Dairy-Free in Kentucky: Recommended Restaurants by City

Last Update in October 2023! We’ve created this ever-growing guide to restaurants, bakeries, cafes, ice cream shops, and stores in Kentucky that are friendly to dairy-free diners. It’s a collection based on research and reader recommendations (send yours!) that’s divided into restaurants & shops by city (first) and major chains found throughout the state (second). And we’ve started a section for specialty dairy-free foods produced in this state.

We Update Continuously! You can ignore the original date on this post going forward. We update the information below whenever we’re alerted to a new recommendation, change, or closure.

Photo from Rawnaissance Desserts in Louisville

Dairy-Free Kentucky: Recommended Restaurants & Shops

We’ve listed these recommendations alphabetically by city and then by the restaurant or shop name. For large chains with locations throughout the state, see the Major Restaurant & Grocery Chains section below. We have dedicated posts with dairy-free details for many of the big guys.

⭐️ = Restaurant is either dairy-free, has a dairy-free menu, has dairy-free labels on their menu(s), or lists top allergens with menu items. (At the time of our last review.)

Ashland

Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.

Berea

Native Bagel Company – They offer a plethora of dairy-free bagels that you can schmear with vegan cream cheese, almond butter, or one of their jams. They have a few other dairy-free optional menu items, and offer oat milk and almond milk for lattes.

Bowling Green

Anna’s Restaurant ⭐️ – This popular Greek restaurant is friendly toward special diet guests. They label their menu with dairy-free and gluten-free options, and the dairy-free choices include a good selection of entrees.
Awaken Gluten-Free Bakery – They do use quite a bit of dairy-free at this bakery, but they have some dairy-free cupcakes, baguette sandwiches, grilled “cheese” sandwiches, and other non-dairy items available.
Azzip Pizza – This fledgling pizza chain offers a build-your-own pizza with Violife vegan cheese as an option. They offer three dairy-free crust options (including gluten-free), a handful of dairy-free sauces (including pesto), and a petite selection of toppings (including vegan sausage). They have a detailed allergen chart available.
Blaze Pizza – See our Blaze Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream – This old-fashioned ice creamery chain churns several dairy-free oat milk ice cream flavors, like vegan vanilla, cookies and cream, white raspberry truffle, and more. They also offer sorbets.
Burger & Bowl – They put a healthier spin on fast food with a broad burger menu that caters to various dietary needs. They have vegan and dairy-free burgers and flavorful bowls.
Cafe Kindness (formerly Zest Juice) – They offer smoothies, toasts, and salad bowls with dairy-free options throughout.
Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Mission BBQ – This restaurant chain offers a great allergen chat and lots of dairy-free options. Most of their BBQ meats and sauces are dairy-free, and they have a good handful of sides and plate specials. At last check, their sandwich bread contained milk, but their buns did not! Ask at your location since bread sourcing can vary.
Pelican’s SnoBalls – This sweet chain makes New Orleans style shaved ice. And according to the company, their flavor syrups are all made without top allergens. Just skip the cream snowcap or ask if they have dairy-free coconut cream available.
Saladworks – Pretty much their entire menu contains dairy, but they offer an interactive allergen menu that tells you how to custom order most items without dairy (or other special diet needs). You can choose between salads, warm grain bowls, wraps, and a few other items. They offer a good handful of dairy-free dressings, and do have gluten-free and vegan options.
Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.
Sweet Charlie’s – This rolled ice cream chain offers a dairy-free and vegan base that you can customize with various flavor and add-in options or even enjoy as a “milkshake.”
The 30 Bird ⭐️ – This Whole30-approved meal service caters to all types of special diets, including dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, and vegan. They also blend acai bowls.

Cold Spring

LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.

Covington

Eishaus – They offer both chocolate and peanut butter vegan “spaghetti eis” sundaes (made with oat milk ice cream), and also serve lattes with oat, almond, or soymilk.
Frida 602 – Cheese-less vegan quesadillas and tacos are available on their menu, and a few additional items can be custom ordered without dairy.
Haven Cafe – Their daily offerings include some locally made gluten-free, vegan donuts, dairy-free smoothies and lattes made with oat milk, and a few other quick eats.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.

