Dining out can be challenging if you aim to avoid seed oils such as canola, corn, sunflower, soy, safflower, cottonseed, rapeseed, and rice bran. But if you usually eat seed oil-free at home, you very well know the benefits and how good you feel when doing so. As a certified holistic hormone health practitioner living in Austin who loves food, I’ve created this list of various seed oil-free restaurants in Austin, TX that I’ve dined at myself.
These restaurants cook with either butter, olive oil, tallow or other animal-based fats, coconut oil, and/or avocado oil. While the restaurants listed below are not all 100% seed oil-free, they at least have seed oil-free options! I’ve also noted their other dietary-friendly options as well such as being gluten-free or refined sugar-free.
The Well is a local restaurant downtown that serves up delicious, healthy meals using only clean and local ingredients. They are 100% seed-oil-free, refined sugar-free, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and GMO-free. It’s perfect for a fancy date night out or vibey brunch. I also highly recommend any of their mocktails and their chips and guacamole.
Ziki has multiple locations all over Austin in bright pink food trucks you can’t miss. They are 100% seed-oil-free and have unique food with a Mexican and Greek twist. Ziki states they use tallow, butter, and olive oil. You can get gyro bowls, burritos, burgers and fries, and even dessert here. You can easily modify a dish to be dairy or gluten-free as needed — I usually opt for a gyro bowl with tahini instead of tzatziki to have a gluten and dairy-free option.
Picnik is a super cute restaurant with multiple locations that are 100% gluten-free, seed oil-free, refined sugar-free, and peanut-free. It’s a perfect brunch spot with lots of cafe-type drinks to choose from. They state they use cold-pressed avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil to cook with. From my personal experience, they are super accommodating to other dietary restrictions. In fact, a server there once said “That’s what we’re here for, you can make all the modifications you need so you can eat” after I kept apologizing for all the modifications I was making to a breakfast sandwich.
Dai Due is a restaurant gem using local ingredients that help support local farmers. Because of this, their menu is constantly changing. A lot if not all of the food is organic and you can rest assured the meat is of the highest quality with a good amount being wild game. They made this list because they are 100% seed-oil-free. Right on their website they say they cook with Texas olive oil, animal fats from hogs, beef, chicken, and duck, and butter. They deep fry food in beef tallow and their mayo is made with Zero Acres.
If you’re in the mood for steak frites minus the seed oil then Salt & Time is your best bet. They deep fry their fries and Brussels sprouts in beef tallow and cook the steaks in butter. This is a great spot for a happy hour and to pick up some local meats as well with half the place being the butcher shop.
This is my go-to when I want Thai food that’s good, gluten-free, and seed-oil-free. Thai Fresh is not a dedicated seed oil-free restaurant but you can request any dish to be cooked in avocado oil for an upcharge, even when ordering online. Most of the menu is or can be made gluten-free including their desserts! They also carry Gati’s dairy-free ice cream which is one of my favorite ice cream shops. They can even make gluten-free fried chicken and waffles.
Ranch Hand is a local food truck that is a protein-focused health food spot using only local, pasture-raised animal protein. They are 100% seed oil free, only cooking with olive oil, including all of the sauces. You can order delicious bowls here. You can find their truck located at Armadillo Den!
Devil May Care is an underground lounge where you can get bar food without all the seed oils which range from falafel to french fries. Their food is Mediterranean style and super good.
While I’m not 100% sure if they don’t use seed oils in some dishes, Salty Sow is a farm-to-table restaurant that serves triple duck-fat fried fries. Need I say more? If you’re into high-quality protein-rich meals — this is your place. They focus on mindfully sourced ingredients from local farms and have a great happy hour to sample the menu (including the fries)!
The Roots Chicken Shak is located inside the Mueller HEB at the food court which is fortunately in my neighborhood. They focus on southern food like deep-fried chicken tenders and sandwiches which are all fried in duck fat. They also have duck fat fried fries which are my absolute favorite snack to get.
True Food Kitchen only cooks with avocado and olive oils. Some of their Asian-inspired meals however may have sesame oil in them for flavor. Still, this is a great option for those looking to eat clean, and organic, and have various dietary restrictions. There are two locations in Austin.
Sweet Green locations recently went seed oil-free, switching over to avocado and olive oil. This is my go-to when I want a quick and healthy meal that I can totally modify to my preference. Whether you’re in the mood for an organic grain bowl or fresh salad, Sweet Green is sure to satisfy that craving. There’s a bunch of these all over Austin.
Hopdoddy is a great local burger joint. They recently switched to using Zero Acres, which is an oil from fermented sugar cane. I know this oil is super controversial right now, and I’m not so sure about it myself over other options we know are safe for the body. However, it may possibly be better than seed oils, so I still wanted to list this seed oil-free restaurant option so you can make your own decision.
Casa De Luz is a 100% organic, vegan, oil and refined sugar-free restaurant. While I do not support vegan diets from a hormonal health perspective, they are oil-free and offer health-conscious meals in a beautiful outdoor space. If anything, you can get dessert or a snack here with peace of mind!
15. Nourished ATX
Another seed oil free gem in South Austin, this food truck is all about cleaning eating. With a focus on gut-friendly and adaptogenic food and beverage, all menu items are locally & regeneratively sourced, seasonal, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar and organic when possible.
I hope this guide to seed oil-free restaurants in Austin, Texas was helpful! If you know of any others who aren’t on this list and should be, please comment below so I can continue growing this resource. Stay tuned for my gluten and dairy-free guide to Austin, but in the meantime if you love to travel like I do but still want to nourish yourself, check out my other resources:
