Old Chicago, founded in 1976, is a known fast-food chain restaurant that is true to its traditions. They are famous for craft beers and, of course, their lip-smacking pizzas. They have got you covered from thin tavern pizza to classic thick-crust pizzas to Bavarian pretzel sticks.
Old Chicago has limited options in terms of vegan dishes. Therefore, you need to be creative when you order food here. You may need to look through the entire menu and customize your choice.
Old Chicago is known to be a place where you can sit and chill even to this date. The ambiance and the eating experience are top-notch, and the list of food they offer is pretty appealing. For 40 years, they have offered the finest craft beers for their guests.
Veganism is rampant globally, and more people are switching to a plant-based diet. At Old Chicago, vegans can grab a mug of craft root beers and some vegan appetizers to reward their appetite. We have structured a few vegan options at Old Chicago that you can explore on your next visit.
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Vegan Options at Old Chicago
If you are vegan and planning to dine in Old Chicago, you must be thorough with their menu. The restaurant’s menu keeps changing often, and also regarding the location. Always double-check with the staff at Old Chicago to not end up eating any animal-based dish.
Not all the food they serve is 100% vegan. However, that does not mean you can’t feed your grumbling tummy from this exceptional place. Below we have compiled a vegan menu and a guide to make your life easy.
Vegan Pizza
Yes, you read that right. Old Chicago now has an option to serve vegan pizza. This pizza involves a thin vegan crust with no egg wash on the crust. Also, the dough contains some soya bean oil, sugar, salt, yeast, garlic powder, flour, and water.
So if you are craving some luscious vegan pizza, think no more. Old Chicago offers vegan crust pizzas with zero usage of egg and seasonings.
However, we recommend you double-check with the staff to understand its preparation in-depth.
Salad (Excluding Croutons and Cheese)
It would help if you were a bit careful before ordering a vegan salad bowl in Old Chicago. The Garden Side Salad is vegan if you exclude the croutons. Croutons are re-baked bread crumbs primarily used in salads and soups. So, you can easily order a side salad as an appetizer without adding the croutons.
Your second option would be The Mediterranean Salad. You can always ask the staff to prepare it without the feta cheese crumbles, and there you go! Your vegan salad bowl is ready for you to relish. Also, the salad comes with a Greek dressing that is vegan.
Apart from the Greek salad dressing, below are a few more options that you can choose from:
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Asian Dressing
- Creamy Herb Dressing
- Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- Applewood BBQ Sauce
Vegan Pasta
You can always order pasta here that excludes the use of dairy products. You can even ask them to serve some pasta sauce with no dairy and cream. Old Chicago offers spaghetti and fettuccine pasta versions. So if you have been craving pasta, ensure that you avoid dairy in the sauce.
Pasta lovers can order a west coast pasta after excluding chicken and cheese crumbles. This process will give you a bowl of cavatappi pasta served with veggies. How amazing is that?
Veggie Italian Wrap
Create and customize a wrap from Old Chicago that is free of dairy and cheese dips. Old Chicago offers artichoke dips mainly made of yogurt and parmesan cheese, a big no-go area for vegans.
So if you are a vegan, make sure you order a wrap with strict instructions, excluding artichoke dip and feta cheese with loads of veggies. So if you are craving juicy burgers, get some healthy vegan wraps to feed your hunger banter.
French Fries
Well, these are the life saviors of most vegans looking for taproom appetizers. They are the go-to options for vegans and vegetarians looking for some crunchy appetizers to pair with their beer. Fries are an excellent choice for you to savor with the drink of your choice.
However, double-check with the restaurant whether the fries are cooked in vegetable oil or animal fat. Most of the time, the oil used is safe for vegans, so you can add fries to your list of approved dishes.
Fried Spicy Pickles
Pickles are entirely safe for vegans to consume, so you can also try this particular starter. Since it is prepared with beer batter, you can customize the pickle of your own choice. For example, it can include the zesty southern spice blend with a helping of sweet Thai chili sauce.
While looking for vegan options at Old Chicago, do not miss out on this delectable dish.
Sweet Potato Fries
Did you know Old Chicago offers Sweet Potato Fries also? They are not just a healthy vegan option but also a break from your regular fries. Now comes the part where you need to be extra cautious.
Be sure to exclude the ranch dressing or bacon, as it is a common sight to serve them together.
Tasty Toasts
It may not sound appealing, but you can always make your toast a bit interesting. Check for toasts prepared with wheat, rye, or sourdough. All these options are milk and eggs. Mix and match your crispy toast with a good helping of jelly and peanut butter instead of regular butter.
Chips and Salsa
Are you craving some simple vegan appetizers? Then chips and salsa are the answer to your unheard prayers. These whole-grain tortilla chips are healthy and an excellent alternative to regular chips.
If you plan an evening with your friends at the Old Chicago, then do not forget to order them with a glass of your preferred beverage.
Hash Brown Patty
Who does not love to eat fried hash browns for their breakfast? We all do! Old Chicago serves fried has brown patty, which is vegan to order and get the goodness of potatoes.
Choice of Fruits
This fact is a no-brainer: most vegans love a bowl of their favorite fresh fruits. Old Chicago offers varied fruit options as part of their breakfast menu. These include apple slices, strawberries, oranges, blueberries, etc.
Beverages
Most craft beers or beer, in general, are made of barley and are vegan-safe. So if you want to sit back and relax with a mug of the finest craft beer, then you are in the right place. Old Chicago provides the best of the beers and other beverages as well.
Below are a few options that you can explore if you are parched and need a drink:
- Root Beer
- Tomato Juice
- Iced Tea
- Lemonade
- Coca Cola Products
- Apple Juice
- Pineapple Juice
- Cranberry Juice
- Dr. Pepper Products
- Orange Juice
Options That Can Be Made Vegan
As we mentioned earlier, not all pizza options served in Old Chicago are vegan. They may appear to be one, but they aren’t. Below is a list of pizza crusts that you can mistake as a vegan option:
- The pub pizza crust contains milk
- The gluten-free pizza also contains milk
- The ale-style pizza has milk
However, there is some positive news from the Old Harbor taproom. They have partnered with Caulipower to add crunchy cauliflower crust to the Old Chicago menu.
The new cauliflower crust is dairy-free, gluten-free, and made with actual cauliflower. It is even free from artificial colors and preservatives. These pizzas are an excellent substitute for people with specific food preferences, like vegans. Hence, while planning your vegan options at Old Chicago, do look for these vegetable-crusted pizzas.
Also, before you order, do a thorough check with every restaurant chain outlet to see if the cauliflower pizza is safe for vegans. To be on the safe side and avoid any sticky situation.
Final Verdict
Old Chicago is one of the oldest restaurant chains that people swear by. However, if you are looking for vegan options at Old Chicago, you can’t just blindly order food from here. Sure it is a great place for craft beers and some impressive veggie wraps, but it is not entirely suited for vegans.
Old Chicago needs to diversify their menu to attract more vegan crowds to its place. But, on the other hand, it is good news for vegans that they can always customize their food here.
The day isn’t far when Old Chicago will also adopt an all-inclusive vegan section for their vegan guests to enjoy and relish their food.
