A restaurant whose claim to fame was sausage doesn’t feel a great option for plant-eaters. But, keeping in view how restaurants are adapting to changing dietary trends, it’s a little difficult (and unwise too) to pass a judgment without looking at the menu.
So, let’s take a look at Bob Evans vegan options and find out if it’s a good place for vegans to dine at.
Does Bob Evans have Vegan Options?
It does, and quite a few. But are they good enough to make you visit Bob Evans by choice? That we have to figure out. So, let’s get to it without further ado and look at what vegan options Bob Evans offers.
What is Vegan at Bob Evans?
Vegan options at Bob Evans include:
- Bread
- Oatmeal – requires custom order
- Hash Browns
- Fries
- Salads – need to be customized
- Baked Potato – requires customization
- Steamed Broccoli – requires customization
- Buttered Corn – requires customization
- Fresh Fruit Plate
- Dressings, Sauces, and Condiments
- Beverages
As you can see, there is no real vegan food item on Bob Evans’ menu, which means if you go to this restaurant, you’ll have to go the old-school vegan way and rely on just sides and drinks. You can’t have the homestyle comfort food that this Midwestern restaurant is known for.
Let’s discuss these Bob Evans vegan items in a bit of detail to know what customizations they require in order to be made suitable for the vegan diet and if there are any things you should be careful about when eating vegan at Bob Evans.
As usual, I will also answer some common questions about Bob Evans vegan food that may remain unaddressed in the article in the last section.
Bob Evans Vegan Options 2024 – A Detailed Breakdown
Here’s everything that vegans can eat at Bob Evans:
Vegan Bread at Bob Evans
There are few things that give you the same pleasure as biting into a piece of freshly baked bread.
However, most traditional bread recipes call for dairy and/or eggs, and hence, most varieties available at restaurants are non-vegan. Interestingly (and surprisingly), Bob Evans has several vegan-friendly bread options. These include:
- White Bread
- Rye Bread
- Brioche Bread – Do not confuse it with Brioche Bun. That is non-vegan.
- Sourdough Bread
- Potato Bun
- English Muffin
*The vegan status of Bob Evans’ Wheat Bread isn’t clear. Some sources say it is vegan-friendly, while others say it likely contains honey. If you want to order wheat bread at Bob Evans, make sure to confirm its status before ordering.
More Bob Evans Vegan Breakfast Options
Bread is a breakfast staple for many people. But, not everyone is too keen on having bread for breakfast. Whether you aren’t a bread person, are not in the mood for it, or perhaps want to have variety in breakfast, you can order the following vegan-friendly breakfast foods at Bob Evans:
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is an excellent breakfast option. It’s healthy, filling, provides the right amount of energy to kick start your day, and keeps you full for longer.
At Bob Evans, they use steel-cut oats to make this morning meal, which is minimally processed and are known to have higher nutrient and fiber content.
The dish does not come standard as vegan-friendly but can be made so simply by saying “no milk” while placing the order.
You also get the option to switch white sugar with brown sugar in your oatmeal, so if you’re health-conscious, you can opt for it. You can also have dried cranberries added to your Bob Evans vegan oatmeal for more flavor and nutrients.
They also offer roasted pecans for oatmeal, but they contain honey, so steer clear of them.
Hash Browns
Who could have thought a patty made with shredded potatoes would taste so divine.
Whoever came up with hash browns was a food genius. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, hash browns are a popular breakfast item (though most people wouldn’t mind having these any time of the day). They are delicious, satisfying, and somehow more filling than fries.
Luckily, these are vegan at Bob Evans. So, if you’re at the Midwestern restaurant for breakfast, you’re sorted. Get yourself their hash browns with vegetables on the side. Don’t forget to add a sauce of your choice alongside, too (find the list of vegan sauces below).
You may even DIY a vegan breakfast sandwich at Bob Evans using hash browns, bread, and sauces. Ain’t it sound good?
Golden Cornmeal Mush
Available as both a breakfast item and side, the dish features crispy fried pieces of cornmeal mush. While nothing can beat hash browns for me, this makes a good alternative when you’re in the mood to try something different.
As per Bob Evans’ allergen menu, it doesn’t contain eggs or dairy, and as per the menu, it comes with warm syrup, which is also vegan-friendly.
*Grits – According to Bob Evans’ allergen menu, their cornmeal contains milk. But, this most likely comes from butter, which can easily be omitted.
So, if you’re not in the mood for classic oatmeal, you may also get a bowl of fresh, warm grits for yourself. Just make sure to specify that you want it without any form of dairy (milk and/or butter).
Vegan Salads at Bob Evans
Like many other restaurants, Bob Evans has a few different varieties of salads that you can get customized to your vegan diet upon request. The options you have are as follows:
- Cobb Salad
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Apple Cranberry Spinach Salad
- Heritage Chef Salad
- Country Spinach Salad
- Wildfire Chicken Salad
If you ask me, most of these salads aren’t worth customizing because they have too many non-vegan ingredients, and when you eliminate them all, you’re either left with just salad greens or a bland mix of greens and tomatoes.
