The Best & Worst Menu Items at Red Robin, According to a Dietitian

Red Robin is known for its burgers, but the menu offers far more than a traditional beef patty. If you are headed to Red Robin, you may be interested in how to choose a meal to optimize your health and weight goals. To help you, we've narrowed down the best and worst menu options in several categories. Knowing the best options on the menu and which to stay away from can help meet your goals.

The best items on this list have a few things in common. You won't find many fried items on the best list because fried foods tend to be high in fat and calories and don't provide a wide range of micronutrients. Additionally, you may notice the best items are more simple, without special sauces, tons of ingredients, and specialty toppings. Keeping your order simple at a fast-food restaurant is an excellent way to keep calories more reasonable.

With these things in mind, here are the 20 best and worst menu items at Red Robin, divided by menu categories. Read on, then check out 20 High-Protein Fast-Food Meals.

Burgers/ Tavern Burgers/ Veggie & More

Best: Keep It Simple, Veggie Patty

This may be one of the healthiest orders on the entire menu. With 10 grams of filling fiber and only 2 grams of saturated fat, this veggie burger is a healthy choice. Although it only has 15 grams of protein, its modest calorie count allows room to add additional protein from a slice of cheese or a side of sauteed mushrooms for an extra 7 grams.

 6 Healthiest Veggie Burgers—and 5 To Avoid, According to Dietitians

Best: The Wedgie

If you want a high-protein, low-carb meal, the Wedgie Burger is for you. This option foregoes a traditional bun in favor of a lettuce wrap. Your patty also comes with bacon and avocado, providing plenty of flavor with filling protein and fiber. At only 540 calories, this meal fits into many calorie budgets. If it's too high for you, skip the bacon to save about 100 calories.

Worst: Monster Burger

It may come as no surprise that a burger that packs two patties, two slices of cheese, mayo, ketchup, and veggies comes with a high calorie count. The Monster Burger clocks in at more than 1,200 calories, not including the side of fries. Skip this option in favor of the Keep It Simple burger, which is available with a traditional beef patty.

 The #1 Healthiest Burger at 10 Major Restaurant Chains

Worst: Whiskey River BBQ

Red Robin offers several meals made with Whiskey River BBQ sauce. While this adds flavor to the meal, it packs extra calories and added sugar. This burger also gets empty calories from the crispy onion straws. At more than 1,100 calories, this meal will take a big chunk out of your daily budget. Skip the cheese and fried onions to save some calories, and go with the side of steamed broccoli for a more reasonable meal.

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Wraps & Sandwiches

Best: Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich

This unique take on a grilled chicken sandwich includes grilled pineapple and teriyaki sauce. Although the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich does have a relatively high-calorie count, you can cut this by skipping the mayo and eating it open-faced. For even more calorie savings, skip the Swiss cheese.

 8 Healthiest Fast-Food Chicken Sandwiches

Worst: Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Another Whiskey River BBQ option, this sandwich may come with grilled chicken, but the fried onions, sweetened sauce, cheese, and mayo pack a calorie punch. This option can be much healthier by skipping half the bun and ordering the sandwich without fried onions, mayo, and cheese.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

 The #1 Unhealthiest Chicken Sandwich at 11 Major Restaurant Chains

Entrees

Best: Ensenada Chicken Platter

Although the Ensenada Chicken Platter provides a day's worth of sodium, the rest of its nutrition metrics are impressive. At only 400 calories, you get two chicken breasts topped with salsa and a side salad with cheese and tortilla strips. There is more than enough protein here, so save some of the chicken for a later meal.

 15 Best Chicken Chains in America

Worst: Buzz-Style Clucks & Fries

It is hard for fried chicken not to make the "worst" list. Not only are the chicken tenders fried in this meal, but they are also drenched in sauce and come with a side of blue cheese dressing and fries. You have a calorie-packed meal that provides few micronutrients for more than 1,600 calories and nearly two days' worth of fat. Skip this option all together.