Crescent Springs

Joella’s ⭐️ – They offer allergen lists to help customers order. The dairy-free options include all of their chicken (grilled, fried, and vegan) in all heat levels, fries, and several other sides (many of which are vegan friendly). Their grilled tenders are also gluten-free.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.

Crestview Hills

Chicken Salad Chick – Their menu boasts a range of chicken salads, many of which are dairy-free. They also have various dairy-free bread options for sandwiches. They have a full allergen guide to make ordering easy.

Dry Ridge

LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.

Edgewood

LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.

Elizabethtown

The Finer Things Pies – Thanks to Stephanie for letting us know about this cottage based bakery. Everything they bake is dairy-free and soy-free, including pies, poptarts, cupcakes, and cookies. They also have vegan and gluten-free options. They have a stand at various local events.
Mark’s Feed Store – This local BBQ chain has an allergen menu on request. Their milk-free items include various barbecue meats, a whole range of classic complementary sides, their famous honeywings and burgoo, and even corndogs – at last check.

Erlanger

Hot Head Burritos – Build your own dairy-free burrito, bowl, or tacos with their easy to follow allergen chart. They have abundant dairy-free options, including most proteins, bases, and toppings. But use caution; there are a few dairy surprises, like their fish, house sauce, and one of their salsas. But, at last check, the churros were made without milk!

Florence

Better Blend – The owner of this local smoothie chain reached out to let us know they welcome dairy-free guests. “All of our smoothie bowls are dairy free and vegan and all of our Superfood Blends are dairy free.” They also offer dairy-free collagen peptides and vegan protein options. However, the regular Blends have a stevia sweetened flavor powder that does contain milk, and they do use whey powder.
CoreLife Eatery – If you love nutritious bowls, then this is a chain to hit up. They serve salad bowls, grain bowls, and bone broth and vegetable broth bowls. You can also choose from a selection of tacos. They have a few dairy-free items on the menu, but also have build-your-own bowl choices with a plethora of dairy-free ingredients.
Hot Head Burritos – Build your own dairy-free burrito, bowl, or tacos with their easy to follow allergen chart. They have abundant dairy-free options, including most proteins, bases, and toppings. But use caution; there are a few dairy surprises, like their fish, house sauce, and one of their salsas. But, at last check, the churros were made without milk!
LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.

Fort Wright

Hot Head Burritos – Build your own dairy-free burrito, bowl, or tacos with their easy to follow allergen chart. They have abundant dairy-free options, including most proteins, bases, and toppings. But use caution; there are a few dairy surprises, like their fish, house sauce, and one of their salsas. But, at last check, the churros were made without milk!

Franklin

Pelican’s SnoBalls – This sweet chain makes New Orleans style shaved ice. And according to the company, their flavor syrups are all made without top allergens. Just skip the cream snowcap or ask if they have dairy-free coconut cream available.

Georgetown

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream – This old-fashioned ice creamery chain churns several dairy-free oat milk ice cream flavors, like vegan vanilla, cookies and cream, white raspberry truffle, and more. They also offer sorbets.
MOD Pizza – See our MOD Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Glasgow

Pelican’s SnoBalls – This sweet chain makes New Orleans style shaved ice. And according to the company, their flavor syrups are all made without top allergens. Just skip the cream snowcap or ask if they have dairy-free coconut cream available.

Hebron

Blaze Pizza – See our Blaze Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.

Highland Heights

Whit’s Frozen Custard – This ice cream chain now has several vegan-friendly stores, including the one in this city. They’re now churning vegan custard that’s made with gluten-free oat milk or cultured coconut milk. The flavors can vary, and are sold in pints or by the scoop, and dairy-free cones and toppings are available.

Hopkinsville

Chicken Salad Chick – Their menu boasts a range of chicken salads, many of which are dairy-free. They also have various dairy-free bread options for sandwiches. They have a full allergen guide to make ordering easy.

