Potbelly Seed Oil Report Card
Based on our menu research, Potbelly cooks with: soybean oil. Across the 179 menu items we analyzed, it averages 5.7g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
What oil does Potbelly fry in? The full answer
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Safest Orders at Potbelly
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
Cleanest full order: Garden Vegetable Soup + Potbelly Whole Pickle + Bottled Water, 0.0g total
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Grilled Cheese (Skinny) | 0.9g |
| Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Cup) | 1.5g |
| Grilled Chicken & Cheddar (Regular) | 1.6g |
| Grilled Cheese (Regular) | 1.6g |
| Oatmeal | 2.0g |
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Build my orderWhat to Avoid at Potbelly
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Apple Walnut Salad | 43.4g |
| Chicken Salad Salad | 32.6g |
| Farmhouse Salad | 30.9g |
| Chicken Salad (Big) | 24.9g |
| Apple Walnut Salad (Half) | 21.3g |
Every Potbelly item, ranked
All 179 items we have for Potbelly, safest first. Values are estimated grams of seed-oil PUFA per item.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Garden Vegetable Soup | 0.0g |
| Potbelly Whole Pickle | 0.0g |
| Fountain Drink | 0.0g |
| Gold Peak Sweet Tea | 0.0g |
| IBC Cream Soda | 0.0g |
| San Pellegrino Blood Orange | 0.0g |
| Red Wine Vinegar | 0.0g |
| Brown Mustard | 0.0g |
| Fountain Diet Coke (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Sprite (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Garden Vegetable Soup (Cup) | 0.0g |
| San Pellegrino | 0.0g |
| Crush | 0.0g |
| Fountain Fanta Orange (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| IBC Root Beer | 0.0g |
| Arizona Tea | 0.0g |
| Fountain Coke (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Coke Zero Sugar (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Diet Dr Pepper (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Dr Pepper (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Minute Maid Lemonade (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Coke Zero Sugar 20 oz Bottle | 0.0g |
| Fountain Fuze Raspberry Tea (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Diet Coke 20 oz Bottle | 0.0g |
| Fountain Diet Coke (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Powerade Mountain Berry Blast | 0.0g |
| Fountain Unsweetened Iced Tea (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Cherry Coke 20 oz Bottle | 0.0g |
| Fountain Coke (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Unsweetened Iced Tea (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Sprite 20 oz Bottle | 0.0g |
| Nantucket Nectars Orange Mango | 0.0g |
| Coke 20 oz Bottle | 0.0g |
| Fountain Dr Pepper (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Sweetened Iced Tea (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Smartwater | 0.0g |
| Fountain Fanta Orange (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Fuze Raspberry Tea (32 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Minute Maid Lemonade (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Vitamin Water XXX Acai Blue Pomegranate | 0.0g |
| Fountain Coke Zero Sugar (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Diet Dr Pepper (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Fountain Sprite (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Vitamin Water Squeezed Lemonade | 0.0g |
