Chipotle's website features the coolest Flash animation description of its menu components. Many items are labeled vegetarian, and they even note that their cheese has rennet from a vegetarian source. However, we still need to know what vegetarian items are also vegan.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items marked vegetarian are also vegan (no animal products, i.e. dairy, cheese, etc.)? Thank you for your time in determining this.
Best,
Erin
(six burritoless days pass)
Try #1b
Hello,
This is the second time I am writing to ask what vegan options Chipotle has on their menu. Without access to ingredients lists, I cannot make this determination from what information is available on the website. Saying something has no dairy doesn't mean it is without animal products. Additionally, your website touts that there are several vegan dining options available. Can you please help me by telling me what those are?
Many thanks for your time,
Erin
Chipotle response #1:
Hello Erin,
Thank you for writing us with your question. The Tortillas, Chips, Rice, Black Beans, Fajitas, all Salsas, Guacamole, and Lettuce is all Vegan ingredients. I hope this information is helpful and we wish you many more burritoful visits.
Sincerely,
Kenwood
Chipotle
The verdict:
Tortillas are vegan
Chips are vegan
Rice is vegan
Black Beans are vegan
Fajita Vegetables are vegan
All Salsas are vegan
Guacamole is vegan
The lettuce is vegan
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Nothing But Noodles
(in progress)
Far too often, I'm asked to drive somewhere and essentially interview a manager on the spot just to give these people my money and my recommendation. Why must the consumer do all the footwork in order to patronize a restaurant?
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? I cannot determine this from the information on your website. Thank you for taking the time to determine this, your help is greatly appreciated.
Best,
Erin
Nothing But Noodles response:
Dear Erin,
Thank you for taking the time to write. It will be easier to tell you which dishes have either beef or egg in them. These are the Beef Stroganoff and Pad Thai Noodles. The only sauce with beef in it is Beef Stroganoff Sauce. The only noodles that contain egg are the Wide Egg Noodles. For more information I would suggest that you contact your local Noodles. Just ask to speak with a manager. They would be more than happy to try and accommodate you with any special requests. If you have any other questions just let me know. We hope to see you in one of our stores soon.
Sincerely,
Katey Casey
Office Manager
Noodles Development, LP
14300 North Northsight Suite 221
Scottsdale, Az 85260
Phone 480.513.7008
Fax 480.513.7989
www.nothingbutnoodles.com
kcasey@nothingbutnoodles.com
My reply (#2):
Dear Katey,
Thanks for your response. I am trying to compile a list of vegan dining options and so making a drive up to a store to speak to a manager about this would become very difficult if I have to do that for every restaurant. I am hopeful you or someone else can accommodate my request for identifying which of your products do not contain animal ingredients (meat, egg, dairy, butter, cheese, etc.) without requiring a trip to the restaurant, which would be followed by my needing to write down everything I'm told as I talk to the manager.
I know only your Beef Stroganoff comes with meat automatically; can someone please identify which sauces contain no meat/dairy/animal products, and confirm that the noodles are free of animal ingredients beyond eggs. I really appreciate your time and help in this matter!
Thanks,
Erin
Updates posted as received.
Far too often, I'm asked to drive somewhere and essentially interview a manager on the spot just to give these people my money and my recommendation. Why must the consumer do all the footwork in order to patronize a restaurant?
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? I cannot determine this from the information on your website. Thank you for taking the time to determine this, your help is greatly appreciated.
Best,
Erin
Nothing But Noodles response:
Dear Erin,
Thank you for taking the time to write. It will be easier to tell you which dishes have either beef or egg in them. These are the Beef Stroganoff and Pad Thai Noodles. The only sauce with beef in it is Beef Stroganoff Sauce. The only noodles that contain egg are the Wide Egg Noodles. For more information I would suggest that you contact your local Noodles. Just ask to speak with a manager. They would be more than happy to try and accommodate you with any special requests. If you have any other questions just let me know. We hope to see you in one of our stores soon.
Sincerely,
Katey Casey
Office Manager
Noodles Development, LP
14300 North Northsight Suite 221
Scottsdale, Az 85260
Phone 480.513.7008
Fax 480.513.7989
www.nothingbutnoodles.com
kcasey@nothingbutnoodles.com
My reply (#2):
Dear Katey,
Thanks for your response. I am trying to compile a list of vegan dining options and so making a drive up to a store to speak to a manager about this would become very difficult if I have to do that for every restaurant. I am hopeful you or someone else can accommodate my request for identifying which of your products do not contain animal ingredients (meat, egg, dairy, butter, cheese, etc.) without requiring a trip to the restaurant, which would be followed by my needing to write down everything I'm told as I talk to the manager.
I know only your Beef Stroganoff comes with meat automatically; can someone please identify which sauces contain no meat/dairy/animal products, and confirm that the noodles are free of animal ingredients beyond eggs. I really appreciate your time and help in this matter!
Thanks,
Erin
Updates posted as received.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Fazoli's
Short and sweet, what a delight.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to determine this, your help is greatly appreciated.
Best,
Erin
Fazoli's reply:
Thank you for your interest in the Fazoli's menu. Although we are limited in vegan options, we do offer a few. The list of these options includes:
Spaghetti (or any of our other noodles)
Marinara Sauce
Dry Breadsticks - no garlic butter topping
Garden Side Salad - Lite Italian Dressing, no croutons
Lemon Ice
If I can answer any other questions about the Fazoli's Menu, feel free
to contact me. I am more than happy to help.
Thanks,
Teresa Broaddus
Fazoli's Quality Assurance Manager
The verdict:
The pasta is vegan
Marinara Sauce is vegan
Breadsticks are vegan if ordered without garlic butter topping
Garden Side Salad is vegan if ordered without croûtons
Lite Italian Dressing is vegan
Lemon Ice is vegan
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to determine this, your help is greatly appreciated.
Best,
Erin
Fazoli's reply:
Thank you for your interest in the Fazoli's menu. Although we are limited in vegan options, we do offer a few. The list of these options includes:
Spaghetti (or any of our other noodles)
Marinara Sauce
Dry Breadsticks - no garlic butter topping
Garden Side Salad - Lite Italian Dressing, no croutons
Lemon Ice
If I can answer any other questions about the Fazoli's Menu, feel free
to contact me. I am more than happy to help.
Thanks,
Teresa Broaddus
Fazoli's Quality Assurance Manager
The verdict:
The pasta is vegan
Marinara Sauce is vegan
Breadsticks are vegan if ordered without garlic butter topping
Garden Side Salad is vegan if ordered without croûtons
Lite Italian Dressing is vegan
Lemon Ice is vegan
Monday, August 20, 2007
Quizno's
Amazing Broccoli Cheese Soup
Hello,
Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? From your website's nutritional area I can only determine if certain things are or are not present in your foods, but without seeing an ingredient list I cannot determine what products have no animal ingredients in them. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Best,
Erin
Response #1 from Quizno's:
Hi Erin,
Sorry we could not reach you at the phone number provided on your customer response. With regards to which of our menu items are animal product free a more full response may be received by contacting our Guest Relations line (800-4Toasted) and ask for Melinda Allen.
The current menu has on vegitarian sub called the Italian Caprese which has Baslamic Vinegarette and Basil Pesto along with Tomato, Mozzarella Cheese, Basil, Oregano, Garlic Spice and Romain Lettuce.
Another option is an item not currently on the menu that we can make on request which I refer to as the "original" veggie. It has Red Wine Vinegarette, Tomatoes, Onions, Mushrooms, Black Olives, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Lettuce (and optional Guacamole). Additionally our Brocolli Cheese soup is amazing and does not have any meat in it.
Kinds Regards,
Steve
(Many of the companies I question have online forms to submit questions, rather than allowing the consumer access to an actual email address. Some of these forms include required fields for address and phone number, so I usually fill these in with false information because I do not feel it need be mandatory that I give up that personal information in order to simply determine if I can patronize their business. And, of course, for the purposes of this blog, I want answers in writing. Quizno's is one of these, hence his reference to "my" phone number not working.)
So, two problems here: confusion over the definition of the term vegan, and no email address for the contact he provides for further investigation.
My reply #2:
Hello Steve,
Thanks for your response. I am compiling vegan menu options offered by national restaurants, so I would like a response in writing. With regards to my question, I am looking for vegan menu offerings: vegan means free of animal products, and "animal products" include not just meat, but anything made with products of animals, i.e. cheese, butter, dairy, etc. None of the food mentioned below fits this criteria, but I am hopeful that there is still something at Quizno's that does. For example, if I knew they ingredients of your bread (or if someone could attest with certainty that they are vegan), I could order a sub with veggies and no cheese. If you or someone could help me determine this I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks,
Erin
Quizno's response #2:
If you contact the person I mentioned they may well be able to provide you a written response to your request.
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks, Steve?
My reply #3:
Steve,
Do you have an email address for her? Your message contains only a phone number. Thank you,
Erin
Quizno's reply #3:
I don't but I'm sure she could give it to you. If she does not satisfy you let me know and we'll push it further up the "food" chain. :)
Stephen Price
I think I'll try forwarding my correspondence to Quizno's HQ, if I can track down an email address. In searching for that on Google, this warning was returned as result number one. Regardless of whether it's true or not, I think it's time to set up a spam gourmet account.
I also found the low-carbers have documented problems even getting a carb breakdown (only net carbs are provided online, not even standard nutritional data).
I did not find, unfortunately, any email address for Quizno's corporate HQ. So, back to the form for response #4:
Can you please give me an email address for someone who can help me determine what, if any, of your menu items are vegan? What follows is my correspondence with Stephen Price, who could not help me.
Thanks,
Erin
(previous correspondence here)
Twenty days after my initial inquiry, and no noise from Quizno's in my inbox...
