Hidden Facts About Red Robin's Menu Customers Should Know

Red Robin, the popular chain famous for its gourmet burgers and lively, casual vibe, offers a menu packed with tempting choices. From a variety of inventive burgers and fresh salads to the legendary Towering Onion Rings, there's something for everyone. But here's the kicker — there are some questionable aspects to a number of Red Robin's menu items that warrant a closer look before ordering.

One thing to watch out for is the misleading nature of certain dishes. For example, you might think you're picking a healthy or lighter option when you choose a salad, but that's not always the case. And then there are items with hidden and unexpected ingredients — things that aren't listed prominently but can cause trouble for anyone with allergies or specific dietary needs. Another factor to consider is portion size. Yes, you're getting your money's worth, but sometimes the sheer size of the meals can lead to overeating. The calorie count in several dishes is frankly mind-blowing, in some cases more than what you should eat in an entire day.

With these points in mind, it's helpful to take a closer look at the menu to make smart choices based on the nutrition information. Now, let's dive into the specific menu items you might want to think twice about before indulging.

Why does the Vegan Burger come wrapped in lettuce? The bun doesn't have meat or dairy in it, so why exclude it? One possible explanation is that Red Robin is trying to cater to the health-conscious crowd by offering a lower-carb, gluten-free option. However, if you're vegan or even a meat-eater craving a plant-based burger, you're probably still expecting it to be served with a bun. The bun is a classic part of the dish, and there's no reason to strip it away. A vegan patty's juicy goodness deserves to be complemented by a fluffy bun just like any other burger. Plus, there's the eating experience to consider. Burgers, vegan or otherwise, can be pretty messy, and a flimsy piece of lettuce doesn't really hold it together well.

Of course, customers are free to change out the lettuce for a real bun, so it's not all that hard to turn this strangely packaged menu item into something more appetizing. Yet the whole thing feels more like a gimmick than anything else. Maybe some people appreciate the gesture toward health and dietary needs or desires, but it feels like overkill to take a meal that's already on the healthy side and make it unnecessarily bland.

When you order a salad at a restaurant, the common assumption is that you're ordering one of the menu's healthier items. After all, salads are chock-full of veggies and therefore healthy, right? Unfortunately, that isn't always the case — especially not for Red Robin's Crispy Chicken Tender Salad. This salad not only contains 1,360 calories, but also 94 grams of fat. Considering the USDA's recommendation for a daily intake of 2,000 calories, eating this salad accounts for well over half of those calories in one dish. It also accounts for 120% of the total fat you should be consuming every day. These numbers on their own are staggering and would make most of us reconsider ordering this salad.

This all becomes even more shocking when you realize that only the most decadent burgers on Red Robin's menu have similar numbers. For example, the BBQ Burnt Ends 'N Bacon Burger has 1,370 calories and 95 grams of fat, which is on par with the Crispy Chicken Tender Salad. But most of the burgers on the menu are better for you than this salad, with around 1,000 calories and 70 grams of fat. That means, as far as nutrition is concerned, you might be better off ordering a burger than a salad when you're at Red Robin. How crazy is that?

Everyone loves a good birthday treat, and Red Robin's Birthday Burger Reward seems like the perfect way to celebrate. You can enjoy this offer any day during the month of your birthday, giving you ample opportunity to take advantage of this nice gift. However, there is a catch that you may not be aware of. According to Red Robin's FAQ and Terms and Conditions, the Birthday Burger isn't entirely free. To claim this reward, customers must dine in and make a minimum purchase of $4.99.

This requirement can be a bit of a letdown for those expecting a completely free meal on their special day. The minimum purchase stipulation means that you'll need to buy something else off the menu to enjoy your Birthday Burger, whether it's a drink, an appetizer, or even just some fries. While ultimately, this is probably not a dealbreaker for most people, it still feels a bit deceptive. If something is described as free and presented as a sort of birthday perk, it's a bit of a downer to find out there are conditions and fine print to go along with it.