| Fountain Sweetened Iced Tea (22 fl oz) | 0.0g |
| Bottled Water | 0.0g |
| Sweet Heat BBQ | 0.2g |
| Grilled Cheese (Skinny) | 0.9g |
| Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Cup) | 0.9g |
| Chocolate Smoothie | 1.0g |
| Vanilla Smoothie | 1.0g |
| Strawberry Smoothie | 1.0g |
| Broccoli Cheddar Soup | 1.3g |
| Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Cup) | 1.5g |
| Grilled Chicken & Cheddar (Regular) | 1.6g |
| Grilled Cheese (Regular) | 1.6g |
| Dream Bar | 1.8g |
| English Toffee Shake | 1.8g |
| Chocolate Shake | 1.9g |
| Strawberry Shake | 1.9g |
| Ice Cream Sandwich | 1.9g |
| Cold Brew Shake | 1.9g |
| Banana Pudding Shake | 1.9g |
| Oatmeal | 2.0g |
| Vanilla Shake | 2.0g |
| Loaded Baked Potato Soup | 2.1g |
| Mac & Cheese (Cup) | 2.1g |
| Grilled Chicken & Cheddar (Skinny) | 2.2g |
| Baked Lay's | 2.3g |
| Grilled Cheese (Big) | 2.4g |
| Sugar Cookie | 2.5g |
| Turkey Breast (Skinny) | 2.8g |
| Chicken Pot Pie Soup (Cup) | 2.9g |
| Chicken Enchilada Soup | 3.0g |
| Classic Tomato Soup | 3.0g |
| Coleslaw | 3.0g |
| Bagel with Butter | 3.0g |
| Bagel with Plain Cream Cheese | 3.0g |
| Bagel with Herb Cream Cheese | 3.0g |
| Chili (Cup) | 3.0g |
| A Wreck (Skinny) | 3.3g |
| Pastrami (Skinny) | 3.4g |
| Smoked Ham (Skinny) | 3.6g |
| Chili Mac (Cup) | 3.6g |
| Chicken Pot Pie Soup | 3.8g |
| Mac & Cheese | 4.0g |
| Turkey Breast (Regular) | 4.0g |
| Chicken Club (Skinny) | 4.0g |
| Powerhouse Salad | 4.0g |
| Mediterranean Salad | 4.0g |
| Uptown Salad | 4.0g |
| Chili | 4.0g |
| Hot Pepper Ranch | 4.0g |
| Grilled Chicken & Cheddar (Big) | 4.2g |
| Roast Beef (Skinny) | 4.3g |
| Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie | 4.8g |
| Pastrami (Regular) | 4.8g |
| Avo Turkey (Skinny) | 4.9g |
| Mediterranean (Skinny) | 4.9g |
| Breakfast Sandwich (Egg & Cheese) | 5.0g |
| Potato Salad | 5.0g |
| Macaroni Salad | 5.0g |
| Pizza Melt (Skinny) | 5.0g |
| Cubano (Skinny) | 5.0g |
| Chocolate Brownie Cookie | 5.1g |
| S'mores Cookie | 5.1g |
| Turkey Breast (Big) | 5.2g |
| Veggie Melt (Skinny) | 5.2g |
| Smoked Ham (Regular) | 5.2g |
| Ham, Mushroom, Egg & Swiss | 5.2g |
| BLTA (Skinny) | 5.3g |
| OREO Cookie Shake | 5.5g |
| A Wreck (Regular) | 5.8g |
| Roast Beef (Regular) | 5.9g |
| Mama's Meatball (Skinny) | 5.9g |
| A Wreck Salad | 6.0g |
| Utz Cheese Curls | 6.0g |
| Chili Mac (Bowl) | 6.0g |
| Powerhouse Salad (Half) | 6.4g |
| Chicken Club (Regular) | 6.5g |
| Sweet Heat Pork BBQ (Skinny) | 6.5g |
| Mayo | 6.6g |
| Smoked Ham (Big) | 6.8g |
| Pastrami (Big) | 6.8g |
| BLT | 7.0g |
| Zapp's Regular Chips | 7.0g |
| Mesquite Bar-B-Que Chips | 7.0g |
| Salt & Vinegar Chips | 7.0g |
| Hotter N Hot Jalapeno Chips | 7.0g |
| Zapp's Hot Pepper Chips | 7.0g |
| Zapp's VooDoo Regular Chips | 7.0g |
| Pastrami Reuben (Skinny) | 7.1g |
| Mediterranean (Regular) | 7.4g |
| A Wreck (Big) | 7.7g |
| Cubano (Regular) | 8.0g |
| Roast Beef (Big) | 8.3g |
| Pizza Melt (Regular) | 8.6g |
| Mama's Meatball (Regular) | 8.6g |
| Tuna Salad (Skinny) | 8.6g |
| Italian (Skinny) | 9.0g |
| Horseradish Mayo | 9.0g |
| Bacon, Egg & Cheese Sandwich | 9.1g |
| Avo Turkey (Regular) | 9.4g |
| Veggie Melt (Regular) | 9.6g |
| Prime Rib Steak (Skinny) | 9.9g |
| Sweet Heat Pork BBQ (Regular) | 10.1g |
| BLTA (Regular) | 10.5g |