Independence

LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.
Whit’s Frozen Custard – This ice cream chain now has several vegan-friendly stores, including the one in this city. They’re now churning vegan custard that’s made with gluten-free oat milk or cultured coconut milk. The flavors can vary, and are sold in pints or by the scoop, and dairy-free cones and toppings are available.

Lexington

Archa Nine Thai Kitchen – It’s usually easy to find dairy-free dishes at Thai restaurants, but this one is conscious of special diet needs. They’re happy to accommodate dairy-free and gluten-free guests, and have a full vegan menu, too.
BD’s Mongolian Grill – They offer a very complete allergen chart with many milk-free options. In fact, at last check, their entire stir fry menu was dairy-free, aside from one of the sauces (and they have many sauces). They do serve other types of food, some of which does contain milk.
Blaze Pizza – See our Blaze Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Blue Sushi & Sake Grill – This sustainable Japanese restaurant makes innovative maki and nigiri. They have a full vegan menu, complete with tempura maki, and of course most of their menu is naturally dairy free.
Condado Tacos ⭐️ – Their menu is not only labeled with vegan and gluten-free options, they also mark which items contain dairy. All non-vegan mains have dairy, when ordered as is, but you can build-your-own tacos and bowls with plenty of options. Most of their proteins, standard toppings, salsas, guacamoles, and sauces are dairy-free.
CoreLife Eatery – If you love nutritious bowls, then this is a chain to hit up. They serve salad bowls, grain bowls, and bone broth and vegetable broth bowls. You can also choose from a selection of tacos. They have a few dairy-free items on the menu, but also have build-your-own bowl choices with a plethora of dairy-free ingredients.
Corto Lima – Their Latin menu includes a smattering of vegan options, plus a few additional dishes that are or can be made dairy-free.
Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream – They offer a whole range of dairy-free flavors made with a coconut cream base, which can include flavors like chocolate fudge ripple, cookies and cream, and strawberry fields. And they make boozy and non-boozy floats. If you can’t make it to their shop, they also ship their pints nationwide via GoldBelly, and you can order their entire dairy-free ice cream collection.
Freshie’s Ice Cream & Soda Fountain – They reportedly have seven vegan ice cream flavors available at any given time, can blend various flavors of dairy-free milkshakes, and make craft sodas.
GirlsGirlsGirls Burritos – They have a separate vegan menu with burritos and bowls, and many additional menu items can be custom ordered without dairy.
Habibis Sweets ⭐️ – They offer several varieties of vegan baklawa, nut rolls, bukaj, and some other dairy-free pastries.
Hot Head Burritos – Build your own dairy-free burrito, bowl, or tacos with their easy to follow allergen chart. They have abundant dairy-free options, including most proteins, bases, and toppings. But use caution; there are a few dairy surprises, like their fish, house sauce, and one of their salsas. But, at last check, the churros were made without milk!
Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
Joella’s ⭐️ – They offer allergen lists to help customers order. The dairy-free options include all of their chicken (grilled, fried, and vegan) in all heat levels, fries, and several other sides (many of which are vegan friendly). Their grilled tenders are also gluten-free.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.
Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Miracles Bakery & Cafe – This is a gluten-free, from-scratch bakery, and they offer a range of dairy-free items, with vegan and/or paleo options. There are typically daily muffins, donuts, cookies, and cupcakes to enjoy daily. Their full cafe menu also contains many dairy-free choices, and they offer Daiya dairy-free cheese alternative.
