Sonic Drive-In, also known as Sonic, is a famous fast food restaurant in the United States. The company is owned by Inspire Brands, which also manages Buffalo Wild Wings and Arby’s. The chain was founded by Troy N. Smith Sr. Sonic Drive-In offers a variety of delectable menu items such as hamburgers and french fries. How about Sonic vegan options?
Sonic offers a variety of vegan-friendly goods that you may enjoy guilt-free. We’ll go over these options and how to order them in this article.
What is a Vegan Diet?
Veganism is a way of living that avoids animal products. Vegans do not eat or use animal products or by-products such as meat, eggs, poultry, honey, and dairy. They also don’t wear or use leather, fur, wool, or silk. This diet typically consists of bread, pasta, and other grains; vegetables; fruits; nuts; and beans.
It is a plant-based, animal-free diet that has many positive benefits. For example, it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer. It can also be more environmentally friendly than other diets because it uses less water and land than a typical Western diet. Veganism is linked to longer life expectancy and a better quality of life for those who follow it too.
Sonic Vegan Options
These days, you can find vegan food at most restaurants and health food stores including Sonic Drive-In.
Today, Sonic Vegan is one of the top competing fast food chains that offer food alternatives to its hungry vegans. Most restaurants nowadays, such as Burger King, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Chick Fil A, are starting to provide customers with different diets like vegan, keto, and vegetarian options.
Here is a list of vegan options at Sonic:
Tater Tots
Sonic’s delightful Tater Tots, which are vegan, are first on our list. These snacks are made from mashed potatoes, which are wrapped in flour and deep-fried in vegetable oil (no animal lard!) till the outer layer is crispy while the inside is soft and toasty. Sweet Potato Tater Tots are also available at Sonic.
French Fries
Sonic has been an iconic fast food restaurant for decades and has been known for its vegan-friendly French fries. The potato strips are seasoned in a special blend of spices and herbs, which makes them taste like they’re fresh out of the fryer.
Pretzel Twist
The soft pretzel twist at Sonic is produced using vegan dough. However, the nacho cheese dip that goes along with it is not. For the dip, you can replace the cheese sauce with an equally delicious vegan alternative, such as their Asian sweet chili, marinara sauce, or BBQ sauce.
Onion Rings
Sonic’s Onion Rings are officially vegan-friendly. They are the only restaurant in the industry to offer a vegan version of this side dish. As per Sonic’s allergen guidelines, its vegan onion rings include no dairy ingredients.
Apple Slices
These vegan Apple Slices on its Kids’ Menu are fantastic! Just omit the caramel sauce, as it is not vegan.
Salads
Sonic Drive-In has recently added three salad options: the jumbo popcorn chicken salad, grilled chicken salad, and Santa Fe grilled chicken salad, which are not vegan-friendly by default. However, you can make them vegan by removing the chicken meat, cheese, and croutons.
It will be left with a mixed iceberg, fresh romaine lettuce, carrots, black beans, corn, red cabbage, grape tomatoes, avocado, and onion. This is a healthy dish that can be eaten any time of day. It can be a satisfying meal or an appetizer when combined with other dishes.
Vegan Drinks
Now for the drinks! Sonic lets customers combine and mix various ingredients (vegan-certified syrups) to make their slushy. The best feature is that the majority of them are vegan slushy flavors!
- Plain Slush Base
- Limeade Slush
- Lemonade Slush
Syrups
Sonic provides a wide variety of flavored syrups, the majority of which are vegan-friendly.
- Blackberry
- Blue Raspberry
- Blue Coconut
- Diet Cherry
- Cherry
- Raspberry
- Grape
- Peach
- Mango
- French Vanilla
Soda Drinks
Soft drinks, tea, and juices, of course, are always vegan-friendly. Here are all the vegan refreshments available at Sonic:
- Barq’s Root Beer
- Coca-Cola
- Diet Coke
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
- Diet Dr. Pepper
- Dr. Pepper
- Fresh Brewed Unsweet Tea
- Fresh Brewed Sweet Tea
- Fanta Orange
- Green Tea (Diet)
- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ Hot Coffee
- Green Tea (Sweet)
- Lemonade
- Hi-C Fruit Punch
- Mello Yello
- Minute Maid Orange Juice
- Minute Maid Apple Juice Box
- Sonic Wave Bottled Water
- Powerade
- Sprite Zero
- Sprite
Customize Your Vegan Sandwich
We all know that eating only Sonic tater tots, french fries, and onion rings doesn’t make for a filling supper, which is why learning to Create Your Custom Sandwich is essential.