9/17/07
I found an entry for Quizno's on a page to which Peta links, a vegan guide to chain restaurants. It doesn't state explicitly their bread is vegan, but recommends their subs as an alternative to Subway. I sent Peta this message (their web form says to expect a two week wait for response):
Hello,
I saw on your vegan chain restaurant dining guide (http://vegcooking.com/ChainRestaurants.asp) a listing for Quizno's. It does not say their bread is vegan, and to my understanding it is not. I have tried to contact their headquarters to determine whether their bread is vegan or not, and have met with much resistance to say the least. In fact, they have become the poster child for resisting giving out ingredient statements, or telling the public whether their bread is vegan or not, and for generally being unhelpful and unaccommodating. If Peta or Veg Cooking has had a different experience I would love to know. I am collecting this information for my blog on vegan options at chains. You can see my correspondence with Quizno's here: http://veganmasterlist.blogspot.com/search/label/Quizno%27s
If Quizno's is unwilling to confirm their bread is vegan, I think you will agree they have no place on your vegan chain restaurant dining guide.
Thanks,
Erin
Peta response:
Hi Erin,
When we called the company, they were happy to confirm their ingredients list. Hopefully they’ll respond to you in a positive manner in the future.
Regards,
Corey Portlatin-Berrien
Program Coordinator | People for the Ethical Treament of Animals
PETA.org | Vegcooking.com
I guess I need to work on clarity. My reply #2:
Hi Corey,
Thanks for your reply. By Quizno's inclusion on Peta's (or VegCooking's) vegan chain restaurant dining guide, is it being stated that the bread at Quizno's can be considered vegan?
thanks,
Erin
Peta's reply #2:
Yes, we were told it was vegan.
Regards,
Corey Portalatin-Berrien
Program Coordinator | Vegcooking.com
757.962.8262
So there you have it folks. Peta was told the bread is vegan. If you're Peta someone will tell you.
The verdict (unconfirmed by Quizno's):
See Peta's guide to chain restaurants. (They are claiming the breads to be vegan.)
Hello,
Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? From your website's nutritional area I can only determine if certain things are or are not present in your foods, but without seeing an ingredient list I cannot determine what products have no animal ingredients in them. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Best,
Erin
Response #1 from Quizno's:
Hi Erin,
Sorry we could not reach you at the phone number provided on your customer response. With regards to which of our menu items are animal product free a more full response may be received by contacting our Guest Relations line (800-4Toasted) and ask for Melinda Allen.
The current menu has on vegitarian sub called the Italian Caprese which has Baslamic Vinegarette and Basil Pesto along with Tomato, Mozzarella Cheese, Basil, Oregano, Garlic Spice and Romain Lettuce.
Another option is an item not currently on the menu that we can make on request which I refer to as the "original" veggie. It has Red Wine Vinegarette, Tomatoes, Onions, Mushrooms, Black Olives, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Lettuce (and optional Guacamole). Additionally our Brocolli Cheese soup is amazing and does not have any meat in it.
Kinds Regards,
Steve
(Many of the companies I question have online forms to submit questions, rather than allowing the consumer access to an actual email address. Some of these forms include required fields for address and phone number, so I usually fill these in with false information because I do not feel it need be mandatory that I give up that personal information in order to simply determine if I can patronize their business. And, of course, for the purposes of this blog, I want answers in writing. Quizno's is one of these, hence his reference to "my" phone number not working.)
So, two problems here: confusion over the definition of the term vegan, and no email address for the contact he provides for further investigation.
My reply #2:
Hello Steve,
Thanks for your response. I am compiling vegan menu options offered by national restaurants, so I would like a response in writing. With regards to my question, I am looking for vegan menu offerings: vegan means free of animal products, and "animal products" include not just meat, but anything made with products of animals, i.e. cheese, butter, dairy, etc. None of the food mentioned below fits this criteria, but I am hopeful that there is still something at Quizno's that does. For example, if I knew they ingredients of your bread (or if someone could attest with certainty that they are vegan), I could order a sub with veggies and no cheese. If you or someone could help me determine this I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks,
Erin
Quizno's response #2:
If you contact the person I mentioned they may well be able to provide you a written response to your request.
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks, Steve?
My reply #3:
Steve,
Do you have an email address for her? Your message contains only a phone number. Thank you,
Erin
Quizno's reply #3:
I don't but I'm sure she could give it to you. If she does not satisfy you let me know and we'll push it further up the "food" chain. :)
Stephen Price
I think I'll try forwarding my correspondence to Quizno's HQ, if I can track down an email address. In searching for that on Google, this warning was returned as result number one. Regardless of whether it's true or not, I think it's time to set up a spam gourmet account.
I also found the low-carbers have documented problems even getting a carb breakdown (only net carbs are provided online, not even standard nutritional data).
I did not find, unfortunately, any email address for Quizno's corporate HQ. So, back to the form for response #4:
Can you please give me an email address for someone who can help me determine what, if any, of your menu items are vegan? What follows is my correspondence with Stephen Price, who could not help me.
Thanks,
Erin
(previous correspondence here)
Twenty days after my initial inquiry, and no noise from Quizno's in my inbox...
9/17/07
I found an entry for Quizno's on a page to which Peta links, a vegan guide to chain restaurants. It doesn't state explicitly their bread is vegan, but recommends their subs as an alternative to Subway. I sent Peta this message (their web form says to expect a two week wait for response):
Hello,
I saw on your vegan chain restaurant dining guide (http://vegcooking.com/ChainRestaurants.asp) a listing for Quizno's. It does not say their bread is vegan, and to my understanding it is not. I have tried to contact their headquarters to determine whether their bread is vegan or not, and have met with much resistance to say the least. In fact, they have become the poster child for resisting giving out ingredient statements, or telling the public whether their bread is vegan or not, and for generally being unhelpful and unaccommodating. If Peta or Veg Cooking has had a different experience I would love to know. I am collecting this information for my blog on vegan options at chains. You can see my correspondence with Quizno's here: http://veganmasterlist.blogspot.com/search/label/Quizno%27s
If Quizno's is unwilling to confirm their bread is vegan, I think you will agree they have no place on your vegan chain restaurant dining guide.
Thanks,
Erin
Peta response:
Hi Erin,
When we called the company, they were happy to confirm their ingredients list. Hopefully they’ll respond to you in a positive manner in the future.
Regards,
Corey Portlatin-Berrien
Program Coordinator | People for the Ethical Treament of Animals
PETA.org | Vegcooking.com
I guess I need to work on clarity. My reply #2:
Hi Corey,
Thanks for your reply. By Quizno's inclusion on Peta's (or VegCooking's) vegan chain restaurant dining guide, is it being stated that the bread at Quizno's can be considered vegan?
thanks,
Erin
Peta's reply #2:
Yes, we were told it was vegan.
Regards,
Corey Portalatin-Berrien
Program Coordinator | Vegcooking.com
757.962.8262
So there you have it folks. Peta was told the bread is vegan. If you're Peta someone will tell you.
The verdict (unconfirmed by Quizno's):
See Peta's guide to chain restaurants. (They are claiming the breads to be vegan.)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Arby's
Arby's took seven days to respond, and did not offer any vegan suggestions, but rather directed me to their online ingredient information.
The verdict:
Apple Turnover is vegan
Cherry Turnover is vegan
Arby's Sauce is vegan
Homestyle Fries have no animal ingredients but may be fried in oil shared with animal products
Potato Cake may or may not be vegan (Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate)
Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing is vegan
Red Wine Vinaigrette may or may not be vegan (Calcium Disodium EDTA)
Sub Roll may or may not be vegan (L-Cysteine)
Garden Salad is vegan if ordered without croutons (no crouton ingredient information found)
Side Salad is vegan if ordered without croutons (no crouton ingredient information found)
The verdict:
Apple Turnover is vegan
Cherry Turnover is vegan
Arby's Sauce is vegan
Homestyle Fries have no animal ingredients but may be fried in oil shared with animal products
Potato Cake may or may not be vegan (Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate)
Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing is vegan
Red Wine Vinaigrette may or may not be vegan (Calcium Disodium EDTA)
Sub Roll may or may not be vegan (L-Cysteine)
Garden Salad is vegan if ordered without croutons (no crouton ingredient information found)
Side Salad is vegan if ordered without croutons (no crouton ingredient information found)
Bravo Cucina Italiana
I wrote to Bravo! Cucina Italiana and after seven days and no response, wrote again with the same message.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to determine this, your help is greatly appreciated.
Best,
Erin
The same day I received a nice response from Lisa:
Erin,
Has anyone contacted you?
Lisa Gillenwater
Executive Assistant
Bravo Development, Inc
Phone: (614) 340-9208
Fax: (866) 625-4761
lgillenwater@bdi.cc
To which I replied (#2):
Hello Lisa,
No, still awaiting a reply.
Thanks,
Erin
Lisa (#2a):
Erin,
I apologize. You should be contacted today or tomorrow at the latest. Please let me know if no one contacts you by then.
Thank you,
Lisa
Lisa Gillenwater
Executive Assistant
Bravo Development, Inc
Phone: (614) 340-9208
Fax: (866) 625-4761
lgillenwater@bdi.cc
Great! Hard to mind that former lack of response with such courteousness now. Later the same day, I received a message from chef Dan Kahle.
Reply (#2b) from Dan Kahle, Bravo! Italiana Cucina, Castleton, Indianapolis location:
Erin,
In regards to your question about vegan dishes, we could do a portabello mista appetizer without the creamy horseradish dressing. Also, if you call us and let us know when you are coming, we would be happy to do a grilled vegetable plate, or something else to suit your needs. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions, or you can also call the restaurant @(317) 577-2211.
Dan Kahle
Chef
Bravo! Castleton
Dan and Lisa, while perhaps late to respond, more than made amends with their friendly demeanor and helpfulness. While I would like, of course, for vegans to be considered at the time the menu was created, their willingness to accommodate vegan diners in such a personalized way is very impressive. However, one obvious question comes to mind: is their pasta vegan?
