The Ultimate Guide to Eating Dairy-Free at Ben’s Fast Food
100% Dairy-Free Since Day One — No Substitutions, No Surprises
Well, the headline kind of gave it away, didn’t it? At Ben’s Fast Food, we didn’t remove dairy from our menu. We never put it there to begin with. From day one, our entire menu has been completely dairy-free. That means no cheese, no butter, no cream, and no hidden dairy in sauces, dressings, or seasonings. If you’re lactose intolerant, allergic, or just feel better living dairy-free, you can eat here knowing you don’t need to ask for modifications or worry about mystery ingredients.
We built Ben’s Fast Food to make clean, delicious eating easy—especially for people with real dietary needs. Every bowl, smoothie, and dessert is made from scratch with whole ingredients, bold flavors, and zero dairy. See what real food tastes like when you don’t have to second-guess what’s in it.
How Dairy-Free Fits Our Mission at Ben’s Fast Food
Our dairy-free approach isn’t just a menu detail—it’s part of our origin story. When we set out to reimagine fast food, we knew that affordability, nutrition, and flavor had to coexist. One way we made that possible was by eliminating dairy from the equation entirely. Dairy is expensive, hard to digest for many, and often used to mask low-quality ingredients. We chose to go plant-forward instead, relying on bold, scratch-made sauces and whole ingredients to build flavor the right way—without cheese, butter, or cream.
This commitment ties directly into our mission: making nutritious food accessible to everyone. And it naturally aligns with a plant-based approach to eating, which prioritizes whole foods, minimal allergens, and maximum impact.
No need to customize or ask questions—our entire menu is already built for you.
Best Dairy-Free Items at Ben’s
Let’s be real—this could just be the entire menu. But if we had to play favorites (and apparently we do), here are a few standout dishes that dairy-free fans keep coming back to. Consider this the dairy-free highlight reel:
Chicken Hearty Bowl
Slow-roasted chicken over brown rice and millet with veggies and your choice of sauce. High-protein and deeply satisfying.
Green Smoothie
Pineapple, banana, lime, spinach, coconut milk. Smooth, bright, and completely dairy-free.
Dark Chocolate Cashew Pudding
Silky dessert made from dates, cocoa, and cashews. No dairy, no refined sugar—just sweet, rich satisfaction.
Every menu item is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and contains no added sugar or soy. Want to go even more plant-based? Just skip the animal protein bowls—your meal will still be filling, flavorful, and packed with real nutrition.
⚠️ How We Handle Dairy Risk (and Why We’re Still a Safe Option)
We know that when you eat dairy-free—especially for medical reasons—transparency matters. Here’s how we operate:
✅ No dairy in our kitchen: No cheese, no butter, no milk. Our kitchen team cooks exclusively from a menu that is 100% dairy-free, with no shared fryers, prep lines, or dairy-based ingredients.
🏢 Shared building context: We operate out of modern takeout and delivery hubs (sometimes called cloud kitchens), where other restaurant brands operate nearby. Each brand—including Ben’s—uses its own enclosed kitchen suite to do all food prep.
📦 Storage environment: Our ingredients are stored in shared cold and dry storage areas, but kept on physically separate, clearly labeled racks used only by Ben’s Fast Food and monitored daily.
🚚 Ingredient sourcing risk: While our suppliers are trusted, vetted and operate nationwide, some dairy-free ingredients may come from warehouse facilities and on trucks that also handle dairy prior to arriving in our kitchen. Once ingredients arrive, they are only used in our dedicated, dairy-free kitchen.
📦 Delivery handling: If you order delivery, once your food leaves our hands, it’s in the care of third-party delivery drivers. We pack everything securely, but if you have a high sensitivity, please inspect your order before consuming.
Important Note: We proudly serve many customers with dairy allergies every day. Our kitchen does not use any dairy ingredients, and we’ve designed our menu and prep process to reduce risk wherever we can. However, no restaurant can guarantee absolute zero cross-contact, especially from points outside our control. If you have a medically diagnosed dairy allergy, we recommend reviewing our allergen info and checking with your healthcare provider to decide what’s right for you.
Dairy Free Community Reviews
We're proud to serve many dairy free customers every day — and to earn their trust over and over again. Here’s what a few of them have said.
