What to Eat at Red Robin: Healthy Menu Choices and Nutrition Facts

Red Robin nutrition facts
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Red Robin began as a sit-down tavern in Washington state in the 1940s, and is especially well-known for its beer. The menu features a familiar lineup of fast-food favorites like burgers, sandwiches, chicken wings, and shakes, but Red Robin also offers a tavern menu of entrees, including its gourmet burgers, soup and salad, appetizers, dessert, and alcoholic beverages.

One unique aspect of Red Robin's menu could present a challenge if you’re hoping to keep track of your portions: bottomless fries and drinks. Make use of Red Robin’s online nutrition calculator to get an estimate of your options before you go.

If you follow a special diet or prefer to avoid certain foods, Red Robin makes information about common food allergens and the ingredients it uses in its kitchen readily available on its website. Red Robin offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

What Experts Say

“While Red Robin offers vegetable sides and side salads, other menu options contain more than a day’s worth of sodium. If you’re eating here on a regular basis, try to include veggies and fiber-rich foods in your other meals to help maintain nutritional balance.”  

Willow Jarosh, MS, RD

Navigating the Menu

Most Nutritious Options
  • Red’s Burger (Burgers)

  • Keep it Simple Chicken Burger (Chicken)

  • Simply Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Sandwiches)

  • Steamed Broccoli (Sides)

  • Classic Wedge Salad (Appetizers)

  • Chicken Tortilla Soup (Soups)

  • House Salad (Salads)

  • Ensenada Chicken Platter (Entrees)

  • Sundae (Desserts)

  • Strawberry Smoothie (Shakes & Smoothies)

  • Light Freckled Lemonade (Beverages)

Least Nutritious Options
  • Monster Burger (Burgers)

  • Whiskey River BBQ Chicken (Chicken)

  • Ragin’ Cajun Chicken Sandwich (Sandwiches)

  • Yukon Chips (Sides)

  • Chili Cheese Fries (Appetizers)

  • Red’s Chili (Soups)

  • Southwest Salad (Salads)

  • Buffalo-Style Clucks & Fries (Entrees)

  • Mountain High Mudd Pie (Desserts)

  • Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss (Shakes & Smoothies)

  • Root Beer Float (Beverages)

Red Robin's menu contains staples from fast food restaurants. If you're looking for nutritious options, the house salad is a good go-to, packed with healthy fiber.

Burgers

Most of the burgers at Red Robin are high in calories, fat, and sodium. The good news is, you can customize your burger to alter its nutritional content, including choosing from a variety of buns or a no-carb lettuce wrap.

Most Nutritious Option

The Red's Burger (from the kid's menu) contains 280 calories, 4g saturated fat, 27g carbohydrates, and 4g sugar. This smaller portion burger contains 16g of protein as well as 12g of fat. It also has less sodium (290 mg) compared to the other burger items on the menu.

Least Nutritious Option

The Monster Burger has 1220 calories, 77g fat, 31g saturated fat, 3g trans fat, 2410 mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate, 18g sugar, and 74g protein. You can use low-fat, low-calorie, and low-carb swaps and substitutions to make many of Red Robin's burger options healthier. A lettuce wrap only adds 15 calories to a burger, compared to a 150-calorie Tavern Bun or 330-calorie croissant. Skipping bacon will save 70 calories, and opting for a burger without cheese saves around 100 calories and 10g fat.

In general, avoid burger options with the words “big” or “monster” in the name. As you might expect, these are the least healthy options on Red Robin’s burger menu with upwards of 1,000 calories. However, just because a burger sounds like a healthy option by name doesn’t mean it is: the Royal Red Robin Burger has 1110 calories, 78g fat, 48g carbohydrate, and 1850 mg sodium.

Chicken

Red Robin offers a menu of chicken burgers, sandwiches, entrees, and sides, many of which are high-calorie, high-fat fried creations. However, choosing grilled chicken for your meal or as a topping for a salad can be a healthier choice.

Most Nutritious Option

Red Robin's Keep It Simple Burger with Chicken provides 370 calories, 9g fat, 2g saturated fat, 870mg sodium, 62g carbohydrate, 14g sugar, and 15g protein. The Keep it Simple Burger with Chicken truly does keep it simple. Topped with pickles, red onions, lettuce, and tomato, it has all of the classic burger toppings while keeping nutritional value high.

