Updated 2021! White Castle was America’s first fast-food hamburger chain, and they now have locations dotted all over the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. I bet you thought it was McDonald’s, but White Castle beat them by 27 years. They opened their first restaurant location in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. And nearly 100 years later, they beat the gold arches to yet another hamburger chain first: dairy-free cheese on the menu.
On March 1, 2020, White Castle launched dairy-free Good Planet cheddar at its New Jersey and New York City restaurants. It’s still available in certain areas, but hasn’t yet hit their nationwide permanent menu. Jamie Richardson, the vice president of White Castle, says they are bringing this new vegan cheese alternative to select locations, “with the hope of taking it to other markets in the future.” Even if your local White Castle doesn’t offer the dairy-free cheese alternative, you can still enjoy many of their burgers without cheese, and with one of their many dairy-free sauces. See our guide below!
No Dairy (Milk-Based) Ingredients (see disclaimer below)
Menu Items
- Breakfast (See Allergen Notes) – Hash Brown Nibblers
- Sliders(See Allergen Notes) – Veggie, Impossible (no cheese), Impossible with Dairy-Free Cheddar (select locations), The Original, Double Original, Panko Fish (no cheese)
- Sides (See Allergen Notes) – Motts Applesauce, French Fries, Onion Rings (except at NJ / NY locations)
- Condiments – BBQ Sauce, Fat-Free Honey Mustard, Hot Sauce, Marinara, Tartar Sauce, Zesty Zing Sauce, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Yellow Mustard, Dusseldorf Mustard, Horseradish Mustard
Other Allergen Notes
- Their Hash Brown Nibblers, Impossible Slider with Dairy-Free Cheddar, The Original and Double Original Sliders, Panko Fish Sliders, French Fries, and Onion Rings (outside of NJ/NY) contain no dairy ingredients. However, White Castle states these items are “Prepared in Common Kitchen Area and/or Equipment.”
- They do cook their meats and meat alternatives with buttery flavored oil, but they do not call out any milk ingredients in it. It is a soy-based oil.
- White Castle removed their ingredient listing from online. We are trying to obtain it to help with custom orders. As of 2020, the following items were dairy-free to help you custom order their breakfast sandwiches: Traditional Bun, Wheat Toast, Beef Patty, Egg, Bologna, Bacon, and Onions. So you might be able to order “no cheese” versions of the Breakfast Slider, Original Slider with Egg, or Breakfast Toast Sandwich with Bacon. Verify with the staff!
Vegan Menu Items at White Castle
The Impossible Patty and Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Patty are vegan, but both contain soy. Their Traditional Buns are made without dairy and eggs, and have been touted as vegan by various vegan organizations. The White Castle non-dairy Sides noted above are also vegan-friendly. For sauces, the Mustards, Ketchup, Marinara, Hot Sauce, Jams, and Syrup appear to be made without dairy, eggs, or honey. They have changed their BBQ sauce, and we haven’t yet been able to verify if it is still honey-free. Their Smokey BBQ sauce was vegan-friendly.
More Details from White Castle
Allergen Disclaimer from White Castle: We encourage customers to check these statements regularly as ingredients in menu items may change. Ingredient information is based on standard product formulations. Variations may occur due to differences in suppliers, ingredient substitutions, recipe revisions, product assembly at the restaurant level, and/or season of the year. Some limited time offers, test and regional items may not be included. Some menu items may not be available at all restaurants.
Restaurant Website: www.whitecastle.com
Allergen Information: www.whitecastle.com/about-us/allergens-and-ingredients
Last Updated: February 20, 2021
