The 10 Worst Fast-Food Chains for Vegan Food

Find vegan options at the big chains isn’t as hard as it used to be. Starbucks is leaning into oat milk for its fall menu, and it stopped charging extra for dairy-free milk. The Impossible Whopper is holding steady at Burger King, and bean-forward burritos and bowls at Taco Bell and Chipotle make grab-and-go possible without a scavenger hunt.

Yet for all the progress, many American chains still lag behind their counterparts abroad, where plant-based mains have turned from novelty into standard fare. Burger King UK publicly set a goal to make half of its menu meat-free by 2030, McDonald’s keeps the McPlant in regular rotation in the UK and Ireland, and KFC UK sells a standing vegan burger—none of which have a true US equivalent.

McDonald’s UK

RELATED: Vegan Cheese at Domino’s: How Close Is the US Launch?

Even as sales fluctuate, plant-based eating is mainstream. The Good Food Institute and Plant Based Foods Association estimate US retail sales of plant-based foods at more than $8 billion in 2023, with 60 percent of households buying into the category and plant-based milk nearing 15 percent of the milk aisle. Gallup’s 2023 polling puts identification at four percent vegetarian and one percent vegan—small shares, but persistent, and large enough to matter at a drive-thru window. Yet major chains still lag way, way, behind.

Why Europe feels further along

The contrast is not ideological so much as operational: the European market has treated plant-based as a menu pillar rather than a customization. Burger King UK writes of its “commitment to having a 50 percent meat-free menu by 2030,” and McDonald’s made the McPlant a permanent fixture in the UK and Ireland after US pilots fizzled. KFC UK’s vegan burger sits alongside chicken buckets, proving that a fast-food kitchen can carry a dedicated vegan build and keep it simple for staff and guests.

Taco Bell

For US diners, the practical playbook remains the same. Start where the options are explicit—Starbucks for an oat milk latte; Burger King for an Impossible Whopper (hold the mayo); Taco Bell for vegan builds like the Black Bean Crunchwrap Supreme (certified by the American Vegetarian Association); and Chipotle for Sofritas bowls. Everywhere else, scan the allergen statements and be ready for heavy modifications.

The worst chains for vegan food

Below are the worst chains for vegan food right now—measured by whether a customer can order a substantive, inherently vegan entrée without major modifications.

Arby’s

1Arby’s

The brand’s slogan says the quiet part out loud. Arby’s offers no plant-based meat entrée in the US, and even “accidentally vegan” options come with caveats about shared fryers. Dessert turnovers and a garden salad exist, but for anyone seeking a proper sandwich, it is a hard pass.

2KFC

KFC briefly tested Beyond Fried Chicken and drew headlines, but the item is not a permanent national fixture. Today, a vegan order amounts to fries, corn, or a side salad. Across the Atlantic, however, KFC UK keeps a dedicated Vegan Burger on menu, a reminder that comparable options could exist here but do not.  

Domino’s

3Domino’s

Domino’s publishes a vegan- and vegetarian-ordering page in the US, but the advice boils down to skipping the cheese entirely. There is no national vegan cheese or plant-based meat topping, and sauces and crusts vary by region. Ask for a pizza without cheese and you are technically accommodated—but that is a modification, not an offering. However, demand for dairy-free cheese is growing, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently purchased stock in Domino’s to encourage the fast-food giant to roll out vegan cheese nationwide.

4Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut partnered with Beyond Meat for a limited run years ago, but the chain still does not carry vegan cheese nationally. Its own site suggests ordering vegetable pies without cheese for a “vegan-friendly option.” By contrast, Pizza Hut UK lists Violife vegan cheese and a clearly labeled vegan range.

5Krispy Kreme

For a morning run, doughnuts remain off-limits. The company’s US nutrition page is explicit: “The only animal by-products used in our doughnuts are eggs (whites and yolks) and dairy products (including milk, butter, yogurt, whey, nonfat milk and nonfat whey).” Until the US menu adds a vegan ring (Krispy Kreme has offered vegan items in select international markets), coffee is the only reliable order.

Chick-fil-A

6Chick-fil-A

There is no vegan entrée. The Southwest Veggie Wrap is topped with dairy cheese, and the cauliflower sandwich includes egg and milk in the breading. Waffle fries or a kale salad remain the default vegan pick. And while the limited-time meatless cauliflower sandwich was promising, it was not suitable for vegans as it contained dairy. Even so, the sandwich disappeared after its limited run. 

7In-N-Out

The cult burger chain still treats “veggie burger” as code for a bun filled with condiments and produce. The fries are cooked in vegetable oil, but there is no vegan patty, no dairy-free spreads, and no formal vegan entrée. 

8Sonic Drive-In

Sonic’s own allergen guide is blunt about limitations and cross-contact (and it offers no vegan main). As the document states, “we cannot eliminate the risk of cross-contact or guarantee that any item is free of any allergen and no items are certified gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan.” Tots and fries exist, but that’s about it.

Dunkin’

9Dunkin’

While it may have dropped “donuts” from its name, they’re still the chain’s biggest draw. And if you’re looking for vegan doughnut options, Dunkin’ is not the place to visit in the US, anyway. Head to the UK for a range of options. In the US, now that the Beyond breakfast sandwich has been phased out, you’ll have to stick with bagels and english muffins, which any doughnut lover knows is no substitute for a donut.

10Five Guys

This burger classic still has no vegan entrée. The standard bun is made with milk and eggs, which means even the “veggie sandwich” default is not vegan unless you turn it into a lettuce-wrapped pile of grilled vegetables—an accommodation, not a menu item. Fries are cooked in peanut oil and can round out a snack, but there is no inherently vegan main on offer.