I submitted this reply (#3) to Dan:
Thanks so much for your reply Dan!
I really appreciate you taking the time to write and your offer to accommodate my diet. I do have one question I'm hoping you can help me with: do you know if your pasta is free of animal ingredients, or if possible, since some ingredients aren't clearly of animal origin, could you send the ingredients of your pasta (or one or two popular types if you use different brands with different ingredients)? I know this is a hassle and time consuming, but please know that your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Erin
Bravo! Cucina Italiana reply #3:
Erin,
We use Barilla pasta. The ingredients for all string and round pastas are semolina, duram flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid. The whole wheat pasta we use contains egg whites, and all of our raviolis contain cheese. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Dan
The verdict:
The Portobello Mista appetizer, ordered without the creamy horseradish dressing, is vegan
String and round pastas may or may not be vegan (thiamin mononitrate) (the whole wheat pasta is not vegan).
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to determine this, your help is greatly appreciated.
Best,
Erin
The same day I received a nice response from Lisa:
Erin,
Has anyone contacted you?
Lisa Gillenwater
Executive Assistant
Bravo Development, Inc
Phone: (614) 340-9208
Fax: (866) 625-4761
lgillenwater@bdi.cc
To which I replied (#2):
Hello Lisa,
No, still awaiting a reply.
Thanks,
Erin
Lisa (#2a):
Erin,
I apologize. You should be contacted today or tomorrow at the latest. Please let me know if no one contacts you by then.
Thank you,
Lisa
Lisa Gillenwater
Executive Assistant
Bravo Development, Inc
Phone: (614) 340-9208
Fax: (866) 625-4761
lgillenwater@bdi.cc
Great! Hard to mind that former lack of response with such courteousness now. Later the same day, I received a message from chef Dan Kahle.
Reply (#2b) from Dan Kahle, Bravo! Italiana Cucina, Castleton, Indianapolis location:
Erin,
In regards to your question about vegan dishes, we could do a portabello mista appetizer without the creamy horseradish dressing. Also, if you call us and let us know when you are coming, we would be happy to do a grilled vegetable plate, or something else to suit your needs. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions, or you can also call the restaurant @(317) 577-2211.
Dan Kahle
Chef
Bravo! Castleton
Dan and Lisa, while perhaps late to respond, more than made amends with their friendly demeanor and helpfulness. While I would like, of course, for vegans to be considered at the time the menu was created, their willingness to accommodate vegan diners in such a personalized way is very impressive. However, one obvious question comes to mind: is their pasta vegan?
I submitted this reply (#3) to Dan:
Thanks so much for your reply Dan!
I really appreciate you taking the time to write and your offer to accommodate my diet. I do have one question I'm hoping you can help me with: do you know if your pasta is free of animal ingredients, or if possible, since some ingredients aren't clearly of animal origin, could you send the ingredients of your pasta (or one or two popular types if you use different brands with different ingredients)? I know this is a hassle and time consuming, but please know that your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Erin
Bravo! Cucina Italiana reply #3:
Erin,
We use Barilla pasta. The ingredients for all string and round pastas are semolina, duram flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid. The whole wheat pasta we use contains egg whites, and all of our raviolis contain cheese. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Dan
The verdict:
The Portobello Mista appetizer, ordered without the creamy horseradish dressing, is vegan
String and round pastas may or may not be vegan (thiamin mononitrate) (the whole wheat pasta is not vegan).
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Noodles and Co.
Help, please...
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Noodles and Co. reply:
Dear Erin,
Thank you for your inquiry. At Noodles [and] Company, we are always happy to accommodate special requests. Because some of our guests follow a vegan diet differently than others, we do not claim that any of our dishes meet these criteria. Additionally, please note that our “vegetarian” dishes may contain ingredients such as eggs and all dairy products.
The Japanese Pan Noodles, Bangkok Curry and Indonesian Peanut Sauté are considered vegetarian and do not contain eggs or dairy. They do however have some sugar in them if you wish to avoid that as well. The staff also has access to an Allergen Chart which lists our vegetarian dishes as well as ingredients such as eggs, dairy etc. Please check with them whenever you come in as they will have the most current information.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Kara
I like that they are aware of the sugar issue. But I find it hard to believe that in order to get "the most current information," that requires customers to go to the store. A website, a centralized entity, can be updated much more easily than all of the literature for individual stores.
I attempted a follow-up (#2):
Dear Kara,
Thank you for your reply. Noodles and Co. is clearly aware of some of the difficulties of eating a vegan diet in a dining-out atmosphere, and that is encouraging. I am hoping you can confirm for me, without me having to take a trip to one of your stores only to be disappointed, if the three dishes you named (Japanese Pan Noodles, Bangkok Curry and Indonesian Peanut Sauté), currently have animal-derived ingredients other than the sugar you mentioned? Your time and help are greatly appreciated, and I would love to add Noodles and Co. to the small repertoire of vegan dining options.
Thanks,
Erin
Noodles and Co. response #2:
Hi Erin,
I appreciate your understanding. These dishes do not contain any dairy or eggs or any ingredients such as gelatin or fish sauce. The only menu items with any beef or chicken are found in our protein add-ons and we do not use any honey if you are concerned with that. I hope this helps! Are there any other ingredients you would be interested in?
Kara
Without berating poor Kara with all of the intricacies of food additives, it's difficult to make a determination without access to an ingredient list. Such is available in-store, but indirectly via the mouths of employees, according to Kara. My recommendation, if you don't mind making the trip and want further confirmation, is to ask an employee to read ingredients to you. Perhaps a printed-out copy of Kara's letter might be a good accompaniment in case an employee balks at that idea. Still, one would need to have memorized the additives here to make this work. It would be so much more helpful if the ingredients were available on their website, or even given to those who ask. I do think Kara herself did a good job working within what, I assume, are corporate guidelines for these situations.
Still, I decided to follow up (#3) with Kara, who has been receptive and helpful, thus giving me at the very least the illusion of feeling like my efforts are not falling on deaf ears:
Dear Kara,
I do wish a list of ingredients would be made available via the website. However, you have been very friendly and [accomodating] otherwise, which I appreciate, and I invite you to view my vegan dining blog where I have shared this information. It’s at http://veganmasterlist.blogspot.com/
Thanks again,
Erin
(For the record, I follow up all conversations with an email of this type, thanking them and inviting the representative to view my post and assessment of their help. Exposing these results to the companies themselves is as important as any of the goals of this blog.)
Noodles and Co. reply #3:
Erin,
I am sorry that I cannot provide you with an ingredients statement. Since we keep all our recipes secret we do not currently share that information with our guests.
I do hope that the information I was able to provide will help you with your decision. If you visit Noodles & Company in the future, I would still encourage you to ask for the allergen guide in case an ingredient has changed or that particular location is offering a new dish.
Thanks again for contacting us at Noodles & Company.
Kara
Ingredient lists and recipes are two very different things. Noodles and Co. should allow their customers to view ingredient lists.
The verdict:
Japanese Pan Noodles may be vegan except for traditionally-refined sugar
Bangkok Curry may be vegan except for traditionally-refined sugar
Indonesian Peanut Sauce may be vegan except for traditionally-refined sugar
Noodles and Co. was friendly, helpful, and responsive; however, to be vegan friendly they must provide customers with access to ingredient lists if they are unable to say positively whether items on their menu are vegan.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Noodles and Co. reply:
Dear Erin,
Thank you for your inquiry. At Noodles [and] Company, we are always happy to accommodate special requests. Because some of our guests follow a vegan diet differently than others, we do not claim that any of our dishes meet these criteria. Additionally, please note that our “vegetarian” dishes may contain ingredients such as eggs and all dairy products.
The Japanese Pan Noodles, Bangkok Curry and Indonesian Peanut Sauté are considered vegetarian and do not contain eggs or dairy. They do however have some sugar in them if you wish to avoid that as well. The staff also has access to an Allergen Chart which lists our vegetarian dishes as well as ingredients such as eggs, dairy etc. Please check with them whenever you come in as they will have the most current information.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Kara
I like that they are aware of the sugar issue. But I find it hard to believe that in order to get "the most current information," that requires customers to go to the store. A website, a centralized entity, can be updated much more easily than all of the literature for individual stores.
I attempted a follow-up (#2):
Dear Kara,
Thank you for your reply. Noodles and Co. is clearly aware of some of the difficulties of eating a vegan diet in a dining-out atmosphere, and that is encouraging. I am hoping you can confirm for me, without me having to take a trip to one of your stores only to be disappointed, if the three dishes you named (Japanese Pan Noodles, Bangkok Curry and Indonesian Peanut Sauté), currently have animal-derived ingredients other than the sugar you mentioned? Your time and help are greatly appreciated, and I would love to add Noodles and Co. to the small repertoire of vegan dining options.
Thanks,
Erin
Noodles and Co. response #2:
Hi Erin,
I appreciate your understanding. These dishes do not contain any dairy or eggs or any ingredients such as gelatin or fish sauce. The only menu items with any beef or chicken are found in our protein add-ons and we do not use any honey if you are concerned with that. I hope this helps! Are there any other ingredients you would be interested in?
Kara
Without berating poor Kara with all of the intricacies of food additives, it's difficult to make a determination without access to an ingredient list. Such is available in-store, but indirectly via the mouths of employees, according to Kara. My recommendation, if you don't mind making the trip and want further confirmation, is to ask an employee to read ingredients to you. Perhaps a printed-out copy of Kara's letter might be a good accompaniment in case an employee balks at that idea. Still, one would need to have memorized the additives here to make this work. It would be so much more helpful if the ingredients were available on their website, or even given to those who ask. I do think Kara herself did a good job working within what, I assume, are corporate guidelines for these situations.
