Seed Oil Free Restaurants in Chicago

Cooks in: Beef tallow (fries, chicken)

Old-fashioned drive-in ('Simple Delicious Old Fashioned Style Since 1967') under new ownership since a 2022 fire, overhauled by owner Alex Stratakos. An independent Chicago food blog confirms directly: "the fries are fresh cut and he uses beef tallow as his oil," with fried chicken also called out as tallow-fried. No broader whole-menu claim found on the restaurant's own channels.

Cooks in: Beef tallow (fryer)

Chicago fried chicken spot. Their own FAQ confirms the fryer runs on beef tallow, with wings and chicken specifically called out as tallow-fried. That claim covers frying; it isn't a broader statement about every sauce or side. Multiple Chicago locations.

Cooks in: Pork lard (fries, twice-fried)

Beloved West Loop diner. Time Out Chicago's own reporting confirms the fries are twice-fried in lard, not tallow as our listing previously stated. The restaurant's own site doesn't publish a cooking-fat statement, and the burger patty's preparation isn't confirmed under this claim.

Cooks in: Beef fat (fries only)

Fulton Market whole-animal restaurant. Their own menu confirms Beef Fat Fries as a named dish. The extensive oyster, heritage pork, and charcuterie menu isn't covered by this claim, so this is one confirmed item, not a kitchen-wide policy.

Cooks in: Avocado oil and olive oil, whole menu

Fox Restaurant Concepts' wellness-focused chain. True Food Kitchen went 100% seed-oil-free chain-wide in February 2025, exclusively cooking with avocado and olive oil across all locations and its full menu. Chicago location at 1 E Erie St.

Cooks in: Extra-virgin olive oil and avocado oil (roasted proteins/vegetables)

Salad and grain bowl chain. Sweetgreen switched to EVOO and avocado oil for roasted proteins and vegetables, per the CEO's public statement and reporting. Dressings and toppings aren't confirmed under this claim. Multiple Chicago locations including River North, the Loop, and Wicker Park.

Cooks in: Olive oil (Crazy Feta dip only); falafel/pita chips/pita crisps fried in canola oil

Mediterranean fast-casual chain. Cava's own 2017 statement to the Vegetarian Resource Group confirms falafel, pita chips, and pita crisps are fried in canola oil. The only item Cava's current published ingredients page names olive oil for is the Crazy Feta dip; hummus, harissa, tzatziki, and the grilled proteins aren't broken out by oil type in anything Cava has published. Multiple Chicago locations.

Cooks in: Grass-finished tallow (wings and fries)

Dunning (far NW Chicago) pizza spot. Their own menu names "crispy tallow-fried wings" (grass-finished tallow) and "hand-cut tallow fries." That's the only cooking-fat claim on the site, covering those two items specifically, not a kitchen-wide policy.

Cooks in: 100% beef tallow (fryers, chain-wide)

Steakburger chain. Steak 'n Shake switched its fryers to 100% beef tallow chain-wide and publishes a dedicated transparency page documenting it, covering fries, onion rings, and other fried items. Chicago-area location in Evanston on the North Shore.

Cooks in: Beef shortening/tallow (fryer); most wet sauces contain soybean oil

Wings and sports bar chain. Standard US sit-down locations have fried in beef shortening (100% beef tallow) since 2017, confirmed in the chain's own allergen documentation. The wings themselves come out of the fryer seed-oil-free; most wet sauces (Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing) contain soybean oil, so naked or dry-rub orders are the clean choice. Chicago location at N Clybourn Ave (a standard sit-down location, not the takeout-only BWW Go format, which uses soybean oil).