Does Sonic Drive-In Have Any Vegan Options?
It’s not easy to beat the convenience of fast food. Some days you just need a good old burger and fries!
And there’s certainly no shortage of fast-food chains to get your fix. There are almost 200,000 fast-food restaurants in the United States alone. But, as a vegan, how many of these are viable options?
There’s nothing worse than making the journey to a restaurant desperate to curb your cravings, only to discover there isn’t a single vegan option on the menu.
Fortunately, that won’t be the case at Sonic Drive-In. While Sonic may not have the best vegan menu, they at least have a few vegan items.
A Closer Look at Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In is a classic American fast-food restaurant chain founded almost 70 years ago. Besides its burgers and hotdogs, Sonic is most well-known for its wide range of beverages.
Almost everyone in the US can get their hands on a Sonic meal, as there are more than 3500 Sonic locations in 44 of the 50 American states.
Sonic is a fan favorite and has ranked number 14 in the top 50 fast-food restaurant chains in America.
We’ve all heard of a drive-thru, but have you ever heard of a drive-in?
The ‘Drive-In’ is actually what sets Sonic apart from so many other fast-food chains. Rather than following the traditional drive-thru or dine-in model, Sonic does it differently.
Their drive-in model means customers drive into the Sonic location parking area and wait in their cars to be served. In an ode to old-school diners, most Sonic carhops will bring out customers’ orders on roller skates or roller blades. This definitely beats waiting in line, right?
Is Fast-Food Vegan?
While vegan fast-food options may be on the rise from the Impossible Burger to Burger King’s Plant-Based Whooper, veganism and fast-food have not always gone hand in hand.
Fast food is typically known as any type of mass-produced food that is easy to prepare and quick to eat. Fast food is also synonymous with greasy, deep-fried foods.
All fast-food places have different signature styles, tastes, or menu items, but what they all have in common is oil.
Oil is the same reason we often crave greasy foods, and the reason many fast foods in the past typically weren’t vegan.
Nowadays, vegetable oil is one of the most common oils used in the fast-food world. However, in the past, certain fast-food chains used animal lard or other animal ingredients instead.
Lard is a fat derived from rendering pig fat. Lard was once one of the most common oils used for deep-frying food.
Similarly, tallow, a fat derived from rendered beef or mutton, was also a common staple in most kitchens.
Both lard and tallow are high in saturated fats, which can be linked to many health risks. Over the last two decades, there has been a huge movement to discontinue the use of saturated fats in commercial kitchens.
Thankfully for vegans, many chain restaurants switched to vegetable oils, making more of their menu items vegan!
Besides the push to include healthier options, many chains switched to avoid legal liabilities from accidentally serving vegans and vegetarians food contaminated by animal fats.
For example, McDonald’s infamous fries were cooked in lard for decades. In the 90s, the famous chain started using vegetable oil instead, but many claimed the fries lost their signature flavor as a result.
There are still certain chains that use animal fats like tallow for deep-frying. There is also always a risk of cross-contamination at restaurants that cook meat and vegan options. To be safe, vegans should triple-check the company’s cross-contamination policy and allergens list. You can find Sonic’s allergen guide in-store or on the Sonic website.
Luckily, for vegans in the United States, Sonic restaurants only use vegetable oil, making it a great place to grab your favorite fast-food classics.
What’s on the Menu for Vegans at Sonic?
Unfortunately, Sonic does not yet have any vegan or vegetarian main menu items. But hungry vegans won’t be completely deprived. Sonic has a few vegan-friendly sides on its menu.
Let’s take a closer look at some vegan-friendly menu items at Sonic:
- French Fries
A fast-food classic, french fries are always a great vegan meal option.
Sonic fries are made from russet potatoes, deep fried to crispy perfection in vegetable oil and seasoned with salt.
Vegans may have to worry about the ingredients used in certain types of seasoning. Salt does not use any animal products during processing, and it is not extracted from animal sources. This means vegans can enjoy the salty finishing on Sonic’s fries!
- Tots
Potatoes are a staple in the fast-food world. From hash browns to fries to tatter tots!
Sonic’s Tots are made from grated potatoes covered in flour, fried in vegetable oil until golden brown, and seasoned with salt.
If you’re looking for a fast-food fix, but want something different, Sonic’s Tots are a great vegan-friendly option!
- Sweet Potato Tots
If you want a slightly healthier vegan fast-food snack, Sonic’s Sweet Potato Tots are the way to go!
Made in the same ways as the traditional Sonic Tots using sweet potatoes, these Tots are crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside.
- Onion Rings
It’s impossible to think of fast food and not think about onion rings. But it can be tricky to find vegan-friendly onion rings at chain restaurants.
Most onion rings contain whey, a milk derivative, deeming them unsuitable for vegans.
Vegan onion ring lovers are in luck though! Sonic’s Onion Rings are 100% vegan friendly! In fact, Sonic is one of the few fast-food chains with vegan onion rings on its side’s menu.
These onion rings are an excellent vegan snack when served with one of Sonic’s vegan sauces.
- Sonic Soft Pretzel Twists
Sonic has plenty of fresh bread products on its menu, from the Sonic Cinnasticks to their French Toast Sticks.
While vegans may not have many meal options at Sonic stores, the good news is that Sonic’s Soft Pretzel Twists are vegan!
These soft pretzels are made from vegan bread and are a delicious vegan-friendly side meal option.