Still, I decided to follow up (#3) with Kara, who has been receptive and helpful, thus giving me at the very least the illusion of feeling like my efforts are not falling on deaf ears:
Dear Kara,
I do wish a list of ingredients would be made available via the website. However, you have been very friendly and [accomodating] otherwise, which I appreciate, and I invite you to view my vegan dining blog where I have shared this information. It’s at http://veganmasterlist.blogspot.com/
Thanks again,
Erin
(For the record, I follow up all conversations with an email of this type, thanking them and inviting the representative to view my post and assessment of their help. Exposing these results to the companies themselves is as important as any of the goals of this blog.)
Noodles and Co. reply #3:
Erin,
I am sorry that I cannot provide you with an ingredients statement. Since we keep all our recipes secret we do not currently share that information with our guests.
I do hope that the information I was able to provide will help you with your decision. If you visit Noodles & Company in the future, I would still encourage you to ask for the allergen guide in case an ingredient has changed or that particular location is offering a new dish.
Thanks again for contacting us at Noodles & Company.
Kara
Ingredient lists and recipes are two very different things. Noodles and Co. should allow their customers to view ingredient lists.
The verdict:
Japanese Pan Noodles may be vegan except for traditionally-refined sugar
Bangkok Curry may be vegan except for traditionally-refined sugar
Indonesian Peanut Sauce may be vegan except for traditionally-refined sugar
Noodles and Co. was friendly, helpful, and responsive; however, to be vegan friendly they must provide customers with access to ingredient lists if they are unable to say positively whether items on their menu are vegan.
Uno Chicago Grill
B+ for awareness and friendliness, and for posting ingredients on the website. Points deducted for not offering any suggestions and making me do all the footwork. I'm running into many ingredients that may or may not be vegan, and I'm seeing that determining if these are from an animal source can be quite a challenge.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Uno Chicago Grill response:
Dear Erin ,
We have a wonderful website that will give you all the information you need. Its www.unos.com. Please click on nutrition then on the left click on vegetarian. Please note the food note about our Romano and Parmesan cheeses. They are made with animal rennet. Other cheeses are made with microbial enzymes.
Kacey Bogue
Senior Hospitality Representative
Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30 EST
The verdict:
The House Salad is vegan
Fat Free Vinaigrette dressing may or may not be vegan (stabilizers)
Classic Vinaigrette dressing may or may not be vegan (stabilizers)
Low Fat Blueberry Pomegranate Vinaigrette may or may not be vegan (stabilizers, preservatives)
Veggie Soup is vegan
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Uno Chicago Grill response:
Dear Erin ,
We have a wonderful website that will give you all the information you need. Its www.unos.com. Please click on nutrition then on the left click on vegetarian. Please note the food note about our Romano and Parmesan cheeses. They are made with animal rennet. Other cheeses are made with microbial enzymes.
Kacey Bogue
Senior Hospitality Representative
Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30 EST
The verdict:
The House Salad is vegan
Fat Free Vinaigrette dressing may or may not be vegan (stabilizers)
Classic Vinaigrette dressing may or may not be vegan (stabilizers)
Low Fat Blueberry Pomegranate Vinaigrette may or may not be vegan (stabilizers, preservatives)
Veggie Soup is vegan
Friday, August 10, 2007
Claddagh Irish Pub
I received a friendly and personal reply from the General Manager, Mike Mariano, of the downtown Indianapolis location (the website requires you choose a location to email). I was encouraged to hear that my request for vegan fare was not unfamiliar to him.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Response from Claddagh Irish Pub, downtown Indianapolis location:
Hi Erin,
We have had requests for vegan dishes before. Our pasta is completely vegan and so is our minestrone soup, it uses vegetable stock. We do have a Portabella mushroom sandwich you can order without cheese. Our chef is very talented as well, and can make things for you if give him time to perpare.
Thanks for your interest,
MIke Mariano
General Manager
Their menu includes some delicious-looking salads that wouldn't require too many modifications, so I followed up by asking Mike which of the house made dressings are vegan:
Thanks, Mike, for your reply and your suggestions! I noticed your dressings are homemade and that you have quite a nice offering of salads on your menu. Can you tell me which dressings are free of animal products (and note which, if any, have honey)? Thank you so much for taking time to help me with this, and looking forward to a visit to the Claddagh.
Best,
Erin
Response #2 from Claddagh Irish Pub, downtown Indianapolis location:
Erin,
We have balsamic vinegerette and fat free rasberry vinegerette that our vegan.
Mike
The verdict:
The pasta is vegan
Minestrone is vegan
The Portobello Sandwich, ordered without cheese, is vegan
Salads, ordered without cheese and meat, are vegan
Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing is vegan
Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing is vegan
The Claddagh is willing to create vegan dishes with advance notice
The Claddagh offered a friendly, personalized, and useful response to my question about vegan menu offerings
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Response from Claddagh Irish Pub, downtown Indianapolis location:
Hi Erin,
We have had requests for vegan dishes before. Our pasta is completely vegan and so is our minestrone soup, it uses vegetable stock. We do have a Portabella mushroom sandwich you can order without cheese. Our chef is very talented as well, and can make things for you if give him time to perpare.
Thanks for your interest,
MIke Mariano
General Manager
Their menu includes some delicious-looking salads that wouldn't require too many modifications, so I followed up by asking Mike which of the house made dressings are vegan:
Thanks, Mike, for your reply and your suggestions! I noticed your dressings are homemade and that you have quite a nice offering of salads on your menu. Can you tell me which dressings are free of animal products (and note which, if any, have honey)? Thank you so much for taking time to help me with this, and looking forward to a visit to the Claddagh.
Best,
Erin
Response #2 from Claddagh Irish Pub, downtown Indianapolis location:
Erin,
We have balsamic vinegerette and fat free rasberry vinegerette that our vegan.
Mike
The verdict:
The pasta is vegan
Minestrone is vegan
The Portobello Sandwich, ordered without cheese, is vegan
Salads, ordered without cheese and meat, are vegan
Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing is vegan
Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing is vegan
The Claddagh is willing to create vegan dishes with advance notice
The Claddagh offered a friendly, personalized, and useful response to my question about vegan menu offerings
Romano's Macaroni Grill
For notes, see entries for Maggiano's and Chili's.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Romano's Macaroni Grill response:
Dear Ms. xxx,
Thank you very much for taking the time to send us an email and for your interest in Macaroni Grill. Since there is no single vegetarian eating pattern, our company dietitian has compiled the list below of suggested menu options for various types of vegetarian diets. We hope that you will find this list helpful during your next visit to our restaurant.
If an item you desire does not appear on the list below, please keep in mind that our chefs will gladly try to accommodate your special dietary needs by custom-preparing a meal using any ingredients that we have available in our kitchen. However, please be aware that none of our menu items are certified as vegetarian. Many of our recipes contain meat, fish, egg and dairy products and normal kitchen operations involve the sharing of cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil. Therefore, it is possible for any food item, including fried vegetables, to come into contact with animal products during the preparation and/or cooking process. Additionally, please be aware that our tomato sauce contains butter. Based on our supplier ingredient information, the menu items you may consider are as follows:
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians (contains egg and/or dairy, but no meat/fish):**
All "Suggested Menu Options for Vegans and Lacto-Vegetarians" listed below,
including the following:
Mushroom Ravioli
Salad Dressings: Honey Mustard, Fat Free Creamy Italian, Ranch Dressing
Eggplant Parmesan
Tomato Basil and Cheese Tortellini Soup
Desserts: New York Cheesecake, Lemon Passion Cream Cake, Tiramisu
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Vegetarians (contains dairy, but no meat/fish or egg):**
All "Suggested Menu Options for Vegans" listed below, including the following:
Mozzarella Alla Caprese
Tomato Bruschetta
Pizza Margherita
Garden della Casa Salad
Insalata Blu Salad
Fettuccine Alfredo
Suggested Menu Options for Vegans (contains no meat/fish, dairy or egg):**
Any String Pasta with Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tomato Bruschetta – order without Cheese
Garden della Casa Salad – order without Cheese and Croutons
Salad Dressings: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Italian, Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Grilled Asparagus and/or Broccoli
Bread
** Note: All desserts and fried menu items may come into contact with animal products
during the normal kitchen preparation and cooking processes due to cross-contamination.
On your next visit to Macaroni Grill, please speak with a manager about your dietary
restrictions to ensure that your meal is carefully prepared with your needs in mind. We hope that you are able to choose a meal to your liking and look forward to serving you soon.
Macaroni Grill
Guest Relations
Ref # 671710
The verdict:
"String" Pastas are vegan
Garlic and Olive Oil are vegan
Tomato Bruschetta, ordered without cheese, is vegan
Garden della Casa Salad, ordered without cheese and croutons, is vegan
Balsamic Vinaigrette, Italian, and Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette dressings are vegan
Grilled Asparagus is vegan
Grilled Broccoli is vegan
Bread is vegan
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Romano's Macaroni Grill response:
Dear Ms. xxx,
Thank you very much for taking the time to send us an email and for your interest in Macaroni Grill. Since there is no single vegetarian eating pattern, our company dietitian has compiled the list below of suggested menu options for various types of vegetarian diets. We hope that you will find this list helpful during your next visit to our restaurant.
