Updated January 2023! Over the years, we’ve received many Red Robin raves from our dairy-free readers. They were one of the first restaurant chains to implement a full allergen menu and allergen protocols, followed by an interactive allergen menu. When we’ve visited, a manager even took our order, to ensure proper processes were followed. And for dairy-free diners, there really are quite a few options. We first posted this dairy-free menu guide over a decade ago, but now, we have even more details and choices to share …
Red Robin Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Allergen Notes & Vegan Options
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.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: Please read the notes on this post carefully. Red Robin has become a bit overzealous with their allergen claims in the past couple of years, confusing some customers. Almost all items listed below can be made without egg by simply substituting any mayo-based sauces and skipping the gluten-free bun. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post. According to Red Robin, their staff is trained in allergen protocols, and the following is how they handle food allergy order requests.
Your server will alert the kitchen staff of the allergen order. Then our kitchen staff will use the designated purple allergen kit and tools to create your meal. It will then be identified with a purple pick so the server is aware that this is the allergen meal and it was prepared using the Red Robin allergen procedures. The entire kit and all the tools are washed, rinsed and sanitized prior to the next use.
Burgers
- Keep It Simple Beef Burger
- Keep It Simple Veggie Burger
- Bacon Burger (no cheese)
- Banzai Burger (no cheese; see Pineapple Note below)
- Burnin’ Love Burger (no jalapeno items, no cheese)
- Guacamole Bacon Burger (no cheese; see Bacon Note below)
- Haystack Tavern (no cheese, no onion straws)
- Impossible Gourmet Burger (no cheese)
- Monster Burger (no cheese)
- Red Robin Gourmet Burger (no cheese)
- Red’s Tavern (no cheese)
- Royal Red Robin Burger (no cheese, no egg; see Bacon Note below)
- Scorpion Burger (no jalapenos, no cheese)
- Smoke & Pepper Burger (no cheese; see Bacon Note below)
- The Big Haystack Tavern (no cheese, no onion straws)
- The Big Pig Out Tavern (no cheese; see Bacon Note below)
- The Big Tavern (no cheese)
- The Madlove Burger (no cheese; see Bacon Note below)
- The Master Burger (no cheese)
- The Southern Charm Burger (no cheese, no onion; see Bacon Note below)
- The Wedgie Burger (see Bacon Note below)
- Vegan Burger
- Veggie Burger (no cheese)
- Veggie Vegan Burger
- Whiskey River BBQ Burger (no cheese, no onion straws)
Turkey Burger: According to Red Robin, the Grilled Turkey Patty is still dairy-free by ingredients, but they now list it as containing milk due to possible cross-contact on the grill.
Bacon Note: Red Robin now states that all of their bacon (regular, peppered, candied) contains milk. We verified with customer service that it does not contain any form of milk in the ingredients. They switched from cooking the bacon in an oven to making it in a fryer. It now has an increased potential for cross-contamination with milk and other allergens cooked in the fryers.
Pineapple Note: Like the bacon, Red Robin now states that the pineapple contains milk. We verified with customer service that it does not contain any form of milk in the ingredients. They just recommend avoiding it due to the cooking process. But as we always note, all orders are at risk for potential cross contamination with allergens. Speak with a manager before ordering if concerned.
Heads Up! The jalapeno coins, fried jalapenos, sautéed mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, caramelized grilled onions, and onion straws do contain dairy.
Chicken Sandwiches & Wraps
- Burnin’ Love Chicken (no jalapeno items, no cheese)
- California Chicken (no cheese; see Bacon Note below)
- Simply Grilled Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich (no cheese; see Pineapple Note below)
- Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Sandwich (no cheese, no onion straws)
- Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap (no cheese, no ranch)
Bacon Note: Red Robin now states that all of their bacon (regular, peppered, candied) contains milk. We verified with customer service that it does not contain any form of milk in the ingredients. They switched from cooking the bacon in an oven to making it in a fryer. It now has an increased potential for cross-contamination with milk and other allergens cooked in the fryers
Pineapple Note: Like the bacon, Red Robin now states that the pineapple contains milk. We verified with customer service that it does not contain any form of milk in the ingredients. They just recommend avoiding it due to the cooking process. But as we always note, all orders are at risk for potential cross contamination with allergens. Speak with a manager before ordering if concerned.
Heads Up! The Crispy Chicken at Red Robin does contain milk.
Other Entrees
- Ensenada Chicken Platter (no baja ranch, no marinade)
Salads
- Avo-Cobb-O Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Bottomless House Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Simply Grilled Chicken Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Southwest Chicken Salad (no cheese, no ancho marinade, no jalapeno, no baja ranch)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Balsamic, Honey Mustard Poppyseed, Italian, Thousand Island
Sides
- Side Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Steak Fries (see note below)
- Steamed Broccoli
Steak Fries Note: Red Robin’s steak fries do not contain wheat, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish, or milk, and Red Robin does have a dedicated fryer for cooking their steak fries. But the company still says, “it is not recommended to consume the steak fries if you are trying to avoid these allergens due to possible cross contact in our fryer station.” In all likelihood, there is potential cross contact at all of their cooking stations. As always, speak with your server before ordering anything if potential cross contact is a concern for your needs.
Kid’s Menu
- Grilled Chicken Dip’ns
- Red’s Burger made with Beef, Chicken Turkey or Veggie Patty (no cheese)
- Mandarin Oranges
- Side Salad
- Steamed Carrots
- Steamed Broccoli
Heads Up! The Corn Doggies and Cluck-a-Doodles (chicken tenders) do contain milk.
