Keto Coffee: Which Restaurants Serve This Trendy Brew?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that restricts sugar, grains, and carbs. While it can be challenging to stick to this diet when eating out, there are many keto-friendly options available at restaurants. When dining out, it's important to carefully review the menu and ask for substitutions or modifications if needed. Many restaurants offer lettuce wraps instead of buns, and side salads or extra vegetables instead of starchy sides. It's also crucial to be mindful of sauces and condiments, as some contain high amounts of carbs. Coffee is allowed on the keto diet, but it's best to avoid adding milk, sugar, and other high-carb ingredients. Instead, consider black coffee or coffee with heavy cream, grass-fed butter, MCT oil, or sugar-free sweeteners.

Keto-friendly coffee orders at cafes

Coffee is well-known for its caffeine content, which can help trigger the burning of fat in the body. However, it also encourages the burning of carbohydrates and sugars rather than fat and ketones, which runs counter to the principles of a ketogenic diet. So, if you're on a keto diet, it's important to be mindful of how you take your coffee. Here are some keto-friendly coffee orders you can try at cafes:

Black Coffee

Black coffee is super low in calories and can aid in keeping you focused and alert throughout your day. It will not take you out of ketosis. You can order a shot of espresso or a "short black", which is just a shot of coffee with nothing added. If you want to dilute the intensity of black coffee, you can order a "long black", which is an espresso with a small amount of hot water.

Coffee with Full-Cream Milk

Full-cream milk is an excellent option for those on a keto diet. Despite milk's high-fat content, it's the good kind of fat that makes it suitable for this diet. Full-cream milk offers valuable nutrients and supports your body's requirements for healthy fats.

Iced Coffee (No Sugar, No Cream)

Iced coffee is a simple combination of coffee, ice, and milk. To make it keto-friendly, simply omit the cream and any added sugar or ice cream.

Coffee with Sugar-Free Sweeteners

Sugar-free sweeteners such as stevia can be used in place of traditional sugar. Normal sugar could pull you out of ketosis, whereas stevia is derived from plants and has practically zero calories, making it a perfect complement to a keto meal plan.

Coffee with Heavy Cream

Adding two tablespoons of heavy cream can substitute for coffee creamer for those who can't live without it. This will provide 0-2 grams of carbs, making it ideal for the keto diet.

Coffee with Grass-Fed Butter or MCT Oil

Adding grass-fed butter or MCT oil to your coffee will give you more energy, focus, and brain power. MCT oil is clear, odourless, and flavourless, so it won't alter the taste of your coffee. Combining grass-fed butter and MCT oil creates "bulletproof coffee", which is a popular choice among keto dieters.

Coffee with Keto Coffee Creamer

There are several keto coffee creamers on the market that are low-carb and tasty. Creamers made from almond, oat, or coconut milk are incredible alternatives to dairy creamers, which often come with a side of bloating.

Keto-friendly restaurants

Sticking to a keto diet when eating out can be challenging, but many restaurants now offer keto-friendly options. Here are some tips for dining out while maintaining your keto diet:

• Check the menu online before you go to the restaurant. Look for keto-friendly options that are likely to be sugar-free and delicious.
• Eliminate starch from your meal. Avoid bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice. Order your meal without these starchy sides, or ask for a salad or extra vegetables instead.
• If ordering a sandwich or burger, ask for a lettuce wrap instead of a bun.
• Be cautious with sauces and condiments. Some sauces, like ketchup, are high in carbs. Gravies can go either way, so ask about the ingredients if you're unsure.
• Choose your drinks carefully. Perfect drink choices include water, sparkling water, tea, or black coffee. Alcoholic beverages such as champagne, dry wine, light beer, or spirits are also good low-carb choices.
• If you're still hungry after your meal, look for a cheese plate or berries with heavy cream.
• Get creative if necessary. Don't be afraid to make special requests or ask for customizations. For example, you could order a bowl of spaghetti sauce with a side of sautéed vegetables instead of pasta.