| Pastrami Reuben (Regular) | 10.7g |
| Chicken Club (Big) | 10.8g |
| Cubano (Big) | 10.9g |
| Mediterranean (Big) | 11.3g |
| Roasted Garlic Aioli | 11.5g |
| Chicken Salad (Skinny) | 11.7g |
| Mama's Meatball (Big) | 11.9g |
| Pizza Melt (Big) | 11.9g |
| Tuna Salad (Regular) | 12.5g |
| Italian (Regular) | 12.8g |
| Veggie Melt (Big) | 12.8g |
| Avo Turkey (Big) | 13.0g |
| Sweet Heat Pork BBQ (Big) | 13.9g |
| Sausage, Egg & Cheese Sandwich | 14.7g |
| Prime Rib Steak (Regular) | 14.9g |
| Bag of Mini Cookies | 15.3g |
| BLTA (Big) | 15.5g |
| Pastrami Reuben (Big) | 15.6g |
| Farmhouse Salad (Half) | 15.9g |
| Chicken Salad Salad (Half) | 16.3g |
| Italian (Big) | 16.5g |
| PB&J (Regular) | 16.5g |
| Tuna Salad (Big) | 17.2g |
| Chicken Salad (Regular) | 17.9g |
| Southwest Avo Chicken Wrap | 18.5g |
| Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap | 19.9g |
| Prime Rib Steak (Big) | 20.0g |
| Apple Walnut Salad (Half) | 21.3g |
| Chicken Salad (Big) | 24.9g |
| Farmhouse Salad | 30.9g |
| Chicken Salad Salad | 32.6g |
| Apple Walnut Salad | 43.4g |
Frequently asked
Does Potbelly use seed oils?
Based on our menu research, Potbelly cooks with: soybean oil. Across the 179 menu items we analyzed, it averages 5.7g estimated PUFA per item, earning a seed-oil grade of B (Medium Risk).
What oil does Potbelly cook with?
Our research indicates: Soybean oil (in mayo and 'Potbelly oil' drizzle); canola/soybean blend in house oil — confirmed in Potbelly allergen guide. Preparation can vary by location, so treat PUFA numbers as estimates.
Does Potbelly use beef tallow?
No. Our research indicates Potbelly cooks with soybean oil, not beef tallow. For chains that fry in tallow or other real fats, see Tallow Watch.
Is Potbelly seed oil free?
No. Our research indicates Potbelly cooks with soybean oil, which includes seed oils. See the lower-PUFA orders above for the cleanest picks.
What is the safest thing to order at Potbelly?
Chicken Enchilada Soup is the lowest-PUFA item we analyzed at Potbelly, at an estimated 3.0g PUFA. See the Safest Orders list on this page for more options.
What should I avoid at Potbelly?
Apple Walnut Salad is the highest-PUFA item we analyzed at Potbelly, at an estimated 43.4g PUFA. Fried items and creamy, mayo-based sauces are usually the heaviest.
What are seed oils?
Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, corn, and similar vegetable oils — are extracted from seeds using high heat and chemical solvents. They are very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), which are unstable at cooking temperatures and can oxidize easily. Many health-conscious eaters choose to minimize seed oils and prefer foods cooked in beef tallow, butter, coconut oil, or olive oil instead. This page shows estimated PUFA grams per menu item to help you make more informed choices. These are estimates — actual values vary by preparation and location. New to the topic? Start with what seed oils are and the complete list, or read the evidence on why people avoid them.
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See where Potbelly lands on the full Seed Oil Index, or check which chains cook in real fats on Tallow Watch. Wondering about a specific dish instead? The Is It Seed Oil food guide answers it for 200+ everyday foods, and the distributor oils page covers what independent restaurants fry in.