Miyako Poké Bowl – They offer cooked, raw, and vegan tofu poke bowls with a plethora of dairy-free toppings and sauces to choose from.
MOD Pizza – See our MOD Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
North Lime Coffee & Donuts – At the North Limestone location, they have a specialty vegan donut flavor each day. The vegan option rotates, but can be as comforting as beignets, classic as maple iced, or unique as fried pickle. The Clays Mill location only has a vegan choice occasionally.
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt – See our Orange Leaf Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Parlor Doughnuts – They offer a vegan / gluten-free doughnut with different custom glazes. All of their shakes can also be made dairy free. Plus, they have a full coffee bar and some other breakfast goods.
Pearl’s – In the morning they serve bagels and bagel sandwiches, and in the evening they bake pizzas and other entrees. Their bagels can be topped with two types of vegan cream cheese, local honey, seed butter, or jam. For their pizzas, they offer dairy-free parm and ricotta and vegan sausage as options. They also offer a vegan Caesar salad and have pudding and sorbetto on the dessert menu.
P.F. Chang’s – See our P.F. Chang’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Pie Five – This build-your-own pizza chain offers dairy-free thin crust and gluten-free pizzas topped with dairy-free cheese alternatives and your selection of toppings. Use caution, as a few surprise items contain milk (like their regular and pan crusts, magic dust, sun-dried tomato puree, chicken sausage, and meatballs), but that still leaves a big selection for your custom pizza or salad.
Pies & Pints – They offer Daiya cheese alternative for their pizzas and sandwiches. At last check, their pizza crust was vegan-friendly, and they also had dairy-free bread options available, so several items can be ordered without dairy.
Sav’s Restaurant – They offer a big array of vegan bowls and salads, and several additional menu items are or can be made dairy free at this West African cuisine restaurant. They also scoop unique dairy-free sorbets.
Smithtown Seafood – They offer a couple vegan menu items, but many more dishes can be ordered dairy-free. Their fish and chicken are made-to-order, so instead of buttermilk, items can be ordered with a beer marinade, like they use on their catfish, oysters and cod for tacos. But keep in mind that shared fryers are still used for the fried items. Their platters are mostly dairy free (skip the hush puppies).
Ted’s Montana Grill – Founded by media mogul and rancher Ted Turner, this American chain serves a meat-heavy menu with lots of dairy-free options. See our Dairy-Free Guide for Ted’s Montana Grill for more details.
The Social Vegan ⭐️ – They serve a casual menu of starters, entrees, and sides, with dairy-free favorites, like cashew cheese dip & chips and cheesy chicken phillies.
The Weekly Juicery ⭐️ – At last check, this plant-based juice and smoothie shop was completely dairy-free, and primarily vegan (they do offer bee products).
Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen ⭐️ – Their healthy bowl menu is labeled for dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan guests. The dairy-free options include a few salads / wraps, a couple grain bowls, white chicken chili, and house lemonades. Some more items can be custom ordered without dairy.
Wordsmith Bakery ⭐️ – Thanks to Heather for letting us know about her cottage bakery. “I have a vegan (dairy free/egg free) plus soy free and gluten free cottage bakery out of Southern Indiana about 20 minutes from Louisville KY so I serve both states. We are at the New Albany Indiana Farmers Market every Saturday morning plus we do pre-orders.”

