Looking for PJ’s Coffee vegetarian options? The New Orleans-born coffeehouse keeps most of its menu meat-free by default. Coffee, tea, pastries, beignets, and oatmeal all work for vegetarians. Every sandwich on the food menu comes loaded with meat. If you’re wondering what about the vegetarians ordering at PJ’s, here’s the full picture before you order.
A Quick Look at PJ’s Coffee
Phyllis Jordan opened the first PJ’s Coffee in September 1978 in the Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans, and the initials in the name are hers. The chain built a loyal Southern following before Jordan sold it to the Atlanta firm Raving Brands in 2002. Ownership came back home in 2008. New Orleans Brew, LLC bought the company back and moved headquarters to New Orleans. The Ballard family, Paul, Steven, and Scotty Ballard, runs it under their Ballard Brands umbrella.
PJ’s Coffee has stuck to roughly 190 to 200 US locations for the past couple of years, with 192 confirmed as of September 2025. Some franchise-data aggregators now list figures over 300. That tracks with a real 2026 growth push. PJ’s signed a seven-store partnership with Estepp Energy to add kiosks and cafes at Kentucky travel centers near Lexington, and it announced a Florida expansion this year. Whichever count you use, PJ’s is still a regional player next to Starbucks or Dunkin. It’s concentrated in Louisiana and the Gulf South, with a growing footprint of campus and travel-center locations.
Ballard Brands, the company behind PJ’s, also runs the Wow Cafe & Wingery concept out of Covington, Louisiana, and franchises several PJ’s locations directly. On the nutrition side, PJ’s partners with the Ochsner Health system on an “Eat Fit” label. It flags lower-sugar, lower-fat drinks across the menu, things like unsweetened iced tea, skim milk lattes, and sugar-free syrup options. It’s aimed at calorie-conscious customers rather than vegetarians specifically, but it’s a useful filter if you’re also watching added sugar.
PJ’s Coffee Vegetarian Options: What to Order
The table below covers the core PJ’s Coffee menu. Availability varies by store, since PJ’s operates through independent franchisees, so check your local menu before you order.
| Menu Item | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| Drip coffee, espresso, Americano, nitro cold brew, tea | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Italian soda (Monin syrup + sparkling water) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Italian soda with half & half or whipped cream float | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (dairy) |
| Lattes, cappuccinos, mochas (dairy milk) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (dairy) |
| Lattes, cappuccinos, mochas (soy, oat, almond, or coconut milk) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes* |
| Beignets | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (egg, dairy) |
| Muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls, cookies | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (egg, dairy) |
| Croissants (plain, chocolate, strawberry & cream cheese, spinach & feta) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (butter, egg wash) |
| Bagels (plain, unfilled) | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Check (egg wash varies) |
| Modern Oats oatmeal (Apple Walnut, Five Berry) | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Check (milk/topping varies by store) |
| Veggie & Cheese Egg Bites | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (egg, dairy) |
| Bacon & Three Cheese Egg Bites | ❌ No (bacon) | ❌ No |
| Breakfast sandwiches (turkey sausage, bacon, or sausage, egg & cheese) | ❌ No (meat) | ❌ No |
| Club, Cuban, and Turkey & Swiss sandwiches | ❌ No (meat) | ❌ No |
*PJ’s Coffee dropped the extra charge for soy, almond, oat, and coconut milk by the end of 2025, after pressure from PETA. A vegan latte now costs the same as a dairy one.
Coffee and Espresso Drinks
This is where PJ’s Coffee vegetarian options are the easiest call. Black coffee, espresso shots, Americanos, and nitro cold brew are vegan as poured, no substitutions needed. For milk drinks, order any latte, cappuccino, or mocha with soy, oat, almond, or coconut milk to make it fully vegan. PJ’s menu splits into hot, iced, frozen, and caffeine-free categories. Most specialty drinks come in both hot and iced versions, with flavored syrups like vanilla and caramel.
The seasonal Honey Oat Milk Latte is a good vegetarian pick if you’re fine with honey. Oat milk plus honey sweetener skips dairy, but it isn’t strictly vegan. PJ’s also pours Italian sodas, sweet Monin flavored syrup mixed with sparkling water over ice. Ordered plain, they’re vegan. Add a half and half or whipped cream float, and they turn vegetarian only. PJ’s also sells a pure chicory root blend at retail, a nod to the New Orleans tradition of stretching coffee with roasted chicory root during Civil War-era shortages. It’s naturally caffeine-free, if that’s part of what you’re looking for. If you want a wider variety of flavors without dairy, ask first. Flavored syrups and cream soda bases can vary by season and by location.