Red Robin found itself in a bit of an ale debacle with a recent $450,000 settlement over its Stella Artois beer servings. Turns out, customers who ordered a "small" Stella Artois between 2017 and 2022, might have been shortchanged. The issue was with those fancy Stella chalices, which don't always hold as much beer as they should. As a result, some customers didn't get the full amount of beer that was supposed to come in a "small" size. Cue the legal drama — plaintiffs claimed they were overcharged because they didn't get what they paid for in beer volume. Apparently, the classiness of the Stella glass didn't impress them enough to let it go.

To settle the dispute, Red Robin didn't admit wrongdoing but agreed to shell out $450,000 (which ended up being 50 cents per customer — just enough for a small sip. Now that the issue has been resolved, Red Robin will likely be more careful about serving the quantity of beer it's promising.

Usually someone who is lactose intolerant, vegan, or has a dairy allergy would assume ordering fries is a safe bet, but that's not the case at Red Robin. One of the cool features of the online menu is that you can put in your dietary preference or allergies and it tells you what's safe to eat and what's not. If you state that you're vegan or have a dairy allergy, the website informs you that the fries are "Not OK to Eat." Allegedly, the issue isn't that the fries use dairy as an ingredient, but that there may be a risk of cross-contact with dairy products.

For those navigating dietary restrictions, especially concerning allergies, being aware of these details is key to making safe dining choices. Red Robin's proactive stance in offering thorough allergen info shows it's serious about catering to diverse dietary needs. Still, it's surprising that something as seemingly straightforward as fries could cause such a fuss. To be safe at any restaurant, it's always best to find out before you order if the food you want is safe for you to consume.

You might not expect it, but Red Robin's renowned Towering Onion Rings have a staggering amount of carbs, 175 grams to be exact. That's more than any other item on the menu, aside from certain desserts. We all know onion rings have a yummy breaded exterior, but honestly, who would have thought an onion-based appetizer would be so carb-heavy? While that giant stack of onion rings can be undeniably tempting, it's worth noting that devouring that many carbs in one sitting amounts to 63% of what the FDA recommends for your daily carbohydrate consumption.

That being said, an appetizer of such gargantuan proportions is usually meant for sharing, so it's not as likely you'll be eating them all alone. Still, it's good to keep in mind just how many carbs you're signing up for before you order, especially when the proportion is so high.

According to a Mashed survey of several of Red Robin's dessert items, 33% of the 614 respondents found the Cinnamon Sugar Doh! Rings to be their least favorite, scoring the lowest of all the desserts. The reason for this is probably their disappointingly bland flavor. Customers order this dessert thinking they're getting a giant stack of deliciously sweet donuts. However, the reality is these are not truly donuts. Instead, it's a version of the cronut, which is a cross between a croissant and a donut. The croissant component is what dumbs down the sweetness factor.

Unfortunately, this can end up being a letdown for those seeking a traditional, indulgent donut experience. The chocolate and caramel dipping sauces, though a nice touch, may not be enough to elevate the overall flavor for some customers. While the menu clearly states the dessert is a donut-croissant mix, it's likely many customers don't realize what this truly means in terms of taste and texture. That's why we recommend you think long and hard before opting for this dessert over the more traditionally sweet options, like say, the Mountain High Mudd Pie.

Red Robin's various lemonades come with playful names like Freckled Lemonade, Poppin' Purple Lemonade, and Sunset Lemonade. This might lead some customers to believe they are crafted from scratch. However, these enticing names are somewhat misleading. The reality is that Red Robin uses Minute Maid lemonade as the base for these drinks, enhancing them with different flavors and ingredients to create the final product. This might disappoint those expecting freshly squeezed lemonade, though Red Robin isn't attempting to deceive its customers. The menu clearly includes the Minute Maid trademark in the fine print beneath each lemonade title for utmost transparency.

