Welcome! On the right-hand side of this page you'll find links to all sorts of national chain restaurants in the US and what vegan & vegetarian options they have.
For all the millions of restaurants that aren't covered on this site, below is a quick reference for what to look out for. These are common "gotchas" that usually aren't mentioned on the menu:
Chinese
- Chicken - common in fried rice
- Egg - often put in fried rice without being mentioned on the menu
- Butter - often put in vegetarian menu items
- Ghee - (clarified butter) - also sneaks into their vegetarian entrees
- Yogurt - pretty common in creamy dishes
- Grated cheese - often put on salads, pastas, etc.
- Fish oil - hidden in dishes that look as though they'd be vegetarian
- Fish paste - often put in dishes
- Fish sauce - fairly common in dishes
- Shrimp paste - put in dishes that would otherwise be vegetarian
- Cheese - put in or on top of just about everything
- Chicken broth - sometimes used as a flavoring in rice
- Lard - sometimes mixed in refried beans
- Sour cream - sometimes mixed into guacamole or added (typically as a side) to dishes
- Feta cheese - often a piece or two is included in salads, entrees, etc.
- Yogurt - often put in tzatziki sauce (aka cucumber sauce), sometimes served with falafel or used in sandwiches
- Fish oil - hidden in dishes that look as though they'd be vegetarian
- Fish paste - often put in dishes
- Fish sauce - fairly common in dishes
- Shrimp paste - put in dishes that would otherwise be vegetarian
