Updated April 2022! Whataburger is a fast food hamburger chain that can be found throughout the Southeastern and Southwestern United States. They have a traditional indulgent menu with several dairy-free burger, sandwich, and French fry options. Whataburger offers quite a few options for dairy-free diners, but please take note of their inconsistencies below. I’ve followed up with their staff on issues with labeling, but they don’t always get fixed.
Whataburger Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Custom Order, Allergen, and Vegan Notes
Allergen Notes: We did not note any menu items containing peanuts or tree nuts. Most menu items at Whataburger contain wheat and soy. They use a liquid shortening for frying and soy oil is used in most items. They do not offer a gluten-free bun, but you can order a burger or grilled chicken on lettuce. Whataburger salads and sides, as listed below, can be ordered without gluten. We’ve noted which items contain egg in the list below.
Vegan Options: Whataburger does not currently have a vegan patty option. All non-meat items listed below, without honey or egg (in the title or as noted) are vegan-friendly, except the fruit chews. Those do contain gelatin.
Burgers
- Whataburger
- Double Meat Whataburger
- Triple Meat Whataburger
- Whataburger Jr.
- Double Meat Whataburger Jr.
- Justaburger Kids
- Bacon Whataburger (no cheese)
- Jalapeno Whataburger (no cheese)
- Sweet & Spicy Bacon Burger (no cheese)
Dairy-Free Popular Add-Ons: Avocado, Bacon, Fire-Roasted Mushrooms, Grilled Jalapenos, Grilled Peppers & Onions, Jalapenos
Heads Up! The Bun Oil, Liquid Margarine, and Special Seasoning used at Whataburger are all made without milk. At last check, their Large White Bun, Small White Bun, and Brioche Bun were all made without milk.
Chicken
- Chicken Fajita Taco (contains egg)
- Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich (no cheese)
- Whatachick’n Chicken Strips (no gravy)
Heads Up! The Whatachick’n Chicken Bites, Breaded Whatachick’n Filet, and Spicy Breaded Whatachick’n Filet contain milk. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich at Whataburger might still be a dairy-free option. It was previously listed as milk-free, and the listed ingredients haven’t changed, but they now say it “contains milk.” We’re verifying this information. Whatachick’n Strips are cooked in shared fryers with other items that contain milk.
Salads
- Apple & Cranberry Salad (no cheese, no chicken)
- Cobb Salad (no cheese, no chicken) (contains egg)
- Garden Salad (no cheese, no chicken)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard , Jalapeno Ranch, Thousand Island (all but the Balsamic contain egg)
Heads Up! The Grilled Chicken Filet at Whataburger might still be a dairy-free add-on option. It was previously listed as milk-free, and the listed ingredients haven’t changed, but they now say it contains milk. We’re verifying this information.
Sides
- French Fries
- Apple Slices
Heads Up! The Onion Rings at Whataburger do contain milk. The Fry Salt used on their French Fries does not contain milk. However, they do use a shared fryer to cook the fries, so potential cross-contamination is a possibility.
Sauces
- Honey BBQ Sauce
- Honey Mustard (contains egg)
- Jalapeno Ranch (contains egg)
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise (contains egg)
- Mustard
- Picante Sauce
- Sweet & Spicy Pepper Sauce (NOT the creamy pepper sauce)
- Whataburger Savory Sauce (contains egg)
- Whatasauce (contains egg)
Heads Up! The Creamy Pepper Sauce, Creamy Au Jus Sauce, Buffalo Sauce, Gravy, and Ranch Dressing at Whataburger do contain milk.
Breads
- Large White Bun
- Small White Bun
- Brioche Bun (contains egg)
- Texas Toast
- Flour Tortilla
Breakfast
- Bacon
- Egg (not Scrambled)
- Hash Brown Sticks
- Potatoes
- Sausage
- Texas Toast
- Breakast on a Bun (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Egg Sandwich (no cheese)
Heads Up! The Scrambled Eggs, Biscuits, Pancakes, and Cinnamon Roll contain milk. The Breakfast on a Bun has the creamy pepper sauce (which contains milk) listed with the ingredient information. The creamy pepper sauce should not be served on that item, but make sure they do leave it off your order.
Secret Menu: Order a Ranchero Breakfast on a Bun (no cheese) for a dairy-free sandwich with jalapeno and picante sauce added.
Desserts
- Fruit Chews
Heads Up! The Cookies at Whataburger contain milk. Their Hot Apple & Lemon Pies used to be dairy-free, but we’ve been told the “flavors” in the dough now contain milk.
Where to Find Whataburger
There are over 800 Whataburger locations in the U.S., with a very heavy concentration in Texas. They have a smattering of locations across Arizona, New Mexico, and the Southern states. See the website below or addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: whataburger.com
Average Reader Review
Rate Your Dairy-Free Experience with this Restaurant
What Others Are Saying ...
CROSS CONTAMINATION RISK
I have not had a consistent response from the cashiers at three locations I go to. I was told that bun oil contained butter; but an ingredient list was not offered. Aside from this I do not see that they have cross contamination procedures in place for patties / cheese slices to be isolated on the grill.
Response from Go Dairy Free
As noted above from Whataburger corporate, the bun oil does not contain any dairy, and neither does their liquid margarine. Both are simply oil-based. They do not use real butter for cooking.
Here are the Bun Oil Ingredients: Liquid and hydrogenated soybean oil, soy lecithin, natural & artificial flavor, beta-carotene (color), TBHQ and citric acid added to protect flavor, dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foaming agent added.
Whataburger over other burgers
I prefer whataburger over other burger places knowing that I can send pretty much anyone to get food here for me and be safe! Large menu with a lot of options.
Whataburger Buns
Their buns are coated in bun oil which contains butter. Make sure to ask for no bun oil.
Response from Go Dairy Free
As noted in the post above, the bun oil is made without dairy, according to the company. We even checked via inquiry previously. The ingredients are: Liquid and hydrogenated soybean oil, soy lecithin, natural & artificial flavor, beta-carotene (color), TBHQ and citric acid added to protect flavor, dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foaming agent added.
More expensive
Have not tasted anything from Whataburger that is better than anyone else except for their ketchup.
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
5 Comments
I have found very few breads that are dairy free. Is whataburger claiming that their buns are dairy free then?
The buns used on the listed burgers are stated as dairy free. You can use the link I’ve included here to verify and view ingredients.
Their site has an allergen list for each item.
Their hamburgers do not list dairy as one of the them.
Hey, Alisa! My name is also Alisa 🙂 there aren’t too many of us. Thank you so much for the website, it has been a lifesaver for me while ting to navigate food with a casein allergy. I use it on the daily!
I love it! Yes, there are very few of us 🙂 I’m so happy that my website is helpful for you!