As you might guess, there aren’t many vegan options at Red Lobster as this restaurant chain is famous for its seafood products. There aren’t any vegan entrees but there are some sides that are free of animal products...and not just a side salad. But what are the vegan options at Red Lobster? Read on to find out.
Note: Red Lobster's menu and all of the allergen information can be found at redlobster.com.
Vegan-Friendly Options
Sides
Luckily, there are several side menu items that can work in a vegan diet. Unfortunately, their famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits are made with dairy products so are not an option. A couple of the items are at risk of cross contamination because of the cooking method. This usually means that the foods are being deep fried in vegetable oil in a shared fryer that contains meat, seafood, egg or dairy. I personally don't worry about cross contamination but that's up to each person. The following list contains the vegan sides available according to their website but your local Red Lobster may not have everything.
- House Garden Salad - order without cheese
- Broccoli
- Plain Baked Potato - order without butter or sour cream
- Plain Rice
- Sea-Salted Fries - risk of cross contamination
- Crispy Brussel Sprouts - risk of cross contamination
Dressings and Condiments
Many of their dressing and condiments are vegan including:
- BBQ Sauce
- Cocktail Sauce
- French Dressing
- Ketchup
- Marinara Sauce
- Pico de Gallo
Off Menu Vegan Option
There is a good option for a vegan meal if you ask for it. While it's not on the menu, you can ask for pasta with marinara sauce. Their marinara sauce is vegan as is regular pasta. If you pair the pasta with a side or two, you can make a complete meal.
Desserts & Drinks
Unfortunately, none of the desserts are vegan-friendly. The good news is that there are several alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks that can fit in a vegan lifestyle.
- Peach Margarita - frozen or on the rocks
- Raspberry Margarita - frozen or on the rocks
- Iced Tea - regular, raspberry, peach and cranberry
- Coffee
- Dr. Pepper
- Lemonade - classic and strawberry
Their Fruit Smoothies contain dairy and are NOT vegan.
Summary
Red Lobster is a popular restaurant for seafood lovers that has minimal vegan food since seafood of any kind isn't vegan. The above list shows what all of the options are. If you order off menu, you can make a complete meal with a marinara pasta dish and sides. While I wouldn't consider it a vegan-friendly restaurant, there are some options that can work. Unfortunately, Red Lobster’s famous cheddar biscuits contain dairy but there are several side menu items that do not contain animal products. If you find yourself at the seafood restaurant, you can put together a decent meal and not just a side house salad. Hopefully Red Lobster will add more vegan options in the future.
Are you wondering about what's vegan at other chain restaurants? Check out: