What Are the Vegan Options at Back Yard Burgers?

Going to Back Yard Burgers as a vegan is a bit of a dice roll. The menu varies by location, and some locations have a vegan burger, but others don’t. Luckily, there are still decent sides at all locations. And with my 13 years of vegan experience, I can help you figure it out.

Vegan options at Back Yard Burgers:

  • Impossible Burger (No Cheese or Mayo)
  • Seasoned Fries
  • Waffle Fries
  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Baked Potato (No Butter or Sour Cream)
  • Side Salad (No Cheese or Croutons)
  • Fried Pickles (No Ranch Dressing)
  • White Bun
  • 12″ White Tortilla
  • Veggie Toppings
  • Beverages

Below, I’ll share more about how to order these items vegan. I’ll also take a look at the whole-food plant-based options at BYB!

Back Yard Burgers Vegan Menu

The following vegan menu was compiled with the help of the nutrition and allergen information on the Back Yard Burgers website.

Restaurant menus change and often vary by location. In fact, BYB’s website specifically mentions that their menu varies between locations. So I recommend double checking any important information with staff at your location!

1. Impossible Burger (No Cheese or Mayo)

This may not be available at all locations. But I have seen some BYB locations advertise that they now have the Impossible Burger. So definitely ask about it.

If you’re not familiar with the Impossible Burger, it’s making waves for being one of the new, more realistic veggie burgers (along with the Beyond Burger).

You will likely need to ask for “No Cheese” and possibly “No Mayo,” depending what the standard toppings are at your BYB locations.

For the bun, I can confirm that BYB’s standard white bun is vegan. It’s possible the wheat bun is also vegan, but it could contain honey. You’d have to ask at your location to figure out.

Note: In the past, BYB had a Black Bean Burger instead of the Impossible Burger. Some locations may still have it. I was unable to confirm if their black bean burger patty is vegan or not. You’ll have to ask at your location, if that’s what they have.

2. Seasoned Fries

You’ve got two french fry options at Back Yard Burgers. The first is the Seasoned Fries. Nothing to worry about in the seasoning here.

As always with fries, there is a good chance they’re cooked in a shared fryer with chicken or other animal products. If that cross-contact bothers you, be sure to ask the staff at your BYB location.

3. Waffle Fries

If Seasoned Fries aren’t your thing, a lot of BYB locations should also have Waffle Fries. Personally, I’d go for these. I love the texture of waffle fries…

Again, they may be fried in the same fryers as chicken or other animal products. So be aware of the possible cross-contact.

4. Sweet Potato Fries

Yet another fry option you’ll find at some BYB locations! Sweet potatoes are healthier than white potatoes—so does that mean sweet potato fries are healthy? No, not really! But they’re delicious (and vegan)!

5. Baked Potato (No Butter or Sour Cream)

I celebrate whenever restaurants have a baked potato on the menu. It’s one of the most filling foods that’s also a decently healthy whole food. Pretty much always, they can be ordered vegan. Just ask for no butter and no sour cream.

6. Side Salad (No Cheese or Croutons)

After removing the cheese and croutons, the BYB Side Salad comes with a salad lettuce blend, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onions. You might be able to get them to add some extra veggies, as well.

The salad entrees all appear to contain meat, so you’d have to customize them a bit more. But depending on your location, you could work with them to try to get a bigger custom vegan salad.

There’s one confirmed vegan salad dressing:

  • Balsamic Vinaigrette

Note: The Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette is also likely vegan. But it wasn’t listed in the allergen menu, so I wasn’t able to confirm this.

7. Fried Pickles (No Ranch Dressing)

The breading for BYB Fried Pickles is apparently egg-free and milk-free. This is a bit unusual for fried pickles—the breading is usually not vegan at most restaurants. But the BYB allergen menu says the only allergen is wheat, so no eggs or milk!

Just order it without ranch dressing to make it vegan. You could potentially use BBQ sauce, ketchup, or mustard instead.

8. Buns, Toppings, and Extras

The extras below don’t really constitute a meal—but these components should all be available at most BYB locations, in case you want to add them to any of your dishes.

Bread products:

  • White Bun
  • 12″ white tortilla

Note: The Wheat Bun and Wheat Tortilla may also be vegan, but I wasn’t able to check the ingredients for honey, which is common is wheat bread.

Toppings:

  • Pineapple Slices
  • Sautéed Mushrooms
  • Dill Pickle Chips
  • Sliced Tomatoes
  • Lettuce Leaf
  • Red Onion Rings
  • Pickled Jalapeno Slices

Sauces, condiments, and dressings:

  • BBQ Sauce
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette

9. Beverages

Lots of vegan drinks to choose from:

  • Lemonade
  • Strawberry Lemonade
  • Pepsi
  • Diet Pepsi
  • Sierra Mist
  • Sobe lean Cranberry Grapefruit
  • Mountain Dew
  • Mug Root Beer
  • Tropicana Fruit Punch
  • Dr Pepper
  • Diet Dr Pepper
  • Unsweetened Tea
  • Sweetened Tea

Whole-Food Plant-Based Options

What if you’re not just vegan but also trying to avoid processed foods? Can you get a whole-food plant-based (WFPB) meal at Back Yard Burgers? That means no processed oil, sugar, or flour.

WFPB options at Back Yard Burgers:

  • Baked Potato (No Butter or Sour Cream)
  • Side Salad (No Cheese or Croutons)

Theoretically, you could fill up on these items alone. Maybe get a few baked potatoes for good measure. Did you know that potatoes are the most satiating food in the world?

Of course, any sauces, dressings, or condiments they have at BYB are likely to contain sugar or oil. So good luck seasoning these items much while keeping things strictly WFPB.

More Vegan Guides to Burger Restaurants

I’ve made vegan guides to nearly 100 restaurant chains. Check out the vegan options at some of the other burger places:

Two More Recommendations for Your Plant-Based Journey

1. This is the best free video training I’ve found on plant-based nutrition. You’ll learn how to reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and obesity—all with plant-based food. Watch the free “Food for Health Masterclass” here.

2. This is the best vegan multivitamin I’ve found in my 14 years of being vegan. It has vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3—and nothing else. Translation: It only has the nutrients vegans are actually low in. Read my full review of Future Kind’s multivitamin here (with 10% discount).