Despite the lack of scratch-made preparation, Red Robin's lemonade remains popular among diners. The added flavors and creative presentations make these drinks appealing and delicious. The Freckled Lemonade, for instance, includes fresh strawberries, which provide a delightful twist on the classic lemonade taste. Still, customers should be aware that they're not getting the fancy, handcrafted item the name may suggest.

The FDA's daily recommended intake of sodium is 2,300 milligrams, based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet. While it might be understandable if one or two items on Red Robin's menu met or exceeded this daily recommendation, the reality is far more concerning. Dozens of menu items contain sodium levels that come close to or surpass the FDA's recommended value. For example, the Cheesy Bacon Fondue Burger alone contains 2,820 milligrams of sodium, well over the advised intake. Even seemingly innocuous items, like the Whiskey River BBQ Ribs, pack in shockingly high 4,240 milligrams of sodium, likely because of the sauce. Regularly consuming high levels of salt can have adverse health effects, including hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.

Sure, no one goes to a burger joint expecting the epitome of health, but there should be reasonable limits on how unhealthy the food is. The simple truth of the matter is that Red Robin has crossed the line where sodium is concerned. Customers should be able to enjoy their meals without worrying that they're going to consume a whole day's worth of sodium in one sitting.

In 2023, Red Robin decided to make some serious changes to the restaurant. One of the most significant changes was the introduction of flat-top grills, replacing the conveyor belt method they used before. Along with this new cooking process, the burgers are now 20% bigger than they were before, a change most customers can easily stand behind. Using the flat-tops grills has also improved the taste of the burgers, at least according to Brian Sullivan, Red Robin's VP of culinary. The improved cooking method enhances the flavor, allowing customers to enjoy a juicier and more flavorful burger with every bite.

With the larger and tastier burgers Red Robin is now serving, it's only fitting that the restaurant has swapped out the old red baskets for elegant white plates. This upgrade gives the burgers a much more gourmet presentation. All of these changes are part of a broader menu revamp that updated nearly 85% of the offerings, including improvements to ingredients like pickles, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, margarita mix, and dessert toppings. The goal was to elevate the dining experience, and as Sullivan told Restaurant Dive, "The food quality and the taste really come through. You can taste the difference for sure." So, next time you visit Red Robin, take a moment to notice the subtle yet impactful improvements on your plate.

Red Robin has long been a favorite destination for burger lovers, known for its gourmet burgers and bottomless fries. However, many customers are unaware of a hidden gem on the menu: the ability to substitute a fried crispy chicken breast in any of its burgers. This little-known option allows chicken enthusiasts, or those trying eat just a tad healthier, to enjoy the same unique flavor combinations of Red Robin's traditional beef burgers. This customization is perfect for those who enjoy the taste and texture of fried chicken but don't want to miss out on the inventive flavor combinations Red Robin is famous for.

Whether you're in the mood for the Whiskey River BBQ Burger with its tangy sauce and crispy onion straws or the Royal Red Robin Burger topped with a fried egg and bacon, you can swap out the beef patty for a crispy chicken breast instead. This flexibility is meant to appeal to a wider range of guests, so they can find something they love, catering to different tastes and dietary preferences.

When you think of Red Robin, bottomless fries are probably one of the first things that pop into your head. But did you know its bottomless options expand well beyond just fries? That's right, several other sides can be enjoyed endlessly with any burger, adding even more value to your meal. Red Robin's bottomless sides include its delicious Yukon chips, steamed broccoli, and side salads. Or if you want to shake things up, you can also go for bottomless sweet potato fries or coleslaw for a small upcharge. These choices let you mix and match from one Red Robin trip to the next, so you never get bored with just one type of side.

And what a great option it is for those trying to keep their meal on the healthier side, thanks to the green veggies that can be subbed in for fried potatoes. So next time you're at Red Robin, remember: it's not just about the fries. Treat yourself to the different bottomless side options and make your meal even more satisfying.