With a tagline like “We Have The Meats” Arby’s is not the first fast-food location that is thought of to be vegan friendly. Lucky enough, they have a few accidental vegan options for those without dairy and wheat allergens (possible cross contamination during cooking). As an added bonus a couple of their popular sauces are also vegan friendly! Read on for a full breakdown of the vegan-friendly options on Arby’s menu.
Ingredients and allergen information were gathered from Arby’s ingredients and allergen information guides.
Chopped Side Salad (Without Cheese)
While a side salad is not a very exciting option, most fast-food side salads can be made vegan friendly including Arby’s. The ingredients of a standard Chopped Side Salad at Arby’s are Iceberg Lettuce, Leaf Lettuce, Cheddar Cheese (Shredded), and Tomatoes. Therefore, the cheese needs to be removed when ordering to make this side salad vegan.
Arby’s other salad option (Chopped Farmhouse Salad with Crispy Chicken or Roast Turkey) contains Chicken or Turkey, Pepper Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Iceberg Lettuce, Leaf Lettuce, and Tomatoes so no benefit is gained by ordering this salad without the non-vegan ingredients.
Arby’s vegan friendly salad dressings include Balsamic Vinaigrette and Light Italian.
Curly Fries
Arby’s famous Curly Fries are vegan friendly! At least they are vegan friendly in that they contain no animal products in their ingredients. However, some cross contamination can occur during cooking as they are fried in the same oil as products that include egg, milk, soy and fish (where available) ingredients. One ingredient in Arby’s Curly Fries is Enriched Bleached Flour so they are not suitable for those in need of gluten-free products.
The full ingredients for Arby’s Curly Fries are: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: canola oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, Corn Oil, palm oil), Enriched Bleached Flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Salt, Corn Starch, Onion Powder, Yellow Corn Meal, Spices, Garlic Powder, Leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), Modified Corn Starch, Dextrose, Spice and Coloring, Natural Flavor, Dried Torula Yeast, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (to preserve color). Cooked in Vegetable Oil. CONTAINS:WHEAT.
Potato Cakes
Arby’s fries Potato Cakes are vegan. As with the Curly Fries, they are vegan friendly in that they contain no animal products in their ingredients. However, some cross contamination can occur during cooking as they are fried in the same oil as products that include egg, milk, soy and fish (where available) ingredients.
The full ingredients for Arby’s Potato Cakes are: Potatoes, Canola Oil and/or Palm Oil, Potato (dehydrated), Salt, Corn Flour, Natural Flavoring, Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color), Dextrose. Cooked in Vegetable Oil.
Homestyle Fries (Where Available)
Arby’s Homestyle Fries are often overshadowed by their Curly Fries, but if you can find them at a location near you then you are in luck! These fries are vegan friendly and are one of the best fast-food fries available (in our opinion). As with the Arby’s other fried products on this list, they are vegan friendly in that they contain no animal products in their ingredients but cross contamination could occur during cooking. They are fried in the same oil as products that include egg, milk, soy, wheat, and fish (where available) ingredients.
The full ingredients for Arby’s Homestyle Fries are: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (may contain one or more of the following: canola, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, corn, palm), Modified Potato Starch and/or Modified Corn Starch, Rice Flour, Dextrin, Salt, Leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), Xanthan Gum, Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (to preserve natural color). Cooked in Vegetable Oil.
Arby's Sauce
Love Arby's Sauce? Pick up a bottle of Arby's Sauce at your local Arby's restaurant. #SauceALot pic.twitter.com/o0p0wYdXiw
— Arby's (@Arbys) November 22, 2013
What is the perfect vegan sauce to complement Arby’s fries you ask? Well Arby’s Sauce of course! Arby’s name brand sauce contains no animal-based ingredients and is free of major allergens.
The full ingredients for Arby’s Sauce are: Water, Corn Syrup, Tomato Paste, Distilled Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Soybean Oil, Xanthan Gum, Garlic (dehydrated), Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Onion (dehydrated), Spice and Spice Extractives, Artificial Flavor, Extractives of Capsicum.
Other Dipping Sauces
#ThingsOrganizedNeatly #ButNotForLong pic.twitter.com/MjG0e0vlIf
— Arby's (@Arbys) May 11, 2015
In addition to Arby’s Sauce, Arby’s has some other great vegan friendly dipping sauces as well. These sauces include the following:
- Bronco Berry Sauce
- Ketchup
- Marinara Sauce (Not Robust Marinara)
- Red Ranch Sauce
- Smoky Q Sauce
Drinks
While Arby’s doesn’t have any specialty drinks (including shakes) that are vegan friendly, all of the their sodas are. Arby’s has the following soda flavors:
- Barq’s Root Beer
- Coca-Cola
- Hi-C Flashin’ Fruit Punch
- Mello Yellow
- Minute Maid Lemonade
- Diet Coke
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
- Dr. Pepper
- Powerade
- Sprite
- Gold Peak Ice Tea
- Fanta
Summary
In our opinion, Arby’s has better vegan-friendly options than USA based McDonald’s. At least those following veg diets can eat the fries at Arby’s. By picking up a side salad (without cheese) and curly or homestyle fries (with Arby’s or Bronco Berry Sauce) you can have yourself a satisfying vegan option at Arby’s restaurants.
If you liked this article, take a look at at our other “Eating Out” vegan guides here.