Salads

Best: Simply Grilled Chicken Salad

The Simply Grilled Chicken Salad is a great option at Red Robin. Its low calories allow room to include other food in your meal, and the 35 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber make it filling. Adding dressing to your salad will increase calories, but to keep it reasonable, use fresh salsa for only 15 calories per serving.

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Worst: Crispy Chicken Tender Salad

The Crispy Chicken Tender Salad may provide 7 grams of fiber but also has a day's worth of fat. Even worse, this count doesn't even include the salad dressing, which could add a few hundred more calories. You can substitute fried chicken or grilled chicken to make this meal healthier or go with the simply grilled chicken salad.

 10 Unhealthiest Restaurant Salads—Ranked by Sugar Content

Appetizers (Excluding Wings)

Best: Pretzel Bites

Don't be fooled by the Pretzel Bites on the best list. While they made the cut, they are still not food you should overindulge in. Compared to most other appetizers, they provide 9 grams of fiber and relatively low saturated fat, but this app is still best enjoyed amongst a group. A few bites won't set you back too much, so enjoy a reasonable portion to save room for a healthy meal.

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Worst: Towering Onion Rings

Onions may be a vegetable, but when battered, fried, and served with mayo and ranch, you have the makings of a high-calorie appetizer. The Towering Onion Rings come with 13 onion rings, meaning each ring provides nearly 100 calories (including some dip). Unfortunately, those calories won't be very filling, so skip this app in favor of some onion strings in your entrée instead.

Wings

Best: Red's Bold Boneless Plain

Although these plain wings provide more than 800 calories, they are still the best option on the wing menu. Enjoying them without sauce saves several grams of added sugar while providing more than 20 grams of protein. You'll get some fiber from the Yukon chips on the side, or skip the chips in favor of steamed broccoli for a lower-calorie side that packs fiber.

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Worst: Bone-in Wings with Whiskey River Sauce

The Whiskey River sauce on these wings packs quite a bit of added sugar. They also contain 30 grams of saturated fat and enough sodium for the day. Stick with plain wings, avoid dipping sauce if you must get wings, and share them with a few people to keep more reasonable calories.

Desserts & Milkshakes

Best: Fudge-Filled Chocolate Chip Cookie

You know it's an indulgent dessert menu when the best option is a fudge-filled cookie. At 350 calories, this is the lowest calorie option among the desserts and provides the least sugar and carbs. You're still best off sharing this with someone or enjoying a more reasonable dessert at home.

 14 Healthiest Fast-Food Desserts

Worst: Cinnamon Sugar Towering Doh! Rings

With more than 1,500 calories, this dessert packs more energy than many of the meals on this list. You'll also get 124 grams of sugar, far exceeding the recommended daily intake. Sure, you get a few grams of fiber and protein, but that isn't enough to make this a reasonable dessert.

Sides

Best: Steamed Broccoli

Although not the most exciting side on the menu, steamed broccoli is hard to beat. With only 30 calories, this side will add volume and fiber to your meal without taking much from your calorie budget. You could ask for a double side of this veggie to boost fiber even more, making for a more filling meal.

 9 Fast-Food Chains With the Best Sides

Worst: Yukon Chips

What these Yukon Chips have going for them is no added sugar and an impressive amount of fiber. Unfortunately, nearly all of their fat is saturated, making them especially unhealthy. You are better off with a serving of fries that only provides 3 grams of saturated fat and 360 calories.

Pizza

Best: Very Vegy Pizza 12-Inch (Cauliflower Crust)

This pizza only provides 70 calories per serving, which allows you to have multiple servings for a very reasonable number of calories. Toppings include spinach, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes; you can ask for extra vegetables for extra volume in your meal.

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Worst: Founder's Favorite 14-Inch (Famous Thin Crust)

Although this option has more protein per serving, it provides more than double the calories. At three slices, you're close to 500 calories, more than many people need in an entree. Skip the pepperoni or sausage topping for extra ham to lower the fat and calorie count, and add some veggie toppings for a nutrient boost.