The only thing to remember is that Sonic’s Soft Pretzel Twists are generally served with cheese sauce. To make this a vegan meal, simply swap the cheese for a vegan condiment instead.
- Vegan Bread: Build Your Own Sandwich
Along with Sonic’s vegan-friendly Soft Pretzel, it also has a few other vegan breads on its menu.
As Sonic does not have any full meal items for vegans, your best option may be to build your own vegan sandwich by ordering vegan bread and adding a few sides and toppings.
Sonic gets its baking ingredients from local bakeries, which means each Sonic location will have different vegan bread options. A few common vegan-friendly breads on Sonic’s menu include:
- Philly Roll: made famous by the ‘Philly Cheesesteak’, a Philly Roll is similar to a sub roll. This option may not be available at all Sonic locations.
- Bagel: a breakfast classic! The bagels at some Sonic stores may contain milk or eggs.
- Tortilla: these classic flour tortillas are generally vegan-friendly, but at some stores, they may contain dairy products.
- Hot Dog Bun
- Hamburger Bun
Be sure to check with your local Sonic Drive-In, which of their fresh bread products are vegan, before ordering.
Once you have your bread option down, you can choose your toppings.
- Vegan Toppings
Sonic has plenty of vegan toppings, which you can use to spice up your meal!
From making your own version of vegan-friendly loaded fries, choosing a selection of vegan dips for your soft pretzel, or building your own vegan sandwich, these toppings are a fantastic addition to your vegan meal.
Here are all the vegan toppings available at Sonic:
- Avocado
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Diced onions
- Grilled onions
- Sport peppers
- Dill pickle spears
- Dill pickle chips
- Sauerkraut
- Jalapenos
- Hatch green chilies
- Sweet pickle relish
The best part of Sonic’s toppings is that they allow you to build your own vegan snack based on what you’re craving most.
- Sonic Vegan Condiments
While choosing your vegan side, you may wonder what sauces are available. After all, what is a pretzel without a dip, and who likes dry fries?
Luckily, at Sonic, there are a few vegan sauces to choose from.
Here’s a full list of vegan sauces and vegan dips at Sonic:
- Asian Sweet Chili Wing Sauce: if you’re looking for a sauce with a bite to accompany your tots or onion rings, this is a great option!
- Ketchup: not all ketchup brands are safe for people on a vegan diet, but Sonic restaurants use Heinz, which is a vegan-friendly brand.
- Mustard: Sonic’s custom mustard is a perfect mix of spicy and tangy and contains no animal products.
- Marinara Sauce: this Italian tomato-based sauce could be a great addition to your vegan sandwich!
- Salsa de Sonic: this vegan sauce is made using traditional salsa ingredients like tomatoes, onions, coriander, chili, lime juice, and spices.
- Sweet and Sour Sauce: a unique mix of vinegar, sugar, and spices. Most sweet and sour sauces are safe for vegans.
- Buffalo Sauce: this is not the most vegan-sounding sauce, but Sonic’s Buffalo Sauce is made from cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, and chipotle.
- BBQ Sauce: don’t let the name deceive you, just like Sonic’s Buffalo Sauce, the BBQ Sauce, is vegan-friendly.
- Sweet Relish: this sauce contains mostly fruit, vegetables, and vinegar, making it a great vegan menu option
Most Sonic chains also have a few vegan jam and jelly options, like the Grape Jelly and Strawberry Jam, if you’re in the mood for something a bit sweeter.
It may be tempting to think all sauces are vegan, but options like mayonnaise, ranch, or tartar sauce contain dairy products.
Sadly, Sonic’s Signature Sauce, a smoky sweet sauce made from different ingredients like honey, mustard, and mayonnaise, is not vegan.
- Apple Slices
Whether you’re looking for a sweet vegan snack or simply looking to jazz up your selection of vegan sides, apple slices are a great option.
You’ll need to order Sonic’s Apple Slices from their kid’s menu.
Peanut butter and apple slices are a perfect match! Next time you order Sonic’s Apple Slices, be sure to ask if they have vegan-friendly peanut butter available.
- Sonic Vegan Beverages
We’ve saved the best part for last! Sonic is infamous for its seemingly never-ending drinks menu, so just how many of those drinks are vegan? Let’s take a look!
Starting with the basics, Sonic has a long list of classic vegan drink options. These include fan favorite soft drinks like Coke, Dr. Pepper, Fanta, Root Beer, and Sprite.
If you’re looking for something with less fizz, Sonic also has a selection of juices, lemonades, and brewed teas.
Now, here’s the fun part! Sonic has a selection of special frozen drinks. You can create your own vegan slush drink!
First, take your pick of vegan slush bases:
- Limeade Slush
- Plain Slush
- Lemonade Slush
Next up, choose your syrup. Sonic has a few vegan syrup options available:
- French Vanilla
- Mango
- Raspberry
- Blue Raspberry
- Cherry
- Diet Cherry
- Blackberry
- Blue Coconut
- Grape
- Peach
Pro-tip: While Sonic does not have any vegan ice cream on its menu, they do have a few vegan ice cream toppings. Why not add some of these, like Sonic’s Maraschino Cherries, to your slush?
Is Sonic Drive-In Vegan Friendly?
As living a vegan lifestyle becomes increasingly popular, more chain restaurants are upping their vegan game. Sonic’s meat products may still far outweigh their vegan food options, but a vegan snack is still better than no vegan options at all!
If you’re craving some greasy goodness or a cool slush, give Sonic’s vegan menu items a go and enjoy your meal with a fun nostalgic twist!
