Looking for Which Wich vegetarian options? You have five on the official Vegetarian menu: Caprese, Hummus, Tomato Avocado, Black Bean Patty and Triple Cheese. The chain itself calls the black bean patty vegan. Below you’ll find what to order, what to skip and where the catches hide. The What’s Vegetarian homepage covers more chains.
A Quick Look at Which Wich
Restaurateur Jeff Sinelli, who also ran Genghis Grill, opened the first Which Wich in downtown Dallas in 2003. The chain began franchising in 2005, according to Wikipedia. The company is private and franchise-based, and its FAQ says each store has an independent owner and operator.
The ordering system is the hook. You mark up a paper sandwich bag with a red Sharpie, picking the sandwich, bread, cheese, spreads and toppings. The kitchen builds it and hands it back in the bag you decorated. The chain’s site also offers online ordering and an app.
Wikipedia counted 168 locations in 27 states and the District of Columbia as of 2022. Its editors have since added a note that the company downsized, and I couldn’t find a current count from Which Wich itself. Use the store locator at whichwich.com before you drive anywhere.
Which Wich Vegetarian Options: What to Order
The menu page lists a Vegetarian section with five sandwiches. The chain’s allergen chart lists the major allergens in each one, and its FAQ spells out which ingredients are vegan. The table below uses those two documents and nothing else. Anything the documents don’t settle gets a ⚠️.
| Menu Item | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bean Patty wich | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes* (the chain’s FAQ calls the patty vegan, on white bread) |
| Tomato Avocado wich | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Check (tomatoes and avocado are on the vegan list, the spreads you add matter) |
| Hummus wich | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Check (chart shows sesame and soy, no milk or egg, but hummus isn’t on the vegan list) |
| Caprese wich | ⚠️ Check (cheese may carry animal rennet) | ❌ No (milk) |
| Triple Cheese Please wich | ⚠️ Check (cheese may carry animal rennet) | ❌ No (milk) |
| Veggie & Egg breakfast wich | ⚠️ Check (chart lists egg and milk, no ingredient list) | ❌ No (egg and milk) |
| PB&JWich | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Check (peanut butter and grape jelly are on the vegan list, the bread decides it) |
*Vegan on white bread with vegan toppings. The chain tells you to confirm with the manager before you order, because ingredients change by location.
The Five Vegetarian Sandwiches
Black Bean Patty
This is the safest pick. The chain’s FAQ says the black bean patty is vegan and lists the ingredients: black beans, brown rice, textured soy protein, green chiles, corn, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, chipotle paste and spices, among others. The allergen chart flags soy and wheat. The chain’s nutrition PDF lists the regular size at 450 calories on white bread.
Tomato Avocado
Tomato and avocado both appear on the chain’s vegan toppings list, and the allergen chart lists none of the nine allergens it tracks for this sandwich. The regular size runs 420 calories on white bread. You pick the spread. Choose oil, Dijon or deli mustard, or salt and pepper if you want to keep it vegan.
Hummus
The hummus wich shows sesame and soy on the chart, with no milk or egg. The chain’s vegan list doesn’t name hummus, so ask the store before you call it vegan. The regular size is 420 calories on white bread.
Caprese and Triple Cheese Please
Both contain milk. The chain’s FAQ also warns that its cheese may contain animal rennet, and its fix is to leave the cheese off. That doesn’t help much on a cheese sandwich. If rennet matters to you, skip these two and order another wich without cheese. Neither sandwich works for vegans.
Build Your Own Meatless Wich
You aren’t limited to the Vegetarian section. The system lets you build anything, so you can start from a bread and stack toppings. The chain’s guest relations team keeps a binder of ingredient details and answers by phone or through the contact form on its site.
Start with a base. White bread is vegan per the FAQ. Wheat bread isn’t vegan because it contains honey. A Bowlwich or Lettucewich skips bread, and the chart lists no allergens for either. The Wrapwich lists soy and wheat.