Least Nutritious Option

The Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Burger contains 1130 calories, 74g fat, 21g saturated fat, 2g trans fat, 1290 mg sodium, 71g carbohydrate, 20g sugar, and 43g protein. Red Robin’s take on traditional fast food chicken tenders, Clucks & Fries, have 1318 calories, 78g fat and 2143 mg sodium—that’s without factoring in the dipping sauce, which adds calories, salt, and even sugar to your meal.

Sandwiches

Red Robin’s menu of sandwiches features many of the classics, including grilled cheese, roast beef, Caesar chicken wraps, and its take on a BLT. With options to customize your sandwich every step of the way, this is one meal option you can make lower in calories, fat, and carbs by asking for a few simple swaps.

Most Nutritious Option

Red Robin's Simply Grilled Chicken delivers 370 calories, 6g fat, 2g saturated fat, 1040 mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate, 9g sugar, and 32g protein. A grilled chicken breast with pickles, lettuce, tomato, and red onions brings in only 370 calories while delivering 32g protein. It's a go-to sandwich if you're looking for a filling, and nutritious, option.

Least Nutritious Option

The Ragin’ Cajun Chicken Sandwich provides 1020 calories, 66g fat, 21g saturated fat, 1g trans fat, 3180 mg sodium, 67g carbohydrate, 9g sugar, and 21g protein. If you don’t want to completely forgo cheese on your sandwich, go with lower-calorie options like provolone or pepper jack. You can also save calories and carbs by wrapping your sandwich fixings in lettuce instead of bread or a bun.

As for protein, you’ll have another healthier option other than grilled chicken: Red Robin’s 130-calorie, vegetarian-friendly quinoa patty has just 4g of fat and packs more protein than other non-chicken options, like a side of beans or fried egg.

Sides

You’ll hear about “bottomless” sides at Red Robin, but you’ll want to avoid the all-you-can-eat option for most items on the menu. French fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and potato chips abound, but you’ll also find a few offerings that are a little more nutritious, like steamed veggies and fruit salad.

Most Nutritious Option

Steamed broccoli provides 30 calories, 5g fat, 50 mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate, 2g sugar, and 3g protein. A low-GI food, broccoli delivers a whopping 81mg of vitamin C in a single serving, as well as vitamin K, manganese, and potassium. It's often heralded as a heart-healthy food and because it's so high in fiber (one cup of broccoli provides 9% of your daily recommended fiber intake), it helps keep you full.

Least Nutritious Option

The Yukon Chips on Red Robin's menu deliver 490 calories, 29g fat, 5g saturated fat, 660 mg sodium, 42g carbohydrate, 0g sugar, and 5g protein. Refilling your plate with salty, high-fat fries or chips throughout your meal makes keeping track of serving sizes difficult. When you lose track of portions, it's easy to add 100 or more calories to your meal without realizing it.

Appetizers

The tavern-style dining experience at Red Robin includes appetizers. While these starters can sometimes be smaller servings than an entree, they aren’t necessarily healthier options. Appetizers that are fried or served with high-calorie sauces can add a ton of calories to your day before you even have your meal, and can also be high in fat and sodium.

Most Nutritious Option

The Classic Wedge Salad contains 420 calories, 36g fat, 8g saturated fat, 640 mg sodium, 17g carbohydrate, 8g sugar, and 8g protein. The cream-based dressings increase the calorie count and amount of sodium in this appetizer, however, it is comparatively the most nutritious option compared to the other appetizers listed on the Red Robin menu.

Least Nutritious Option

Red Robin's Chili Cheese Fries provide 1530 calories, 94g fat, 29g saturated fat, 2g trans fat, 2260 mg sodium, 121g carbohydrate, 9g sugar, and 51g protein. Meanwhile, the Boneless Bar Wings N' Yukon Chips has around 675 calories, which may be a sensible order if you’re sharing with friends. But with 75g carbohydrate, 1984mg sodium, and only 29g protein, the starter doesn’t offer much nutrition.

Soups

Red Robin offers a selection of soups by the bowl or cup ranging from regional favorites like clam chowder to the chain’s signature chili. While a bowl of soup can make for a hearty meal, sticking to the smaller cup size can make it easier to keep track of calories, especially if you’re pairing with a salad or sandwich.

Most Nutritious Option

The cup of Chicken Tortilla Soup contains 200 calories, 9g fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 860 mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 4g sugar, and 10g protein. A cup serving of the chicken tortilla soup is low in calories and saturated fat. With 10g of protein and 19g of carbohydrates, you also have a balance of nutrients packed into a hearty and hot serving.

