How To Order Vegan at Wendy’s
I grew up in a very small town in Ohio. When I go back home to visit my parents there are two options in town if you want to order food. A local pizza place and a Wendy’s.
The idea of vegan food hasn’t made its way to the pizza place yet so I’m always left figuring out how to order vegan at Wendy’s. To be fair, there isn’t a ton of vegan options on the menu at Wendy’s, but there are a few things that I’ve found and I’m going to share those with you here.
Here are the best vegan-friendly menu options at Wendy’s:
Ordering Vegan at Wendy’s
French Fries
I’m going to be completely honest. Most of the time when I stop at Wendy’s, it’s just to get their fries. Wendy’s changed their fries a while back (I’m dating myself here because it was a long while back at this point) and their Natural Cut Fries were a huge step up from their old fries and they’re quite delicious.
Because Wendy’s fries are, well, fried, there is the possibility for cross-contamination*. However, if you’re going to any fast food location that isn’t 100% vegan then you’re going to have the possibility of cross-contamination.
*According to Wendy’s the fries are “COOKED IN THE SAME OIL AS MENU ITEMS THAT CONTAIN WHEAT, MILK, AND FISH.”
Baked Potato
The next best vegan option at Wendy’s is also a potato. The baked potato. Obviously, you’ll need to omit the butter and sour cream, but I’ve found another topping combo that you can sub in and it’s way better.
Order a Baked Potato Plain (you can still keep the chives if you like), and substitute in salsa and avocado. Now, they may charge you for the avocado (and sometimes you even get Guacamole as I did above), but even if they do it’s totally worth it.
A Wendy’s Baked Potato with Salsa and Avocado is shockingly amazing. It’d be my first choice at Wendy’s if the fries weren’t so good.
Side Salad
Admittedly, the quality of options takes a bit of a dip after the Fries and Baked Potato.
If you do order the Side Salad from Wendy’s, make sure to order it with no cheese and no croutons. For dressings, the only vegan-friendly option is the Pomegranate Vinaigrette.
Wendy’s does have a few other salads on the menu, but they require a bit of ‘ordering gymnastics’ to make them vegan. In other words, they become complicated orders – removing and/or substituting items. In my experience, this can be frustrating and can also lead to mistakes in the preparation. I like to keep my orders as simple as possible as much as possible.
Apple Bites
The Apple Bites at Wendy’s are quite literally bite-sized sliced apple pieces. If you want something healthy, the Apple Bites are probably your best bet. However, when I find myself at a Wendy’s I’m usually not in the mindset for a cut-up apple, but kudos to Wendy’s for having an option like this on their menu.
The Veggie Stack?
If you happen to find yourself casually searching through Wendy’s online menu, you may stumble upon the Veggie Stack. You may then wonder why you hadn’t heard that Wendy’s has a veggie sandwich?!? Well, because if you live in the US, there is no Veggie Stack.
The Veggie Stack is a veggie burger that is available in the UK. It appears (don’t quite me on this because I haven’t actually confirmed this) that if you omit the cheese and Garlic mayonnaise, you have yourself a vegan-friendly veggie burger. But, alas, for those of us in the US, there is no such option. (at least not yet)
If you want a veggie sandwich at Wendy’s in the US, you’re going to have to get creative and make yourself a ‘Fry Sandwich‘.
To order a Fry Sandwich, ask for a bun with lettuce and tomato. They may be a little confused and not really know what to charge you but I’ve never had any real issues ordering that. Also order some Fries. Add the Fries to your bun and veggies and you’ve got yourself a Fry Sandwich. Is it a little strange? Yes. Is it good? Also, yes.
Vegan Breakfast Options
Wendy’s started serving up breakfast rather recently, but unfortunately, there aren’t very many options to choose from.
Seasoned Potatoes
The best option at Wendy’s for breakfast is the Seasoned Potatoes. (Yes, another potato) That’s not really enough to go out of your way for, but they are good if you find yourself in a situation with limited options available to you.
You might be curious about if the Oatmeal Bar is vegan, but it contains eggs, milk and honey so that’s a definite no there.
Finally, the Apple Bites are available at Breakfast as well if you just need something light and refreshing to get your day started.
Final Thoughts
Wendy’s has yet to offer any kind of a Beyond or Impossible Burger and their Veggie Stack hasn’t made its way across the ocean yet. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a few good vegan options. Most of them involve potatoes, even the infamous Fry Sandwich, but I’m not one to shy away from a potato anyhow.
So, the next time you’re at a Wendy’s, whether it’s with friends or family, or you’re just craving some of those Fries, you should now be able to order vegan at Wendy’s with confidence.
Related –> How To Order Vegan at Dunkin’