London

Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.

Louisville

Annie May’s Sweet Cafe ⭐️ – This is a gluten-free, top allergen-free bakery with limited retail hours, but they also take customer orders and sell wholesale locally. They specialize in cookies, cupcakes, and cakes.
Blaze Pizza – See our Blaze Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Chicken Salad Chick – Their menu boasts a range of chicken salads, many of which are dairy-free. They also have various dairy-free bread options for sandwiches. They have a full allergen guide to make ordering easy.
Chik’n & Mi – This modern Asian restaurant, isn’t completely dairy free, but they have many options, unique dishes, and are reportedly friendly toward special diet guests and allergy needs.
Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
CoreLife Eatery – If you love nutritious bowls, then this is a chain to hit up. They serve salad bowls, grain bowls, and bone broth and vegetable broth bowls. You can also choose from a selection of tacos. They have a few dairy-free items on the menu, but also have build-your-own bowl choices with a plethora of dairy-free ingredients.
Dairy Kastle – Don’t let their name deceive you. They are friendly toward dairy-free customers too. They offer a few dairy-free flavors daily, like coconut or strawberry, which you can sample. And they even have some classic summer savory bites, like hot dogs, brats, and walking tacos with vegan options.
Eat A Pita – Their menu is liberally labeled with vegan options, like pita nachos, pitadillas, and salads. They offer vegan tzatziki, dairy-free cheese, and faux meats. They also serve some dairy-free kabobs and other meat items.
Full Stop Station – This local cafe blends healthy smoothies and lattes with macadamia and oat milk options, and they have a vegan friendly menu. They offer vegan burgers, waffles, salads, breakfast burritos, and toasts. A few additional items can be ordered without dairy, since they do offer dairy-free cheese.
Grind Burger Kitchen – They offer a vegan burger with vegan/gluten-free bun option, and many of their other burgers can be ordered dairy-free. They also have a few side, salad, and sauce options.
Half-Peach Bakery & Cafe ⭐️ – This vegan restaurant serves casual entrees, pizzas, single-serve sweets like cookies and cupcakes, and deli items like cashew cheese sauce and salads.
Heart and Soy – It’s not hard to find dairy-free food at Chinese restaurants, but this vegetarian spot makes their own tofu, soy milk, and soy pudding from local soy beans. They also offer vegan desserts to go.
I Love Juice Bar ⭐️ – They blend dairy-free smoothies, acai bowls, and smoothie bowls, offer a range of juices and healthy shots, have overnight oats, and also serve vegan-friendly soups.
Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
Joella’s ⭐️ – They offer allergen lists to help customers order. The dairy-free options include all of their chicken (grilled, fried, and vegan) in all heat levels, fries, and several other sides (many of which are vegan friendly). Their grilled tenders are also gluten-free.
LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.
Lueberry – Dairy-free acai and pitaya bowls are their focus, but you’ll find some additional sips and light eats at this healthy shop.
Mark’s Feed Store – This local BBQ chain has an allergen menu on request. Their milk-free items include various barbecue meats, a whole range of classic complementary sides, their famous honeywings and burgoo, and even corndogs – at last check.
Mayan Cafe ⭐️ – This local dinner spot goes above and beyond for dairy-free guests. They label dairy-free items, and also note extras, like if or how a dish can be modified to be dairy-free. They also label for gluten-free and vegan guests. The cuisine boasts authentic foods and flavors from Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.
Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen – They have a fun plant-based menu, with unique tacos, Kentucky fried avocado, and “chicken” sandwiches. Some additional tacos can be ordered dairy-free.
Naive Kitchen + Bar ⭐️ – Their brunch, lunch, and dinner menus are labeled for dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan guests. The dairy-free options are abundant, with items like a nacho appetizer, chicken salad sandwich, crispy skin salmon, white fish toast, and much more. They also have a lemon olive oil cake for dessert, and offer many vegan appetizers and mains.
Noosh Nosh – Their menu is labeled for vegan guests, and includes vegan pizza topped with dairy-free cheese alternative. They offer some additional dairy-free menu items, and you can custom order most of their pizzas with the cheese alternative.
North Lime Coffee & Donuts – Select days of the week, they have a specialty vegan donut flavor each day. So be sure to check their donut schedule before visiting.
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt – See our Orange Leaf Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
P.F. Chang’s – See our P.F. Chang’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Pokehana – This is a popular poke bowl spot with both raw and cooked options and a mostly dairy-free menu.
Pure Blendz – They blend dairy-free acai and smoothie bowls with a range of healthy superfoods, and also offer house kombucha and a couple dairy-free toast options.
Rainbow Blossom Natural Food Markets – You’ll find quite a few dairy-free products and to-go items at this local grocery chain. Select locations have a dairy-free Blossom Bar on site that uses their house-made nut milk, organic fruit, and other healthy ingredients to blend various smoothies and bowls.
Ramsi’s Cafe On The World – Their global menu boasts several interesting vegan options, like chipotle con queso, East Indian paella, spicy Jamaican tofu, and much more. They serve many additional dairy-free menu items, too, and gluten-free options are available.
Rawnaissance Desserts ⭐️ – They specialize in raw vegan desserts, and make a huge selection of cakes and pies. They also have a big menu of house-made gelato flavors, and desserts to use them.
Royals Hot Chicken – This local spot offers their own allergen menu, and it’s quite dairy-free friendly! Their fried chicken, naked chicken, and fried tofu (vegan) is dairy-free. Other dairy-free items also include coleslaw, fries and wedges, most of their sauces, and even their fried apple pie.
Shahar Cafe ⭐️ – They serve American favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but everything on the menu is vegan.
The Silly Axe Cafe – This is a gluten-free restaurant that serves sandwiches, salads, and a rotating selection of entrees. They offer vegan cheese and vegan menu items, and many of their sandwiches, sides, and entrees can be ordered with out dairy. They also run a full bakery, and make top allergen free pies, and several other dairy-free, gluten-free breads and goodies.
The Weekly Juicery ⭐️ – At last check, this plant-based juice and smoothie shop was completely dairy-free, and primarily vegan (they do offer bee products).
V-Grits ⭐️ – This is a vegan restaurant with a lengthy southern-style menu. Their dishes include comfort foods like mac and beer cheese, loaded fries, and Nashville hot “chicken” dishes. Please note that they are moving to a smaller location and might be temporarily closed.
Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen ⭐️ – Their healthy bowl menu is labeled for dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan guests. The dairy-free options include a few salads / wraps, a couple grain bowls, white chicken chili, and house lemonades. Some more items can be custom ordered without dairy.

