16 Fast Food Restaurants That Use Real Cheese

Sadly, we’ve come to expect fast-food restaurants to cut corners and use processed (aka fake) cheese, but you might be delighted to discover that a few places still use the real deal.

Real cheese comprises four primary ingredients: milk, starter culture, salt, and enzymes (often rennet). American cheese, on the other hand, is not technically "real" cheese — at least according to the FDA, which considers it to be “pasteurized processed American cheese food.” To be officially considered real cheese, dairy products must contain at least 51% natural cheese. While processed cheese does contain true cheese (often a blend of cheddar and Colby), it doesn't meet that threshold and contains additional ingredients to maintain a consistent color and flavor, and extended shelf-life.

The next time you crave the real deal cheese on the go, keep an eye out for these restaurants.

Note: While the restaurants included here offer real cheese for some of their menu items, many also use processed American cheese for others. 

While its cheddar cheese slices and sauce have a few additives, Jack in the Box’s Swiss cheese is the real thing. It’s even aged over 60 days, which adds to its legitimacy (and flavor).

Despite some rumors that circled the internet a few years ago, Domino’s does in fact, use real cheese on its pizzas and breads. You can find real mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan on the pizzas, as well as provolone and feta. 

While a couple of the items on the menu call for processed American cheese — like the Philly cheesesteak — you can easily substitute if for a different cheese.

If you’ve ever eaten Chick-fil-A’s macaroni and cheese, you already know it’s legit. The chain uses a blend of cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, though it does add a pasteurized processed cheese spread to get that ooey-gooey texture you love.

You would hope that a restaurant specializing in dairy products would use real cheese. Dairy Queen’s got authentic cheese on the menu, including its cheese curds, made from white cheddar, as well as some (though not all) burgers like the Flamethrower topped with Pepper Jack and the chili cheese dogs that use cheddar.

Wendy’s is proud to be the first national fast-food chain to offer fresh mozzarella on its menu. The chain also uses smoked gouda, muenster, blue cheese, asiago, and feta cheese on some of its burgers and chicken sandwiches. Wendy’s cheese fries have 98% cheddar cheese (what’s the other 2%?), and its cheese sauces use cheddar cheese and whole milk. But keep in mind Wendy's still uses American cheese for many of its menu items.

This fast Mexican food brand also uses real-deal cheese, and the brand touts the fact that it only uses natural ingredients and no additives. Its queso has aged cheddar, while its queso blanco is made from aged Monterey Jack and white cheddar that come from small and mid-sized farms in Wisconsin with pasture-raised cows that are not given rBST. The shredded cheese used on burritos, bowls, quesadillas is Montery Jack, too.

Shocking, yes, but this fast-food joint that has long been the favorite of the budget-conscious also uses real cheese on its menu. For example, the soft tacos are sprinkled with cheddar cheese, and the chalupa shells have aged cheddar baked in. Taco Bell also uses a shredded cheese blend for other products and even offers a vegan nacho cheese sauce made from soy. The chain's nacho cheese sauce, on the other hand, is made with nonfat milk, cheese whey, water, vegetable oil, and a host of other ingredients.

Arby’s puts real cheese on some of its sandwiches and uses processed cheese for others. The Classic Beef 'N Cheddar has cheddar cheese sauce, which contains some cheddar cheese. The Classic French Dip & Swiss/Au Jus and Jalapeno Roast Beef Slider both have real Swiss cheese.

Panera Bread, which strives to use high-quality ingredients, uses cheese in several menu items. Its grilled cheese (which is great with tomato soup, by the way) includes cheddar, gruyere, and fontina cheese. Its mac and cheese is made with a creamy cheese sauce and white cheddar cheese.

Another Mexican fast-food restaurant, Qdoba, also includes real cheese in some of its menu items. The Loaded Mexican Street Corn uses cotija cheese, and its cheese blend, which includes Asadero, queso quesadilla, and sharp cheddar cheeses, is available for other menu items.

Another chain that strives to provide quality ingredients, Starbucks uses real cheese on its breakfast sandwiches, including Gruyere, white cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Gouda. It also includes brie, Gouda, and sharp cheddar cheese in its Cheese and Fruit Protein Box.

The next time you’re craving a root beer float, add a side of cheese curds to your order. Don’t worry, they’re real! A&W also uses cheddar cheese that’s aged six weeks on its menu items, as well as mozzarella and Jalapeno Monterey Jack cheese.

Culver’s, a popular Midwest chain, offers cheese curds made of fresh, un-aged white and yellow cheddar cheese. Select burgers are also topped with Swiss cheese.

Order a burger at Five Guys, and you’ll get a slice of Kraft American cheese. The FDA doesn’t consider that actual cheese (it has to have more than 51% real cheese, which Kraft doesn’t), but you can get real cheese on the Patty Melt.

While many of Shake Shack’s burgers are topped with slices of processed American, you can also opt for burgers with Swiss, cheddar, or Jack. Its Shroom burger has a Portobello mushroom stuffed with Gruyere and cheddar. And while its cheese sauce is a blend of American and cheddar, if you're willing to overlook that, it should be generously poured on everything.

You can order Subway’s footlongs with real cheese! Hooray! In the U.S., the chain offers a Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese blend, Pepperjack, and provolone. 

If you care about eating only fast food that has 100% real cheese, read the ingredients beforehand. Many chains only offer real cheese on certain items and may use processed cheese products that have additives that help preserve the food. We know you’re hungry after reading this, so go find a juicy burger with real cheese!

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