The Most Mouthwatering Kosher Fast Food Items

Kosher fast food is having a moment, and we are here for it. In the past, people who adhered to a kosher diet were often left out of fast food cheat days and late-night burger runs simply because there wasn't much in the way of inclusive options. Nowadays, numerous fast food restaurants have taken the once-niche kosher concept and grown it into a creative and sought-after culinary experience. In case you need a quick rundown, kosher-approved foods must fit the following basic requirements. They cannot contain pork or shellfish. Eating meat and dairy together is prohibited by fundamental kosher law, as is consuming animal blood.

Kosher-approved foods are not the same as kosher-certified. In order for any food item to receive a federally recognized kosher certification, a rabbi is required to approve all of its ingredients and inspect the kitchen it is prepared in. Fast food chains like Dunkin' and Carvel prioritize these religious guidelines and seek out official kosher certifications for specific locations. On the other hand, vegan or vegetarian fast food eateries that may not be kosher-certified are still met with approval from some kosher eaters because none of the menu items will contain pork or shellfish, or combine meat and dairy. Where kosher eaters feel comfortable ordering food depends on their interpretation of kosher rules (Kashrut). If you'd like some tips on where to find the most mouthwatering kosher fast food items, we suggest you give this list a read.

If you love cold brew and ice cream and haven't been to Carvel recently, it's time to go back. Carvel was the first ice cream retailer in the United States when it opened shop in 1936, just two years after the company laid claim to inventing "The Original Soft Serve"— though the folks at Dairy Queen have a slightly different version of soft serve's birth. What we do give Carvel full credit for is being one of the rare ice cream shops to sell both soft serve and regular churned versions of the same ice cream flavor so that customers with differing preferences can enjoy the same flavors. One flavor worth trying in either texture is Salted Caramel Cold Brew. Oh yeah, and it's kosher.

Intense coffee meets the complex sweetness of salted caramel in one delectable ice cream flavor available seasonally at most Carvel locations nationwide. If you go with the non-soft serve, you'll be treated to an added crunch in the form of vanilla cookie crumbles — which also happen to be gluten-free! The Carvel family has roots in New York City, home to one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities in the world, and this fast food chain has shown a consistent willingness to maintain kosher certifications in many of its locations. In addition to the handful of Kof-K-certified Carvels in New York, facilities in New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, and California are also kosher-certified.

Açai bowls have been a tasty food trend for a while now, but the one from Playa Bowls is spoonfuls of kosher goodness. The Jersey Shore staple has stood out for being particularly kosher-centric from the start. Between its scrumptious and versatile Açai Bowl and many certified kosher locations in New Jersey and New York, there's no question that Playa Bowls is a great snack spot for kosher eaters.

While a good amount of Playa Bowl shops are kosher, the restaurant has more than 170 locations, so the one near you might not carry that kind of label. Don't worry; Playa Bowls' website notes the kosher products carried in its non-kosher-certified facilities. This list includes "blueberry flax granola, cacao nibs, chia seeds, brown sugar, blue agave, maple syrup, peanut butter, matcha, coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, almond butter, flax oil, wheatgrass, coconut flakes, frozen pineapple, frozen banana, frozen mango, frozen strawberries, pitaya, playa acai, playa coconut." One of the big draws toward açai bowls isn't just the sweet taste; they are also known for being a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, with the dark purple tropical fruit often cited as a superfood. While açai and the other fruits stirred into Playa bowls provide nutritional value, choosing toppings like granola, Nutella, (or both!) to make your açai bowl even more delicious will add a lot of sugar.

Carvel and 7-Eleven aren't the only fast food chains offering decadent, kosher-friendly seasonal flavors. Dairy Queen, the Grand Dame of soft serve confections, makes a point to launch limited-release Blizzard flavors multiple times each year — and take them away — then bring them back again. We're spotlighting the Choco-Dipped Strawberry Blizzard, which harmoniously combines the natural sweetness of strawberries with delectable chunks of chocolate and DQ's signature light-as-a-feather soft serve. Blizzards containing crushed candy have stood the test of time for a reason — they are delicious — but there's something about chocolate-covered fruit in an ice cream treat that seems a tad more elevated.

Depending on where you typically get your Dairy Queen fix, the soft serve may have a kosher certification. Dairy Queens in New Jersey and Connecticut have been known to operate under kashrut supervision so that kosher-abiding customers can indulge in Blizzards and other goodies from the historic fast food chain. One of the biggest factors in determining why some foods seem kosher but aren't is the risk of cross-contamination. At a fast food franchise like Dairy Queen, which serves non-kosher foods like cheeseburgers and bacon in most locations, there is no guarantee that utensils or other kitchen items are not coming into contact with food that would otherwise be kosher. For strict followers of a kosher diet, this cross-contamination risk is a deal breaker.

You don't need to be under specific dietary restrictions to enjoy The Shouk Burger at Shouk; non-kosher carnivores love it too! Shouk's unique, critically acclaimed brand of fast food is vegan, halal, and kosher — that means every item at every location (there are three Washington D.C. locations and a fourth one in Rockville, Maryland) is permissible. The Middle Eastern-inspired fast food items Shouk serves are free of processed ingredients, spiced to the nines, and celebrate vegetables in a way few fast-casual eateries can or do. The Shouk Burger patty is packed with a cornucopia of chickpeas, black beans, mushrooms, cauliflower, scallions, and beets, then tucked inside a warm, oven-baked pita with arugula, pickled turnip, tomato jam, charred onions, and tahina (that's tahini made with hulled a.k.a unshelled sesame seeds).

There is much to be tempted by on Shouk's street food-inspired menu, like Shawarma made with savory oyster mushrooms or the herbaceous, crispy falafel, but first-timers should not overlook The Shouk Burger. This burger may seem unassuming, but it's been praised by the likes of Food Network and The Washington Post. But perhaps the best thing about Shouk is its welcoming, considerate nature. Customers whose religious or ethical beliefs don't allow them to eat at any fast food place they come across can feel at ease ordering any of the food at Shouk, a place where the focus is on the betterment of people, animals, and planet Earth.

On-the-go treats can take many forms, but frozen yogurt is arguably one of the greatest. At 16 Handles, you get all the self-serve satisfaction of pulling the handles of your choice and building a saccharine tower of fro-yo drenched in all the fruit and candy of your toppings bar dreams — all while sticking to your kosher diet.

16 Handles sets itself apart from Menchies, Yogurtland, and others by being the first self-serve frozen yogurt shop in all of New York City when it started in 2008. Now, there are 33 locations up and down the east coast, nine of which are in New York City. Although 16 Handles is a franchise, the majority of these establishments have obtained kosher certifications. If you haven't had the pleasure of eating the frozen yogurt from 16 Handles yet, we recommend starting with Tahitian Vanilla. 

This timeless, all-natural flavor is part of 16 Handles' longstanding artisan collection that debuted in 2013 and still churns out some of the most beloved customer picks — in fact, Tahitian Vanilla ranks as 16 Handles' most popular flavor. Tahitian Vanilla isn't just kosher; it's also among the 85 gluten-free frozen yogurts in the 16 Handles repertoire. There are upwards of 50 toppings choices at any given 16 Handles facility ranging from Cocoa Puffs and Froot Loops cereal to fruit snacks, almonds, fruit, cheesecake bites, mochi, various sauces, and a ton of cookies and candy bars.