Newport

Clean Eatz – This healthy fast casual chain offers a straight-forward allergen guide and many options for building your own bowl, salad, or wrap.
Hot Head Burritos – Build your own dairy-free burrito, bowl, or tacos with their easy to follow allergen chart. They have abundant dairy-free options, including most proteins, bases, and toppings. But use caution; there are a few dairy surprises, like their fish, house sauce, and one of their salsas. But, at last check, the churros were made without milk!
LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.
Saladworks – Pretty much their entire menu contains dairy, but they offer an interactive allergen menu that tells you how to custom order most items without dairy (or other special diet needs). You can choose between salads, warm grain bowls, wraps, and a few other items. They offer a good handful of dairy-free dressings, and do have gluten-free and vegan options.

Nicholasville

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream – This old-fashioned ice creamery chain churns several dairy-free oat milk ice cream flavors, like vegan vanilla, cookies and cream, white raspberry truffle, and more. They also offer sorbets.
Chicken Salad Chick – Their menu boasts a range of chicken salads, many of which are dairy-free. They also have various dairy-free bread options for sandwiches. They have a full allergen guide to make ordering easy.

Owensboro

Azzip Pizza – This fledgling pizza chain offers a build-your-own pizza with Violife vegan cheese as an option. They offer three dairy-free crust options (including gluten-free), a handful of dairy-free sauces (including pesto), and a petite selection of toppings (including vegan sausage). They have a detailed allergen chart available.
Chicken Salad Chick – Their menu boasts a range of chicken salads, many of which are dairy-free. They also have various dairy-free bread options for sandwiches. They have a full allergen guide to make ordering easy.
Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
MOD Pizza – See our MOD Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt – See our Orange Leaf Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Wheatgrass Juice Bar ⭐️ – Their menu doesn’t stop with fresh juices and smoothies. They also have a mini plant-based cafe menu with grilled cheese, toast, salad, and healthy treats.

Paducah

Branch Out ⭐️ – This plant-based cafe serves a full menu of bowls, burgers, tacos, and other American staples. They also have a bakery on-site, churning out cupcakes, donuts, cookies, and more.
Chicken Salad Chick – Their menu boasts a range of chicken salads, many of which are dairy-free. They also have various dairy-free bread options for sandwiches. They have a full allergen guide to make ordering easy.
Craving the Curls – This rolled ice cream shop offers a vegan coconut milk ice cream base and several toppings and mix-ins to choose from.
Frutta Bowls – This smoothie and smoothie bowl chain offers dairy-free acai, pitaya, greens, and oatmeal bases. Their granola, fruits, and many of their toppings are dairy-free, and they offer dairy-free options for their toasts and protein bites.
Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Pikeville

Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt – See our Orange Leaf Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.

Richmond

Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.

