Captain D’s is a fast-food restaurant franchise in America that specializes in seafood-inspired menu items. They serve baked, fried, and grilled fish, shrimp, crab, and chicken, as well as traditional fast-food starters and sides, including French fries, baked potatoes, salads, and desserts. Soft drinks, such as Coca-Cola products and sweetened and unsweetened iced teas, are also available to customers.
Unfortunately, Captain D’s Seafood is certainly not your first option as a vegan, but if you find yourself there, you can still grab some vegan-friendly dishes.
Read on to find out what you should order for your vegan plate.
History of Captain D’s
Captain D’s Seafood Restaurant originally opened its doors on August 15, 1969. Things have definitely changed since then, but their dedication to offering freshly cooked fish at an affordable price has remained constant. Captain D’s began as “Mr. D’s Seafood and Hamburgers,” named after the founder, Ray Danner, and was located in Donelson, Tennessee. The name was changed to Captain D’s in 1974 to reflect better the emphasis on offering the greatest seafood in America. They set out from the outset to deliver high-quality fish at low pricing, which was a revolutionary notion at the time.
Vegan Options at Captain D’s
Baked Potatoes
Potatoes have a terrible reputation as an unhealthy meal since they are frequently fried or saturated with butter and oil. However, potatoes are certainly vegan-friendly. They are superfoods and can even help you lose weight!
But to be vegan-ready, make sure to request no butter and no sour cream baked potatoes. Even the ordinary baked potato normally comes with these toppings, so make sure you request them to be removed. It’s a little boring. However, it is a nutritious, well-balanced food. You can add some sauce or ketchup or anything else you prefer to jazz it up.
Broccoli
For a vegan diet, any vegetable is a good choice. They offer steamed broccoli florets. In their typical serving, they claim to be dairy-free. However, you should still ask for “no butter” to ensure that no butter is added to your meal.
Corn on the Cob
Corn has more protein than many other vegetables, making it a great option for vegetarians and vegans, as well as those seeking to get more protein from non-animal sources. This order is just a side dish, so the serving is not that much. Still, make sure to request a “no butter” steamed corn for your serving.
Side Salad
The side salad does not include any dairy, as stated in the allergen menu. However, just to be cautious, specify that you don’t want any cheese or croutons.
Smoothies
The side salad does not include any dairy, as stated in the allergen menu. However, just to be cautious, specify that you don’t want any cheese or croutons.
Here are the top three smoothie flavors that are most likely to be available:
- Tropical Mango Smoothie
- Strawberry Smoothie
- Peach Smoothie
Tea and Soft Drinks
Here is a selection of Pepsi products and teas that you might try to incorporate into your meal:
- Diet Dr. Pepper
- Diet Mountain Dew
- Diet Pepsi
- Dr. Pepper
- Mist Twist
- Mountain Dew
- Mountain Dew Code Red
- Mug Root Beer
- Pepsi
- Sweet Tea
- Unsweetened Tea
Menus at restaurants vary and can differ by location. I still recommend you double-check any critical details with the staff at your local Captain D’s.
Here Are Some Health Tips for You
Main Dish
The majority of separate meal dishes contain calories between 70 and 470, with batter-dipped fish being the lightest choice and grilled shrimp scampi having the highest calories.
Meal Options
Diners discover more traditional options when they browse the available menus, such as several salads and sandwiches as well as popular sides and appetizers. The wild Alaskan salmon salad, which is low in calories, high in protein, and low in fat and salt, can be considered a healthy option from the Other Favorites menu.
Sides
Customers can order baked potatoes, French fries, and side salads, as well as seasoned rice, fried breadsticks, green beans, broccoli, coleslaw, and hush puppies, which seem to be the patrons’ favorite at seafood restaurants.
Desserts
Captain D’s serves fried cheesecake bites, chocolate cake, and classic cheesecake slices. The dessert selections, like other traditional confectionery and sweets, have high calorie, fat, and sugar counts.
Diets
The restaurant has a low-carb menu for those who want to cut back on carbohydrates, as well as vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free, and vegan alternatives.
But Take Note…
You might think that some of the following things would be vegan as well; unfortunately, they are really not:
- The French fries are definitely not vegan. At least in some places, they’re cooked in beef tallow.
- Green beans are not good for your vegan diet because it contains ham.
- Seasoned rice is not considered vegan because it has milk.
- The coleslaw is not vegan-friendly as it contains eggs.
- The funnel cake stix is absolutely not vegan because it consists of milk and egg.
Now, let’s address some FAQs regarding dining vegan at Captain D’s…
What Cooking Oil Does Captain D’s Use?