Least Nutritious Option

A bowl of the Red’s Chili provides 430 calories, 20g fat, 7g saturated fat, 1g trans fat, 1430 mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate, 3g sugar, and 15g protein. The classic French Onion soup is lower in calories and sodium than other choices. With 210 calories, 11g fat, and 860mg sodium per cup, the option goes well with a protein-packed side salad. To reduce the carbs of your meal, skip the side of garlic bread.

Salads

Red Robin’s menu of salads provides more variety than most fast food restaurants, giving you the option of filling up on fiber-rich veggies. You can customize your salad to make it more nutritious and to your tastes. Keep in mind, however, that calorie counts for these options do not include salad dressing or crunchy toppings, which can easily add another 200 to 300 calories.

Most Nutritious Option

The Red Robin House Salad delivers120 calories, 6g cat, 3g saturated fat, 180 mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate, 3g sugar, and 6g protein. With lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cheddar cheese, and croutons, this simple house salad packs in plenty of vegetables while keeping sodium, saturated fat, and sugar low.

Least Nutritious Option

The Southwest Salad provides 940 calories, 64g fat, 19g saturated fat, 1.5g trans fat, 1890 mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate, 12g sugar, and 47g protein. Other popular salads at Red Robin offer interesting mixes of fruit, veggies, and protein. The Avo-Cobb-O Salad has grilled chicken breast, bacon, bleu cheese, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado, and mixed greens. It provides 499 calories, 28g fat, 20g carbohydrate, 40g protein, and 1091mg sodium.

To reduce the calorie count, fat, and sodium content of any salad, skip the bacon and cheese. Instead of creamy dressings, go for oil and vinegar. Or, if you choose a low-fat dressing, ask for it on the side.

Entrees

The entree options at Red Robin include additional burgers and chicken options but also feature several seafood dishes. As with the rest of the menu, avoid fried foods, stick to smaller portions or half-orders, and skip the option of bottomless sides.

Most Nutritious Option

Red Robin's Ensenada Chicken Platter starts at 300 calories, 12g fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 1290 mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 6g sugar, and 29g protein. The Ensenada Chicken Platter includes a grilled chicken breast (you can choose to add a second), as well as salsa and ranch dressing, and the entire dish comes in at 300 calories, with 12g of fat, and 29g of protein.

Least Nutritious Option

Meanwhile, the Buzzard-Style Clucks & Fries delivers 1630 calories, 113g fat, 27g saturated fat, 1g trans fat, 4180 mg sodium, 105g carbohydrate, 4g sugar, and 49g protein.

Desserts

Like most you’ll encounter when dining out, the dessert menu at Red Robin features items that are high in calories, fat, and sugar without being helpful sources of energy, protein, or nutrition.

Most Nutritious Option

The Sundae contains 310 calories, 10g fat, 7g saturated fat, 90 mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate, 42g sugar, and 5g protein. Keep dessert simple by ordering from the kids' menu with this sundae option. With soft serve, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry, it contains 42g of sugar and 310 calories—the most nutritious choice on the menu.

Least Nutritious Option

The Mountain High Mudd Pie provides 1360 calories, 59g fat, 39g saturated fat, 3g trans fat, 610 mg sodium, 193g carbohydrate, 131g sugar, and 17g protein. Look to the Kid’s Menu for smaller dessert portions. If you do go for an item from the regular menu, share with friends or pack up half your order to enjoy later.

A “short” order of four Cinnamon Sugar Doh! Rings has 770 calories. Unlike a slice of pie or cake, it’s easier to estimate an individual portion with single donuts. One of Red Robin's cinnamon donut rings is around 200 calories. Take the rest home or share an order with friends.

Shakes & Smoothies

Red Robin’s menu of shakes and smoothies are another option for something sweet. While larger sizes can add upwards of 1,000 calories to your daily intake, even a regular-size milkshake can easily be a source of a meal’s worth of calories, fat, and sugar.

Most Nutritious Option

When it comes to shakes and smoothies, the strawberry smoothie has 290 calories, 0g fat, 75mg sodium, 0g carbohydrate, 69g sugar, and 5g protein. If you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, this kids' menu strawberry smoothie is the most nutritious option. It comes in at under 300 calories per serving, with 69g of sugar and 75mg of sodium.