Now, let's take a look at some specific restaurant options that offer keto-friendly choices:

• Jimmy John's: You can make any of their subs an "Unwich" by replacing the bread with a lettuce wrap, reducing the carbs and calories significantly.
• Chipotle: Build your own keto-friendly Tex Mex bowl or salad with meat, veggies, cheese, guacamole, and salsa. They also offer a Keto Salad Bowl with chicken or steak, lettuce, salsa, cheese, and guacamole.
• Wendy's: While they don't have a dedicated keto menu, you can easily modify their burgers or salads to be keto-friendly. Order your burger without the bun, ketchup, onions, or barbecue sauce, and consider a side salad instead of fries. For salads, choose grilled chicken and a creamy dressing like ranch, skipping the croutons.
• El Pollo Loco: The Pollo Fit Menu features three keto-friendly options: the Double Chicken Avocado Salad, the Double Protein Avocado Pollo Fit Bowl, and the World's First Keto Burrito.
• Chick-fil-A: Offers grilled nuggets, a Cobb Salad (with modifications), and a Kale Crunch Side.
• In-N-Out: Their "Not So Secret Menu" includes the option to make any burger "Protein Style," wrapping it in lettuce instead of a bun.
• Popeye's: The Blackened Tenders (which aren't breaded) and green beans are a good low-carb option.
• Slim Chickens: Their side salads, grilled chicken strips, and chicken wings are low-carb choices.
• Qdoba: Offers the Smoked Brisket Keto Bowl, or you can create your own keto-friendly bowl or salad with various meats, cheese, salsas, and veggies. They also offer low-carb Mexican Cauliflower Mash as a substitute for rice.
• Noodles & Company: They offer zucchini noodles, so you can customize several of their dishes to be keto-friendly.
• Olive Garden: While their dishes are often carb-heavy, you can ask to replace the pasta with a large portion of broccoli. Their salad without croutons and the Herb Grilled Salmon with Steamed Broccoli are also keto-friendly options.
• Outback Steakhouse: Stick to grilled entrées with non-starchy sides. Make sure your dish doesn't include sugary glazes or sauces. Their entrée salads can also be made keto-friendly with modifications.
• LongHorn Steakhouse: Offers keto options like steaks, grilled salmon, pork chops, and salads. Avoid sugary glazes, barbecue sauce, or breading. Keto-friendly sides include Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and broccoli.
• Texas Roadhouse: Stick to steak, chicken, salmon, bunless burgers, and salads. Keto-friendly sides include sautéed mushrooms, house salads, and green beans.
• Colton's Steakhouse: Try the Colton's Loaded Chicken, a grilled chicken breast topped with sautéed mushrooms, bacon, green onions, and cheese. Keto-friendly sides include a house or Caesar salad, steamed vegetables, green beans, grilled asparagus, or sautéed mushrooms.
• Saltgrass Steakhouse: A high-end steakhouse with keto-friendly options like the Bacon Wrap Filet & Grilled Shrimp. Add asparagus or broccoli as a side, and enjoy a salad without croutons.
• IHOP: Known for their pancakes, IHOP also makes excellent low-carb omelets. Try the Spinach & Mushroom Omelette.
• Denny's: Offers keto options with modifications, such as the All-American Slam (scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage) without hash browns or bread, or the FitFare Wild Alaska Salmon with extra broccoli instead of mashed potatoes.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: Traditional wings are carb-free when plain, and the dry seasonings add just 1 carb each for a 6-piece order.
• Cheesecake Factory: While known for their cheesecakes, they also offer keto-friendly options like the SkinnyLicious Grilled Salmon entrée.
• BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse: Their Tri-Tip Wedge salad can be made keto-friendly by removing the BBQ sauce, tomatoes, and onions.
• Joe's Crab Shack: Enjoy their seafood options, just avoid fried items. Joe's Classic Steampot includes Dungeness crab, sweet snow crab, shrimp, and smoked sausage. Skip the corn and potatoes to keep it keto.
• On the Border: Their fajitas are a good option for keto diners. Choose from various meats and combinations, but skip the tortillas, beans, and rice. Eat the fajita mix and salad as your entrée.
• Chili's: Offers bunless burgers, steak, grilled chicken, grilled fish, entrée salads, and fajitas (without tortillas or sides). Try the 10-ounce Sirloin with Grilled Avocado and a side of asparagus.
• Red Robin: Offers a lettuce wrap option for their burgers

