Carrabba’s Italian Grill is a restaurant chain that serves Italian-American cuisine where it’s all about food and family. They serve a variety of dishes that include pasta, seafood, salads, soups, sandwiches, and desserts. Going out to eat while following a vegan lifestyle may seem hard sometimes. You may think Italian American food does not offer many vegan options. At Carrabba’s, they actually make it easy to order vegan.
Carrabba’s has many vegan options. In fact, they have a separate vegan menu that makes it easy to find all the vegan options. Vegan menu items include salads, pasta dishes, and sides such as asparagus and spinach. You can also modify certain non-vegan items by requesting no butter on your veggies and substituting balsamic vinegar for the balsamic glaze.
If you are vegan and plan to visit Carrabba’s, keep reading to find out tips and tricks for ordering vegan, which items on their menu to avoid and which to choose instead, as well as how to modify some menu items to make them vegan-friendly. Before you know it, you’ll be eating a vegan meal that will make you say, “Delizioso!”
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Tips & Tricks for Ordering Vegan at Carrabba’s
Many restaurants these days are more than eager to accommodate vegan lifestyles. Carrabba’s has even taken the extra step of creating a separate vegetarian and vegan menu. It will help you find a delicious vegan option quickly without spending too much time trying to figure out what is vegan-friendly and what is not. Asking for help is a great place to start if you don’t visit Carrabba’s very often and are not familiar with their menu. You can also use these tips and tricks for ordering vegan next time you visit Carrabba’s.
- Ask your server for the vegan menu. Carrabba’s offers a separate menu that lists all their vegan-friendly dishes that are all ready to go without doing any modifications.
- Ask for no butter when ordering grilled/sautéed side dishes. Some locations may add butter to their grilled/sautéed vegetables.
- Avoid ordering any fried foods if you are concerned about cross-contamination.
- Substitute balsamic vinegar for the balsamic glaze. Balsamic glaze is made from balsamic vinegar, but it is often sweetened with honey.
- Ask for light balsamic dressing, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice for salad dressing.
Non-Vegan Foods to Avoid at Carrabba’s
Carrabba’s may offer vegan options in their restaurant, but here is a list of menu items to avoid, as they cannot be easily modified to make them vegan-friendly. The list may seem long, but don’t forget Carrabba’s menu is not small either. Don’t worry, there are plenty of vegan-friendly options listed further down in this article that will leave you full and satisfied.
- All fried foods (if you are concerned about cross-contamination)
- All the soups
- All the desserts
- Caesar Salad
- Johnny Rocco Salad
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Parmesan Truffle Fries
- Calamari
- Zucchini Fritte
- Cozze in Bianco
- Tomato Caprese with Fresh Burrata
- Meatballs and Ricotta
- Four-cheese and Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Shrimp Scampi
- Mozzarella Marinara
- Caprese with Chicken Sandwich
- Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
- Meatball Sandwich
- Chicken Bryan
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Parmesan
- Tuscan-Grilled Chicken
- Pollo Rosa Maria
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Veal Marsala
- Chicken or Veal Piccata
- Tuscan-Grilled Sirloin, Ribeye, Filet, Pork Chop
- Spiedino Di Mare
- Mahi Wulfe
- Salmon Saporito
- Liguine Pescatore
- Linguine Positano
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Fettuccine Carrabba
- Fettuccine Weesie
- Lasagne
- Rigatoni Campagnolo
- Lobster Ravioli
- Mezzaluna
- Rigatoni Martino
- Meat Sauce
- Alfredo Sauce
- Sugo Rosa Tomato Cream Sauce
Vegan Foods to Order at Carrabba’s
Carrabba’s makes it easy to order vegan as they have a separate menu of all their vegan options. However, if you don’t see what you like, they are more than willing to modify another dish to accommodate your vegan lifestyle. Here is a list of menu items that you can try next time you visit Carrabba’s. Buon appetito!
Appetizers
1. Bread with Oil and Herbs
Ingredient:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Herb blend (crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried basil, dried parsley, garlic powder, minced garlic, salt)
Salads
1. House Side Salad*
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce
- Carrots
- Shredded red cabbage
- Kalamata olives
2. Italian Side Salad*
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce
- Garden vegetables
- Kalamata olives
* Ask for Light Balsamic Dressing, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Wine or Balsamic Vinegar.
