Updated February 2023! The original Potbelly Sandwich Shop was founded in 1977 in Chicago, but it wasn’t until 20 years later that their expansion began. Now they’re a publicly traded company with hundreds of outposts. Each location makes fresh toasty subs, salads, soups, and even serves oatmeal for breakfast. And Potbelly Sandwich Shop is quite straight forward with allergens, allowing us to build this custom dairy-free menu.
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Allergen & 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.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: All items listed below are made without egg, nuts, and peanut, unless otherwise noted or obvious (i.e. walnuts are a tree nut!). All spreads, toppings, salads, and sides listed below are made without gluten, aside from the croutons and crackers. Unfortunately, Potbelly Sandwich Shop does not have gluten-free bread at this time. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Sandwiches
- A Wreck (no cheese, with dairy-free turkey)
- Avo Turkey (no cheese, with dairy-free turkey)
- BLTA
- Chicken Salad (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Grilled Chicken (no cheese)
- Grilled Chicken Club (no cheese)
- Italian (no cheese)
- Lucky 7 Meat (no cheese)
- Mediterranean (no cheese)
- Monkey Business
- PB&J (contains peanut)
- Pizza (no cheese, no meatballs)
- Roast Beef (no cheese)
- Smoked Ham (no cheese)
- Steakhouse Beef (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Tuna Salad (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Turkey Breast (no cheese, with dairy-free turkey)
Heads Up! The Oven Roasted Turkey, Meatballs, and Egg Patty contain milk. The Lucky 7 Meat and Monkey Business subs are part of their “underground menu.” They list the Lucky 7 as milk-free on the allergen menu, but most locations do top it with cheese. Be sure to order without. See the Protein Topping options and Other Sandwich Topping Options in the lists below.
Salads
- Powerhouse Salad (contains egg)
- Apple Walnut Salad (no cheese)
- Chicken Salad Salad (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Clubhouse Salad (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Farmhouse Salad (no cheese, sub dairy-free dressing) (contains egg)
- Gonzo Bonzo Salad (no cheese) (contains egg)
Dairy-Free Dressings: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Non-fat Vinaigrette, Potbelly Vinaigrette
Heads Up! The Gonzo Bonzo and Clubhouse Salads are on the Potbelly Sandwich Shop underground menu.
Soups
- Garden Vegetable
Dairy-Free Soup Toppings: Avocado, Chopped Bacon, Oyster Crackers, Sliced Onions
Heads Up! The Chicken Soups and Chili at Potbelly Sandwich Shop do contain milk.
Breakfast
- Craft Your Own Steel Cut Oatmeal (prepared with water)
Dairy-Free Oatmeal Toppings: Bananas, Brown Sugar, Diced Apples, Dried Cranberry, Glazed Walnuts, Raisins. But they don’t offer any milk beverage for dousing your hot cereal.
Sides
- Applesauce
- Pickle
- Lay’s Classic Chips
- Zapp’s Hotter ‘N Hot Jalapeno Chips
- Zapp’s Mesquite Bar-B-Que Chips
- Zapp’s Regular Chips
- Zapp’s VooDoo Heat Chips
- Zapp’s VooDoo Regular Chips
Sandwich Breads
- FLAT
- Multigrain (all sizes)
- White (all sizes)
Protein Toppings
- Bacon
- Capicola
- Chicken Salad (contains egg)
- Grilled Chicken
- Ham
- Mortadella
- Pepperoni
- Roast Beef
- Salami
- Sausage
- Tuna Salad (contains egg)
- Turkey Breast (NOT the Roasted Turkey)
Heads Up! The Oven Roasted Turkey, Meatballs, and Egg Patty contain milk.
Sauces / Condiments
- Brown Mustard
- Horseradish Mayo (contains egg)
- Hummus
- Marinara Sauce
- Mayo (contains egg)
- Oil
Other Sandwich Toppings
- Artichoke Hearts
- Avocado
- Cucumbers
- Hot Peppers
- Italian Seasoning
- Lettuce
- Pickles
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Sauerkraut
- Sliced Mushrooms
- Sliced Onions
- Spinach
- Tomato
Other Salad Toppings
- Artichoke Hearts
- Avocado
- Candied / Glazed Walnuts
- Chopped Bacon
- Cucumbers
- Diced Apples
- Diced Red Onion
- Dried Cranberry
- Fresh Strawberries
- Garbanzo Beans
- Grape Tomato
- Hard Boiled Egg
- Hummus
- Italian Seasoning
- Red Grapes
- Roasted Red Peppers
Heads Up! It looks like Potbelly Sandwich Shops no longer offer Croutons. When they did, they were dairy-free, but verify in store if your local shop sources croutons.
Potbelly Sandwich Shop Vegan Menu Guide
- PB&J Sandwich on White
- Mediterranean Sandwich on White (no cheese, no chicken)
- Veggie Sandwich on White (no cheese / melt)
- Apple Walnut Salad (no meat, no cheese)
- Powerhouse Salad (no meat, no egg)
- Gonzo Bonzo Salad (no cheese, no egg)
- Garden Vegetable Soup with Oyster Crackers
- Steel Cut Oatmeal with Bananas, Brown Sugar, Diced Apples, Dried Cranberry, Glazed Walnuts, or Raisins (no milk)
Vegan Sandwich & Salad Components
- FLAT Bread
- White Bread
- Brown Mustard
- Hummus
- Marinara Sauce
- Oil
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Non-fat Vinaigrette
- Potbelly Vinaigrette
- All Vegetable / Fruit Sandwich and Salad Toppings
- Candied / Glazed Walnuts
- Garbanzo Beans
- Applesauce
- Whole Pickle
- Various Chips
Heads Up! The Multigrain Bread at Potbelly Sandwich Shop is not strictly vegan.
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 Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Potbelly Sandwich Shop has over 400 locations, most of which are in the U.S. See their website below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.potbelly.com
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
