13 Vegan Fast Food Options—and Our Kids’ Reviews of Each

8.2K

Need a quick (plant-based) bite to eat? Wish you could fly through a drive-thru but not sure which fast food restaurants have vegan options? Or if they taste good?

It’s the worst when you take a gamble on a restaurant, get inside (or pull up to the drive-thru window) only to find there’s zero vegan options on the menu. 

Or discover their lone vegan offering: a garden salad, hold the cheese and ranch dressing.

From vegan fast food burgers and tacos, to sandwiches and pizzas, and drinks and dessert, this list includes our family’s favorite vegan fast food options.

13 Vegan Fast Food Options (and Our Kids’ Honest Reviews)

Let’s start by clarifying what I’m defining as “fast food” for the sake of this post. This list covers both fast-casual (counter service, informal setting) and fast-food establishments. 

What do all of these places have in common?

My family has actually frequented them. 

All the vegan fast food options on this list are places we’ve eaten! And, as an added bonus, I included my three kids’ honest reviews of each restaurant. (You’ve seen reviews like this from my kids in this mindfulness books for kids post.) 

Alright. Are you hungry? Let’s get started so you can order your next meal!

1. Starbucks

Make your Starbucks drink vegan by swapping out the milk for almond, coconut, soy or oat milk (our favorite). Skip the whipped cream, java chips and caramel drizzle. 

Our favorite drinks include the Flat White with oat milk, Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, and the Cinnamon Dolce Latte (with oat milk, no whip and no cinnamon dolce topping). And the kids dig a hot cocoa with plant-based milk.

Vegan food items we’ve tried include the Chickpea Bites & Avocado Protein Box and the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich (with no egg or cheese). Here’s hoping Starbucks adds more vegan foods to their menu soon.

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😐
7-year-old: 😐
3-year-old: 😀

2. Carl’s Jr.

This is one of our family’s go-to fast food restaurants with vegan options. Why? Because Carl’s Jr. was one of the first to offer a vegan burger in our area. 

One of our favorite vegan fast food burgers is the Beyond Famous Star. Made with Beyond Burger Meat, lettuce, tomato, pickles and ketchup, it’s tasty. (Be sure to ask for no mayo or cheese when ordering.)

They used to have a Beyond Breakfast Burrito, but it’s not on the menu at our locations. But the crisscut and regular fries are also vegan! So add some of those to your order.

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😐
3-year-old: 😀

3. Taco Bell

The vegan options at Taco Bell are many. You can sub the meat for black beans and skip the sour cream and cheese and make a lot of menu items plant-based. 

However, our favorites are the Spicy Potato Soft Tacos. Make sure to ask for “Fresco Style” which subs the cheese and chipotle sauce with diced tomatoes. 

Apparently Taco Bell has plans to partner with Beyond Meat to create vegan meat in the future. But in the meantime, if you want dessert, try the cinnamon twists because they’re accidentally vegan!

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😕
7-year-old: 😊
3-year-old: 😊

4. Mod Pizza

When we went vegan, we missed pizza. Sure, we can order it from most pizza places sans cheese. But. Seriously. The cheese is the best part!

Thankfully, MOD came to our rescue with plant-based cheese by Daiya and loads of delicious veggies to pile on vegan crusts (except for the cauliflower crust which contains milk and eggs). They have several vegan finishing sauces to top your pizza with. My only complaint? No plant-based meat options, but supposedly that’s coming soon.

We order dessert from MOD too! Get the accidentally vegan Cinnamon Strips and replace the cinnamon icing with the strawberry glaze for dipping. 

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😕
3-year-old: 😀

5. Del Taco

Similar to Taco Bell, most orders can be made vegan by asking for no sour cream or cheese. And replace the meat with beans or their Beyond Meat. 

The Beyond Meat at Del Taco is awesome. And there are a few vegan fast food options at Del Taco using the plant-based meat.

Our usual order includes the Beyond Guacamole Taco (both hard and soft shell) and extra crispy (well-done) crinkle cut fries. We get the Epic Beyond Fresh Guacamole Burrito occasionally too. 

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😀
3-year-old: 😊

6. Jamba Juice

Want something cold? The plant-based smoothies at Jamba Juice are soooo refreshing! And both smoothies on the kids menu are also vegan!

Our orders usually include the Strawberries Gone Bananas or Blueberry Strawberry Blastoff from the kids menu and the Pomegranate Paradise, Apples ‘N Greens or Greens ‘N Ginger for my husband and I. 

Jamba Juice also has smoothie bowls and the apple-cinnamon pretzel that are vegan. You can veganize other menu items as well, just swap out for any ingredients like honey or dairy.

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😐
3-year-old: 😀

RELATED POSTS
Vegan Food at Disneyland and DCA—for Kids
Heavenly Just Egg Vegan Quiche Recipe
How to Go Vegan: Tips for Vegan Beginners (and Families)

7.  Subway

When you want a sandwich, you probably don’t have to go far to find a Subway. There are over 40,000 in the world as of writing this. 

Not all their breads are vegan though. But the Italian White and 9-Grain Wheat are according to the Allergen Chart on Subway’s website. All the veggies are vegan. Yay! And depending on where you live, the veggie patty may be vegan or include milk and eggs, so be sure to ask. 

Our subs include almost all the veggies, avocado, S&P and oil and vinegar and a bag of vegan friendly chips. But honestly, Dear Subway, please consider some plant-based cheese and meats!

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😐
3-year-old: 😊

8. Blaze Pizza

How cool is it that all the crusts at Blaze are vegan? Aaaand. They are seriously yummy! 

I’m impressed with the vegan options at Blaze: from the dough and fresh veggies to the dairy-free cheese and a vegan spicy chorizo (which was too spicy for my kids). 

