dairy.
Blaze Pizza
The set-up at Blaze Pizza 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.)
The pizzas are cooked in a brick oven for 180 seconds and served with blackened crisp edges.
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.
The classic red and spicy red sauces are vegan along with the barbecue sauce or olive oil.
They also offer Daiya vegan cheese and vegan chorizo.
The chorizo is reminiscent of Trader Joe’s soy chorizo.
Other vegan topping options include: artichokes, arugula, banana peppers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, jalapeños, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, red onions, red peppers, sautéed onions, spinach, vegan chorizo, and zucchini.
Moe’s Southwest Grill
In addition to your standard beans and rice, tofu is on the menu at Moe’s Southwest Grill.
It can be added to tacos, salads, nachos, burritos, and fajitas.
The marinated tofu is on the bland side. But it’s still nice to have the option when beans just aren’t enough.
They also have crunch wraps, which they call stacks.
Although non-dairy cheese is usually the “glue” for the stacks, it seals just fine without it.
I had mine with beans, tofu, salsa, guacamole, olives, cilantro, and jalapeños.
Noodles & Company
Noodles & Company is a fast casual chain that’s similar in tone to Panera or Baja Fresh.
They have one option on the menu that’s vegan without substitutions – Japanese pan noodles.
It’s made with udon noodles, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms in a sweet soy sauce.
For an extra bump of protein, you can add tofu to any dish.
They also have several menu items that can be prepared vegan with a few substitutions.
To see all of those, check out my vegan Noodles and Company post.
Your Pie
Your Pie is a franchise with over 70 locations in the United States. It’s basically the Chipotle of pizza places, similar to Blaze Pizza.
At the counter, you simply point out the ingredients you’d like to be added to your white or wheat crust. Then it’s quickly cooked in a brick oven.
In addition to non-vegan ingredients, they offer vegan cheese and plant-based sausage. (The vegan sausage has an additional $1 up charge.)
The pizza is delicious, and goes well with one of the craft brews they have on tap.
Portillo’s
For a 50’s-inspired fast food experience, check out Portillo’s.
This Chicago-style hot dog chain has locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin.
(I even made this cute Instagram reel about it!)
Known for their retro motif, records, vintage ads, and old timey toys decorate the walls.
Vegans can satisfy their hunger with a plant-based garden dog.
A smoky Field Roast frankfurter is topped with mustard, relish, celery salt, onions, tomatoes, pickles, and peppers on a poppy seed bun.
Very tasty!
Be aware that the fries at Portillo’s are cooked in a beef tallow & vegetable oil blend. So you’ll want to skip those for a vegan meal.
Some folks recommend getting potato chips instead, but not all locations doesn’t offer them.
Panda Express
If you find yourself at a mall food court, no worries. You can find a meal at Panda Express.
They have a number of plant-based options including:
- Chow mein
- Vegetable spring rolls
- Super greens
- Eggplant tofu (Availability varies)
- White or brown rice
Beyond orange chicken is also back at some locations for a limited time.
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is the O.G. in terms of vegan options at fast food restaurants.
Order “fresco style” to replace cheese, sour cream, and ranch sauce with pico de gallo.
Here’s what to order:
- Black bean crunchwrap without sour cream & nacho cheese sauce
- Bean burrito fresco style
- Power bowl without sour cream or ranch sauce
- Crunchy or soft taco, sub beans for beef
- Black beans & rice
- Cinnamon twists
Insomnia Cookies
Have a problem that a warm cookie would solve?
Drop by Insomnia Cookies, a bakery chain with over 200 locations.
They have several different vegan cookie options – including vegan birthday cake, vegan chocolate chunk, and vegan double chocolate chunk. (Options may vary by location.)
As you might have guessed by the name, they’re open very late for night owls & partygoers.
That’s good news if you get a midnight cookie craving.
Starbucks
If you need a vegan breakfast option, Starbucks has oatmeal to go with your soy, coconut, or almond milk latte.
They offer classic and blueberry oatmeal.
They pour hot water on instant oatmeal. Then you let it sit while covered for 3 minutes.
After that, you can pour on any toppings you like – dried fruit, nuts, and/or brown sugar.
It’s a substantive option that’s handy when you can’t make a full breakfast at home.
Starbucks also offers vegan bagels, as well as avocado spread or nut butter 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.
Depending on the city, some of the refrigerated boxes are vegan like chickpea bites & avocado protein box, fruit salad, and lentils & vegetable protein bowl. Options vary by location.
Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
If hunger strikes at the mall, look no further than Auntie Anne’s Pretzels.
Simply order any of the following without butter: original, cinnamon sugar, sweet almond, garlic, jalapeño, or raisin pretzels.
Note that you will have to wait about five minutes while it’s made fresh, but that’s a feature not a bug.
For a dipping sauce, I like to use a packet of mustard.
(Obviously I don’t recommend that for any of the sweet pretzels. Haha!)
Peet’s
Peet’s recently added a vegan breakfast sandwich to the menu with Just Egg, non-dairy cheddar, and Beyond Sausage on a toasted everything bagel thin.
Complete the meal with a soy latte.
Bruegger’s Bagels
Lots of the bagels at Bruegger’s are vegan. My favorite is rosemary olive oil.
Other vegan bagel options include: blueberry, onion, poppy, sesame, chocolate chip, cinnamon sugar, garlic, 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.
For a short time, Bruegger’s offered Daiya non-dairy cream cheese. Sadly, they have since taken it off the menu.
For non-dairy spread options, they have hummus or peanut butter.
Neither is particularly inspiring.
I recommend picking up bagels and then using your own vegan cream cheese at home.
Or use the bagels in vegan pizza bagels, a vegan bagel sandwich with hummus, or a vegan breakfast sandwich with eggy tofu & sausage.
Content updated October 17, 2024. Originally posted September 30, 2016.
Jojo
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
Excellent! I hope it’s useful on your next adventure, Jojo!
KZ
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
“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.
Kris
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
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.
Sarah
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
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!
Melissa @ Vegan Huggs
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
Thanks, Melissa! I’m glad it was helpful.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
This is a great article! I love Sharky’s. There’s one in walking distance from my house!
Cadry
Oh, lucky lady!
Ginny
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
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.
Jenn
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
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!
Bianca
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
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.
Shauna
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
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.
Dianne
Such great options! I keep hearing good things about Blaze Pizza. I need to check it out!
Cadry
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.
Erin Hack
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
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.
Christa
The pinto beans at Chipotle aren’t vegan, they have pork in them, I believe.
Cadry
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
They used to have pork in them, but Chipotle made them vegan a few years ago.
VeganLinda
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.