Keto Fast Food and Restaurant Guide: How to Order Anywhere
Menus change; the patterns do not. Learn six ordering rules and you can eat keto almost anywhere.
Short answer: Bun-less burgers with cheese and bacon, grilled chicken with salad, burrito bowls without rice or beans, and egg-and-bacon breakfasts at most chains.
Six rules that work everywhere
- Start from a protein: burger patty, grilled chicken, steak, fish, eggs.
- Remove the starch: no bun, wrap, rice, fries or tortilla. Ask for lettuce wrap or a side salad.
- Ask about sauces: ketchup, barbecue, teriyaki, sweet chilli and honey-mustard are sugar-heavy. Mayo, mustard, hot sauce, butter and oil-and-vinegar are safe.
- Avoid breading and batter: "crispy" usually means flour or crumbs.
- Add fat you trust: cheese, avocado, bacon, olive oil.
- Check the nutrition page: most chains publish carbs per item online. Look it up before you go.
By type of restaurant
| Where | Order | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Burger chains | Double patty, cheese, bacon, lettuce wrap | Buns, fries, shakes, ketchup |
| Mexican | Burrito bowl without rice and beans: meat, cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream | Tortillas, chips, rice, beans, corn |
| Chicken chains | Grilled chicken with a side salad | Breaded or "crispy" chicken, biscuits, sweet sauces |
| Sandwich shops | Salad or protein bowl version of any sandwich | Bread, wraps, sweet dressings |
| Asian | Grilled meat or fish, stir-fried vegetables, sauce on the side | Rice, noodles, sweet-and-sour, teriyaki, breaded items |
| Italian | Steak or fish with vegetables, antipasti, Caesar salad without croutons | Pasta, pizza, bread basket, risotto |
| Breakfast places | Eggs, omelette, bacon, sausage, avocado | Toast, hash browns, pancakes, juice |
| Coffee chains | Black coffee, Americano with cream, unsweetened tea | Lattes (milk sugar), syrups, frappés |
Hidden carbs to watch for
- Marinades and glazes on grilled meats can add sugar.
- Sausages and meatballs often contain breadcrumbs.
- "Low-fat" dressings replace fat with sugar.
- Salsa and pico are fine in normal amounts; corn salsa is not.
Logging eating out
Restaurant portions and cooking fat are guesses. Log the protein you can estimate and add a custom entry for the rest. In Ketora you can add a custom restaurant meal with your best estimate, or search packaged products by barcode.
Frequently asked questions
What fast food is keto?
Bun-less burgers with cheese and bacon, grilled chicken with salad, burrito bowls without rice or beans, and egg-and-bacon breakfasts at most chains.
Can I eat keto at a Mexican restaurant?
Yes — order fajita meat, carnitas or grilled fish with cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and vegetables, and skip tortillas, rice and beans.
This guide is general information for healthy adults, not medical advice. See our medical disclaimer.