If an item you desire does not appear on the list below, please keep in mind that our chefs will gladly try to accommodate your special dietary needs by custom-preparing a meal using any ingredients that we have available in our kitchen. However, please be aware that none of our menu items are certified as vegetarian. Many of our recipes contain meat, fish, egg and dairy products and normal kitchen operations involve the sharing of cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil. Therefore, it is possible for any food item, including fried vegetables, to come into contact with animal products during the preparation and/or cooking process. Additionally, please be aware that our tomato sauce contains butter. Based on our supplier ingredient information, the menu items you may consider are as follows:
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians (contains egg and/or dairy, but no meat/fish):**
All "Suggested Menu Options for Vegans and Lacto-Vegetarians" listed below,
including the following:
Mushroom Ravioli
Salad Dressings: Honey Mustard, Fat Free Creamy Italian, Ranch Dressing
Eggplant Parmesan
Tomato Basil and Cheese Tortellini Soup
Desserts: New York Cheesecake, Lemon Passion Cream Cake, Tiramisu
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Vegetarians (contains dairy, but no meat/fish or egg):**
All "Suggested Menu Options for Vegans" listed below, including the following:
Mozzarella Alla Caprese
Tomato Bruschetta
Pizza Margherita
Garden della Casa Salad
Insalata Blu Salad
Fettuccine Alfredo
Suggested Menu Options for Vegans (contains no meat/fish, dairy or egg):**
Any String Pasta with Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tomato Bruschetta – order without Cheese
Garden della Casa Salad – order without Cheese and Croutons
Salad Dressings: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Italian, Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Grilled Asparagus and/or Broccoli
Bread
** Note: All desserts and fried menu items may come into contact with animal products
during the normal kitchen preparation and cooking processes due to cross-contamination.
On your next visit to Macaroni Grill, please speak with a manager about your dietary
restrictions to ensure that your meal is carefully prepared with your needs in mind. We hope that you are able to choose a meal to your liking and look forward to serving you soon.
Macaroni Grill
Guest Relations
Ref # 671710
The verdict:
"String" Pastas are vegan
Garlic and Olive Oil are vegan
Tomato Bruschetta, ordered without cheese, is vegan
Garden della Casa Salad, ordered without cheese and croutons, is vegan
Balsamic Vinaigrette, Italian, and Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette dressings are vegan
Grilled Asparagus is vegan
Grilled Broccoli is vegan
Bread is vegan
Maggiano's Little Italy
After querying Chili's, Maggiano's Little Italy, and Romano's Macaroni Grill at the same time and receiving responses from the same email address, I determined with a little research these restaurants are all owned by Brinker International Inc., along with On the Border. Like the response for Chili's and Macaroni Grill, a dietitian was consulted to answer my question. Brinker HQ, you thrill me with your conscientious ways! (Now let's see some more vegan menu offerings.)
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Maggiano's response:
Dear Ms. xxx,
Thank you for contacting Maggiano's Little Italy for information on our vegetarian menu items. Since there is no single vegetarian eating pattern, our company dietitian has compiled the list below of suggested menu options for the various types of vegetarian diets. We hope that you will find this list helpful during your next visit to our restaurant.
If an item you desire does not appear on the list below, our chefs will gladly try to accommodate your special dietary needs by custom-preparing a meal using any ingredients that we have available in our kitchen. However, please be aware that none of our food items are certified vegetarian. Additionally, many of our recipes contain meat, fish, egg and dairy products and normal kitchen operations involve the sharing of cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil. Therefore, it is possible for any food item, including fried vegetables, to come into contact with animal products during the cooking process.
When visiting a Maggiano's, please make your special dietary needs known to your server. Our chefs are available to visit your table and personally assist you with meal recommendations as well as create a dish specifically suited to your needs. Please do not hesitate to ask as no request is ever too great. Maggiano's takes great pride in meeting guests' special dietary requests.
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians (contains egg and dairy, but no meat):
All "Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Vegetarians and Vegans" listed below,
including the following:
Any of our salads can be prepared without meat
Any of our pastas can be prepared without meat
Eggplant Parmesan
Salad Dressings: Blue Cheese and Caesar
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Vegetarians (contains dairy, but no meat or egg):
All "Suggested Menu Options for Vegans" listed below, including the
following:
Any of our salads can be prepared without meat or eggs
Any of our pasta dishes can be prepared with only Garlic and Olive Oil
Any of our string pastas only (does not include Ravioli, Gnocchi, Lasagna or any fresh pasta)
Spaghetti Marinara
Joey Z's Angel Hair
Aglio Spinach
Alfredo Sauce
Shells & Vegetables with Tomato Pesto Broth
Sliced Tomato with Fresh Mozzarella Appetizer
Pesto Sauce
Diavlo Sauce
Suggested Menu Options for Vegans (contains no meat, dairy or egg):
Any of our salads can be prepared without meat, eggs or cheese.
Any of our pasta dishes can be prepared with only Garlic and Olive Oil.
Any of our string pastas only (does not include Ravioli, Gnocchi, Lasagna or any fresh pastas)
Salad Dressings: House and Italian
We hope that you are able to choose a meal to your liking and look forward to serving
you soon.
Maggiano's
Guest Relations
Ref # 671709
The verdict:
Salads without meat, eggs, or cheese are vegan
"String" Pastas are vegan
Garlic and Olive Oil are vegan
House and Italian dressings are vegan
Maggiano's was helpful, thorough, and quick in responding to my question about vegan fare at their restaurant.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Maggiano's response:
Dear Ms. xxx,
Thank you for contacting Maggiano's Little Italy for information on our vegetarian menu items. Since there is no single vegetarian eating pattern, our company dietitian has compiled the list below of suggested menu options for the various types of vegetarian diets. We hope that you will find this list helpful during your next visit to our restaurant.
If an item you desire does not appear on the list below, our chefs will gladly try to accommodate your special dietary needs by custom-preparing a meal using any ingredients that we have available in our kitchen. However, please be aware that none of our food items are certified vegetarian. Additionally, many of our recipes contain meat, fish, egg and dairy products and normal kitchen operations involve the sharing of cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil. Therefore, it is possible for any food item, including fried vegetables, to come into contact with animal products during the cooking process.
When visiting a Maggiano's, please make your special dietary needs known to your server. Our chefs are available to visit your table and personally assist you with meal recommendations as well as create a dish specifically suited to your needs. Please do not hesitate to ask as no request is ever too great. Maggiano's takes great pride in meeting guests' special dietary requests.
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians (contains egg and dairy, but no meat):
All "Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Vegetarians and Vegans" listed below,
including the following:
Any of our salads can be prepared without meat
Any of our pastas can be prepared without meat
Eggplant Parmesan
Salad Dressings: Blue Cheese and Caesar
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Vegetarians (contains dairy, but no meat or egg):
All "Suggested Menu Options for Vegans" listed below, including the
following:
Any of our salads can be prepared without meat or eggs
Any of our pasta dishes can be prepared with only Garlic and Olive Oil
Any of our string pastas only (does not include Ravioli, Gnocchi, Lasagna or any fresh pasta)
Spaghetti Marinara
Joey Z's Angel Hair
Aglio Spinach
Alfredo Sauce
Shells & Vegetables with Tomato Pesto Broth
Sliced Tomato with Fresh Mozzarella Appetizer
Pesto Sauce
Diavlo Sauce
Suggested Menu Options for Vegans (contains no meat, dairy or egg):
Any of our salads can be prepared without meat, eggs or cheese.
Any of our pasta dishes can be prepared with only Garlic and Olive Oil.
Any of our string pastas only (does not include Ravioli, Gnocchi, Lasagna or any fresh pastas)
Salad Dressings: House and Italian
We hope that you are able to choose a meal to your liking and look forward to serving
you soon.
Maggiano's
Guest Relations
Ref # 671709
The verdict:
Salads without meat, eggs, or cheese are vegan
"String" Pastas are vegan
Garlic and Olive Oil are vegan
House and Italian dressings are vegan
Maggiano's was helpful, thorough, and quick in responding to my question about vegan fare at their restaurant.
Chili's
I was impressed to find a dietitian was consulted to answer my question - presumably a benefit of having the budget of a national chain, but nonetheless a great example for other less-helpful national chains. Their answer is comprehensive and demonstrates a knowledge of the issues associated with dining out vegan.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Chili's response:
August 10, 2007
Dear Ms. xxx,
Thank you very much for taking the time to send us an email and for your interest in
Chili's. Our corporate dietitian has compiled the list below of Chili's vegan/vegetarian menu suggestions. Please be aware that none of our food items are certified vegetarian. Additionally, many of our recipes contain meat, fish, egg and dairy products and normal kitchen operations involve the sharing of cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil. Therefore, it is possible for any food item, including French Fries and/or Chips, to come into contact with animal products during preparation and/or cooking processes.
Based on our supplier information, the vegan items you may consider are as follows:
Corn Tortillas
Salad without cheeses, meats, fried tortilla strips or croutons (choose dressings below only)
Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Low-fat Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Pico de Gallo
Salsa Picante
Rice
Guacamole
Black Beans
Steamed Veggies – Corn on the Cob, Broccoli, and/or Fresh Veggies (request no oil or butter)
Sliced Tomatoes, Onions and/or Bell Pepper (raw)
Marinara Sauce
Kiddie Wheat Bun
** Please note that our Black Bean burger is not vegan friendly and contains dairy
ingredients (patty).
On your next visit to Chili's, please speak with a manager about your dietary restrictions to ensure that your meal is carefully prepared with your needs in mind. We hope that you are able to choose a meal to your liking and look forward to serving you soon.
Chili's
Guest Relations
Ref # 671685
The verdict:
Corn Tortillas are vegan
Salad without cheeses, meats, fried tortilla strips or croutons are vegan
Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is vegan
Low-fat Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is vegan
Pico de Gallo is vegan
Salsa Picante is vegan
Rice is vegan
Guacamole is vegan
Black Beans are vegan
Steamed Veggies – Corn on the Cob, Broccoli, and Fresh Veggies are vegan ordered without oil or butter
Chili's was very helpful and quick to reply to my request, and provided a thorough response to my question.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Chili's response:
August 10, 2007
Dear Ms. xxx,
Thank you very much for taking the time to send us an email and for your interest in
Chili's. Our corporate dietitian has compiled the list below of Chili's vegan/vegetarian menu suggestions. Please be aware that none of our food items are certified vegetarian. Additionally, many of our recipes contain meat, fish, egg and dairy products and normal kitchen operations involve the sharing of cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil. Therefore, it is possible for any food item, including French Fries and/or Chips, to come into contact with animal products during preparation and/or cooking processes.
