Zaxby’s, a famous American fast-casual restaurant chain, is well-known for its chicken-centric menu. Founded in 1990 in Statesboro, Georgia, by childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley, Zaxby’s quickly gained a reputation for its delicious chicken wings, fingers, and sandwiches. The menu features a variety of chicken dishes, including the famous Zax Sauce, a tangy and slightly spicy dipping sauce that fans adore. Alongside their chicken offerings, Zaxby’s serves fresh salads (called Zalads), crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast, and a selection of flavorful milkshakes.
What sets Zaxby’s apart is its commitment to providing a welcoming and fun dining experience. Each location is designed with a casual, comfortable atmosphere, making it a favorite spot for families, friends, and college students alike. With over 900 locations across the United States, primarily in the South, Zaxby’s has grown into a beloved chain that blends Southern hospitality with tasty, high-quality food. Whether you’re craving a hearty meal or just a quick snack, Zaxby’s offers a variety of options to satisfy your taste buds.
Zaxby’s is mostly known for its chicken, which is shown on their menu, but it doesn’t offer much for vegans. While they do have salads you can get without meat or dairy, the options are pretty limited and not very satisfying. They’ve got some veggie sides and dressings that don’t have animal products, but it’s hardly a proper meal. Despite the growing trend towards plant-based eating, Zaxby’s hasn’t stepped up to include vegans meaningfully. In my opinion, If you’re looking for a place with good vegan options, Zaxby’s might not be the best choice.
What are the vegan options at Zaxby’s?
To be honest, Zaxby’s vegan menu is pretty short. Zaxby’s has no real vegan options, just the same casual sides as fries. Also, cross-contamination is a considerable risk since it shares the fryer with the wings. In addition, chicken wings are not breaded, which further increases cross-contamination. Here is the whole list of the vegan menu items at Zaxby’s:
- Crinkle Fries,
- Fried pickles,
- Texas Toast (no butter),
- The Garden House Zalad (no cheese, no protein – garden -, and vegan dressing),
- Wimpy™,
- Nuclear™,
- Sweet & Spicy,
- Teriyaki,
- Tongue Torch®,
- BBQ,
- Lite Vinaigrette, and
- beavereges.
That’s all of it. Isn’t much, is it? At least fried pickles are somehow vegan, which is a pleasant surprise.
Best Vegan options at Zaxby’s
It is not hard to determine which are the best vegan options at Zaxby’s since there aren’t many.
Crinkle Fries
At least Zaxby’s fries are vegan, which is not much, but something. They are quite tasty with a vegan sauce such as Teriyaki, BBQ, or Sweet and spicy. However, the fries share the same oil as chicken wings, which is a huge downside.
Fried Pickles
If you are wondering if fried pickles are vegan at Zaxby’s, then here is the good news: Zaxby’s fried pickles are vegan, which is a huge surprise. Most fried foods contain eggs and even dairy. However, they have the same issue as fries: cross-contamination.
Vegan sauces at Zaxby’s
Since the two best vegan options require some kind of dipping, the sauces are quite important at the restaurant. Luckily, most of the sauces at Zaxby’s are vegan.
Lemonades
Zaxby’s makes some pretty good homemade lemonades, which are vegan. You can also have them frozen, which is very welcome during the summer, and you can have them with strawberries.
Things that you should avoid as a vegan at Zaxby’s
A few items might be vegan; however, they are not, or there is no point in making it vegan. Let’s check them!
Chocolate Chip Cookie
Cookies at Zaxby’s are not vegan since they contain eggs and dairy.
Are Zaxyb’s egg rolls vegan?
Well, obviously, egg rolls at Zaxby’s are not vegan. Furthermore it can’t be made vegan, since you can’t remove the egg from the shell.
The Garden House Zalad
While it can be made vegan, since you can exclude the cheese at order and ask for Lite Vinaigrette as a vegan dressing, it doesn’t mean it is worth it. It will come with mixed greens, carrots, red cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fried onions with the chosen dressings, also served with toasts. It ain’t much, to be honest.
Zaxby’s vegan options in a nutshell
To be honest, Zaxby’s vegan menu is pretty disappointing. It offers nothing but fries and fried pickles, which are cooked together with bare chicken wings. As a vegan, I suggest you go somewhere other than Zaxby’s. Even a steakhouse or Chick-fil-A offers better vegan options.
