OK, I am one cranky vegan and instead of sitting around and taking it, I'm doing something about!

So for the past year Red Robin has been one of those "fall back" restaurants I go to occasional when I need someplace where  I know I can get something to eat when I'm with my omni family. I don't go there a lot, maybe once every other month, but every time I have been there the servers have been really nice and have always insured  me that their boca burgers and fries were vegan...THEY ARE NOT! I was there the other day and the guy is like "oh, you're vegan? guess you can't eat here then huh?" and I'm all like "WHAAAAAT??" So yeah, he tells me that neither the boca or the gardenburger they serve are vegan and that the fries are not vegan because of the frier they go in!!! I'm soooo pissed. So I decided to write somebody!

Letter #1

Hi There! OK--here's the situation. I am a vegan and I go to Red Robin regularly and enjoy your Boca burger. While dining there yesterday our server told us that Red Robin does not use the Boca vegan grillers but a kind that has cheese in it!! I was shocked and horrified since in the past I was always assured that they were indeed the vegan grillers. I am grateful for the servers honesty but I am now frustated and upset that 1. servers in the past were knowingly feeding me something I am morally, ethically and dietiarily against and 2. that Red Robin apparently has no vegan option at all (a side salad is not a vegan dinner option either). I understand that vegans make up a very small portion of the popolation, but if you consider the growing numbers of vegetarians, vegans, and other health concious people you would see that there are a lot of us! I appreciate that you offer both Garden Burger and Boca burger--but since you use both kinds that contain either eggs, cheese or other animal products they are not vegan friendly. Both of these brands offers a vegan burger--please consider switching to one of them so vegans can enjoy a great dinning experience with your company too! Thank you!!!

Response #1

Hello and thanks for your e-mail re: Red Robin menu options. We greatly appreciate your comments and feedback on our menu!

Unfortunately we do not offer a vegan version of the Boca / Garden burger on our menu However, at Red Robin, we are happy to customize any menu item, when possible, to meet your nutritional or dietary needs. Please feel free to ask a server on your next visit and he / she would be happy to help you. We are constantly changing our menu to meet the needs and desires of our guests. We will certainly take your feedback into consideration when changing our menu again in the near future.

Thanks again for your e-mail and for being a Red Robin guest. We look forward to serving you again soon!

*Yeah...this bull shit letter just pissed me off*

Letter #2

Thank you for your quick response, However, it was pretty useless. Telling me I can customize an item sounds like I can go in and order any number of items--but I can't! How do you veganize one of your burgers or sandwiches when you won't offer vegan boca patties? How do I veganize soups that have beef and chicken broth bases? How do I veganize appitizers that are covered in meat and dairy? You do not even have one garden/vegetarian salad! Which means the only thing I can have is a side salad with no cheese--I hate to tell you this, but iceberg lettuce and tomatoes is not a creative, delicious or even nutritious "meal" and for $5 I can do a lot better someplace else!

Americans are slowly waking up and realizing they don't want to eat deep fried meat slathered in dairy and eggs with a side of genetically modified, deep friend potatoes. I urge you to reconsider putting vegan friendly salads, appitizes, soups and yes, boca patties on your menu! Even KFC has a vegan friendly faux chicken sandwich! If someone who has been boycotted by PETA for the last 5 years can make some changes I'm sure a high quality restaurant like Red Robin's can easily make a few as well. No one expects you to stop selling your signature burgers and fries--just open up the menu a little so you are not excluding entire sections of the population.

As for now I will not be eating at your restaurant any longer and I will be urging my friends and family to do the same. Until you are able to provide me with a real dining option, my money, and that of my peers will be spent else where.

Thank you.

Response #2

Hello,

Thank you again for your return email. At Red Robin, you may customize any menu item, or create your own entrée with available food ingredients, to meet your dietary needs. For instance, any of our available salads can be made vegan by removing meat, cheese, and egg (where applicable). There's a Red's Rice Bowl, minus the fried linguini, and chicken is a vegan entrée. Vegan ingredients to chose from and customize your own order include: black beans, rice, a side salad, steamed veggies, melon wedges, celery sticks, Steak Fries if fried in a designated fryer (please inquire with the manager), a wide variety of fresh produce items.

Hope this is helpful to you,

Jennifer

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Yeah..I have not even bothered to reply to this. I appreciate they are trying to show me what i can eat--but come on! Celery sticks and black beans?? That's crap and we all know it! Why would I got to a restaurant and shell out full price for a dinner entree and only end up with a fraction of a meal that is bland and tasteless when I can use the same amount of money to buy good ingredients and make my own dish? And is it really that hard to purchase the vegan boca/gardenburgers?? WTF!!??!

Anyways...if anyone else wants to send a friendly vegan message to red robins you can use this addy...

guestrelations@redrobin.com

Maybe if enough people pressure them they will get a real vegan option!!