Captain D cooks with a proprietary blend of kitchen oils. According to Business Insider 2018, some Captain D outlets utilize beef tallow in their food preparation. Other Captain D restaurants in Texas and Memphis, on the other hand, have said that soybean oil is utilized.
As Vegans, what does this imply? Well, here are two options you can think of: First, check your local Captain D’s about the oil they use in the fryer. Or…. simply assume that any fried meal at Captain D’s, particularly the fries, is not vegan-friendly.
Is Captain D’s Okra Vegan?
A classic fried okra slice in southern style, despite being a veggie, is not vegan as it contains milk and egg in its serving. At least some sites are likely to fry it in beef tallow. As explained previously, some Captain D’s restaurants have been found to utilize beef tallow in their fryers.
Are Captain D’s Hush Puppies Vegan?
The classic golden brown hush puppies are prepared with freshly cooked batter and freshly picked with care. They perfectly complement seafood dishes. However, they are not vegan because they are made with eggs and milk. At least some sites are likely to fry it in beef tallow, too, as mentioned above.
Are Captain D’s Breadsticks Vegan?
According to Captain D’s allergen menu, their breadsticks are free of dairy, eggs, and other animal products. Their cholesterol level, however, is listed as 2 mg in the nutritional facts. Animal fat contains only dietary cholesterol. As a result, vegan goods should always have zero milligrams.
This leads to the conclusion that the breadsticks do, in fact, contain dairy or another animal product. However, Captain D’s Breadsticks’ vegan status may differ depending on the region.
If you still want to grab some Captain D’s breadsticks, try to ask to see if they’re vegan in your location.
More Health FAQs for You
- What is the calorie count of a Captain D’s Crab Cake? Answer: 80.
- What is the calorie count of Captain D’s Shrimp Scampi? Answer: 288.
- What is the fat content of Captain D’s Mozzarella Sticks? Answer: 25g.
- How many carbohydrates are there in a Captain D’s Cheesecake? Answer: 36g.
Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet Guide
What if you’re not only vegan but also deliberately avoiding eating processed foods? Is it possible to order whole-food plant-based (WFPB) foods at Captain D’s? The answer is… Actually, yes!
Here are the WFPB Options You Can Try at Captain D’s:
- Baked potato (no sour cream and no butter)
- Broccoli (no butter)
- Corn on the cob (no butter)
- Side salad (no dressing)
Notice that the majority of Captain D’s vegan alternatives are also WFPB options.
Restaurants that provide baked potatoes make it much more convenient to fill up as a health-conscious vegan. And the several veggie sides at Captain D’s help us round out the meal a little.
If you want your salad to be completely WFPB, you should definitely remove the dressing, as I’m sure it contains some sugar.
Other Popular Chains With Vegan Options
If Captain D’s selections don’t seem to satisfy your vegan taste, there are many other possibilities. To avoid losing a loyal client base, several major fast-food restaurants provide vegan choices.
Red Lobster
As a vegan, seafood stores and restaurants are not a go-to. To be honest, I would not suggest Red Lobster for a group picnic. Having said that, I was genuinely shocked by how many vegan alternatives are available here.
You could perhaps try the following vegan items:
- The Spicy Dragon Broccoli
- Plain Baked Potatoes (No Butter, No Sour Cream, No Meat)
- Rice Pilaf Side
- Plain Pasta with Marinara Sauce
- Fresh Seasoned Broccoli
- Orange Wedges
- Seasoned Veggies
- Dressing, Sauces, and Toppings
- Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Cheese-Free Garden Salad
Popeyes
Popeyes provides some really good comfort food… but sadly, most of it is produced from animal-based products. It’s not a vegan-friendly environment. That said, if you find yourself in the area, there are still some interesting alternatives.
Here are some vegan options at Popeyes:
- French Bread Baguette
- Butter-Free Corn on the Cob
- Made with Water Grits
- A Sweet Relished Applesauce
- Classic Jalapeños
- Authentic Sauces and Condiments
- Drinks
Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel is the best restaurant you can enjoy visiting as a vegan… Kidding. In terms of vegan options, Cracker Barrel is quite limited. Worse, it might be difficult to determine what is vegan when you arrive. So, here’s my best shot at assisting you.
Vegan options at Cracker Barrel you might want to try :
- Steamed Fresh Broccoli
- Plain Baked Potato
- Plain Sweet Baked Potato
- Plain Bread, Toast, or Muffin
- Fruits
- Salad Dishes
- Made in Water Grits or Oatmeal
- Drinks
Wrap Up
Captain D’s is not a vegan paradise and is definitely not the best option for vegan diners. However, you could easily have a totally vegan plate with a little bit of tweaking and some trickery. Especially with their offered side dishes and salads. Just request no butter or sour cream in your meal, and lastly, ask about the oil they used in their fryer.