The only ones that you might want to go through the hassle of customizing (if you really want a salad) include the Country Spinach Salad and the Wildfire Chicken Salad.
Whether you decide to go with my options or choose to get any other modified, remember the key rules of vegan salad customization. Order the salad with no meat, cheese, eggs, and croutons.
When eating vegan at Bob Evans, you also have to skip pecans (as mentioned earlier, they are roasted in honey).
Moreover, always check the dressing ingredients and make sure you’re getting a vegan-friendly dressing (find options below).
Vegan Sides at Bob Evans
Since there are no vegan entrées at Bob Evans, you largely rely on sides to fill yourself up. The restaurant doesn’t have very many vegan options in this category, either. Here’s all that you can have:
Fries
The good ol’ fries that come to our rescue at most chain restaurants are vegan here as well. They are, however, cooked in shared fryers with meat items. If this is a big concern for you, you may wish to avoid these.
In case you didn’t already know, Bob Evans offers two varieties of fries – Regular French Fries and Home Fries.
Bob Evans’ Home fries are thick chunks of red-skinned potatoes fried to crispy perfection and lightly seasoned before serving. They are different from fries as we know them, but they sound delicious (I feel like trying them).
Steamed Broccoli
Steamed broccoli is typically a safe side option for vegans as there is no risk of contamination through oil, and the butter is only added after it’s cooked, so it’s easier to eliminate. Needless to mention that broccoli is chock full of nutrients, and steaming doesn’t cause nutrient loss.
Buttered Corn
According to various online sources, this side dish at Bob Evans, contrary to what its name suggests, is vegan-friendly. While the name says butter, they use margarine in it, which is dairy-free. However, I would still recommend that you confirm it at your local Bob Evans.
Fresh Fruit Plate
As evident from the name, this is a plate of fresh fruits with whatever options are available or in season.
*Plain Baked Potato – While it doesn’t contain eggs or dairy and seems vegan-friendly, I would recommend confirming with your server to make sure it’s not rubbed or brushed with animal fat. They do it at many restaurants.
Bob Evans Vegan Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments
Make your vegan meal at Bob Evans a little interesting with these vegan sauces, dressings, toppings, and condiments:
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Ranchero Sauce
- Wildfire Sauce
- Colonial Dressing
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Raspberry Reduced Fat Dressing
- Sweet Italian Dressing
- Pickle
- Jelly
- Syrup
- Sugar-Free Syrup
- Maraschino Cherries
- Dried Cranberries
- Cranberry Relish
- Toasted Coconuts
- Chocolate Chips
- Cinnamon Chips
- Cinnamon Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Chocolate Sauce
- Streusel Topping
- Applesauce
Vegan Beverages at Bob Evans
Your vegan drinks options at Bob Evans include:
- Pepsi
- Wild Cherry Pepsi
- Coca-Cola
- Diet Coke
- Sprite
- Mountain Dew
- Sierra Mist
- Mug Root Beer
- Lemonade
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Apple Juice
- Orange Juice
- Tomato Juice
- Sweetened Iced Tea
- Unsweetened Iced Tea
- Peach Iced Tea
- Hot Tea
- Regular Coffee – Black
- Decaf Coffee – Black
- Arnold Palmer
Bob Evans Menu Items That May Look Vegan But Are Not
Here are a few items on Bob Evans’ menu that may look vegan-friendly, but they contain non-vegan ingredients:
- Dinner Rolls – Contains milk and eggs
- Brioche Bun – Contains milk
- Tortilla Strips – Contain milk
- Glazed Carrots – Contain milk
- Griddled Biscuit – Contains milk
- Cinna-Biscuits – Contain milk
Bob Evans Vegan Menu – FAQs
- Are Bob Evans mashed potatoes vegan?
No, they are not. Bob Evans’ mashed potatoes contain milk.
- Are Bob Evans biscuits vegan?
Some online sources list Bob Evans’ Cinna-Biscuits as vegan-friendly. But, according to the restaurant’s allergen menu, they contain milk, and so do the Griddled Biscuits. This means none of the Bob Evans biscuits are suitable for vegans.
- Is Bob Evans banana bread vegan?
Sadly, it’s not. The bread contains eggs.
- Is Bob Evans pie vegan?
None of the pies available at Bob Evans are vegan-friendly.
Conclusion – Is Bob Evans Vegan-Friendly?
Even though the list of vegan foods at Bob Evans appears to be longer than that of many other chain restaurants, it can’t be termed a vegan-friendly eatery.
There is not even one vegan entrée on the menu, and the side options are also limited. Vegan breakfast options aren’t that great either.
All in all, Bob Evans is not a place I would willingly go to or suggest any other vegan go. However, if you’re stuck there with someone else, you know what to order and what to refrain from.
Did you find this article helpful? Interested to learn about other chain restaurants with better breakfast options? Check out my article First Watch Vegan Options to find out if it could be your go-to place for vegan breakfast.
