Roosters Wings is a midwestern, restaurant chain and franchise that was first opened in 1988 by couples, Bob and Corrine Frick. Bob was a teacher, coach, and trainer who always had a passion for making food, and Corrine was an outgoing, friendly, and hospitable character with a knack for quality service.
Together, they started Roosters Wings in Dayton, Ohio, and have rapidly expanded from central Ohio to other states due to their strong business model and highly-favored menu. Today, they have more than 40 locations across Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia, while they also sport a mobile food truck that offers catering and community service.
However, Roosters Wings has few available options for vegans, most of which are appetizers. The serious lack of vegan options and service at Roosters makes it inadequate for vegan diners.
Table of Contents
Vegan Menu At Roosters
You can check for their complete menu, allergen info, and nutrition info on their website. None of their wings are vegan or vegetarian of course, and most of their breading, sauces, dressings and sauteed vegetables have butter or dairy. You can ask your server to skip the dairy ingredients, but that may be imposing on them as a lot of the stuff on their menu are traditional recipes.
Also, their menu items are cooked in shared frying equipment, so cross-contamination is a sure fact. The stated nutritional values would change according to the animal-based ingredients that you’d request to remove.
Appetizers
Nachos
Order without meat and cheese; contains tortilla chips and jalapenos. Order for $4.99.
Contains corn, soy, and gluten allergens. Nachos are fried and have 710 cal, 45 g total fat (18 g saturated and 2.5 g trans fat), 21 mg cholesterol, 1,300 mg sodium, 77 g carbs (8 g dietary fiber), and 12 g protein.
- Vitamin A – 5%
- Vitamin C – 8%
- Calcium – 17%
- Iron – 8%
Nachos Deluxe
Order without meat and cheese; contains tortilla chips, chili, red onions, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, and jalapenos. Order for $7.99.
Contains corn, soy, and gluten allergens. Nachos Deluxe are fried and have 1080 cal, 64 g total fat (30 g saturated and 2.5 g trans fat), 95 mg cholesterol, 2,620 mg sodium, 112 g carbs (17 g dietary fiber and 15 g sugar), and 28 g protein.
- Vitamin A – 60%
- Vitamin C – 50%
- Calcium – 45%
- Iron – 25%
Fried Pickles
Order without ranch dressing, which contains milk and butter; contains breaded pickle chips. Order for $5.99.
Contains corn, wheat, soy, and gluten allergens. Fried Pickles are fried and have 660 cal, 66 g total fat (24 g saturated and 3 g trans fat), 26 mg cholesterol, 1,400 mg sodium, 28 g carbs (4 g dietary fiber and 1 g sugar), and 3 g protein.
- Calcium – 10%
- Iron – 4%
Buffalo Cauliflower
Order without bleu cheese or ranch dressing, substitute with vegan sauce; contains fried cauliflower and celery. Order for $6.99.
Contains corn, wheat, soy, and gluten allergens. Buffalo Cauliflowers are fried and have 540 cal, 42 g total fat (14 g saturated and 2.5 g trans fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 920 mg sodium, 48 g carbs (5 g dietary fiber and 8 g sugar), and 8 g protein.
- Vitamin A – 2%
- Calcium – 2%
- Iron – 10%
Soft-Baked Pretzels
Order without nacho cheese; contains 2 soft-baked pretzels. Order for $4.99.
Contains corn, wheat, soy, and gluten allergens. Soft-Baked Pretzels are baked and have 440 cal, 13 g total fat (3 g saturated), 30 mg cholesterol, 1,450 mg sodium, 73 g carbs (4 g dietary fiber and 4 g sugar), and 12 g protein.
- Vitamin A – 2%
- Calcium – 8%
- Iron – 8%
Fried Mushrooms
Substitute ranch dressing with a vegan sauce, order without butter or eggs; contains breaded mushrooms. Order for $5.99.
Contains corn, wheat, soy, and gluten allergens. Mushrooms are fried and have 720 cal, 46 g total fat (15 g saturated and 2.5 g trans fat), 25 mg cholesterol, 2,090 mg sodium, 82 g carbs (4 g dietary fiber and 1 g sugar), and 15 g protein.
- Calcium – 2%
Rooster Onion Feathers
Order without butter and dairy, substitute feather sauce with vegan sauce; contains battered onion petals. Order for $3.99.
Contains wheat, soy, and gluten allergens. Roosters Onion Feathers are fried and have 980 cal, 61 g total fat (11 g saturated), 27 mg cholesterol, 1,850 mg sodium, 95 g carbs (3 g dietary fiber and 1 g sugar), and 8 g protein.