Based on our supplier information, the vegan items you may consider are as follows:
Corn Tortillas
Salad without cheeses, meats, fried tortilla strips or croutons (choose dressings below only)
Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Low-fat Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Pico de Gallo
Salsa Picante
Rice
Guacamole
Black Beans
Steamed Veggies – Corn on the Cob, Broccoli, and/or Fresh Veggies (request no oil or butter)
Sliced Tomatoes, Onions and/or Bell Pepper (raw)
Marinara Sauce
Kiddie Wheat Bun
** Please note that our Black Bean burger is not vegan friendly and contains dairy
ingredients (patty).
On your next visit to Chili's, please speak with a manager about your dietary restrictions to ensure that your meal is carefully prepared with your needs in mind. We hope that you are able to choose a meal to your liking and look forward to serving you soon.
Chili's
Guest Relations
Ref # 671685
The verdict:
Corn Tortillas are vegan
Salad without cheeses, meats, fried tortilla strips or croutons are vegan
Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is vegan
Low-fat Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is vegan
Pico de Gallo is vegan
Salsa Picante is vegan
Rice is vegan
Guacamole is vegan
Black Beans are vegan
Steamed Veggies – Corn on the Cob, Broccoli, and Fresh Veggies are vegan ordered without oil or butter
Chili's was very helpful and quick to reply to my request, and provided a thorough response to my question.
Qdoba
Qdoba posts full ingredient information on their website, but the path to find it is anything but intuitive. Still, it is provided, showing that there's really no basis keeping ingredients secret, let alone pretending the company itself doesn't even know its products' ingredients.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Qdoba response:
Dear Erin,
Thank you for your e-mail. To get a listing of product ingredients, please
visit our website at www.qdoba.com. From the home page click on "Menu" On the next page, go to the right side of the page and click on the red lettering that says " click here for nutritional and allergen information" The next page that comes up says "Healthy Items, a healthy amount of choices for eating better" below that, in red letters it says "nutrition, allergens, calculator". Click on "Allergens" At the top of the page click on the red lettering that says "Click here to view PDF of our Allergen Information and Menu Item Ingredients" This will bring up a detailed listing of all the ingredients in our different products.
Sincerely,
Amber
Guest Relations
I sent a follow up because there are some ingredients listed that may or may not be of animal origin.
My response #2:
Hello Amber,
Thank you for your prompt [reply]. Can you tell me if the following products are, or contain anything, of animal origin?
-artificial butter flavor (in "pan release spray")
-amylase (soft white corn tortillas)
-thiamin mononitrate (soft flour tortillas)
-natural flavors (Salsa Roja)
- Disodium Inosinate (Tortilla Soup)
-"flavoring" in Tortilla Soup
Your help with this matter is greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Erin
Qdoba response #2:
Dear Erin,
We can not guarantee that one or all of the ingredients that you mentioned
are not in the products or would not come in contact with the food. The
only information we can supply is just what is on the web-site. If you
would like to discuss this matter further, please contact our Guest
Relations department at 1-888-497-3622, and refer to report #37448. Our
representatives are available Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm PT.
Sincerely,
Sherri
Guest Relations
I'm disappointed. They seem to be addressing the possibility of cross contamination, not the origins of the ingredients in question. I want something in writing, not a phone conversation, so I sent the following reply (#3):
Hello Sherri,
Thank you for your response. I am aware of the risk of cross contamination in any dining situation; however, if you or someone at Qdoba could determine if the following ingredients, found in your products, are of animal origin, it would be a great help to me, and others who follow a vegan diet as closely as possible, in determining whether Qdoba can be considered a place with vegan dining options. I understand it may not always be easily determinable whether an ingredient is of animal origin, but please know that your efforts to make that determination will be of great value, both to vegan diners and as a result, to your restaurant.
Once again, these are the ingredients i found on your website that may or may not be of animal origin:
-artificial butter flavor (in "pan release spray")
-amylase (soft white corn tortillas)
-thiamin mononitrate (soft flour tortillas)
-natural flavors (Salsa Roja)
- Disodium Inosinate (Tortilla Soup)
-"flavoring" in Tortilla Soup
Thank you,
Erin
Two days later I follow up (#3b):
Hello,
Still waiting to hear back from someone regarding my questions, which follow. Your attention to my questions is greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Erin
Qdoba reply (#3), received the same day:
Hi Erin,
Thank you for your email. We are looking into your request and will email
you as soon as possible with the info. you are requesting.
Sincerely,
Roxane
Guest Relations
Qdoba reply (#3b), twelve days later:
Dear Erin,
Thank you for your email and patience regarding your inquiry about how ingredients. After following up with the appropriate departments, I can assure you that there are no animal derivatives or byproducts in the menu items you specified. If there is anything else we can help with, please call our Guest Relations Department at 1.888.497.3622 between 7a-4p Monday - Friday.
Sincerely,
Roxane
Guest Relations
There you have it. Nineteen days after the initially contacting Qdoba, I know what's to eat. Better late than never, as they say. Additionally, I must admit this is the most impressive list of vegan offerings I compiled this far, and for this fact I believe Qdoba deserves support.
The verdict (in progress):
Black Beans are vegan
Pinto Beans are vegan
Fajita Vegetables are vegan
Grilled Vegetables are vegan
Potatoes are vegan
Corn, Flour, and Taco Salad Shells are vegan
Soft White Corn Tortillas are vegan
Soft Flour Tortillas are vegan
Corn Tortilla Chips and Strips are vegan
Pico de Gallo is vegan
Fiery Habañero is vegan
Mango Salsa is vegan
Salsa Roja is vegan
Salsa Verde is vegan
Roasted Chile Corn Salsa is vegan
Black Bean and Corn Salsa is vegan
Poblano Pesto is vegan
Ranchera sauce is vegan
Guacamole is vegan
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette dressing is vegan
Tortilla Soup is vegan
Cilantro Lime Rice is vegan
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Qdoba response:
Dear Erin,
Thank you for your e-mail. To get a listing of product ingredients, please
visit our website at www.qdoba.com. From the home page click on "Menu" On the next page, go to the right side of the page and click on the red lettering that says " click here for nutritional and allergen information" The next page that comes up says "Healthy Items, a healthy amount of choices for eating better" below that, in red letters it says "nutrition, allergens, calculator". Click on "Allergens" At the top of the page click on the red lettering that says "Click here to view PDF of our Allergen Information and Menu Item Ingredients" This will bring up a detailed listing of all the ingredients in our different products.
Sincerely,
Amber
Guest Relations
I sent a follow up because there are some ingredients listed that may or may not be of animal origin.
My response #2:
Hello Amber,
Thank you for your prompt [reply]. Can you tell me if the following products are, or contain anything, of animal origin?
-artificial butter flavor (in "pan release spray")
-amylase (soft white corn tortillas)
-thiamin mononitrate (soft flour tortillas)
-natural flavors (Salsa Roja)
- Disodium Inosinate (Tortilla Soup)
-"flavoring" in Tortilla Soup
Your help with this matter is greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Erin
Qdoba response #2:
Dear Erin,
We can not guarantee that one or all of the ingredients that you mentioned
are not in the products or would not come in contact with the food. The
only information we can supply is just what is on the web-site. If you
would like to discuss this matter further, please contact our Guest
Relations department at 1-888-497-3622, and refer to report #37448. Our
representatives are available Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm PT.
Sincerely,
Sherri
Guest Relations
I'm disappointed. They seem to be addressing the possibility of cross contamination, not the origins of the ingredients in question. I want something in writing, not a phone conversation, so I sent the following reply (#3):
Hello Sherri,
Thank you for your response. I am aware of the risk of cross contamination in any dining situation; however, if you or someone at Qdoba could determine if the following ingredients, found in your products, are of animal origin, it would be a great help to me, and others who follow a vegan diet as closely as possible, in determining whether Qdoba can be considered a place with vegan dining options. I understand it may not always be easily determinable whether an ingredient is of animal origin, but please know that your efforts to make that determination will be of great value, both to vegan diners and as a result, to your restaurant.
Once again, these are the ingredients i found on your website that may or may not be of animal origin:
-artificial butter flavor (in "pan release spray")
-amylase (soft white corn tortillas)
-thiamin mononitrate (soft flour tortillas)
-natural flavors (Salsa Roja)
- Disodium Inosinate (Tortilla Soup)
-"flavoring" in Tortilla Soup
Thank you,
Erin
Two days later I follow up (#3b):
Hello,
Still waiting to hear back from someone regarding my questions, which follow. Your attention to my questions is greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Erin
Qdoba reply (#3), received the same day:
Hi Erin,
Thank you for your email. We are looking into your request and will email
you as soon as possible with the info. you are requesting.
Sincerely,
Roxane
Guest Relations
Qdoba reply (#3b), twelve days later:
Dear Erin,
Thank you for your email and patience regarding your inquiry about how ingredients. After following up with the appropriate departments, I can assure you that there are no animal derivatives or byproducts in the menu items you specified. If there is anything else we can help with, please call our Guest Relations Department at 1.888.497.3622 between 7a-4p Monday - Friday.
Sincerely,
Roxane
Guest Relations
There you have it. Nineteen days after the initially contacting Qdoba, I know what's to eat. Better late than never, as they say. Additionally, I must admit this is the most impressive list of vegan offerings I compiled this far, and for this fact I believe Qdoba deserves support.
The verdict (in progress):
Black Beans are vegan
Pinto Beans are vegan
Fajita Vegetables are vegan
Grilled Vegetables are vegan
Potatoes are vegan
Corn, Flour, and Taco Salad Shells are vegan
Soft White Corn Tortillas are vegan
Soft Flour Tortillas are vegan
Corn Tortilla Chips and Strips are vegan
Pico de Gallo is vegan
Fiery Habañero is vegan
Mango Salsa is vegan
Salsa Roja is vegan
Salsa Verde is vegan
Roasted Chile Corn Salsa is vegan
Black Bean and Corn Salsa is vegan
Poblano Pesto is vegan
Ranchera sauce is vegan
Guacamole is vegan
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette dressing is vegan
Tortilla Soup is vegan
Cilantro Lime Rice is vegan
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Au Bon Pain
Creativity counts?