Least Nutritious Option

The Oreo Cookie Magic Milkshake has 1040 calories, 43g fat, 25g saturated fat, 1.5g trans fat, 480 mg sodium, 146g carbohydrate, 116g sugar, and 21g protein. If you’re looking for a smoothie or shake, stick to the smaller Kid-size portions. If you really just want a taste, ask if you can get a scoop of plain ice cream in a dish without any sugary syrups or cookie mix-ins. Try topping with a side of fresh fruit instead.

Beverages

Red Robin’s bottomless beverage choices range from traditional fast food fountain sodas to iced tea, lemonade, fruit juice, as well as cream sodas and root beer floats. They also have a full bar for the chain’s menu of alcoholic beverages, though such drinks can also be sources of added calories and sugar.

Most Nutritious Option

The kids size Light Freckled Lemonade has 45 calories, 0g fat, 40 mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate, 10g sugar, and 0g protein. Red Robin's freckled lemonade mixes classic lemonade with strawberries, and if you want to cool down and hydrate with a light option, this drink adds 45 calories and 10g sugar to your intake.

Least Nutritious Option

The Root Beer Float provides 580 calories, 15g fat, 9g saturated fat, 0.5g trans fat, 250 mg sodium, 116g carbohydrate, 110g sugar, and 7g protein. Whether you’re ordering take out, dining in, or eating at home, water, seltzer, or unsweetened iced tea are the healthiest beverage choices to accompany your meal. Depending on your dietary needs and preferences, other choices might work for you as well.

Options like black coffee, light iced tea, and diet soda typically don’t add calories to your meal. However, these options may use sugar substitutes or preservatives like aspartame, which you may prefer to avoid.

Diet-Specific Options

Red Robin has received national recognition honoring its commitment to serving diners with food allergies or specific dietary needs, and offers options for those on gluten-free, low-carb, diabetes-friendly, vegan, and vegetarian diets.

Gluten-Free

You may not be used to having a wealth of gluten-free options at most restaurants, but at Red Robin, you can order any burger or sandwich with a gluten-free bun or lettuce wrap.

You can also customize most items from the rest of the menu according to your specific dietary needs and preferences, including to accommodate a gluten-free diet.

Of note, the restaurant also has a protocol in place for notifying the kitchen if your order requires special preparation to avoid cross-contamination from an allergen, such as gluten.

Red Robin menu choices that may be suitable if you’re gluten-free include:

  • Creamy Artichoke & Spinach Dip
  • Wedge Burger, Veggie Vegan Burger, Sear-ious Salmon, Ensenada Chicken
  • Avo-Cobb-o, Mighty Caesar, Simply Grilled Chicken, and Southwest Salad (no croutons)
  • Red’s Chili, Chicken Dip’ins (Kid’s Menu), Apple Slices, Corn, Fruit Salad, Mandarin Oranges, Kid’s Side Salad, Steamed Broccoli, Cole Slaw, Beans
  • Kid’s Menu Sundae, Freckled Lemonade, Iced Tea, Root Beer Float, Coconut Pineapple Smoothie, Hawaiian Heart Throb Smoothie, Very Berry Raspberry Limeade 

If you're on a gluten-free diet, the Avo-Cobb-o salad is a great choice, and will provide a mix of vegetables and protein (via the grilled chicken). Just ask for no croutons to ensure it's gluten-free.

Low-Carb

Most experts agree that diets with less than 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrate per day are considered low carb. The American Diabetes Association defines a low carbohydrate eating pattern as one with 26% to 45% of total daily calories from carbohydrate.

  • Buzz Sauce Bone-in-Bar Wings (½ order)
  • Caesar Salad, House Salad, Classic Wedge Salad
  • Steamed Broccoli, Cole Slaw, Apples, Mandarin Oranges, Freckled Fruit Salad
  • Sear-ious Salmon, Ensenada Chicken Platter (single), Grilled Chicken Dip’ins (Kid’s Menu)
  • French Onion Soup (cup), Red’s Chili (cup), Chicken Tortilla Soup (cup), Clam Chowder (cup)

Keep to a low-carb diet by choosing any of the dishes above. Opt for the Grilled Chicken Dip'Ins from the kids' menu for a protein-packed choice.

Diabetes-Friendly

Diabetes diets need to be personalized, but in general, the recommendation is to consume moderate amounts of fat and to choose foods that are higher in fiber and lower in carbohydrates and sodium.