“I ordered the hearty pork bowl and added some chicken and avocado and it really hit the spot! Also tried their green smoothie and it was delicious as well. I would highly recommend trying this if you’re looking for something fast, healthy, and delicious. Great with egg/dairy allergy too! Will definitely eat here again when I’m in San Francisco again- maybe even once more before I leave :-)” - Hayley T., San Francisco
“So good! I'm newly gluten and dairy free due to GI issues and this place made my day. New staple for sure.” - Melissa M., Anaheim
“This is the best new restaurant I've tried since moving back to boston! The quality, quantity, price, adherence to allergens, are all unmatched!! Love this place and will be ordering again. Thank you for the dairy free options!!” - Danyele H., Boston
“Ben's is the bomb! We ordered two meals each from there and are set for the next day. It's all whole food, meaning no processed food with healthy grains, like brown rice and millet, lightly steamed vegetables, and delicious meats. The other thing I like about it is that I have a couple friends who are celiac and dairy free and Ben’s is gluten and dairy free. There's also no refined sugar. I want to eat healthy like this and eat delicious food but I don't often have the time to prepare so I end up eating less healthy food at restaurants. I'll definitely be going to Ben's in the future. The price point is Perfect, the food is nutritious and delicious, and all around this is my ideal cuisine. I'll add that a lot of places have been closing down lately because in changes in supply chain. So glad Ben's is now here and that it is also so close to my work.” - Shannon W., Sacramento
“I'm a new mom who is gluten free with a breastfed baby that has intolerances to dairy and soy. This place is a life saver!! I was gifted a bunch of DoorDash credits after birth and this is where they're ALL going! Besides being free of all the allergens I'm avoiding, the food was really tasty and SUPER reasonably priced. I've been running into the issue of trying to find food that meets all my needs and then I'm really paying for it. I bought the pork greens and grains bowl, dessert and even lunch for the next day. All yummy! Thank you! So happy to have found you. - Melissa G., Denver
Why Choose dairy free Fast Food?
Going dairy-free can bring relief and better health to a wide range of people. If you're lactose intolerant, eliminating dairy can help reduce digestive issues like bloating, cramping, and gas. Those with dairy allergies must avoid milk proteins like casein or whey entirely to prevent reactions. Many people also go dairy-free for acne management, reduced inflammation, or simply to feel better day-to-day. Some just want to eat closer to a plant-based lifestyle. At Ben's, we serve all of the above.
Dairy Free Fast Facts
Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose (the natural sugar in milk), and leads to symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and stomach cramps after consuming dairy (Harvard)
About 68 % of people worldwide—and approximately 36 % of individuals in the U.S.—have lactose malabsorption, though not all experience symptoms (NIH)
Certain ethnic and racial groups are more likely to be lactose intolerant: African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, and Hispanics/Latinos are at higher risk (NIH)
Research from Johns Hopkins and meta-analyses found a consistent positive association between milk (especially skim) and moderate-to-severe acne (John’s Hopkins)
Fluid milk consumption continues a long-term decline, falling from roughly 0.78 cup‑equivalents per day in 1990 to only about 0.49 cup in 2019, with particularly sharp drops during the 2010s (USDA)
Dairy Free FAQs
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Yes! Every item at Ben’s Fast Food is made without dairy—from sauces to sides to desserts. No modifications needed.
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Nope. Our sauces are all made from scratch with bold flavors and zero dairy. You won’t find cream, cheese, or butter in any of them.
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We don’t use dairy in our kitchen, and all menu items are made without dairy ingredients. However, as outlined in our dairy risk section above, meals are prepared in shared facilities, and we cannot guarantee zero cross-contact. Please review our full risk statement for details and consult your doctor if you have a medically diagnosed allergy.
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Nope. All our bowls are made gluten-free without any substitutions or modifications needed.
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Favorites include the Chicken Hearty Bowl, Chickpea & Potato Mixed Bowl, Green Smoothie, and Dark Chocolate Cashew Pudding.
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Absolutely. All of our meals are available for both takeout and delivery—fast, fresh, and 100% dairy-free. Whether you're ordering late-night delivery or grabbing something quick between meetings, you never have to worry about hidden dairy in your order. Order online for a fresh, dairy free meal.
Part of a dairy-free Family of Brands
Ben’s Fast Food is part of a family of plant-forward brands, including Umami Express and Palmita. Like Ben’s, both are 100% dairy-free from top to bottom. Whether you’re craving bold Asian fusion or fresh Mexican-inspired bowls, you can count on the same dairy-free commitment across our kitchens.