Keto-friendly drinks

When following a keto diet, it's best to stick to drinks with 0–5 grams of net carbs. Here are some keto-friendly drink options:

Tea and Coffee

Tea and coffee are excellent no-carb, no-calorie choices for a keto diet. When it comes to tea, black tea, green tea, and herbal tea are all suitable options. Coffee can be enjoyed black or with keto-friendly additions such as heavy cream, grass-fed butter, MCT oil, keto coffee creamers, or sugar-free sweeteners.

Sparkling Water

Sparkling water is usually unsweetened and an excellent low-carb choice. Look for options like Perrier, Aura Bora, and Hint.

Diet Soda

While diet sodas like Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi are technically keto-friendly, they may not be the best choice due to the use of artificial sweeteners. Instead, opt for sodas sweetened with naturally derived zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia or erythritol, such as Zevia and Virgil's Zero Sugar.

Fruit and Vegetable Juices

While fruit juices are typically high in sugar, lemon and lime juices are low in carbs and can be added to water or tea. Some vegetables can also be juiced, including leafy greens like kale and spinach. However, store-bought vegetable juices may contain added sugar or other carb sources, so check the labels.

Milk Alternatives

Cow's milk is not recommended on keto due to its natural sugar content. Instead, opt for unsweetened plant-based milk alternatives such as almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk.

Energy Drinks

Some energy drinks can be keto-friendly, but be cautious of those containing artificial sweeteners. Choose options sweetened with natural sweeteners like stevia, such as EBOOST and Kill Cliff. Also, be mindful of the caffeine content in energy drinks, as excessive consumption can be harmful.

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks like Gatorade Zero and Powerade Zero are keto-friendly options, but they use artificial sweeteners. A better alternative is to use electrolyte powders sweetened with stevia, such as Ultima Replenisher and LMNT, and mix them into water.

Alcoholic Beverages

When it comes to alcohol, dry red and white wine is fine in moderation. Low-carb beers include Budweiser Select 55, Michelob Ultra, and Miller 64. Hard liquors like vodka, whiskey, rum, and tequila are also carb-free. Avoid mixed drinks with sugary juices or sodas, and be cautious of flavored liquors with added sugars. Low-carb hard seltzers are another option, but check the labels for gluten if that is a concern.

Keto-friendly alcoholic drinks

While on the keto diet, it is important to be mindful of the types of alcoholic drinks you consume. Pure forms of alcohol like whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, and vodka are all completely free of carbs and can be enjoyed straight or mixed with low-carb options. Wine and light beer are also keto-friendly options, usually containing fewer than 6 grams of carbs per serving.

When choosing mixers, it is important to opt for low-carb alternatives such as diet soda, seltzer, diet tonic water, or powdered flavour packets. These mixers enhance the taste of your drink while keeping the carb count low.

• Vodka soda: Vodka is a distilled spirit with zero carbs, and when mixed with soda water, it creates a refreshing and guilt-free beverage. Adding a squeeze of lime or lemon enhances the flavour.
• Tequila on the rocks or mixed with soda water: Choose a high-quality tequila without added sugars to create a light and satisfying drink.
• Gin and tonic (with sugar-free tonic water): Opt for a gin without added sugars and pair it with a sugar-free tonic water sweetened with alternative sweeteners like stevia or erythritol.
• Rum and diet coke or other sugar-free mixers: Mix rum with diet cola or other sugar-free options, ensuring that the mixers are free from added sugars.
• Dry wine (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Sauvignon Blanc): Dry wines have a lower sugar content compared to sweet or dessert wines, making them a keto-friendly option.

