Golden Corral is a popular American buffet and grill chain known for its all-you-can-eat dining experience. Founded in 1973, the restaurant has grown to over 480 locations across the United States. What sets Golden Corral apart is its wide array of dishes, catering to just about every taste. From classic comfort foods like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese to a robust salad bar and a variety of international cuisine options, there’s something for everyone. Their desserts, especially the chocolate fountain and array of pies and cakes, are a hit with guests of all ages.
A family-friendly environment is a hallmark of Golden Corral. The buffet-style service allows patrons to sample a variety of foods, making it a favorite for group dining and special occasions. The restaurant also prides itself on affordability, offering quality food at reasonable prices. They have a popular weekend breakfast buffet featuring made-to-order omelets, pancakes, and bacon, which draws in the brunch crowd. Overall, Golden Corral’s commitment to variety, value, and a welcoming atmosphere has made it a staple in American dining for decades.
Golden Corral likely introduced more vegetables and fresh options to cater to a broader trend towards healthier eating, which conveniently benefits vegans as well. The emphasis on fresh, wholesome ingredients appeals to health-conscious diners looking for nutritious choices, whether they’re vegan or not. With a robust salad bar and a variety of steamed and grilled vegetables, Golden Corral provides options that fit into a balanced diet.
While the primary goal might not have been to cater specifically to vegans, the result is a more inclusive dining experience that meets the needs of a diverse clientele, including those who follow a vegan lifestyle. This focus on freshness and health is not only for vegans but also for those simply looking to eat more plant-based foods.
What are the vegan options at Golden Corral?
While Golden Corral doesn’t have dedicated vegan options for plant-based eaters, it doesn’t mean we would starve to death at the restaurant. There are countless different healthy vegetable and legume options that provide more than enough nutrition. Also, there are many not-so-healthily, or naturally vegan options at Golden Corral which is always welcome for some guilty pleasure.
What does Golden Corral offer for vegans for breakfast?
While Golden Corral mostly focuses on “traditional” items such as sausage, omelets, and so on, there are still enough options for vegans. Unfortunately, it isn’t the healthiest option since they are mostly cereals full of sugars. Here is the list of the vegan breakfast items:
- Flour Tortillas
- Apple Topping,
- Applesauce,
- Cherry Topping,
- Cinnamon Rolls,
- Cocoa Krispies Cereal,
- Corn Pops Cereal,
- Frosted Flakes Cereal,
- Fruit Loops Cereal,
- Grits,
- Maple Syrup,
- Peach Topping,
- Raisin Bran Cereal,
- Rice Krispies Cereal,
- Strawberry Topping, and
- Sugar-free Syrup.
As you can see, mostly sweetness for vegans at Golden Corral. But it isn’t that bad, isn’t it? Also, many different fruits and fresh juice options are available for breakfast, making it quite healthy.
- Apple Cobbler,
- Cherry Cobbler,
- Cherry Pie,
- Chocolate Cookie Crumbles,
- Chocolate Syrup,
- Ice Cream Cones,
- Peach Cobbler,
- Rice Krispies© Cereal Topping,
- Sprinkles, and
- Toasted Coconut.
Beware: While cherry pie is vegan, apple pie isn’t. Also, there are some tricky, not even vegetarian, sweetness options, such as marshmallows or jellybeans, which contain gelatin. Gelatin is made from bones—yikes!
What does Golden Corral’s Salad bar offer for vegans?
Even if there are no real vegan meal options – which is not entirely true -it is worth visiting Golden Corral as a vegan just for the huge selection of healthy salad options. It would be easier to list the items that are not vegan than the vegans. Here is the whole list of the vegan salad options:
- Raisins,
- Radishes,
- Baby Carrots.