Simpsonville

Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop – They’ve added dairy-free Coconut Bliss Madagascan Vanilla ice cream to their scoop menu. They also offer floats, and select dairy-free toppings for sundaes. In the chocolate shop, check out their hot cocoa mixes, they have options made without dairy.

Slade

Miguels Pizza – They offer build-your-own pizza, baked pasta, or salad, and have dairy-free cheese alternative as an option, in addition to a huge array of toppings.

Somerset

Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.
Zilla Meals ⭐️ – They’re located in Somerset, but this meal delivery service has various pick up locations in the region and also ships. They focus on healthy, simple cuisine, and clearly label the selections for dairy-free and gluten-free customers.

St Matthews

Mission BBQ – This restaurant chain offers a great allergen chat and lots of dairy-free options. Most of their BBQ meats and sauces are dairy-free, and they have a good handful of sides and plate specials. At last check, their sandwich bread contained milk, but their buns did not! Ask at your location since bread sourcing can vary.

Taylor Mill

LaRosa’s Pizzeria – This chain offers not only a detailed allergen chart but also full ingredient information. At last check, all of their pizza and calzone crusts were dairy-free, including the gluten-free cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free cheese alternative that looks to be Daiya, and many toppings. The sauce selection includes a garlic sauce, and they have some other options like chicken wings, breadsticks, and custom salads and hoagies.

Vine Grove

EDCHC Bakery – Kiara reached out to tell us about her registered home-based bakery. “Our baked goods are dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, refined oil and sugar-free, 100% plant-based, and we use exclusively 100% spelt flour. We bake cookies, cakes, muffins, granola, and more. We are set up at various local farmer`s markets and offer meet-up services. We also have an online bakery on Etsy.”

Whitley City

Kristina’s Kitchen ⭐️ – Their cafe and bakery is plant-based, dairy-free, and egg-free, and mostly vegan. They bake a range of whole grain breads and healthier treats, and serve a lunch and dinner menu with homestyle dishes.

Wilder

Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Williamstown

Emzara’s Kitchen ⭐️ – This is an American-style buffet at Ark Encounter. They offer several dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free options, which are clearly labeled.

Photo from Half-Peach Bakery & Cafe in Louisville

Restaurant & Grocery Chains found throughout Kentucky

Some recommended restaurant and store chains are getting too big for our city listing britches. They have many locations, or are rapidly growing, and you might stumble across them in a number of towns in this state. Click on them for more dairy-free details.

Chick-fil-A – See our Chick-fil-A Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Chipotle Mexican Grill – See our Chipotle Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Kentucky Fried Chicken – See our KFC Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
LaRosa’s Pizza – They offer vegan cheese and have a plant-based pizza on the menu. Many additional items and pizzas can be ordered dairy free.
Moe’s Southwest Grill – See our Moe’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Skyline Chili – They have a cheat sheet allergy menu, and the milk-free options include chili spaghetti, plain coney hot dogs, fries, and several salad dressings for custom order salads. Additional items can be custom ordered without dairy.
White Castle – See our White Castle Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Photo from Joella’s in Lexington, Louisville, and Crescent Springs

Local Dairy-Free Food & Drink Producers in Kentucky

These dairy-free friendly companies don’t have their own retail location, but are in Kentucky. So you have a good chance of finding their products at grocery stores, restaurants, and/or other shops in this state. Keep an eye out!

LifeBar – They make ready-to-blend, plant-based smoothies made with superfoods. They offer dairy-free protein and adaptogen varieties.

Photo from Annie May’s Sweet Cafe in Louisville

This Guide is Continuously Updated with Recommendations

We welcome you to recommend other dairy-free friendly restaurants. Leave a comment or contact us and tell us why you like a certain restaurant. Restaurant owners and employees are also invited to reach out and let us know how you welcome dairy-free customers.

Please kindly let us know in the comments if any of these restaurants close. We want to keep this list current for you, but aren’t always notified when a restaurant closes. Let us know and we will quickly update!

This Guide is for Informational Purposes Only

Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, and restaurants are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure that they can accommodate your situation.

There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.