Breads & Buns
- Brioche Bun
- Classic Sesame Bun
- Gluten Free Bun
- Spinach Tortilla
- Tavern Bun
- Wedgie Style (Lettuce Wrap)
Heads Up! The Pretzel Bun and Croissant do contain milk.
Sauces & Seasonings
- Banzai Sauce
- Bistro Sauce
- Campfire Mayo
- Chipotle Aioli
- Guacamole
- House Made Salsa
- Island Heat Sauce
- Marinara Sauce
- Premium Mayonnaise
- Red Robin Cayenne Seasoning
- Red’s Secret Tavern Sauce
- Roasted Garlic Aioli
- Scorpion Sauce
- Smoke ‘n Pepper Ketchup
- Sweet & Spicy Ketchup
- Sweet & Thick Teriyaki Sauce
- Tartar Sauce
- Whiskey River BBQ Sauce
Heads Up! The Buzz Sauce, Caesar Dressing, all Ranch and all Cheesy sauces and dressings contain milk. Also, bottled Sauces for retail might have different ingredients from the sauces used in the restaurant. Always verify ingredients!
Red Robin Vegan Menu Guide
Vegan Entrees
- Impossible Gourmet Burger (no cheese, no mayo)
- Keep It Simple Veggie Burger
- Kid’s Menu Red’s Veggie Burger (no cheese)
- Vegan Burger
- Veggie Vegan Burger
- Bottomless House Salad (no cheese, no croutons, see Heads Up note below)
- Southwest Salad (no chicken, no cheese, no ancho marinade, no jalapeno, no baja ranch)
Vegan Sides
- Side Salad (no cheese, no croutons, see Heads Up note below)
- Steak Fries
- Steamed Broccoli
- Steamed Carrots
Vegan Burger, Wrap, and Sandwich Components
- Classic Sesame Bun
- Spinach Tortilla
- Tavern Bun
- Wedgie Style (Lettuce Wrap)
- Guacamole
- House Made Salsa
- Island Heat Sauce
- Scorpion Sauce
Heads Up! All Salad Dressings at Red Robin are reportedly non-vegan. You can ask for oil and vinegar or bring your own packet!
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 Red Robin
They have over 500 locations in the U.S. See their website below for addresses, hours, an interactive allergen menu, and contact information.
Website: www.redrobin.com
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
13 Comments
The allergen menu online excludes bacon when I check the dairy box. Any idea why? Bacon should be dairy free…
We were just about to update Amy, thank you for the heads up! We’re following up with them, as this is very odd. Once I have an answer, we’ll update. In the mean time, we’ve added a warning.
Red Robin just started bottling their sauces and the Whiskey River BBQ sauce has powdered whey in the ingredients. Hopefully the restaurant version does not!
Thanks Bethany, I checked and the items above are still correct. Packaged products from restaurants often vary from the restaurant version (for example, The Cheesecake Factory’s packaged “famous brown bread” is a completely different recipe from what their actual “famous” bread served in house), so it’s good you checked! I have added a note to the post to make sure people check!
I learned this the hard way as to buying food from a restaurant in 2021 — the Whiskey River BBQ sauce definitely DOES have whey in it and yet Red Robin’s current allergen menu that I’m seeing in 2022 fails to note it as an issue.
Are you certain the restaurant Whiskey River BBQ Sauce contains whey? The company has verified that it does not. BUT the bottled version for sale retail does contain whey. Typically, the packaged versions of restaurant items have a different recipe.
I don’t see the bonzai burger mentioned here. I see red robin notes the grilled pineapple has milk. Does anyone know why? I’ve called a few different locations and no one is helping me. They just say “I don’t know. Probably the manufacturer”.
Hi Adrienne, as noted, Red Robin states their bacon contains milk, when in fact, it’s a cross-contamination risk from the grill. We’ve explained that in the post above. I assume it is the same reason with the grilled pineapple – risk of cross-contamination on the grill, not an actual milk ingredient. I don’t fully understand why the burgers are then considered safe, but they might have a separate burger grill, with no other products cooked on it, and a process of adding cheese after the burger is removed from the grill. It is frustrating when companies haphazardly label “contains milk” for cross-contamination risk.
I was wondering, it hasn’t been posted anywhere. You can eat the burger but can you eat the fries?
Hi Joseph, they have a full allergen menu at most if not all of the Red Robin restaurants; just ask for it when seated. If my memory serves me, I believe the fries are, but I don’t know if there are cross-contamination issues with the fryer – I would check at the restaurant.
Red Robin has changed the way the handle their allergy menu. It is all online now. It takes a little but to find the menu, but it is worth it. They have you select all of the allergens you are avoiding and give you a menu tailored to you. The menu tells you how you can order a menu item to fit your specific needs. For example you can order a Blue Ribbon Burger with no cheese and no onion straws and it is now dairy free. I was impressed once I was able to actually find it.
Thank you for the update Katie!
The Red Robin allergen menu that they have in 2022 could be alot better than it is, by adding a bit of detail that helps the lactose intolerant person. For example, they say the sauteed mushrooms are off limits, but the manager on the phone said that’s because it contains Reggiano cheese. However, the dictionary definition of Reggiano (not specific to Red Robin’s website) is a high-quality parmesan cheese that is usually aged for several years. As a lactose intolerant person, I can eat cheese that matches that dictionary definition. The manager also said “it’s Reggiano cheese not Parmesan.” It is an already packaged combo for the sautee, so I didn’t get an answer to what it is sauteed in, but knowing specifics helps a person know if it will work with their Lactaid pill. They should also specifically list for the customer the type of milk product and never forget to tell us if something has whey power in it.