When we go, which isn’t often because there isn’t one close to us, we order lots of veggies, pineapple, and vegan spicy chorizo.When we tried to order the vegan cheesy bread at Universal City Walk, they were all out of cheese, so we’ll try it next time.

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😕
3-year-old: 😕

9. Burger King

Oh my gosh, we only recently tried Burger King’s Impossible Whopper. And paired it with fries (which are also vegan).

There are some other surprising vegan options at Burger King, like the French toast sticks which I can’t wait to try. And the best part was that Burger King ran a special that included the Impossible Whopper (many places don’t offer their vegan options in their specials).

But our orders include the Impossible Whopper without mayonnaise and the Classic Fries. The Whoppers are big, so my younger two split one since there isn’t a kid’s size.

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😐
3-year-old: 😊

10. Dairy Queen

Let me start by saying I can’t wait for the day Dairy Queen offers a dairy-free Blizzard. I seriously miss those. And honestly, when it comes to vegan fast food options, Dairy Queen isn’t where I’d start. 

Unless you want dessert. 

Dairy Queen now has dairy-free Dilly Bars! Woohoo! Some locations (although not mine) also offer a Star Kiss Frozen Treat. And while you can order a Misty Slush, side salad, pretzel sticks (without queso) and the fries, let’s be honest, it’s all about the desserts at Dairy Queen and the Dilly Bars steal the show!

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😀
3-year-old: 😀

11. IKEA Bistro

IKEAs have a sit-down restaurant and a grab-and-go bistro. Both have vegan options. However, walking through the maze that is IKEA to get to the restaurant doesn’t seem fast to me and therefore doesn’t qualify for this post. 

The IKEA Bistro, however, does! The bistro at our IKEA is by the exit so you can walk in and order from the grab-and-go section without meandering through the entire store. 

What do we order? The Veggie Dogs are ah-mazing! And they’re only like $1! We pick these up for Dodger Games, road trips or just because. And recently, they added a vegan Strawberry Oat Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream!

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😀
3-year-old: 😀

12. The Habit

The Habit has one of the healthier vegan fast food burgers. It’s a veggie burger rather than a vegan beef burger replacement. 

You can personalize the veggie burger by adding toppings like avocado or caramelized onions. But The Habit’s sides are my favorite part. I don’t think I can live without their Tempura Green Beans!

Our order includes Veggie Burgers with added avocado, Tempura Green Beans, Sweet Potato Fries and French Fries.

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😀
3-year-old: 😐

13. Chipotle

Chipotle’s healthy plant-based fast food options are impressive. 

With brown and white rice, pinto and black beans, grilled veggies, lettuce, tomatoes, salsas, sofritas (which is like a spicy tofu), and guacamole, served in a burrito, taco or bowl, there’s lots of ways to order vegan at Chipotle. 

But my favorite part? Kids’ meals!! Here’s our order: Burrito Bowls with cilantro lime rice, black beans, sofritas, fajita vegetables, romaine lettuce, chili-corn salsa, tomato salsa and guacamole. And for the kids: Kids Build Your Own with rice, black beans, sofritas, guacamole, and salsa (my kids mix it up each time). Kids meals come with small chips and apple juice. 

Kid’s Review: 😀😊😐😕😞
10-year-old: 😀
7-year-old: 😊
3-year-old: 😀

A Few Reminders about Vegan Fast Food

I know it’s exciting to see all these restaurants with vegan options, but please remember…

• Plant-based doesn’t mean healthy. While the food above is yummy and vegan, please keep in mind “plant-based” doesn’t mean healthy. Vegan fast food, like non-vegan fast food, includes high amounts of sugar, sodium and fat. (However it is free of cholesterol!) So check the restaurant’s nutrition facts and choose items that best match your dietary needs and preferences.
• Non-vegan food is served here, too. Something else I’d like to mention is that none of the places on this list serve 100% plant-based food. As a result, their vegan menu items are cooked in the same kitchen as their non-vegan items. Many vegan fast food burgers are cooked on the same cooktop as beef burgers, for example. If that bothers you, ask the restaurant how the food is prepared.
• Kids meals. There aren’t many. This part sucks. There’s no better way to put it. Sorry parents, but if you want to order your kid a quick plant-based bite, you gotta order an adult-sized meal. At least at most places. There’s no fun kids meal toys and games, or a cute box to put it all in either. And on top of that, your bill will be higher because you’re paying for an adult-sized meal.
• Costs don’t match up. Most vegan fast food options are pricier than their non-vegan counterparts. For example, where I live, a Beyond Famous Star at Carl’s Jr. is about $2 more expensive than a regular Famous Star. Doesn’t seem like a big deal? Times that by five for my family, and that’s $10 more per meal. If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, IKEA and Chipotle are pretty reasonable.

Wait! Did You Miss Some Vegan Fast Food Options?

Probably. But after visiting other places, we didn’t find enough plant-based items to make ordering worthwhile. And if we didn’t taste it, it’s not on this list.

If you’re wondering about McDonalds, here’s the low down. They’re supposed to release their McPlant burger soon, but compared to other fast food joints, their selection is, frankly, weak. Even their fries aren’t vegan. (They contain a milk derivative  and “natural beef flavor.”)

As we discover and taste more from fast food restaurants with vegan options, we’ll add them to this list!

To Conclude: There Are More Fast Food Restaurants with Vegan Options than Ever!

How awesome will it be when we can pull through a drive thru—any fast food drive thru—and easily order a plant-based meal without making substitutions? 

Imagine how much time and stress that will save.

When I need a quick meal before basketball practice or a PTA meeting, thankfully, I can usually score vegan fast food somewhere in town. 

But at the rate plant-based cuisine popularity is rising, those options are only going to grow.

Pin for later! 📌👇