  • Wedgie Burger
  • Sear-ious Salmon
  • House Salad, Caesar Salad
  • Buzzard Sauce, Fresh Salsa, Roasted Garlic Aioli
  • Sliced Turkey, Fried Egg, Bacon, Onions, Steamed Broccoli, Sauteed Mushrooms

To comply with a diabetes-friendly diet, reach for Red Robin's house salad, which includes low saturated fat and sugar, and higher fiber.

Low-Fat

A low fat diet provides 30% or less calories from fat. A low-fat food is defined as a food that contains 3 grams or less of fat.

  • House Salad, Caesar Salad
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup, Red’s Chili, French Onion Soup
  • Sweet Potato Fries, Beans, Freckled Fruit Salad, Steamed Broccoli, Ancient-Grain Veggie Patty
  • Ghost Pepper Sauce, Salsa, Ketchup, Thai Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Whiskey River BBQ Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar Dressing
  • Keep It Simple Grilled Chicken Burger, Simply Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Ensenada Chicken Platter (One Chicken Breast)

With only 2g of saturated fat in a single serving, the Keep It Simple Grilled Chicken Burger is a great option for those on a low-fat diet.

Lower Sodium

In order to be considered low sodium, a food should contain less than 140 mg of sodium per serving. So the choices at Red Robin are limited.

  • House Salad
  • Side Salad
  • Salsa
  • Tavern Patty
  • Freckled Lemonade
  • Kids Sundae

To keep sodium intake low, reach for a side of salsa or a single tavern patty. The number of low-sodium menu items is low at this, and many other, fast food restaurants.

Vegetarian and Vegan

Red Robin offers several meals for vegetarian and vegan diners, and many other items on the menu can be customized to be vegan or vegetarian-friendly.

Red Robin menu items that may be suitable for a vegan diet include:

  • House Salad
  • Veggie Vegan Burger
  • Iced Tea, Very Berry Limeade
  • Apples, Beans, Steamed Broccoli
  • Lettuce Wrap, Multigrain Bun, Ciabatta Bun, Onion Bun
  • Bruschetta Salsa, Guacamole, Cocktail Sauce, Steak Sauce, Island Heat Sauce

For a filling vegan meal, choose the Veggie Vegan Burger, which includes a grain-and-quinoa patty with lettuce, avocado, and salsa all in a lettuce wrap.

In addition to vegan options, vegetarian-friendly items on Red Robin’s menu include:

  • Veggie Burger
  • Mac and Cheese
  • French Onion Soup
  • Creamy Artichoke & Spinach Dip
  • Sweet Potato Fries, Steak Fries, Onion Rings
  • Smoothies, Malts, Milkshakes, Sundae, Root Beer Float

The Veggie Burger has the same grain-and-quinoa patty as the vegan burger, but also includes Swiss cheese and aioli, and is served on a bun.

Food Allergies and Safety

Red Robin makes it easy to find a meal if you have food allergies or are trying to avoid certain ingredients, such as animal products.

You can use its online tool for navigating the menu within certain parameters, such as only viewing options that are vegan or free from common allergens. Red Robin notes the presence of the following allergens on its menu:

The interactive menu also lets you know which dishes may be suitable if you ask for certain modifications, such as swapping a hamburger bun or sandwich bread for lettuce or skipping extras like cheese and mayo.

A Word From Verywell

Red Robin’s menu offers a good mix of options that can be customized to suit your dietary needs and preferences. The restaurant takes extra steps to cater to the needs of diners who follow special diets or have food allergies. The menu also features some vegan and vegetarian choices, and many items can be made gluten-free. When dining at Red Robin, you will want to beware the “bottomless” drinks and sides option, which makes it all too easy to add extra calories, fat, carbs, and sodium to your meal.

2 Sources
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Evert AB, Dennison M, Gardner CD, et al. Nutrition therapy for adults with diabetes or prediabetes: A consensus reportDiabetes Care. 2019;42(5):731-754. doi:10.2337/dci19-0014

  2. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Examination of Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols; Wartella EA, Lichtenstein AH, Boon CS, editors. Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols: Phase I Report. National Academies Press (US); 2010. Appendix B, FDA Regulatory Requirements for Nutrient Content Claims. 

By Malia Frey, M.A., ACE-CHC, CPT
 Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer​, and fitness nutrition specialist.