Bye-bye, bland vegetables, and hello to the exciting world of meat-free fast food favorites. Whether you’re a health nut, a curious carnivore, or someone who just wants to shake up their usual order, this list has you covered.
These ten restaurants across the United States offer some exciting and dreamy meat-free meals, from burgers to dessert options! Can you guess who number one is?
10. McDonald’s: McPlant (International)
The McPlant is McDonald’s plant-based burger that was born out of a partnership with Beyond Meat, an LA-based meat substitute manufacturer. They make the patty with all-natural ingredients like potatoes, peas, and rice.
This veggie-filled burger was launched in the UK in January 2022 and features vegan cheese and sauce. However, in countries like Germany, it’s available with cheese and mayo for customers with a more “flexitarian” diet. If you were able to get a taste of the McPlant in the US before it got discontinued in August 2022, consider yourself lucky.
9. Red Robin: Vegan Burger
Red Robin’s Vegan Burger is made with an ancient grain and quinoa patty. It’s also topped with their house-made salsa, avocado slices, and crisp lettuce–all wrapped in a lettuce bun. Order it without cheese or aioli for the perfect vegan snack. You can also try their Impossible Gourmet Cheeseburger (hold the cheese and mayo) or sub the patty in the Wedgie Burger (skip the bacon).
These ten restaurant chains are recreating traditionally fatty fast food menus across the country with one plant-based meal at a time. Whether you’re a vegan by heart or you just want to try something new, these meals won’t disappoint.
8. Taco Bell: Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme
Taco Bell has a wide variety of plant-based meals to choose from. Their Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme maintains its authentic Mexican taste while still being vegan-friendly. The good thing about Taco Bell too is how easily you can customize your order. Add some extra jalapeños and guacamole on there for some extra kick.
7. Cold Stone Creamery: Don’t Cry Over Spilled Silk
The Don’t Cry Over Spilled Silk is Cold Stone Creamery’s take on a vegan frozen dessert. It contains their plant-based Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert, peanut butter, roasted almonds, and banana. Pair it with another one of their signature plant-based desserts–the Chocolate Silk Shake and you have a refreshing combo!
6. Blaze Pizza: Vegan Pizza
Introduced in 2019, the Vegan Pizza from Blaze Pizza is packed with so much flavor that even meat lovers would enjoy it. You can also easily customize this to your preference, but generally, it has some dairy-free cheese, red onions, spicy meat-free chorizo, and mushrooms. Order one of their vegan drinks from their large Agua Fresca selection and a side of their cheesy bread with Daiya cheese–which is also vegan–to complete the whole meal.
5. TGI Fridays: The Beyond Meat Cheeseburger
The Beyond Meat Cheeseburger from TGI Fridays features the Beyond Meat–a patty whose main ingredient is avocado oil! Some people have said that it tastes really similar to real meat. So, if you’re a meat lover, you’ll most likely love this but if that’s not something you’re into, probably best to try something else on the list. The Beyond Meat Cheeseburger is also topped with the classic Fridays sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomato, and some red onions as well for that tangy taste.
4. Baskin-Robbins: Daiquiri Ice
Baskin-Robbins takes inspiration from the Daiquiri cocktail with their plant-based Daiquiri Ice. It’s a dessert that combines lime ice with that splash of rum flavor–perfect for a hot afternoon. The Daiquiri Ice offers a burst of citrus and tangy flavor in every bite. Despite its inspiration, it is alcohol-free and the splash of rum is just rum extra so kids can very much try it.
3. Wendy’s: Apple Pecan Salad
The Apple Pecan Salad is a modified version of Wendy’s Apple Pecan Chicken Salad. Just ask them to remove the chicken, pecans, and crumbled blue cheese. Don’t worry, even without these 3 ingredients, you still get a lot from this salad. It has red apples, green apples, cranberries, Romaine lettuce, and their Renée’s Gourmet® Pomegranate Vinaigrette.
2. Mellow Mushroom: Vegan Tempeh Hoagie
The Vegan Tempeh Hoagie at Mellow Mushroom is made with tempeh, which is similar to tofu but made with whole fermented soybeans. You can enjoy this sandwich with lettuce, Roma tomatoes, grilled onions, mushrooms, and green peppers. Then it’s topped off with Follow Your Heart Dairy Free Cheese. Worried about where to order? It’s available across Mellow Mushroom’s 170 locations across the country.
1. Shake Shack: Veggie Shack & ‘Shroom Burger
Shake Shack is fully embracing the vegetarian options with vegetarian / vegan French Fries, non dairy frozen custard or shakes, and not one, but two vegetarian burgers on their menu: The ‘Shroom Burger and the Veggie Shack Burger.
The ‘Shroom Burger uses portobello mushrooms with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with lettuc, tomato, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun. This burger isn’t vegan and only considered vegetarian.
In the newest release, the Veggie Shack Burger, they created their own veggie burger made with mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, farro, and quinoa and it’s topped with American Cheese, crispy onions, pickles and ShackSauce. It isn’t vegan the way it is, however if you remove the cheese, ShackSauce, and ask for Protein Style, you’ve got yourself a vegan burger.