Ever stood in front of a restaurant menu wondering exactly what your food was cooked in? You're not alone. If you've been paying more attention to ingredient lists at the grocery store, chances are you've started wondering about the oils used at your favorite lunch spot, too. Good news: you're part of a much bigger conversation, and restaurants are starting to listen.
Across the country, well known chains and local favorites are rethinking the oils they cook with. Instead of reaching for the same industrial seed oils used for decades, many are turning to options like olive oil, avocado oil, butter, and beef tallow. Let's take a look at who's leading this shift and why it matters to you.
Why the Shift Away from Seed Oils Is Happening
So what's behind this change? A lot of it comes down to a growing conversation about balance. Many common seed oils, like canola, soybean, corn, and sunflower oil, are high in omega-6 fatty acids. Some research suggests that when omega-6 intake is high relative to omega-3, it may promote inflammation in the body. That's led plenty of diners, and now plenty of restaurants, to start asking better questions about what's in the pan.
People want real ingredients they can recognize and understand. That desire for transparency is pushing restaurants toward oils that have been part of traditional cooking for generations.
Restaurants Leading the Change
Sweetgreen: Rethinking How Veggies and Proteins Get Cooked
Sweetgreen has spent time transitioning to extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil for roasting its vegetables and proteins. Co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman shared on social media that the brand rolled out its first seed oil free menu. According to Sweetgreen, the company believes thoughtfully chosen ingredients and transparency matter, and this move is part of a broader effort to prioritize ingredients that feel good going into your body.
Steak 'N Shake: Bringing Back Beef Tallow and Butter
Steak 'N Shake has been working with suppliers to move away from seed oils. Their fries, onion rings, and chicken tenders are now cooked in 100% beef tallow according to the company, a traditional fat with a long cooking history. The chain has also announced a switch to Grade A Wisconsin butter for select burgers and sandwiches that previously used a seed oil blend. If you're curious about how tallow stacks up, our deep dive on beef tallow is a good place to start.
Starbucks: Exploring New Oil Options
Even coffee shop staples are getting a second look. Starbucks has reportedly been exploring ways to remove canola oil from parts of its U.S. food menu, including considering an avocado oil based egg bite. No firm timeline has been announced, but it's a sign of just how much consumer demand is shaping menu decisions industry wide.
True Food Kitchen: A Menu Built Around Avocado and Olive Oil
True Food Kitchen has been especially vocal about this transition, having started the process back in 2022. The chain has said it now cooks almost exclusively with avocado and olive oils across its locations. According to the company's own stated mission, they believe in real food that nourishes and supports a better lifestyle, crafting dishes designed to be rich in flavor and texture.
What This Means for You at the Table
You don't need a culinary degree to start noticing these changes. Here are a few easy ways to stay in the loop when you're dining out:
- Check restaurant websites or social pages for ingredient and oil transparency updates
- Ask your server what oil dishes are cooked in, more places are training staff to answer this confidently
- Look for menu callouts about avocado oil, olive oil, butter, or tallow
- Support local spots making similar shifts, not just the big chains
If you want to go deeper on identifying seed oils in general, our guide to canola oil and our complete guide to seed oils break things down in simple terms.
The Future of Dining Looks Bright
It's genuinely encouraging to watch restaurants big and small rethink what's in the pan. This shift toward avocado oil, olive oil, butter, and beef tallow reflects something bigger: a collective move toward ingredients we can understand and feel good about choosing. Restaurants ditching seed oils for these traditional fats is just one part of a larger story about how food culture is evolving, one thoughtful ingredient swap at a time.
The next time you're deciding where to grab lunch, take a moment to notice what's on the menu, and celebrate the places putting in the effort. Small choices, made consistently, add up to a lifestyle you can feel proud of.
Read next: The Complete Guide to Seed Oils
