Red Robin is what most people would refer to as Gourmet Burger Authority, so it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume that the famous burger joint does not carry many options for someone on a vegan diet.
But are there any vegan options at Red Robin, such as a veggie burger? Read on to find out!
What is Red Robin?
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews, or Red Robin, wasn’t always called what it is today. It started as Sam’s Tavern and was owned by a local named Sam in the 1940s. It was also run as a tavern, serving food and alcoholic drinks to the University of Washington students.
Sam was passionate about singing and was a member of a barbershop quartet. He particularly loved one of their performance songs -- “When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along)” -- that he applied the song to his tavern, eventually calling it Sam’s Red Robin.
In 1969, Sam sold the tavern to a local restaurant entrepreneur named Gerry Kingen. Gerry’s first move was to drop Sam from the restaurant’s name and simply call it Red Robin.
It continued to run as a tavern for a few years until Gerry decided to add 28 gourmet burgers to the Red Robin menu. This smart move caused a massive spike in sales and became the Red Robin you know today.
Red Robin Vegan Options You Can Try
In a place that serves innovative and high-quality burgers, along with their signature bottomless fries, we’re happy to report that: YES, there are vegan options at Red Robin, and the veggie burger is delicious to boot!
Build Your Own Burger
The Impossible Gourmet Burger is considered a veggie burger, but it’s not vegan. You’ll have to make some modifications, such as removing the roasted garlic aioli and portobello parm chips, so we advise you to try this tofu burger recipe or build your own vegan burger instead.
Start by choosing between two vegetarian burger options: the Impossible Burger, in collaboration with Impossible Foods, or the quinoa veggie patty, made from ancient grain and quinoa veggie burger patty. [1]
Then, get ready to build your own vegan burger with this list of vegan-approved menu items!
Buns
- Classic Sesame Bun
- Ciabatta Bun
- Tavern Bun
- Cross-Cut Bun
- Lettuce Wrap
- Multigrain Bun
- Spinach Tortilla Wrap
- Rustic Bread
Toppings
- Arugula
- Avocado
- Basil
- Bruschetta Salsa
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cilantro
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Guacamole
- Jalapeno
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Onion
- Parsley
- Red Pepper
- Pineapple
- Shredded Romaine
Sauces and Condiments
- A-1 Steak Sauce
- Ghost Chili Ketchup
- Guacamole
- Heinz 57 Sauce
- Ketchup
- Oil & Vinegar Dressing
- Soybean Salad Oil
- Yellow Mustard
Salsa, Guacamole & Chips
The salsa, guacamole, and chips are great vegan options! However, it was kind enough for a Red Robin representative to provide a disclaimer on this tasty appetizer.
“They are cooked in a designated fryer which only cooks our steak fries, Yukon Chips, sweet potato fries, potato hashbrowns, and the corn tortilla chips. However, on our allergen menu due to cross-contact of allergens in the fryer area with splashback, vapors from one fryer to another -- we can’t guarantee no cross-contact of allergens. So we claim all ingredients cooked in any fryer as containing shellfish, fish, wheat, eggs, milk, and soy.”
Personally, we don’t have any issues with splashback, nor do we consider vapor substantial enough that they can cause cross-contamination in fried foods, so these are considered vegan.
Red Robin Pretzel Bites, on the other hand, are not vegan friendly.
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Bottomless House Salad
The house salad is not vegan right off the bat. Ask the server to omit the croutons and cheddar cheese and dress the house salad with the oil and vinegar or soybean salad dressing, which are both vegan approved. Add fresh avocado slices to make it heartier.
Unfortunately, the Southwest Chicken Salad is not vegan.
Fries
Steak Fries
Red Robin’s iconic bottomless Steak Fries are 100 percent vegan-friendly! These thick-cut fries are deep-fried in soybean oil in a designated fryer. Red Robin’s fries are generally considered sides, but since these are bottomless, you can practically consider these as an entree and indulge in them until you’re full.
Sweet Potato Fries
This vegan-friendly side dish is deep-fried to a crisp in soybean oil (like the Steak Fries) in a slimmer cut. Unfortunately, though, we won’t be able to get these Red Robin fries bottomless.
Yukon Chips
The Yukon Chips at Red Robin are vegan-approved! These house-made Yukon Kettle Chips are light and crispy, perfect if you’re looking for that crunchy texture that’s not present in the Steak Fries.
Fruits & Vegetables
Steamed Broccoli
Red Robin offers a healthier side dish alternative to the ubiquitous french fries: steamed broccoli!
Thankfully, these are not flavored with butter (unlike some restaurants tend to do) and are also bottomless.
Apple Slices
Red Robin also carries apple slices as a side dish, but this can also double as a vegan-approved dessert.
However, this menu item is not available in all Red Robin restaurants, so it’s better to check with your waiter before ordering.
Drinks & Beverages
This fast-casual restaurant carries plenty of vegan drinks. They even have vegan alcoholic options, too! We’ll list everything down for you below:
- Soft Drinks (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, etc.)
- Sparkling Berry Twist
- Freckled Lemonade
- Flavored Iced Tea
- Very Berry Raspberry Limeade
- Poppin’ Purple Lemonade
- Flavored Lemonade
- Fresh-Brewed Gold Peak Tea
- Bottled Water
- Beer
- Wine
Kids Vegan Menu
Red Cheeseburger
We have a little hack for you in the Kids’ Menu: order the Red Cheeseburger, omit the cheese, and swap the default meat patty with either the Impossible Patty or the ancient grain and quinoa veggie patty. What you’ll have left is a vegan burger with iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, and dill pickle slices in a tavern bun. You now have your very own Impossible Burger!
Fresh Carrots
Aside from apple slices and steamed broccoli, the Kids’ Menu holds fresh carrots. Some people love crunching on this vegetable raw, so if you’re one of them, you know where they’re available!
FAQs
Yes. Red Robin Frozen Onion Rings are vegan-friendly! No animal ingredients have been added to this snack.
Yes, the brioche bun at Red Robin is vegan and dairy-free, along with the classic sesame bun and the ciabatta bun.
Key Takeaways
It’s always a great time to visit Red Robin due to their extensive vegan food options! Whoever said that vegans wouldn’t enjoy themselves in a hamburger place has definitely never had a vegan burger from Red Robin.
We hope you picked up a few things here and there to help you in making your way through your vegan burger-building a whole lot easier. And as always, thanks for reading!
Reference:
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/quinoa-nutrition-facts-types-how-cook-it-more/
About Author
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Antoinette
I want to make my body healthier, and lose some weight.