Looking for vegetarian options at restaurants? In short, this is the full list. We’ve checked the menus at more than 100 popular U.S. chains and sorted every item into vegetarian, vegan, or “ask first.” Pick a restaurant below to see exactly what to order, what to skip, and how to make it vegan.
Find vegetarian options at restaurants A to Z
To start, each restaurant below links to a full guide. Inside, you’ll find a menu table that marks each item vegetarian or vegan, the hidden catches to watch for (like lard in the beans or anchovy in the dressing), and our best meatless order. The list is alphabetical, so jump to the chain you need.
143 restaurant guides and counting, listed A–Z.
What counts as a vegetarian option?
First, a vegetarian option has no meat, poultry, or fish. That includes veggie burgers, bean burritos, cheese pizza, salads, and build-your-own bowls. A vegan option goes further and drops dairy, eggs, and honey too. Throughout these guides, we flag both, because a cheese quesadilla is vegetarian but it isn’t vegan.
Here’s the catch most lists miss: a dish can look meatless and still hide animal ingredients. Refried beans are sometimes cooked in lard. Fries can share a fryer with chicken. Caesar dressing usually has anchovy, and many soups start with chicken broth. So every guide calls out these traps by name.
Best restaurants with vegetarian options
Of course, some menus are easier than others. As a rule, build-your-own spots and global cuisines give vegetarians the most to work with:
- Mexican and Tex-Mex (Chipotle, Qdoba, Taco Bell, Moe’s): bean and veggie burritos, bowls, and tacos are easy to build meatless.
- Pizza and Italian (Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Olive Garden, Fazoli’s): cheese and veggie pizzas, plus pasta with marinara.
- Coffee and bakery (Starbucks, Dunkin’, Panera): oatmeal, bagels, and plant-milk drinks are almost always safe.
- Burgers and fast food (Burger King, White Castle, Shake Shack): many now carry a veggie or Impossible patty.
- Salad and bowl chains (Sweetgreen, Chipotle, Panera): the most flexible of all, with vegan dressings and toppings.
Meanwhile, steakhouses and seafood spots are the hardest, but even there you’ll usually find sides, salads, and a baked potato. For the full breakdown, open any guide in the list above.
How to order vegetarian at any restaurant
When a menu isn’t clear, a few habits keep you covered. First, tell your server you eat vegetarian or vegan. Then ask two questions: is anything cooked in a shared fryer, and does the sauce or soup contain meat, broth, or fish? Finally, ask for simple swaps, like no cheese or beans instead of meat. Most kitchens are happy to help.
For more on label terms and hidden ingredients, the USDA’s guide to protein foods and Harvard’s Nutrition Source on vegetarian and vegan diets are both worth a read.