Updated February 2023! This casual American bar and grill serves a wide range of meat and seafood dishes, and is well loved for their burgers. Although I wouldn’t recommend Ruby Tuesday to vegans, it is a great find for dairy-free diners. They offer a big array of chicken, steak, seafood, burger, sandwich, and salad options without milk.
Ruby Tuesday has been on a downward slide since 2016, and did have a very tough 2020. Like many restaurants, they had to close several more locations. To stay alive, they chose voluntary bankruptcy in 2021. The move allowed them to quickly come out on the other side, and hold onto over 200 corporate-owned and operated locations.
Ruby Tuesday Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Custom Order & Vegan Options
Of course, experiences can vary by location, due to differences in management and staff. But overall, Ruby Tuesday has received top marks by food allergic customers for their attentiveness to needs. This is our quick and organized list of the dairy-free options as supplied by Ruby Tuesday. 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.
Butter Note: Ruby Tuesday uses a liquid margarine on the grill, buns, and vegetables that is dairy-free.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: All of the items listed below are made without egg, peanut, and tree nuts, unless otherwise noted. The burgers and sandwiches can be ordered with a gluten-free bun, and the entrees and sides listed below can be ordered without gluten. The Barbecue Ribs, Baked Potato, and Marinara Pasta are made without soy, but other items will need to be special ordered without the margarine for soy-free needs. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Appetizers
- Boneless Wings with Mild Buffalo, Hot Buffalo, Sassy Honey, or Hickory Bourbon Glaze (no dipping sauce) (contains egg)
Heads Up! The Bone-In Chicken Wings do contain milk in the ingredients. But Ruby Tuesday lists them as containing milk, and other top allergens, due to potential cross-contamination in the deep fryer. The Coconut Shrimp and Onion Rings do contain milk in their recipes.
Salads
- Cucumber Salad
- Honey Glazed Salmon Salad (no cheese)
Garden Salad Bar Dairy-Free Toppings: All Fresh Produce & Legumes, Bacon, Ham, Banana Peppers, Beets, Black Olives, Crispy Cucumbers, Crispy Onions, Crispy Jalapenos, Diced Eggs, Dried Cranberries, Pepperoncini, Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Pico de Gallo, Lavash Crackers
Dairy-Free Dressings: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinegar, Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, French, Golden Italian, Honey Mustard (contains egg), Thousand Island (contains egg)
Heads Up! Aside from the Cucumber Salad and Cole Slaw all premade salads at the Salad Bar contain milk. The Croutons also contain milk.
Burgers & Sandwiches (without sides)
- Awesome Burger
- Bacon Burger (no cheese)
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich (contains egg in mayo)
- Jalapeno Bacon Burger (no queso)
- Philly Cheesesteak Hoagie (no cheese)
- Ruby’s Classic Burger (no cheese)
- Smokehouse Burger (no cheese, no onion rings)
Heads Up! The Brioche Buns and Gluten-Free Buns at Ruby Tuesday are dairy-free, but the Gluten-Free Buns do contain egg. As mentioned, the “butter” used on the buns is a dairy-free liquid margarine. Their Crispy Chicken does contain milk.
Pasta
- Blackened Shrimp & Sausage Pasta (no alfredo sauce)
- Chicken & Broccoli Pasta (no cream sauce)
Heads Up! Ruby Tuesday uses garlic spread and scampi butter on some of their pastas, which are listed as dairy-free, but do containing soy.
Entrees (without sides)
- Baby Back Ribs with Classic Barbecue, Texas Dusted, or Hickory Bourbon
- Bacon Chicken (no asiago cheese, no cream sauce)
- Grilled Salmon
- Grilled Shrimp
- Hickory Bourbon Chicken
- Hickory Bourbon Salmon
- Rib Eye
- Top Sirloin
- New Orleans Seafood (no cream sauce)
Heads Up! The Nashville Hot Ribs, Chicken Tenders, and Crispy Shrimp at do contain milk in the recipes. Be sure to select dairy-free sides from the list below.
Kids Menu
- Burger (no cheese)
- Buttery Pasta
- Grilled Chicken
- Marinara Pasta
- Broccoli
- Grapes
- Grilled Zucchini
Heads Up! The Slider Buns at Ruby Tuesday do contain milk, so the kids burger sliders cannot be ordered dairy free. The French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, and Tater Tots at Ruby Tuesday do not appear to contain any milk-based ingredients. But Ruby Tuesday lists them as containing milk (and other top allergens) due to potential cross-contamination in the deep fryer.
Sides
- Baked Potato, Plain (can top with bacon pieces, liquid margarine, and scallions)
- Breadsticks
- Coleslaw
- Grilled Zucchini
- Roasted Baby Bellas
- Roasted Corn
- Steamed Broccoli
Note: The French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, and Tater Tots at Ruby Tuesday do not appear to contain any milk-based ingredients. But Ruby Tuesday lists them as containing milk (and other top allergens) due to potential cross-contamination in the deep fryer. The Rice Pilaf and Onion Rings do contain milk in their recipes.
Ruby Tuesday Vegan Menu Guide
- Awesome Burger (no cheese)
- Broccoli Pasta (no cream sauce, no chicken)
- Tomato Basil Pasta (custom order)
- Garden Salad Bar (all fruits, vegetables, legumes, crispy vegetables, and lavash crackers – no croutons)
- Golden Italian Dressing
- French Dressing
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- Kids Buttery Pasta
- Kids Marinara Pasta
- Kids Grapes
- Baked Potato, Plain (can top with scallions and liquid margarine)
- Breadsticks
- Grilled Zucchini
- Roasted Baby Bellas
- Roasted Corn
- Steamed Broccoli
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 Ruby Tuesday
They have over 200 Ruby Tuesday locations in the U.S. See their website below for locations, hours, contact information, and their interactive allergen menu.
Website: www.rubytuesday.com
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What Others Are Saying ...
Super Cool!
It’s very cool that Ruby Tuesday’s offers a dairy free menu because most restaurants do not 🙂
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