Pastries and Beignets
PJ’s bakes muffins, croissants, scones, cinnamon rolls, and cookies in house daily, and all of them are vegetarian. The croissant lineup includes butter, chocolate, strawberry and cream cheese, and spinach and feta versions, all egg- and dairy-based rather than meat. The New Orleans beignet, PJ’s signature item, is a fried dough pastry dusted with powdered sugar. It’s vegetarian, but not vegan, since the batter uses egg and dairy. None of PJ’s official materials confirm the fryer oil is shared with any meat item, so if cross-contact matters to you, ask before you order.
Egg Bites, Oatmeal, and Grab-and-Go
The Veggie & Cheese Egg Bites (farm-fresh egg whites, butter, cottage, Monterey Jack, and Gouda) are vegetarian and meat-free. They’re a solid protein option if the pastry case doesn’t cut it. Skip the Bacon & Three Cheese version, which adds real bacon. Modern Oats oatmeal, in Apple Walnut and Five Berry, is vegetarian by default. Ask for it made with water or a non-dairy milk if you want it vegan. Preparation can vary by store.
Sandwiches
This is the one category where PJ’s Coffee comes up short. Every breakfast sandwich (turkey sausage, bacon, or sausage with egg and cheese) is built around meat. So is every lunch sandwich, the Club, the Cuban, and the Turkey & Swiss. There’s no vegetarian sandwich on the standard menu. If you want something more filling than a pastry, stack a bagel with cream cheese from the counter. Or ask if a location will build a plain egg and cheese sandwich without the meat.
What’s Vegan at PJ’s Coffee?
The vegan list at PJ’s Coffee is short but real. Black coffee, espresso, Americanos, nitro cold brew, and hot or iced teas are vegan as-is, and that selection covers most of the beverage menu. Any latte, cappuccino, or mocha becomes vegan when you swap in soy, oat, almond, or coconut milk. PJ’s stopped charging extra for that swap by the end of 2025. Beyond drinks, there’s no confirmed vegan food item on the menu. Every pastry and the beignets use egg and dairy. The oatmeal’s vegan status depends on how your local store prepares it, so ask before you order.
Special Dietary Requirements and Allergies
PJ’s Coffee is a franchise system. Its full allergen and ingredient PDF wasn’t accessible when this guide was researched, so treat these as general cautions rather than guarantees. Croissants, bagels, and some pastries can carry an egg wash brushed on before baking, which matters for strict vegetarians who avoid all egg products. Beignets and most baked goods contain wheat, egg, and dairy, so they’re not options for anyone with those allergies. PJ’s hasn’t published a gluten-free bakery item either. There’s no confirmed gluten-free option beyond black coffee and plain tea. Check with staff about shared prep surfaces between the meat sandwiches and the vegetarian pastries and egg bites if cross-contact is a concern. Confirm ingredient details with your local store, since menus and suppliers can vary by franchisee.
Because PJ’s is franchised, the pastry supplier and even the sandwich lineup can differ. A standalone New Orleans cafe, a campus location, and a newer travel-center kiosk won’t always match. If you have a serious allergy, don’t rely on a menu board alone. Ask a barista directly, and when in doubt, stick to drinks, since the beverage ingredients are the most consistent part of the menu across locations.
Tips for Vegetarians at PJ’s Coffee
- Order any latte or mocha with soy, oat, almond, or coconut milk at no extra charge, PJ’s dropped the vegan-milk upcharge in 2025.
- Pair a croissant or muffin with the Veggie & Cheese Egg Bites if you want more than a pastry for breakfast.
- Skip the sandwich case entirely. Every prebuilt sandwich at PJ’s Coffee contains meat.
- Ask before ordering a beignet if you’re avoiding shared fryer oil, PJ’s hasn’t published fryer-sharing details.
- Check with your specific location before assuming oatmeal is vegan. Store-level prep varies.
- Look for the Honey Oat Milk Latte on the seasonal menu if you want a dairy-free option that isn’t strictly vegan.
- Try an Eat Fit-labeled drink, like an unsweetened iced tea or a skim milk latte, if you’re also watching added sugar alongside eating vegetarian.
- Call ahead if you’re visiting a travel-center or kiosk location, since smaller-format sites may carry a shorter pastry case than a full cafe.
Conclusion
PJ’s Coffee vegetarian options are easy to find at the counter and coffee bar, harder to find in the sandwich case. Stick to the drinks, pastries, beignets, and egg bites and you’re covered, but skip the prebuilt sandwiches entirely if you don’t eat meat. For more on eating out without meat, check our guide to eating vegetarian and vegan at restaurants. Browse the full restaurant guide list, or see what’s vegetarian at Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Caribou Coffee.