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Au bon Pain response:
Dear Erin,
We currently do not call any of our items “vegan.” Having said that, you could look through the nutritional information and creatively find some options, if you eat honey, you could create a sandwich on our lavash. www.aubonpain.com
Sincerely,
Donna Alsheimer
Hospitality Manager
Au Bon Pain
One Au Bon Pain Way
Boston, MA 02210
Office: 617-423-2100 x1264
Fax: 617-737-2310
mailto:donna_alsheimer@aubonpain.com
The verdict:
It's up to you to come up with something vegan. Website displays full ingredient lists, which is helpful. However, Donna tells me the lavash is vegan except for the honey, but the ingredients list shows an additive that is not considered vegan (cysteine), in addition to several additives that may or may not be of animal origin (monoglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, and enzymes - see resources for a guide to vegan food additives). Being vegan is difficult, as we all know, and it's hard to expect a hospitality manager to fully understand the extent of ways in which a food might not be vegan. This is why it's so important for restaurants to provide full ingredient lists (kudos to Au Bon Pain for that), and for vegans to remember that any time someone else is making your food, especially someone unfamiliar with a vegan diet, there is a risk of consuming animal products. Donna was at least trying to be helpful in coming up with a creative solution for which she had no good answer.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Au bon Pain response:
Dear Erin,
We currently do not call any of our items “vegan.” Having said that, you could look through the nutritional information and creatively find some options, if you eat honey, you could create a sandwich on our lavash. www.aubonpain.com
Sincerely,
Donna Alsheimer
Hospitality Manager
Au Bon Pain
One Au Bon Pain Way
Boston, MA 02210
Office: 617-423-2100 x1264
Fax: 617-737-2310
mailto:donna_alsheimer@aubonpain.com
The verdict:
It's up to you to come up with something vegan. Website displays full ingredient lists, which is helpful. However, Donna tells me the lavash is vegan except for the honey, but the ingredients list shows an additive that is not considered vegan (cysteine), in addition to several additives that may or may not be of animal origin (monoglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, and enzymes - see resources for a guide to vegan food additives). Being vegan is difficult, as we all know, and it's hard to expect a hospitality manager to fully understand the extent of ways in which a food might not be vegan. This is why it's so important for restaurants to provide full ingredient lists (kudos to Au Bon Pain for that), and for vegans to remember that any time someone else is making your food, especially someone unfamiliar with a vegan diet, there is a risk of consuming animal products. Donna was at least trying to be helpful in coming up with a creative solution for which she had no good answer.
Buca di Beppo
***1/12/11 UPDATE
aVeganJourney commented:
"I need to update Buca as I just called them. Their menu has changed. The best they can do is spagetti with marina sauce or bruchetta WITHOUT the Romano or cheese. The other items are no longer on the menu. Thanks for all you hard work putting this list together. I'm sharing your information. "
****
Too good to be true?
Hello, I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best, Erin
Buca di Beppo response:
Hello,
We offer the following vegan items:
BRUSCHETTA
SPAGHETTI MARINARA
ESCAROLE
GREEN BEANS
TUSCAN BEANS AND ESCAROLE
ROASTED VEGATABLES
Thank you again for writing.
Ciao!!!
The Buca di Beppo Famiglia
My response:
Hello,
Thanks for your response. I would like to point out that a vegan diet contains no animal products, i.e. no cheese, dairy, butter, etc., or meat (of any animal). Your menu online doesn't describe your bruschetta, for example, but most bruschetta has cheese in it. If not I would be delighted to hear so. Can you confirm that the below items have no animal products in them? If possible could you provide a list of ingredients for the products below?
Thanks,
Erin
Great news, thanks Buca di Beppo!
Response #2 from Buca di Beppo:
Erin,
Thank you for your prompt response. Our Bruschetta does not contain cheese or an other animal by-product. The rest of the list is also free of all animal products and by-products and are indeed vegan. Thank you again for writing.
Ciao!!!
The Buca di Beppo Famiglia
The verdict:
Bruschetta is vegan
Spaghetti Marinara is vegan
Escarole is vegan
Green Beans are vegan
Tuscan Beans and Escarole are vegan
Roasted Vegetables are vegan
Buca di Beppo was helpful and quick to reply, and offers more vegan dishes than an average Italian chain restaurant.
aVeganJourney commented:
"I need to update Buca as I just called them. Their menu has changed. The best they can do is spagetti with marina sauce or bruchetta WITHOUT the Romano or cheese. The other items are no longer on the menu. Thanks for all you hard work putting this list together. I'm sharing your information. "
****
Too good to be true?
Hello, I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best, Erin
Buca di Beppo response:
Hello,
We offer the following vegan items:
BRUSCHETTA
SPAGHETTI MARINARA
ESCAROLE
GREEN BEANS
TUSCAN BEANS AND ESCAROLE
ROASTED VEGATABLES
Thank you again for writing.
Ciao!!!
The Buca di Beppo Famiglia
My response:
Hello,
Thanks for your response. I would like to point out that a vegan diet contains no animal products, i.e. no cheese, dairy, butter, etc., or meat (of any animal). Your menu online doesn't describe your bruschetta, for example, but most bruschetta has cheese in it. If not I would be delighted to hear so. Can you confirm that the below items have no animal products in them? If possible could you provide a list of ingredients for the products below?
Thanks,
Erin
Great news, thanks Buca di Beppo!
Response #2 from Buca di Beppo:
Erin,
Thank you for your prompt response. Our Bruschetta does not contain cheese or an other animal by-product. The rest of the list is also free of all animal products and by-products and are indeed vegan. Thank you again for writing.
Ciao!!!
The Buca di Beppo Famiglia
The verdict:
Bruschetta is vegan
Spaghetti Marinara is vegan
Escarole is vegan
Green Beans are vegan
Tuscan Beans and Escarole are vegan
Roasted Vegetables are vegan
Buca di Beppo was helpful and quick to reply, and offers more vegan dishes than an average Italian chain restaurant.
Subway
(determination in progress)
Kudos to Subway for providing full ingredient lists. However, one needs to know if the enzymes listed in the ingredients for their bread are of animal origin. Common knowledge about the 'Net is that they are NOT of animal origin, but I followed up with Michelle to find out for the record.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,Erin
Subway response:
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Dear Ms xxx:
Thank you for your interest in Subway nutritional information.
On our website www.subway.com you will be able to find our nationally offered products broken down by Nutrition/Ingredient information. All information is updated regularly, unlike printed material they may be out dated.
Some local items will be found by clicking on the "Printer Friendly Version" on our website. For those local items not listed you will need to ask at your local Subway.
Highlight the maroon "Menu/Nutrition" tab at the top of the main page.
Select "Nutrition" at the bottom of the page you will see the following options:
Printer-Friendly Nutrition Info Sandwich Components
Product Ingredients,
Health & Nutrition Links School Lunch Program
Weekly Reader Program,
Food Allergies Information Fat, Fiber, and Sodium Tips
Weight Management
Again, thank you for choosing Subway.
Sincerely,
Michelle Lawson x
Customer Care Representative
My response #2:
Hello Michelle,
Many thanks for your prompt response.
Can you tell me if the enzymes in your bread are of animal origin?
Thank you,
Erin
Then I noticed another suspect ingredient, Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate, which prompted another follow-up question:
Hello Michelle,
Can you also determine if the Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate in your bread is of animal origin?
Thanks,
Erin
Six days later, I forwarded our conversation to Michelle to remind her, as I had received no response yet.
She replied #2:
On 8/16/07, Michelle lawson wrote:
This has been sent to the nutritionist and I have not heard anything back yet, sorry.
michelle
I thanked her for her extra effort and told her I was looking forward to hearing from her. Will update as necessary.
Kudos to Subway for providing full ingredient lists. However, one needs to know if the enzymes listed in the ingredients for their bread are of animal origin. Common knowledge about the 'Net is that they are NOT of animal origin, but I followed up with Michelle to find out for the record.
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,Erin
Subway response:
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Dear Ms xxx:
Thank you for your interest in Subway nutritional information.
On our website www.subway.com you will be able to find our nationally offered products broken down by Nutrition/Ingredient information. All information is updated regularly, unlike printed material they may be out dated.
Some local items will be found by clicking on the "Printer Friendly Version" on our website. For those local items not listed you will need to ask at your local Subway.
Highlight the maroon "Menu/Nutrition" tab at the top of the main page.
Select "Nutrition" at the bottom of the page you will see the following options:
Printer-Friendly Nutrition Info Sandwich Components
Product Ingredients,
Health & Nutrition Links School Lunch Program
Weekly Reader Program,
Food Allergies Information Fat, Fiber, and Sodium Tips
Weight Management
Again, thank you for choosing Subway.
Sincerely,
Michelle Lawson x
Customer Care Representative
My response #2:
Hello Michelle,
Many thanks for your prompt response.
Can you tell me if the enzymes in your bread are of animal origin?
Thank you,
Erin
Then I noticed another suspect ingredient, Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate, which prompted another follow-up question:
Hello Michelle,
Can you also determine if the Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactylate in your bread is of animal origin?
Thanks,
Erin
Six days later, I forwarded our conversation to Michelle to remind her, as I had received no response yet.
She replied #2:
On 8/16/07, Michelle lawson
This has been sent to the nutritionist and I have not heard anything back yet, sorry.
michelle
I thanked her for her extra effort and told her I was looking forward to hearing from her. Will update as necessary.
Carrabba's Italian Grill
Thank you Carrabba's.