We put a lot of care into creating delicious vegan sandwiches. We’ll go over what you should add to the sandwich and be sure to support your diet with all kinds of flavorful goodness.
The ingredients that Sonic uses will vary by location. Consult with the staff to find out what specific ingredients are available in your area and how you can build a fully vegan burger.
Vegan Bread
Some of these items may not be available in all locations, always consult or visit their website to check on their availability before you visit a Sonic location, you can also use their app to check its nutritional facts, ingredients, and how they are made.
- Bagel
- Hamburger Bun
- Hot Dog Bun
- Philly Roll
- Tortilla
Vegan Condiments and Sauces
These vegan sauces and condiments are 100% safe to add to your custom sandwich:
- Sweet Relish
- Asian Sweet Chili Wing Sauce
- Strawberry Jam
- BBQ Sauce
- Ketchup
- Buffalo Sauce
- Marinara
- Grape Jelly
- Mustard
- Salsa de Sonic
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
Vegan Toppings
- Avocado
- Tomato
- Dill Pickle Chips
- Diced Onion
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- Dill Pickle Spears
- Sport Peppers
- Hatch Green Chiles
- Sauerkraut
- Jalapenos
- Grilled Onions
- Lettuce
Use Sonic Allergen Menu
To ensure that you are purchasing a vegan-friendly item, review Sonic’s Allergen Menu and Nutrition Information webpage. They also provide a handy sodium guide for things that are slightly lower in salt than other meal selections. Sonic’s menu items don’t seem to vary quite often, but you’ll want to double-check before you go.
Non-Vegan Items to Avoid
Here is the list of the food items that you have to avoid:
- Classic Cheeseburgers
- Bacon Cheeseburgers
- Hamburgers
- Footlongs
- Beef Hot Dogs
- Chicken Wraps
- Classic Chicken Sandwiches
- Asiago Caesar Chicken Club Sandwich
- Jumbo Popcorn Chicken
- Super Crunch Chicken Strips
- Chili Pie
These are just a few of the items that you should avoid. You can check out their website to check on all of their menus. All of their products vary in different locations, so be sure to check out their page or app before visiting a Sonic location.
Sonic Vegan Options FAQs
Are Sonic Drive-In french fries vegan?
Sonic’s french fries are vegan-certified. This is a great option for those who are looking to cut back on animal products or just don’t want to consume any animal by-products. Instead of lard, French fries and other items are cooked in vegetable oil.
Does Sonic Drive-In offer salad options?
Sonic Drive-In offers a variety of salads that feature fresh ingredients. Their salads come in with mixed icebergs, fresh romaine lettuce, carrots, black beans, corn, red cabbage, grape tomatoes, and onion. This is a healthy dish that can be eaten any time of day. It can be a satisfying meal or an appetizer when combined with other dishes.
Is Sonic Drive-In’s pretzel vegan-friendly?
Yes, the pretzel is suitable for vegans. Simply replace the cheese sauce with another dairy-free sauce or condiment mentioned above.
Does Sonic Drive-In use dairy-free buns?
Yes! The buns are dairy free. The restaurant website’s recent posts also state that any of their burgers can be made into a veggie burger.
Do Sonic’s tater tots include dairy?
Tater Tots are one of the most vegan items on their menu. It does not contain any animal or dairy products. You can pair it with any of the sauces and condiments mentioned above.
Is Sonic Drive-In’s Cinnasnacks vegan-friendly?
According to the allergen menu guide, it is mentioned that the product is made with milk and eggs. These items are not vegan and should be avoided. The Cinnasnacks are made with wheat, soy, tree nuts, and gluten which are allergens among many consumers.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Sonic Drive-In has become a fast food favorite. They have a large selection of Sonic vegan options ranging from sides to beverages. In recent years, veganism has been on a rise here in the United States, but Sonic Drive-In has already adopted this lifestyle. I would recommend stopping by Sonic Drive-In for a quick meal and an ice-cold drink. I hope you find this article helpful. Thanks for reading!
Emily Real
Saturday 14th of January 2023
Wow, what a list! Sonic is really one of the best fast-food chains for vegans like me
Fast Menu Chief Editor
Sunday 15th of January 2023
I agree!