Updated January 2023! 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
This menu guide includes dairy-free menu options first, followed by custom order components. Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks. Please note that this guide is for the U.S. locations. Options may vary in other countries.
Fryer Note: They use a liquid shortening for frying, and all fried items might be cooked in shared fryers with items that contain milk. Verify at your location if potential cross-contamination in fryers is a concern.
Butter Note: Whataburger does not use any real dairy butter on their buns or grill. They have a bun oil and a liquid margarine, both of which are dairy-free according to the company. They do have a margarine on hand for the pancakes that contains milk, but at last check, it wasn’t used for or served with any other items. But as always, individual locations can take liberties. Please make sure your location is not using any type of dairy butter.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: We did not see any menu items containing peanuts or tree nuts. Most menu items at Whataburger contain wheat and soy (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. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Burgers
- Whataburger – Regular, Double Meat, Triple Meat
- Whataburger Jr. – Regular, Double Meat
- Avocado Bacon Burger (no cheese, sub dairy-free sauce)
- Bacon Whataburger (no cheese)
- Jalapeno Whataburger (no cheese)
- Justaburger
- Sweet & Spicy Bacon Burger (no cheese)
Dairy-Free Popular Add-Ons: Avocado, Bacon, Diced Onions, Grilled Jalapenos, Grilled Onions, Lettuce, Jalapenos, Pickles, Tomato
Heads Up! The Bun Oil, Liquid Margarine, and Special Seasoning used on Whataburger burgers are all made without milk.
Chicken
- Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich (no cheese)
- Whatachick’n Chicken Strips (sub dairy-free sauce for gravy)
Heads Up! The 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.
Kids Menu
- Justaburger Kids Whatameal
- Whatachick’n Strips Kids Whatameal (sub dairy-free sauce for gravy)
Sides
- Apple Slices
- French Fries
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.
Breakfast
- Breakfast Burger (no cheese, sub dairy-free sauce)
- Breakast on a Bun (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Bacon
- Egg (not Scrambled)
- Egg Sandwich (no cheese)
- Hash Brown Sticks
- Sausage
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 and Brownies 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.
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
- Brioche Bun (contains egg)
- Flour Tortilla
- Large White Bun
- Small White Bun
- Texas Toast
Whataburger Vegan Menu Guide
Whataburger does not currently have a vegan patty option.
Vegan Salads
- Apple & Cranberry Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (no cheese, no chicken)
- Cobb Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (no cheese, no chicken) (contains egg)
- Garden Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (no cheese, no chicken)
Vegan Sides
- Apple Slices
- French Fries
- Hash Brown Sticks
Vegan Sauces & Condiments
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Picante Sauce
- Sweet & Spicy Pepper Sauce (NOT the creamy pepper sauce)
Vegan Sandwich Components
- Avocado
- Jalapenos – Raw or Grilled
- Lettuce
- Onions – Diced or Grilled
- Pickles
- Tomato
- Flour Tortilla
- Large White Bun
- Small White Bun
- Texas Toast
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
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.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
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 ...
Great Service/ a lot dairy free items
Most Breads do not contain dairy
Onion Rings contain dairy
Hope they offer gluten free buns soon
Response from Go Dairy Free
Yes, please see the post above for all of these details and more! Don’t miss the Heads Up sections.
So helpful
I do wish there wasn’t chance for cross contamination but I’ve never had an issue, having developed a milk allergy at 20 years old it was difficult trying to find places I could eat out with friends at and tried basically to change everything in my diet all at once but these information pages have been a life saver <3
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!