Comments:
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Carrabba's response:
Dear Erin,
Thanks for taking the time to contact us. Tagliarini Picchi Pacchiu
(using dry pasta instead of fresh) is the only dish that would be
considered vegan. You could also request our Pomodoro Sauce served over one of our dry pasta cuts. Please feel free to speak to a Manager. They will be happy to prepare something vegan for you at your request.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Carrabba's
The verdict:
Tagliarini Picchi Pacchiu, using dry pasta instead of fresh, is vegan
Pomodoro sauce over "dry pasta cuts" is vegan
Carrabba's offers to create something vegan
Carrabba's was helpful and responded the same day.
Comments:
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
Carrabba's response:
Dear Erin,
Thanks for taking the time to contact us. Tagliarini Picchi Pacchiu
(using dry pasta instead of fresh) is the only dish that would be
considered vegan. You could also request our Pomodoro Sauce served over one of our dry pasta cuts. Please feel free to speak to a Manager. They will be happy to prepare something vegan for you at your request.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Carrabba's
The verdict:
Tagliarini Picchi Pacchiu, using dry pasta instead of fresh, is vegan
Pomodoro sauce over "dry pasta cuts" is vegan
Carrabba's offers to create something vegan
Carrabba's was helpful and responded the same day.
Panera Bread
Panera Bread scores big for providing full ingredient lists on their website.
Comments:
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items
are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to
research this.
Best,
Erin
Panera Bread response
Dear Erin,
Thank you for contacting Panera Bread. You can find nutritional profiles and complete ingredients for our current menu items on our website.
On our homepage, choose Menu & Nutrition. You can then select a
category: Our Bakery Menu, Our Cafe Menu or For Your Pantry. You can either browse through our menus page by page, or you can navigate directly to your menu choices using the links at the top of the page (in green). For example, in the Cafe Menu category, you can take links directly to Hand Tossed Salads, Sandwiches, Beverages, Soups and more. When you see an item you want to know more about, click on it and a page with that item's nutritional profile and ingredients will be displayed in an easy-to-print format. If you would like to print out a complete menu with nutrition information, click on the link to our downloadable nutrition guide (in red at the middle of the page). The link can be found on every menu category page.
(http://www.panerabread.com/pdf/nutr-guide.pdf)
Thanks again for contacting us. We appreciate your business and value your comments.
Sincerely,
Sam
Customer Comment Coordinator
The verdict:
The Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich, ordered without feta crumbles, is left with a few nutritional additives such as thiamin mononitrate (iron source) that are considered "may or may not be of animal origin." (See Additives: vegan or not?.)
Low fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable soup contains thiamin mononitrate (see above) but is otherwise vegan
Southwest Tomato & Roasted Corn Soup
is vegan
Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup is vegan
The Fresh Fruit Cup is vegan
The Greek salad is vegan if ordered without feta, but the dressing contains MSG
Panera Bread responded the same day and was very helpful in determining what's to eat that's vegan at their restaurant.
Comments:
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items
are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to
research this.
Best,
Erin
Panera Bread response
Dear Erin,
Thank you for contacting Panera Bread. You can find nutritional profiles and complete ingredients for our current menu items on our website.
On our homepage, choose Menu & Nutrition. You can then select a
category: Our Bakery Menu, Our Cafe Menu or For Your Pantry. You can either browse through our menus page by page, or you can navigate directly to your menu choices using the links at the top of the page (in green). For example, in the Cafe Menu category, you can take links directly to Hand Tossed Salads, Sandwiches, Beverages, Soups and more. When you see an item you want to know more about, click on it and a page with that item's nutritional profile and ingredients will be displayed in an easy-to-print format. If you would like to print out a complete menu with nutrition information, click on the link to our downloadable nutrition guide (in red at the middle of the page). The link can be found on every menu category page.
(http://www.panerabread.com/pdf/nutr-guide.pdf)
Thanks again for contacting us. We appreciate your business and value your comments.
Sincerely,
Sam
Customer Comment Coordinator
The verdict:
The Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich, ordered without feta crumbles, is left with a few nutritional additives such as thiamin mononitrate (iron source) that are considered "may or may not be of animal origin." (See Additives: vegan or not?.)
Low fat Vegetarian Garden Vegetable soup contains thiamin mononitrate (see above) but is otherwise vegan
Southwest Tomato & Roasted Corn Soup
is vegan
Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup is vegan
The Fresh Fruit Cup is vegan
The Greek salad is vegan if ordered without feta, but the dressing contains MSG
Panera Bread responded the same day and was very helpful in determining what's to eat that's vegan at their restaurant.
Jimmy John's
*Update 5/20/2012*
This is what you are funding and condoning when you give Jimmy John's your money.
A basic search of the Internet reveals the bread may not be vegan at Jimmy John's. One blogger reports difficulty in getting a straight answer, but finds eventually that the bread is not vegan. My effort met with the same frustration and even greater resistance. Jimmy John's has thus made themselves the poster child of restaurants who make being vegan difficult. Shame on you, Jimmy John's.
First email
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
From: webfeedback-owner@mail.jimmyjohns.com [mailto:webfeedback-owner@mail.jimmyjohns.com] On Behalf Of webfeedback@jimmyjohns.com
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 10:08 AM
To: webfeedback@jimmyjohns.com
Subject: Jimmy Johns Feedback Form Submission
Erin,
This locations inshop subs are $4.40 Veggie and for inshop clubs are $5.32 Veggie Club. (Prices may vary)
Thanks for writing.
My response
Hello,
Thank you for responding. However, my question is not about prices or vegetarian menu items. Again, can you please tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? This will require looking at ingredients on the foods you sell, i.e. your breads, etc. If you are unable to answer my question with confidence, would you mind providing an email for someone who can?
Thank you,
Erin
Response #2 - Jimmy John's
On 8/9/07, JJ Feedback wrote:
The Veggie (Several layers of provolone cheese (you can ask for it w/out cheese), avocado spread, alfalfa sprouts, sliced cucumber, lettuce, tomato and mayo)
We have two types of bread: homemade French bread or our 7 grain bread. I am sorry I do not have any ingredients nor does anyone else here in the office. You can check out our website at www.jimmyjohns.com for any nutritional questions you might have. Click on the menu box, then go to the top left corner and click nutritional info. Here you can add/delete ingredients to build your sandwich the way you like and get the numbers you need.
I hope this helps and thanks for writing
My response #2
Hello,
I followed your instructions, however, there was no information on the ingredients in your bread. I find it difficult to believe that no one in your company knows the ingredients in your products. It is more important than ever that consumers be able to make informed decisions about the food they are eating. Without allowing potential customers the ability to make such a decision, you are preventing them from doing so and additionally preventing them from becoming customers instead of potential customers. There must be someone who knows the ingredients in your products. Can you provide an email address for someone at Jimmy John's with the authority to determine this?
Thank you,
Erin
Final response - Jimmy John's
Erin,
I am sorry that information is not given out, I can tell you that our bread is not made with eggs or milk or any allergens. We have a girl in our office that is vegan and she gets the veggie unwich (lettuce wrap) with no cheese. Again, I am sorry that I am not able to give out all the ingredients.
Thank you
The verdict:
With such resistance from the company itself, nothing on Jimmy John's menu can be determined to be vegan.
The "Unwich" might be vegan.
Jimmy John's was not cooperative in determining whether any menu items are vegan.
This is what you are funding and condoning when you give Jimmy John's your money.
A basic search of the Internet reveals the bread may not be vegan at Jimmy John's. One blogger reports difficulty in getting a straight answer, but finds eventually that the bread is not vegan. My effort met with the same frustration and even greater resistance. Jimmy John's has thus made themselves the poster child of restaurants who make being vegan difficult. Shame on you, Jimmy John's.
First email
Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin
From: webfeedback-owner@mail.jimmyjohns.com [mailto:webfeedback-owner@mail.jimmyjohns.com] On Behalf Of webfeedback@jimmyjohns.com
Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2007 10:08 AM
To: webfeedback@jimmyjohns.com
Subject: Jimmy Johns Feedback Form Submission
Erin,
This locations inshop subs are $4.40 Veggie and for inshop clubs are $5.32 Veggie Club. (Prices may vary)
Thanks for writing.
My response
Hello,
Thank you for responding. However, my question is not about prices or vegetarian menu items. Again, can you please tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? This will require looking at ingredients on the foods you sell, i.e. your breads, etc. If you are unable to answer my question with confidence, would you mind providing an email for someone who can?
Thank you,
Erin
Response #2 - Jimmy John's
On 8/9/07, JJ Feedback
The Veggie (Several layers of provolone cheese (you can ask for it w/out cheese), avocado spread, alfalfa sprouts, sliced cucumber, lettuce, tomato and mayo)
We have two types of bread: homemade French bread or our 7 grain bread. I am sorry I do not have any ingredients nor does anyone else here in the office. You can check out our website at www.jimmyjohns.com for any nutritional questions you might have. Click on the menu box, then go to the top left corner and click nutritional info. Here you can add/delete ingredients to build your sandwich the way you like and get the numbers you need.
I hope this helps and thanks for writing
My response #2
Hello,
I followed your instructions, however, there was no information on the ingredients in your bread. I find it difficult to believe that no one in your company knows the ingredients in your products. It is more important than ever that consumers be able to make informed decisions about the food they are eating. Without allowing potential customers the ability to make such a decision, you are preventing them from doing so and additionally preventing them from becoming customers instead of potential customers. There must be someone who knows the ingredients in your products. Can you provide an email address for someone at Jimmy John's with the authority to determine this?
Thank you,
Erin
Final response - Jimmy John's
Erin,
I am sorry that information is not given out, I can tell you that our bread is not made with eggs or milk or any allergens. We have a girl in our office that is vegan and she gets the veggie unwich (lettuce wrap) with no cheese. Again, I am sorry that I am not able to give out all the ingredients.
Thank you
The verdict:
With such resistance from the company itself, nothing on Jimmy John's menu can be determined to be vegan.
The "Unwich" might be vegan.
Jimmy John's was not cooperative in determining whether any menu items are vegan.
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