Then pick toppings. The vegan list names these:
- Hot pepper mix
- Dijon and deli mustards
- Red onions
- Lettuce, tomatoes, banana peppers, bell peppers, black olives, pickles, cucumbers and jalapeños
- Oil, pepper and salt
- Peanut butter, grape jelly and chips (the chain calls these write-ins)
- Avocado
Cheeses, mayo, ranch, pesto, tzatziki and parmesan carry milk, egg or both on the chart. Honey mustard lists egg. Coleslaw lists egg. Crispy onion strings list wheat.
| Menu Item | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese (American, cheddar, Swiss, provolone, mozzarella, pepper jack, blue, Cheez Whiz) | ⚠️ Check (no rennet source listed) | ❌ No (milk) |
| Mayo (regular, light, spicy, horseradish) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (egg) |
| Honey mustard | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (egg) |
| Hot pepper mix, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Hummus spread | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Check (not on the vegan list) |
| Pesto, parmesan | ⚠️ Check (no rennet source listed) | ❌ No (milk) |
| Chips | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (listed as a write-in) |
| French fries | ⚠️ Check (no fryer oil listed) | ⚠️ Check (not on the vegan list) |
Sides, Sweets and Shakes
The chart lists no allergens for the French fries, but it doesn’t name the fryer oil either. Ask the store whether it fries anything else in the same oil. The Courtney’s Cookie lists egg, milk, soy, tree nuts and wheat, so it works for vegetarians and not for vegans. The shakes (banana, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, Oreo and Courtney’s Cookie) all list milk. Same answer: vegetarian yes, vegan no.
What’s Vegan at Which Wich?
Vegans have a real path here, though it’s a short one. The chain says its black bean patty and its white bread are vegan, and it publishes a list of vegan toppings (see above). Put a patty on white bread, add avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, onions and a mustard, and you have a meal with no animal ingredients on the chain’s own list.
The chain adds a caution to that list. It calls the list a guideline, says ingredients change and tells you to consult the manager before you order. Take that seriously. The chain doesn’t confirm hummus, the Tomato Avocado spreads or the fries as vegan, so they get a ⚠️ here.
Special Dietary Requirements and Allergies
The chain publishes a common-allergens chart covering egg, fish, milk, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat. Read it for your own sandwich, because the chart lists the sandwiches without the bread. Add the bread’s allergens to the sandwich’s. White and wheat bread both list wheat.
The seafood sandwiches (Cali Roll, Krab Salad, Land & Sea, Tuna Melt, Tuna Salad) list fish, and the Cali Roll, Krab Salad and Land & Sea also list shellfish. The chain doesn’t publish its cross-contact practices in the documents I read, so treat shared slicers, gloves and prep surfaces as unknown and ask.
The chain doesn’t offer gluten-free bread, according to its FAQ. It does link to a list of gluten-free menu items from that FAQ. The wheat bread contains honey, so skip it if you’re vegan.
Tips for Vegetarians at Which Wich
- Order the Black Bean Patty if you want the least guesswork. The chain calls it vegan.
- Pick white bread for a vegan build and a Bowlwich or Lettucewich for no bread at all.
- Say “no cheese” if animal rennet bothers you. The FAQ says stores will make your sandwich without it.
- Skip the Wicked. The company’s FAQ says outright that it’s out for vegetarians.
- Ask the staff to change gloves before they build your sandwich, since Which Wich also serves bacon, tuna and turkey.
- Check the nutrition PDF at whichwich.com/pdf/WW-Nutritional-Info.pdf before you order a large or super size. Calories climb fast.
- Call the guest relations team with ingredient questions. The FAQ says they keep a binder.
Conclusion
Which Wich gives you five vegetarian sandwiches and a build-your-own bag that goes further. The black bean patty on white bread is the easy vegan answer. Cheese and spreads are where you need to ask. For the full playbook, read our guide to eating vegetarian and vegan at restaurants and browse the restaurant guides.
Want another sandwich chain? Try What’s Vegetarian at Subway, What’s Vegetarian at Jersey Mike’s or What’s Vegetarian at Firehouse Subs.
