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For most vegans, the best fine dining options come from specialty restaurants catering to their specific diet. Unlike traditional eateries, these restaurants use vegan options by default or have the ingredients and knowledge necessary to make tasty substitutions. Websites like HappyCow and Urban Tastebud offer extensive lists of vegetarian and vegan restaurants separated by location. With the notable exceptions of lamb and entrees served with tzatziki, many traditional Middle Eastern and Ethiopian dishes are free from meat or animal byproducts. Look for items like injera, hummus, baba ghanouj, tahini, and falafel. When ordering falafel, make sure that the restaurant prepares them Middle Eastern style, not Greek style with a yogurt-based dressing. Because their dishes often revolve around vegetables and grains, many Mexican, Italian, and Indian restaurants are vegan friendly. Be aware that some restaurants, even traditional ones, use ingredients like chicken stock, egg whites, cheese, and milk to lower their expenses or alter the taste of a dish, so call ahead to make sure their food is vegan-friendly. When dining, try dishes like: Fried rice and refritos with guacamole at Mexican restaurants. Spaghetti with marinara sauce and garlic bread at Italian restaurants. Chana masala with basmati rice and papadums at Indian restaurants. Casual dining and fast food chains are rarely thought of as vegan-friendly. However, because they serve standardized food, it's easy to know what items will meet your needs and what you need to avoid. Some vegan-friendly dishes include: French fries from restaurants like Burger King, Hardee's, Jack in the Box, Wendy's, and Denny's. Black bean based products from restaurants like Taco Bell, Subway, Chipotle, TGI Fridays, and The Cheesecake Factory. Cheese-free marinara pizzas from Little Caesars, Papa John's, and Pizza Hut.
Look for vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Try traditional Middle Eastern and Ethiopian restaurants. Try Mexican, Italian, and Indian restaurants. Look for vegan-friendly chain restaurants.