What to Do If You End Up at a Restaurant With No Vegan Options

What to Do If You End Up at a Restaurant With No Vegan Options

  • Sarah Von Alt
  • Sarah Von Alt

While the number of vegan options at restaurants continues to grow, you might still find yourself at a restaurant that has (seemingly) no vegan options. Here are some of our tips for how to deal:

Don’t Panic

If the restaurant doesn’t offer any vegan menu items, don’t worry! Just ask the server, “What can you make that’s vegan?” Restaurants want their customers to be happy, and most chefs will enjoy whipping up something special for you.

Check the Vegetarian Menu

Most restaurants offer a few vegan options in disguise. Lots of vegetarian dishes can be modified by simply omitting the cheese, butter, or eggs. Cheeseless pizza loaded with garlic and veggies, anyone?

Get Creative

You can create your own dish with ingredients on the menu! Think pasta and marinara with salad, baked sweet potato with steamed veggies or avocado, or a grilled veggie sandwich with hummus and hot sauce.

Try Some Sides

Make yourself a “side sampler” and grab some fries, black beans, a side salad, and sautéed mushrooms or veggies with a dinner roll. For breakfast, try oatmeal (made with water instead of milk), hash browns, fresh fruit, or a toasted bagel with peanut butter.

Want more? Here’s how to eat vegan at your favorite chain restaurants.

*Remember that asking for vegan options at local restaurants is a great way to make sure they offer animal-friendly fare. So be sure to call or send a polite message to the restaurant asking them to provide a healthy plant-based option on their menu.