Dorian H
Editor of every guide on Vegan Recon.
★ About Dorian H ★
Dorian started Vegan Recon after one too many evenings squinting at a chain restaurant menu, trying to work out which sauces were dairy-free. He runs True North Technology from Michigan and spends most of his time tightening the scan pipeline so the next vegan diner does not have to do that work twice.
★ Find Dorian elsewhere ★
★ Guides written ★
15 guides on vegan-friendly chains, traveling, and dodging dairy traps.
Vegan options at Applebees: the honest order guide
What is actually vegan at Applebees in 2026, the shared-fryer problem nobody warns you about, and the exact server script when you are already at the table.
Published 2026-05-09 - 8 min read
Vegan options at The Cheesecake Factory: yes, there is a real menu
The Cheesecake Factory carries an actual published vegan menu plus a long list of modify-the-menu plays. Here is the full order playbook, server script, and the dessert paradox.
Published 2026-05-09 - 8 min read
Vegan options at McDonald's: the honest 2026 answer
McDonald's is one of the hardest fast-food chains in the US for a vegan. McPlant is gone, the fries contain beef flavor, and the safe list is shorter than you would guess. Here is the full honest playbook.
Published 2026-05-09 - 8 min read
Vegan options at Cracker Barrel: the road-trip survival guide
Southern country-cooking is built on butter, lard, and bacon. Here is the honest order playbook for vegans stopping at Cracker Barrel on a road trip, including which sides actually work and which ones only sound vegan.
Published 2026-05-09 - 8 min read
Vegan options at Buffalo Wild Wings: the sauce roster decoded
Buffalo Wild Wings is a wing-chain that runs on butter and ranch, but the cauliflower wings, the salad, and a small set of vegan sauces make a workable vegan order. Here is the full sports-bar playbook.
Published 2026-05-09 - 8 min read
How to find vegan options on any restaurant menu
A repeatable playbook for spotting vegan-friendly items on any non-vegan menu, plus the exact phrases to use at the counter.
Published 2026-05-04 - 7 min read
Vegan options at Chipotle: the full order guide
Sofritas, fajita veggies, the hidden combos, and the exact words to say at the counter so your bowl ships dairy-free every time.
Published 2026-05-04 - 9 min read
Dairy traps on restaurant menus: the hidden milk problem
Bread, sauces, soups, and the nine other places dairy hides on restaurant menus, plus how to ask the right question to surface it.
Published 2026-05-04 - 8 min read
Vegan options at Taco Bell: order guide and items to skip
The bean burrito fresco, power bowls, the Crunchwrap rebuild, and the menu items that look vegan but are not.
Published 2026-05-04 - 10 min read
Vegan when traveling: airports, road trips, and hotel breakfasts
What to actually order at the airport, on the highway, and at the hotel breakfast bar when the choices look bleak at first glance.
Published 2026-05-04 - 7 min read
Accidentally vegan fast food: the surprise list
Fast-food items that nobody designed to be vegan but happen to be - and a few that look the part but are not.
Published 2026-05-04 - 7 min read
Vegan options at Olive Garden: order guide and items to dodge
How to eat vegan at Olive Garden without the dairy landmines - safe pasta orders, breadstick truth, and exactly what to say at the table.
Published 2026-05-04 - 7 min read
Vegan options at Panera Bread: bowls, soups, bagels, and the dairy traps
Which Panera bowls, soups, bagels, and salads are actually vegan, which vegetarian items are not, and how to build a clean order every time.
Published 2026-05-04 - 7 min read
Vegan pizza at Domino's: vegan cheese, the build-your-own play, and what to skip
Which Domino's doughs, sauces, and toppings are vegan, where vegan cheese is actually available, and how to order clean in any market.
Published 2026-05-04 - 6 min read
Vegan order guide at Starbucks: drinks, food, and the syrup traps
Which Starbucks drinks, syrups, and food items are actually vegan, plus the exact ordering scripts to avoid the dairy defaults.
Published 2026-05-04 - 7 min read