Remember, moderation is key when consuming alcohol on the keto diet. Even low-carb alcoholic beverages can contribute to weight gain and nutritional deficiencies if consumed in excess. Additionally, alcohol can suppress fat burning and increase body fat by causing the body to store extra calories as fat tissue. Therefore, it is important to keep your alcohol intake moderate and prioritise hydration and electrolyte balance.

Keto-friendly fast-food restaurants

When you're on the keto diet, it can sometimes feel like there aren't many easy meal options when you're eating out. However, there are plenty of fast-food restaurants that offer keto-friendly options. Here are some of the best keto-friendly fast-food restaurants and their menu items:

• Wendy's: You can order any burger lettuce-wrapped or protein-style, skipping the bun and ketchup. Try the Baconator (no bun) or the Son of Baconator (no bun or ketchup).
• McDonald's: Ask for any burger with no bun or ketchup. Good options include the Big Mac and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese. You can also order the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese McMuffin without the English muffin.
• Chipotle: Build your own keto-friendly bowl or salad with meat, veggies, cheese, guacamole, and salsa. Chipotle also offers a Keto Salad Bowl with chicken or steak, lettuce, salsa, cheese, and guacamole.
• Chick-fil-A: Choose grilled chicken options instead of breaded ones. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no bun) and Grilled Nuggets are good choices. You can also get a side salad or the Cobb Salad with a few modifications.
• Burger King: Order the Whopper or Bacon King with no bun or ketchup. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich without the potato bun is another option.
• Starbucks: Starbucks has several keto-friendly drink options, including the Keto Frappuccino, Keto Pink Drink, Keto-Friendly Mocha, and Keto Chai Tea Latte.
• Taco Bell: Customise your order to make it keto-friendly. The Mini Skillet Bowl (no potatoes, add beef, guacamole, sour cream, and creamy chipotle sauce) and the Power Menu Bowl (no rice or beans, add lettuce and bacon) are good choices.
• Subway: Subway's protein bowls and chopped salads can easily be made keto-friendly. Just be mindful of the sauce you choose.
• Five Guys: Skip the bun and top your burger with veggies. You can also add cheese and bacon.
• Jersey Mike's: Order any of their signature subs as a "Sub in a Tub", which comes with all the toppings but without the bread.
• Jack in the Box: Get the Chicken Teriyaki Bowl with no rice, double veggies, and no sauce. You can also order any sandwich or burger without the bun and ketchup.
• Carl's Jr. / Hardee's: Try the Guacamole Bacon Thickburger or the Charbroiled Chicken Club. You can also get any item "low-carb style", which notifies the kitchen of your keto request.
• Dunkin Donuts: Order the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese or the Turkey Sausage, Egg White, and Cheese without the bread.
• Panera: The Greek Salad is keto-friendly. You can also order the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich or the Steak and Egg Sandwich without the bread.
• Jimmy John's: Any sandwich can be made keto-friendly by ordering it as an "Unwich", which replaces the bread with a lettuce wrap. Try the Beach Club Unwich or the Big John Unwich.
• In-N-Out: In-N-Out offers a "Protein Style" option, where your burger is wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. You can also order a "3x3" or "4x4", which means three or four patties with cheese.
• Popeyes: The Blackened Chicken Tenders are a keto-friendly option.
• KFC: Go for the grilled chicken options or the original recipe chicken wing or drumstick. You can also get a side salad or green beans.
• Arby's: Order the Roast Turkey Farmhouse Salad without the dressing. You can also get any sandwich without the bun, such as the Double Roast Beef Sandwich or the Double Beef 'N Cheddar (no red ranch sauce).
• Sonic: Get the Bacon Double Cheeseburger or the Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich without the bun.

Frequently asked questions