9 Fast Food Chains That Use Real Cheese

When you picture your favorite fast food order, chances are good you'll find cheese somewhere on the ingredient list. Whether it's a juicy smashburger or a crispy crunchwrap, cheese is often the backbone of fast food, adding a creamy and melty burst to the most indulgent of dishes. Unfortunately, in order to achieve the "fast" aspect of fast food, many chains have sacrificed ingredient quality for the sake of efficiency and profits — meaning real cheese is no longer used by certain restaurants. Thankfully, this isn't an issue everywhere, and many fast food joints still prioritize using real cheese in dishes.

Now, if you search for an image of a cheeseburger online, you'll likely see a beef patty on a bun, with shiny yellow corners of American cheese peeking through. American cheese, however, is not technically classified as cheese; after all, according to the FDA, a dairy product must contain at least 51% cheese curds to be considered "real."

Fortunately, many cheeses qualify as such under those standards, including cheddar and mozzarella. As a result, even in a sea of made-to-order restaurants with questionable cheeses, a few major chains have chosen to opt for quality by sticking with the real deal. Here are nine fast food chains that use real cheese.

Famous for its bread bowls, fresh sandwiches, and array of drink options, Panera Bread is relatively unique in the realm of fast-casual dining. The chain prioritizes the use of high-quality ingredients, stemming from its 1987 origins as the St. Louis Bread Company. The original bakery made fresh-baked bread daily, using a sourdough starter from San Francisco – Panera's sourdough bread starter is over 30 years old. The chain's commitment to freshness and quality has permeated its entire menu, in fact, and its cheese is no exception.

One of Panera Bread's most popular menu items, mac and cheese, is made with real cheddar cheese, and a cheese sauce that incorporates aged white cheddar, as well. Its mac and cheese is made off-site and subsequently frozen in a vacuum-sealed bag, with locations reheating the dish in store. This process was chosen so that preservatives don't need to be added. While other chains may use processed cheeses or even powdered ones, Panera's food production process ensures these cheesy dishes have a natural and authentic flavor.

Unsurprisingly, its efforts aren't solely limited to Panera's cheese-based products. Over the years, Panera Bread has removed artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors, and flavors from all of its food. Not only that, cage-free eggs are used for all breakfast sandwiches, and its menu items with chicken use poultry that's antibiotic-free.

You can't walk very far without encountering a Starbucks at some point on your journey. Its famous green and white logo is like its very own Bat-symbol, luring you in for sweet cream cold brews and crispy grilled cheeses. And if you happen to stop in for a bite and peruse the menu, you'll find American cheese isn't included in any of the dishes. Instead, you'll see a number of real cheeses offered among various options.

The chain uses gouda and cheddar on its egg sandwiches, brie in its cheese and fruit protein box, and gruyère in its popular bacon and gruyére egg bites (which you can make at home). While other fast food chains tend to use the same one or two cheeses in products, Starbucks uses over ½ dozen different varieties.

More than that, its menu implements a diverse array of ingredients for both on-the-go bites and sit-down meals. If you're looking for a more decadent cheesy treat, the coffee house chain also has ham and Swiss croissants, as well as cheese danishes. This isn't surprising, of course, given Starbucks is known to prioritize sustainability, ethical sourcing, and using high-quality ingredients.

Whether you're craving the crispiness of a Crunchwrap supreme or looking to quench your thirst with a refreshing Baja Blast, one thing is certain: Taco Bell has mastered the art of Mexican-inspired fast food. Its extensive menu, generally affordable pricing, and speedy order prep make it appealing to consumers across the country. Of course, as a chain making dishes like tacos, quesadillas, and burritos, you'd expect cheese to be a focal point, and much of Taco Bell's cheese is indeed the real deal.

For items like the Doritos Locos tacos, the fast food chain uses cheddar cheese inside the shell, while many of its other menu items feature a three-cheese blend combining shredded mozzarella, pepper jack, and cheddar cheeses. Beloved Taco Bell menu items like the cheesy gordita crunch and chicken quesadilla rely on this cheese blend as part of their signature flavors, in fact.

The chain's ingredients (both cheese and otherwise) are also generally sourced from well-known suppliers. Brands like Mission, Hass, and Tyson are among those that supply Taco Bell. Plus, the company opts for natural alternatives over artificial coloring or flavoring when possible, as well.

Nothing may be better than finally getting to the top of the line at Chipotle and looking over the diverse array of bases and toppings available to you. With an assembly line serving style, customers can see every ingredient Chipotle has to offer, then choose exactly what they want in their dish. This is great whether you're craving a kick of spice from the chain's tomatillo-red chili salsa (which has gotten spicier) or richness from velvety queso blanco. Chipotle has fresh and authentic ingredient options for all palates, so it makes sense it uses real cheese, too.

To be sure, the chain prides itself on using dozens of real ingredients, with white cheddar and Monterey Jack among the real cheeses used by Chipotle. Monterey Jack is the only shredded cheese available for tacos, burritos, and bowls, in fact, due to its high moisture and fat content. White cheddar has a more lumpy consistency and sharper flavor, after all, so isn't offered as a shredded topping; rather, it's used in Chipotle's all-natural queso.

Chipotle uses no industrial additives in its food, and sources many of its produce from local suppliers and farms. Some of Chipotle's cheese suppliers include Meister Cheese and Petaluma Creamery. Furthermore, the food chain sources its cheese and sour cream from pasture-raised cows that aren't given rBST, a synthetic hormone often given to cows to increase milk production.

