Published by Ryan Hajek.
Knowing how to order vegan even when options aren’t labeled at restaurants just takes a close eye and a few simple questions. Many restaurant menu will label vegetarian and vegan options with a V, VG, or plant symbol, but some don’t. We’re here to help make it easy even if the restaurant doesn’t clearly label its menu.
Look for Clues in the Menu Dish
Start by reading each dish’s full description, not just the name, and look for a few common clues:
- If it’s fried, it may have been fried in a batter made with eggs or milk. “Tempura” is often vegan though.
- If it’s a baked item, it may contain eggs or milk.
- If it’s a creamy sauce like alfredo sauce or ranch dressing, it may contain eggs or milk.
- If it’s a soup, the stock is either made from animals’ body parts or vegetables.
- If it’s described as “buttery” or “cheesy,” it almost always contains dairy.
- If it’s a stir-fry or noodle dish, the sauce may contain fish sauce or oyster sauce.
Questions to Ask Restaurant Servers
Your server is your best resource when a menu leaves you guessing. Your first question could be, “Do you offer a vegan menu?” Some restaurants have a vegan menu but only make it available upon request. Even if they don’t have a vegan menu, the server might just tell you the menu options that are vegan or can be made vegan.
If you have a question about a specific dish, it’s better to be specific than to just ask if it’s vegan. You could ask “Does this have milk, eggs, or honey?” or “Can the kitchen make this without the cheese?” Specifics will help the staff understand exactly what you mean in case they have to ask the kitchen.
Hot Tip: Vegan food prepared in shared fryers or cooking surfaces is still vegan. You’re still helping animals by not buying their body parts.
Some restaurant staff, especially new servers, may not be familiar with vegan requests, so stay patient and polite, even if a server seems unsure how to help. A friendly approach makes staff more willing to help you and more open to vegan requests from the next person who asks.
Common Menu Upgrades to Make Dishes Vegan
Many restaurants can easily adjust a dish upon request. A few common modifications can turn a dish into a vegan one:
Veggie Burgers: Most veggie burger patties don’t contain dairy or eggs, such as Beyond Burgers and Morningstar Garden Veggie Burgers. You may have to ask for no mayo, cheese, and swap the bun to a lettuce wrap if it isn’t vegan. But many places now have plant-based cheese and buns—just ask your server!
Burritos and Tacos: Many Mexican restaurants can make burritos and tacos with beans, rice, and vegetables. Just ask them to skip cheese and sour cream. A few restaurants may use animal fat to make beans or chicken bouillon when preparing rice, so call ahead or ask to confirm. When all else fails, a meal of corn tortillas, veggies, and lots of guacamole will hit the spot.
Pasta: Italian restaurants can almost always make a vegan pasta entree with your choice of pasta and marinara sauce.
Pizza: Restaurants can often make a vegan pizza by holding the cheese and using veggie and fruit toppings. Many pizza chains even offer vegan cheese. Most pizza crusts are already vegan by default, but check if it contains milk or eggs just in case.
Asian Dishes: Stir-fries and noodle dishes can often be made vegan if you choose noodles without eggs and ask the restaurant to leave out any meat, eggs, and sauces made from fish or oysters.
Salads: Salads at restaurants can often be made vegan if you ask for them without any meat, cheese, or eggs. Ask the restaurant if they have a salad dressing without milk, eggs, or fish (often vinaigrettes or oil-based dressings).
Remember that being vegan is doing the best you practically can. If you find a veggie burger somewhere and later find out the bun wasn’t vegan, don’t sweat it! You’re still vegan.
Every vegan meal you choose means less money going to industries that hurt animals. Pigs play games and form close social bonds. Chickens make friends and can recognize more than 100 faces. Cows care deeply for their babies who are taken from them in the dairy industry.
And fish are just as clever, sensitive, and family-oriented as animals who make their homes on land. They can count, use tools, and demonstrate observational learning.
Ordering vegan dishes helps build a world in which these individuals are respected instead of used for their body parts.
