The number of vegan options at fast-food restaurants is on the rise. However, it looks like Arby’s doesn’t follow the trend. While giant fast-food chains such as Burger King or White Castle took serious steps toward veganism, Arby’s doesn’t have a single vegan option besides a few sides.
Arby’s is a well-known American fast-food restaurant chain that is famous for its sandwiches. It was founded in 1964, and now there are more than 3,400 locations across the United States. The main items are sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and quick bites.
How do the vegan options look at Arby’s? Well, pretty bad. While it is quite easy to make a vegan sandwich, still it is impossible for Arby’s. They’re nothing but a few vegetable options and the same sauces that are plant-based. The only basically vegan items are some sides such as curvy fries, crinkle fries, and most of the pieces of bread. On the other hand – which is a huge surprise- There are two vegan dessert options at Arby’s: Apple and cherry turnovers. Yey!
Let’s check the details!
What is vegan at Arby’s?
There are only a few items at the fast food chain that are free from animal products according to Arby’s nutrition and allergenic guide. Here is the whole list:
- Curly fries
- French Toast sticks
- Crinkle fries
- Potato cakes
- Chopped side salad
- Apple Turnover
- Cherry Turnover
- Various breads: Artisan Wrap, Hearty Grain Wrap, Marble Rye Bread, Onion Roll, Sesame Seed Bun, Slider Bun, Sourdough Breakfast Bread, Star Cut Bun, Sub Roll
- Tangy Barbeque Dipping Sauce
- Ketchup
- Marinara Sauce
- Mild Creamy Dijon
- Bronco Berry Sauce®
- Some toppings: Leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion, jalapenos
- Drinks
Attention: Curly and crinkle fries, french toast sticks, and potato cakes are cooked in shared frier, so cross-contamination is a huge risk at the fast-food restaurant.
Let’s see the plant-based menu items one by one:
Curly fries
Fries are basically vegan, they are made from spiral-cut potatoes that are seasoned and then deep-fried until crispy. The unique spiral shape of the fries gives them a distinctive appearance and texture compared to traditional straight-cut fries. The seasoning used can vary, but it typically includes a blend of spices that adds flavor to the fries.
Crinkle fries
Just like other fries, this one is also totally free from animal ingredients. They cut potatoes into the crinkled shape and deep-fried them until they were crispy and golden brown.
French Toast Sticks
While French toast sticks are usually not vegan since are they made from slices of bread that are coated in a mixture of eggs, milk, and spices, Arby’s toast sticks are free from animal ingredients.
Potato Cakes
Potato cakes are vegan just like hash-brown naturally. Potato Cakes at Arby’s are typically round, and flat, and are made from shredded potatoes that are seasoned and fried until they’re crispy on the outside. They have a texture somewhat similar to hash browns or potato pancakes.
Chopped side salad
The chopped Side Salad at Arby’s includes a mix of fresh lettuce and vegetables, along with other toppings and dressing options. Common ingredients in a chopped salad could include lettuce (such as romaine or iceberg), tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and carrots. You can choose from a few different vegan sauces such as balsamic vinaigrette.
Apple and cherry turnover
Apple and cherry Turnover are a type of pastry typically made with puff pastry and filled with spiced apples or cherries. While many times puff pastry contains either eggs or dairy, Arby’s fruit turnovers are totally vegan. What a pleasant surprise!
Breads and buns
While there are many vegan breads and bun at the Arby’s, there is almost nothing to add to it. Also, Wraps (Artisan, and healthy grain) are plant-based as well. Sesame Seed, Star Cut, and Slider Bun are vegan, just like Marble Rye, and Sourdough Breakfast Bread. Furthermore, Sub and Onion rolls are available as vegan options at the fast-food restaurant.
Toppings
As we said before, there is almost absolutely nothing to put in your sandwich. The only available vegan toppings are red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and jalapenos.
Dippings and sauces
The side dishes are pretty good, in addition to this, there are many Arby’s sauces to choose from. You can enjoy your curly fries with Bronco Berry Sauce®, Mild Creamy Dijon, Tangy Barbeque Dipping Sauce, or classic ketchup since all of them are vegan at the fast-food restaurant.
Drinks
There are no extraordinary vegan drinks at Arby’s. Classic soft drinks, lemonades, and coffee, nothing else.
Where should you go, if you want a vegan burger?
If you are craving good french fries then Arby’s is the right place for you. There are many different potato side dishes with many different sauces. However, if you want to have a vegan burger, you should avoid Arby’s since they don’t have any kind of veggie burger. One of the best places for a plant-based burger is definitely Burger King and if you want a quick-bite burger, then White Castle Impossible slider is your pick.
Arby’s vegan options in short
Arby is a pretty bad option if you want to have a decent meal since they basically left out any kind of plant-based protein options from their menu. On the other hand, if you want some appetizers or quick bites, then it is a quite good place to visit. Side dishes like crinkle fries are pretty good with the popular Arby’s sauce.
One day, there will be probably a vegan burger at a fast-food restaurant with meat substitutes such as Beyond Meat or Impossible meat, but until then, homestyle fries will make up for it