3. Tomato Caprese with Fresh Burrata Salad (ask for no burrata cheese and no balsamic glaze)
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- Red onions
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Creamy burrata mozzarella (ask to remove this)
- Balsamic glaze (ask to remove this or substitute with plain balsamic vinegar instead)
Main Dishes
1. Linguine Positano
Ingredients:
- Linguine pasta
- Crushed tomatoes
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Basil
2. Spaghetti with Pomodoro Sauce
Ingredients:
- Spaghetti pasta
Pomodoro sauce (yellow onion, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, canned tomatoes in juice, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, fresh basil)
3. Whole Grain Spaghetti with Pomodoro Sauce
Ingredient:
- Whole grain spaghetti pasta
- Pomodoro sauce (yellow onion, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, canned tomatoes in juice, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, fresh basil)
4. Gluten-Free Casarecce Pasta with Pomodoro Sauce
Ingredients:
- Gluten-free casarecce pasta
- Pomodoro sauce (yellow onion, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, canned tomatoes in juice, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, fresh basil)
5. Rigatoni Campagnolo (ask for no sausage or cheese)
Ingredients:
- Large rigatoni pasta
- Italian sausage (ask to remove this)
- Red bell peppers
- Pomodoro sauce (yellow onion, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, canned tomatoes in juice, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, fresh basil)
- Topped with caprino cheese (ask to remove this)
Sides
1. Penne Pomodoro
Ingredients:
- Penne pasta
- Pomodoro sauce (yellow onion, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, canned tomatoes in juice, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, fresh basil)
2. Grilled Asparagus (ask for no butter)
Ingredients:
- Wood-grilled asparagus
3. Sauteed or Steamed Broccoli (ask for no butter)
Ingredients:
- Broccoli (ask for no butter)
- Red peppers
- Garlic
- Onion
- Olive oil
4. Sauteed or Steamed Spinach (ask for no butter)
Ingredients:
- Spinach
- Garlic
- Olive oil
Drinks
1. Minute Maid Lemonade
Ingredients:
- Water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Citric acid
- Sodium citrate
- Potassium Benzoate (to protect taste)
- Modified food starch
- Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Yellow 5
2. Apple Juice
Ingredients:
- Apple juice concentrate (filtered water and concentrated apple juice)
- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C)
Natural flavors - Vitamin E acetate
- Niacinamide (vitamin B3)
3. Orange Juice
Ingredient:
- Filtered water
- Premium concentrate orange juice
- Vitamin C
4. Gold Peak Iced Tea
Ingredients:
- Tea (filtered water, brewed tea concentrate)
- Cane sugar
- Natural flavor
- Citric acid
- Potassium citrate
5. Acqua Panna (Italian Bottled Water)
6. San Pellegrino (Italian Sparkling Water)
Ingredients:
- Carbonated mineral water (contains 4% calcium)
7. Coffee/Espresso
Ingredients:
- Call your local Carrabba’s to find out what type of coffee they serve. It may differ by location.
8. Hot Tea
Ingredients:
- Call your local Carrabba’s to find out what type of teas they offer. They may differ by location.
9. Coke
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric acid
- Natural flavors
- Caffeine
10. Diet Coke
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric and citric acid
- Aspartame (contains phenylalanine)
- Flavor
- Sodium benzoate
- Caffeine
- Acesulfame-potassium
11. Sprite
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Sugar
- Citric acid
- Sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame)
- Acidity regulator (sodium citrate)
- Natural lemon and lime flavorings
12. Dr. Pepper
Ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric acid
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
- Caffeine
Carrabba’s Nutrition Information
Carrabba’s offers a really helpful nutritional guide for all their menu items. It includes all the nutrition information such as calories, total fat, cholesterol, total carbs, sodium, fiber, sugar, and protein content. Click here to access the nutrition guide and learn more.
Find a Carrabba’s Near You
There are 247 Carrabba’s locations worldwide. Locations include United States, Brazil, and Canada. Click here to find a Carrabba’s in your area.
If you are interested to see their separate vegetarian and vegan menu, click here.
One thing to keep in mind is that Carrabba’s menu changes from time to time and some menu options may vary by location. If you do not find something on their menu that I have included here, ask your server if they still offer it. They may still be able to prepare it.
Similar Restaurants to Carrabba’s
If you don’t have a Carrabba’s in your area or are looking for similar restaurants that also offer vegan options, check out the following restaurants.
Related Questions
Is the bread at Carrabba’s vegan?
Yes, the bread at Carrabba’s is vegan. Carrabba’s does not provide a specific ingredient list for their bread, but it is listed on their vegan menu.
Are there eggs in any of Carrabba’s pasta?
Most of Carrabba’s pasta does not contain eggs. Carrabba’s vegan menu lists spaghetti, whole grain spaghetti, linguine, penne, and gluten-free casarecce pasta as vegan on their website.
Are there any vegan soups at Carrabba’s?
No, there are no vegan soups available at Carrabba’s at this time. The Minestrone and Tomato Basil soups are vegetarian, but not vegan.