I see fast food as a collection of challenges.

Many people view fast food differently based on how they grow up; some people never ate fast food as kids, and others ate it regularly for meals. For my vegetarian childhood, I had it occasionally, but I have to see it as a challenge because there is little substance in fast food besides the meat portion of every meal. However, between school field trips and moments in a busy schedule where fast food is my only option, I have learned to know which options are best. Here is my unofficial and completely biased ranking of fast food restaurants in terms of their notice to vegetarians.

1. Burger King

Burger King is clearly the best because they have a veggie burger on the menu. Well, it’s not on all menus, but when you ask for it, they always have veggie burgers. It’s not the best, but it is pretty wonderful for fast food. Also, Burger King has onion rings and French fries, making more side options a reality. They even have Coke Icees which, in a list solely based on my own opinion, puts Burger King at the top of the list.

2. Milo’s

Milo’s is the fast food restaurant that would be unexpected for vegetarians to find good food at, but the kid’s toasted cheese combo is one of my favorite art-lesson-to-church or class-to-work meals. The only reason that it is behind Burger King is that other than this one kids meal, there are not that many more options. However, my mom and I would still always get Milo’s toasted cheese before watching high school baseball games in the summer.

3. Sonic

I have rarely been to Sonic before college, but it has a wide variety of snack type foods that can please vegetarians. They have grilled cheese, onion rings, fries, mozzarella sticks, and maybe a few more sides. These are not full meals, but I have never felt hopeless while ordering at a Sonic.

4. Wendy’s

The Wendy’s baked potato has saved me on many youth group retreat pit stops where there was no other option for my appetite. The other sides I can add are pretty limited, but I am proud of Wendy’s for having a baked potato when most fast food places do not.

5. Steak ‘n Shake

Like Sonic, Steak ‘n Shake has a grilled cheese and they used to have another vegetarian sandwich with avocado on it or something, but I don’t think they serve that anymore. In any case, there are still enough sandwich options that I can adjust them to be vegetarian without a server being extremely confused. You have not seen someone confused until you have asked them for a cheeseburger with no meat.

6. Chik-Fil-A

With Chik-Fil-A, I am going to move into the territory of fast food salads. Chik-Fil-A happens to have a pretty good salad as long as I get the lime avocado ranch dressing and the dried red pepper crumbles on top, but other than a few sides, I cannot get too much. However, my high school youth group could not make it on a thirty-minute car ride without stopping by a Chik-Fil-A, so I learned the menu pretty fast.

7. Zaxby’s

Zaxby’s is just a more expensive Chik-Fil-A to me. Maybe that comparison makes enthusiasts lose their sanity, but that’s how I can compare the two. The salads at Zaxby’s are fine but they are expensive for fast food. Like Chik-Fil-A, there are only a few other side or appetizer options that are vegetarian.

8. Arby’s

Arby’s is only good because of mozzarella sticks and Jamocha shakes. That’s not much to look forward to, but that’s why it’s number eight.

9.McDonald’s

McDonald’s is only number nine, but I have had a lot of experience at this establishment. As I grew up and my mom would occasionally get me a Happy Meal, the McDonald’s closest to our house began to learn that some people will ask for a Happy Meal with everything on the sandwich except the meat. Therefore, McDonalds has great oatmeal and can be a go-to if I really need food, but sometimes I just don’t feel like explaining why I need a sandwich without meat.

10. Taco Bell

I am pretty sure I have gotten a bean burrito at Taco Bell, but there is probably not much else. Being a vegetarian my entire life, if carnivores get food poisoning there, I should not eat there unless desperate.

11. Jack’s

The only reason Jack’s is on this list is that I like stopping there for iced coffee if it’s in the area, but I have never even tried to order a real meal there. Their french fries are not on par with what I can get other places, and french fries are drastically important when meat is not a part of the meal.

12. Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen is similar to Jack’s; I don’t really have the patience to try to get an actual meat-free meal there, and their French fries are also sub-par. Also, since I work right next to a Dairy Queen, my co-workers will sometimes get salads there, and they just don’t stand a chance to what somewhere like Chik-Fil-A offers.

13. Hardee’s

Last and definitely the least is Hardee’s. I have been forced to scramble in front of a menu on school field trips when there has been nothing else to get. The only think I can picture is a salad made of just iceberg lettuce and maybe a single tomato.

Not mentioned because I have not been there enough to judge them are Whataburger, KFC, Krystal, Popeyes, Church’s, Bojangles, and Captain D’s. I just assume that they would be impossible for me.

Thank you for taking into consideration my strong opinions about maybe the smallest concern in my life!