- Vitamin A – 2%
- Vitamin C – 10%
- Calcium – 4%
- Iron – 10%
Rooster Onion Feathers
Order without butter and dairy, substitute feather sauce with vegan sauce; contains battered onion petals. Order for $3.99.
Contains wheat, soy, and gluten allergens. Roosters Onion Feathers are fried and have 980 cal, 61 g total fat (11 g saturated), 27 mg cholesterol, 1,850 mg sodium, 95 g carbs (3 g dietary fiber and 1 g sugar), and 8 g protein.
- Vitamin A – 2%
- Vitamin C – 10%
- Calcium – 4%
- Iron – 10%
Sauces
- Salsa
- Mustard
- Teriyaki
- BBQ
- Carolina Gold
- Sweet Thai Chili
- Donkey
- NuKiller
- Korean BBQ
Add Ons
- Curly Fries – $2.99. 440 cal.
- Wedges – $2.99. 350 cal.
- Tater Tots – $2.99. 720 cal.
Health Advice
You’d notice how most of the options listed above are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, while these three nutrients aren’t always dangerous, they’re hazardous to health when taken in excessive amounts.
Saturated fat is infamous for being the least healthy type of fat (second only to trans fat) for human health, and is consistently tied with higher risks of “bad” cholesterol and heart disease. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests limiting one’s intake of saturated fat to only 13 g per day and to eat whole foods that contain natural saturated fat, instead of fast food and junk.
More so, red meat, poultry, and dairy products are known for concentrations of saturated fat, but even coconut-based products contain high amounts of the type. It all boils down to one’s careful diet and food management for better health.
Cholesterol is divided into two categories: HDL “good” cholesterol and LDL “bad” cholesterol. Cholesterol is an important nutrient in the body that ensures proper cell function and hormonal production, but when there’s an imbalance between HDL and LDL, problems arise.
HDL is responsible for safely carrying cholesterol, fats, and lipids from clogging blood vessels, but LDL does the opposite. When there’s not enough HDL in the blood, LDL accumulates in the blood vessel walls, and this, in turn, increases the risks of heart failure.
To increase one’s HDL and mitigate LDL, it’s best to substitute your saturated fat intake with more mono- and polyunsaturated fats. This means lowering your saturated fat intake, without cutting your source of healthy fats such as vegetable oils, nuts, and avocados. More tips from the Healthline.
Sodium is another essential nutrient that our body needs to balance fluids and maintain proper nerve and muscle coordination. However, the FDA recommends taking less than 2,300 mg per day of sodium to maintain a healthy nutrient balance. Unfortunately, given the state we are in today where fast food, junk food, and instant food are abundant, the average person takes more than 3,400 mg of sodium per day.
The best way to counter this is to constantly drink more water to flush out the fluid and mineral waste. More so, eating too much sodium every day can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
So the bottom line is, that gorging on food rich in these nutrients (such as appetizers from Roosters) is not a healthy practice, and must be taken into consideration and care.
Homemade Salads
Garden Salad
Order without meat and cheese, and with vegan salad dressing; contains mixed lettuce, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, and croutons.
Contains corn, wheat, soy, and gluten allergens. Garden Salad is fresh and can be served either full-size or half-size. Full salad is sold for $6.59 and has 230 cal, 11 g total fat (4.5 g saturated), 25 mg cholesterol, 460 mg sodium, 25 g carbs (4 g dietary fiber and 5 g sugar), and 12 g protein.
- Vitamin A – 230%
- Vitamin C – 20%
- Calcium – 25%
- Iron – 10%
Salad Dressings
- Golden Italian
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Olive Oil & Red Wine Vinegar
- Fat-Free Raspberry Vinaigrette
Soups
Depends on store availability.
- 7 Bean Medley
- Vegetable
Disclaimers
The Veggie Burger, Veggie Sub, and Veggie Lover’s Pizza are vegetarian and contain dairy- and egg-based ingredients.
Bottom Line
Roosters Wings may not be the best dinner place for vegans, as they’re barely able to accommodate the dietary preference and are more accustomed to vegetarian customers. If you’re one with a small appetite, then maybe you can get by their simple appetizers and salads, but this restaurant is not recommended for those who are looking for more, “meatier” bites.
Overall, the food and service are fine, but most of the meals are exaggerated with heart-risky nutrients, even those that can be made vegan. It’s sad that not even their veggie food is fit for vegans, and can hardly be altered due to the original recipe.