Even though Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays (while competitors are open), it's surpassed most other chicken joints to become one of the largest fast food chains in the U.S. The key to Chick-fil-A's success comes from its exceptional customer service and limited menu. Unsurprisingly, on that small but mighty menu, there are a variety of real cheeses to choose from.

Interestingly enough, Chick-fil-A didn't initially serve cheese on its classic chicken sandwiches. Over the years, though, the menu has evolved, and cheese options have become available. While American cheese is an option, Chick-fil-A also has pepper jack and Colby Jack cheeses available for chicken sandwiches. One of the most popular side dishes at the chicken restaurant is mac and cheese, which is made using a blend of cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses.

Chick-fil-A sources its produce from California and Arizona, with certain ingredients (like apples) coming from regional farms. It uses boneless chicken breast with no fillers or added steroids, from chickens raised both cage- and antibiotic-free. And although Chick-fil-A doesn't specify on its website, the real cheese it uses is likely produced on U.S. farms, as well.

If there's one place you'd hope would have real cheese on the menu, it's a sandwich shop. Luckily, if you go to a Jimmy John's, you are guaranteed fresh ingredients every step of the way.

At Jimmy John's, its French bread is baked fresh while its meat is sliced in-house. Of course, the provolone cheese it frequently features on its sandwiches is also freshly sliced in-house each day. Although the majority of the chain's sandwich options use provolone, two sandwiches use other cheeses. Jimmy John's toasted sandwiches, released in February 2025, includes the ultimate Italian, which uses both provolone and parmesan; the roast beef & cheddar, meanwhile, uses, well ... cheddar cheese (as you might imagine).

Although customers may prefer if there were other cheese options, Jimmy John's keeps its menu limited for a specific reason: It helps the company maintain its "Freaky Fresh! Freaky Fast!" sandwich preparations and delivery speed. Jimmy John's takes online orders, as well, but still uses its own delivery drivers to ensure the sandwiches remain fresh and at your door quickly.

If there's one thing Del Taco has mastered, it's generous cheese portions. Whether it's a grilled chicken taco or a crunchtata tostata, a heaping mound of real grated cheddar is guaranteed. If you order any quesadilla from the Del Taco menu, you'll be met with a mouthful of that same grated cheese. The restaurant uses cheddar cheese on most of its burritos and tacos, in fact, which is always grated in-house.

Each year, Del Taco restaurants go through millions of pounds of cheese. In other words, when it comes to using real cheese, Del Taco doesn't play around. Unsurprisingly, its other ingredients are held to the same quality. The beans for Del Taco's burritos are slow-cooked and made from scratch, while its pico de gallo is house-made, as well.

Though there are close to 600 Del Taco locations around the U.S. as of July 2025, affordability and quality remain a priority for the chains — even beyond the use of real cheese. It offers deals on many menu items, and uses fresh and authentic ingredients in all of its made-to-order products.

When you think of Popeyes, you might have its iconic jingle "love that chicken from Popeyes" playing on a loop in your head. Or maybe you're thinking of the chicken sandwich wars, where Popeyes and Chick-fil-A went head to head over which fried chicken sandwich was superior. Either way, Popeyes has ingrained itself as a major player in the U.S. fast food world. It's commitment to quality has grown with it, as well, and the fast food chain prioritizes the use of real ingredients, like cheese.

Although mostly known for its New Orleans-style fried chicken, the Popeyes menu has expanded over the years, including the addition of some delicious cheesy options. If you're looking for a rich and melty bite, Popeye's homestyle mac and cheese is the best choice to satisfy those cravings. The mac and cheese is filled with cream, butter, and real cheddar cheese in a gooey, savory sauce. The cheesy pasta is then topped with shredded cheddar to provide a homestyle feel.

Additionally, if you want some melted cheese to balance out the crisp, flaky chicken, go for the bacon and cheese chicken sandwiches. With both classic and spicy options, each sandwich gets topped with a slice of buttery Havarti cheese. If you're looking to try something totally new, Popeyes launched chicken wraps in June 2025, featuring a breaded chicken tender with lettuce, pickles, real shredded cheese, and mustard wrapped in a flour tortilla.

If you don't know Wendy's from its iconic square-shaped burgers, you may recognize it from its classic claim of using fresh, never frozen beef. That slogan has been used throughout its history to differentiate itself from its competitors that use frozen patties. In other words, Wendy's has always prided itself on using top-notch ingredients, which applies to many of the cheeses it uses, as well.

Although the chain uses American cheese on many of its cheeseburgers — which, again, the FDA does not consider real cheese – many of Wendy's other menu items use the real deal. Over the years, menu items have featured fresh mozzarella, smoked gouda, blue cheese, asiago, and feta cheeses. Of course, the company continues to experiment with the different cheeses featured on its menu, especially in limited-time meals.

For example, the chain's Takis Fuego meal, released in June 2025, includes a spicy chicken sandwich with a creamy street corn topping and a gooey cheddar cheese sauce. The street corn topping uses Neufchâtel cheese, which is a tangy spreadable cheese similar to cream cheese. The spread also uses cotija cheese, which is a salty, crumbly cheese often paired with corn in dishes. If you're craving a crispy reprieve from the cheesiness of the sandwich, the Wendy's Takis meal also comes with ultra-spicy shaken fries as a side.