REGIONAL CHAIN · PACIFIC NORTHWEST · FOUNDED 1954
Dick's Drive-In
Seattle icon since 1954. Three ingredients: potato, sunflower oil, salt.
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At a glance
Vegetarian
Suitable
Three ingredients total: potato, sunflower oil, salt. Fully plant-based.
Vegan
Suitable
No animal ingredients. Sunflower oil. The Dick's menu has no breaded fried items — zero cross-contact vectors.
Gluten-Free
Suitable
No wheat in the fries. The entire Dick's menu consists of burgers, fries, and milkshakes — no breaded or battered items share the fryer because no such items exist.
Dairy-Free
Suitable
No dairy in fries or oil. Only dairy items on the menu (milkshakes, ice cream) are prepared separately.
Kosher
Caution
Ingredients kosher-compatible; no kosher certification.
Halal
Caution
Ingredients halal-compatible; no halal certification.
Dick's Drive-In is the seventh all-green chain on Frypedia — and the first to achieve it through menu simplicity rather than explicit fryer policy. Since 1954, the Seattle institution has served three things: burgers, fries, and milkshakes. No breaded chicken, no fried fish, no onion rings, no cheese sticks. Just potatoes hand-cut from Washington (or occasionally Idaho) potatoes, fried in all-natural sunflower oil, finished with salt. The fryer is effectively dedicated because there's nothing else to put in it. A simpler answer than any other chain in the atlas.
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Nutrition facts
Dick's Drive-In's published nutrition data for the serving size most comparable to an industry "medium" order. Values shown are per-serving and calculated against FDA 2020 Daily Values.
For comparison across chains, see our rankings pages — lowest sodium, lowest saturated fat, lowest calorie, and more.
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Ingredients, line by line
Annotated ingredient list
- Washington (Eastern WA) or Idaho potatoes Fine — Fresh potatoes from Eastern Washington, with Idaho as a backup during lean harvests. Hand-cut, washed, soaked, and fried in-store.
- All-natural sunflower oil Fine — Trans-fat-free. Same oil family In-N-Out uses. One of the cleaner oil choices in fast food.
- Salt Fine — Just a dash, applied after frying.
VERBATIM FROM DICK'S DRIVE-IN ⓘ
"Our famous fries start with fresh potatoes from Eastern Washington. Washed, hand-cut, soaked, and fried in all-natural sunflower oil, then finished with just a dash of salt — simple, local, and irresistibly tasty." And from their FAQ: "Our fries are hand-cut from real potatoes and cooked in trans fat-free sunflower oil and finished with salt."
Menu simplicity is the feature
The entire Dick's Drive-In menu: Deluxe Burger, Special Burger, Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Fries, Milkshakes (7 flavors), and coffee. That's it. There's nothing battered or breaded anywhere on the premises. The fryer therefore cooks exactly one thing: fries. For celiac disease, this is as clean as it gets — cleaner than chains with explicit "dedicated fryer" policies, because cross-contact isn't just avoided, it's architecturally impossible.
A note on the fry style
Dick's fries have been described (accurately) as "greasy, limp, and incredibly popular" — the result of a single-drop frying technique (no double-fry) that produces a softer exterior than modern fast-food standards. This is a style choice, not a flaw. Seattleites have loved these exact fries since 1954, and Dick's has refused to modernize. If you prefer crisp shoestrings, you'll want other chains. If you want the authentic 1954 diner fry, this is it.
Seattle's institution
Dick's Drive-In opened in 1954 in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. Eight locations today, all in the Puget Sound region. Known for their $1.75 fries (as of 2026), real ice cream milkshakes hand-dipped and "individually whipped," and a staff wage policy that's been notable in Seattle fast-food labor discussions. Owned by the Spady family since founding.
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Oil & fryer setup
Primary oil
All-natural sunflower oil
Trans-fat-free sunflower oil. Same oil family as In-N-Out. A cleaner choice than standard vegetable blends.
Fryer setup
Dedicated (by menu design)
No breaded items on the Dick's menu anywhere, ever. The fryer therefore cooks only french fries — cross-contact is architecturally impossible rather than operationally controlled.
Cross-contamination
None
The only allergens potentially in the fry environment are sunflower seeds (via the oil). No wheat, dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, soy, or peanut ever enters the fry oil.
Format
Hand-cut, single-fry
Hand-cut Washington or Idaho potatoes, soaked in water to remove starch, single-fried. Results in a softer, more potato-forward exterior than double-fried chains.
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Top-9 allergen status
Per the FDA's nine major allergens, as disclosed by Dick's Drive-In for Hand-Cut Fries.
✓ Milk
✓ Wheat
✓ Egg
✓ Soy
✓ Peanut
✓ Tree Nut
✓ Fish
✓ Shellfish
✓ Sesame
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Frequently asked questions
Are Dick's Drive-In's fries vegan?
Yes — Dick's Drive-In's fries are vegan by ingredient. No animal ingredients. Sunflower oil. The Dick's menu has no breaded fried items — zero cross-contact vectors.
Are Dick's Drive-In's fries gluten-free?
Yes — Dick's Drive-In's fries are gluten-free by both ingredient and preparation. No wheat in the fries. The entire Dick's menu consists of burgers, fries, and milkshakes — no breaded or battered items share the fryer because no such items exist.
What oil are Dick's Drive-In's fries cooked in?
Dick's Drive-In's fries are cooked in All-natural sunflower oil. Full oil and fryer details — including whether the fryer is shared with breaded items — are documented on this page.
Are Dick's Drive-In's fries dairy-free?
Yes — Dick's Drive-In's fries are dairy-free by ingredient and preparation. No dairy in fries or oil. Only dairy items on the menu (milkshakes, ice cream) are prepared separately.
How many calories are in Dick's Drive-In's fries?
A regular fries order of Dick's Drive-In's fries contains 300 calories, 14g total fat (1.5g saturated fat), 270mg sodium, 40g carbs, and 4g protein. Source: Dick's Drive-In official site; estimates cross-checked with industry averages.
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In the wild
Dick's iconic burger-fries-shake trio, virtually unchanged since 1954.
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Sources
Every claim on this page is sourced. If a source is wrong, dated, or missing, tell us — we update quickly.
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Important — read before you eat
Ingredient formulations change, sometimes with no public announcement. Allergen risk at any fast-food restaurant depends on the specific location, the time of day, and the staff on shift. For severe allergies, confirm ingredients with the restaurant at the point of ordering, and when in doubt, ask about fryer and equipment cross-contact. This page is an independent reference — not medical advice.