- Beet and Onion Salad,
- Beets,
- Black Olives,
- Broccoli,
- Carrots,
- Cauliflower,
- Celery Sticks,
- Cherry Peppers,
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Chickpeas,
- Chopped peanuts,
- Cucumbers,
- Dices onions,
- Dill pickles,
- Dried cranberries,
- Dried onions,
- Fresh onion,
- Green grapes,
- Green olives,
- Green peppers,
- Iceberg lettuce,
- Kidney beans (the salad isn’t),
- Lettuce,
- Mandarin Oranges,
- Marinated Garden Salad,
- Marinated Vegetable Salad (the mushroom isn’t!),,
- Mushrooms,
- Onions,
- Pepperoncinis,
- Pickled Beets,
- Red Grapes,
- Rice noodles,
- Romaine Lettuce,
- Sliced Almonds,
- Sliced jalapenos,
- Spinach,
- Spring Lettuce Mix,
- Squash,
- Strawberries, and Strawberries spinach salad,
- Summer Salad,
- Sunflower Seeds,
- Sweet Pickle Chips,
- Three bean salad,
- Tomato and Onion Salad,
- Tomato,
- Water Chestnuts,
- Zucchini,
Wow, the list is long, isn’t it? There are many different, fresh, and tasty vegan options at Golden Corral. Also, there are many various dressings and sauce that make it even better:
- Balsamic Vinaigrette,
- Balsamic Vinegar,
- Catalina Dressing,
- Catalina Fat-Free Dressing,
- Ginger Dressing,
- Lite Olive Oil Vinaigrette,
- Red Wine Vinegar,
- White Balsamic Vinaigrette,
- BBQ Sauce,
- Brown Sugar,
- Cocktail Sauce,
- Cranberry Sauce,
- Grape Jelly PC,
- Jellies,
- Ketchup,
- Margarine,
- Mustard Packets,
- Olive oil,
- Salsa (and Mexican red),
- Spicy BBQ Sauce,
- Sweet BBQ Sauce, and
- Vegetable Oil.
There are so many plant-based possibilities!
Vegan sids options at Golden Corral
Most places’ side dishes are quite boring, especially the vegan ones. However, this isn’t true for Golden Corral, where many different vegan side options exist!
- Baked Potatoes,
- BBQ Baked Beans,
- Diced Sauteed Onions,
- Seasoned Wedge Fries,
- Steakhouse fries,
- Lo Mein,
- Mexican Rice,
- Fried okra,
- Onion Rings, Fresh Battered,
- Onions and Peppers, Sauteed,
- Penne Pasta,
- Pagoda Rice,
- Plantains, Fried,
- Potato Chips (except homemade seasoned)
- French Fried potatoes (cubed isn’t vegan)
- Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes,
- Sauteed Onions,
- Spaghetti Noodles,
- Taco Shells,
- Tortilla chips,
- White Rice,
- Yellow rice, and
- Saltines and Captain’s Wafers (however, there is no vegan soup at Golden Corral).
Most of the sides are obviously vegan; however, there are some tricky exceptions, such as homemade seasoned potato chips and cubed fried potatoes. So, it’s better to ask the staff about them.
Vegetables and vegan proteins
If you think it is enough, then you will be surprised! You won’t lack tasty plant-based protein at Golden Corral since there are many different legumes that provide more than enough protein in a tasty way. Here is the list of the vegan vegetable options at Golden Corral:
- Veggie Burger,
- Vegetable Trio,
- Turnip Greens,
- Spinach,
- Sauerkraut
- Refried Beans
- Roasted Red Bliss Potatoes,
- Ranch Style Beans,
- Pinto Beans seasoned,
- Machaca Beans,
- Kettle Cooked lima beans,
- Jalapenos,
- Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob,
- Green Chilies,
- Green Beans,
- Fried Pickles,
- Fried Mushroom,
- Fried Jalapenos,
- Fried Green Tomatoes,
- Diced Sauteed Green Peppers,
- Corn-on-the-Cob,
- Collards,
- Cauliflower,
- Cabbage,
- Broccoli,
- Black-eyed Peas,
- Baked Sweet Potatoes, and
- Asian Stir Fry Vegetables.
More than you can imagine! Also, the restaurant chain offers many different beverages, but they are not special, especially compared to the fresh and healthy food selection.
Golden Corral vegan options, in short
While Golden Corral mostly focuses on carnivores, it still cares about everyone. Regarding its testament, it supports the freedom to eat. It offers almost 150 different items, so everyone can find many options. Plant-based and vegan diets are also mentioned on the Diet-friendly page, so they know about us.
In a nutshell, Golden Corral is a super good place for vegans, even without dedicated meat alternatives. There are endless different fresh vegetables, sauces, and sides. Also, their fruit section is more than you could wish for. Furthermore, there are many indirect plant-based protein sources there in the form of legumes.
So, in conclusion, it is worth visiting Golden Corral as a vegan.
