What to Eat at Mellow Mushroom: Healthy Menu Choices and Nutrition Facts

Established with humble beginnings in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia, Mellow Mushroom began attracting consumers to its flavorful food, and has since grown to more than 150 locations throughout the country. With an organizational mission “to provide delicious food in a fun and creative environment," the Mellow Mushroom restaurant lives up to this statement with its innovational stone-baked pizza with a spring water crust and inventive uses for mushrooms throughout the menu's offerings.

Known for using fresh, high-quality ingredients and catering to consumers who follow vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets, Mellow Mushroom does offer a few healthy menu items. However, the establishment’s pizzas, calzones, and sandwiches are high in calories and sodium, and you should order them on special occasions rather than visiting this restaurant often.

Mellow Mushroom also offers a sense-filled experience for visitors. With more than food for your sense of taste, the establishment brings together local artists to tell the community's story through visual mediums—allowing this restaurant to create a feast for your eyes and your stomach.

Healthiest Option

The healthiest options at Mellow Mushroom are the “Lil’” salads, called such for their size. The most nutritious of which are as follows:

• House Salad
• Greek Salad
• Chef’s Salad
• Enlightened Spinach Salad

All of Mellow Mushroom's salad dressings contain no gluten, flavor enhancers, or hydrogenated oil, and all are made with 100 percent all-natural ingredients.

If you prefer a fuller-sized meal, the regular size House, Greek, and Chef's Salads only contain between 190 to 340 calories per serving.

Navigating the Menu

The majority of the Mellow Mushroom menu contains a high amount of calories, saturated fat, and sodium. You can, however, find vegan and gluten-free offerings noted as such on their online menu.

For example, the restaurant also offers vegan cheese that is free of animal and soy products as a healthy alternative topping on pizzas and burgers. You can also find tofu and tempeh as plant-based protein toppings on hoagies.

To stick to the healthiest options, look for "v" or "gf" on the menu (vegan and gluten free, respectively), and avoid the meat pizzas and calzones.

Many patrons visit Mellow Mushroom for their most popular item, mushrooms, as the establishment offers this ingredient on pizza, hoagies, calzones, and burgers. 

Stone-Baked Pizza Slices

You can build your own pizza in sizes of:

• 10 inch
• 14 inch
• 16 inches

The establishment also lets you choose your cheese and toppings from more than 40 different choices.

The stone-baked pizza slices offer the following healthy ingredients, although keep in mind that most choices remain high in sodium:

• Meats are 100% all-natural with no preservatives, additives, steroids, or hormones.
• The sauce contains no preservatives or additives.
• The dough is created with unbleached wheat flour and spring water and no refined white sugar.
• The cheese is part-skim and real mozzarella, without preservatives or additives. Visitors who don’t consume dairy can order vegan cheese. Whether you order a small or large pizza slice, a serving of vegan cheese contains only 20 calories, 1.5 g of fat, and no saturated fat.
• You can skip cheese entirely and load up on vegetable toppings.
• Anyone following a no-gluten diet can order gluten-free crust made in a dedicated gluten-free facility to avoid any cross contamination.

Most Nutritious Option

Veg Out Pizza Gluten-Free Slice

The gluten-free slice with veggies has 140 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 17 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, and 330 mg sodium. If your taste prefers a gluten crust, a Veg Out Pizza Small Slice with a regular crust has 280 calories and 15 grams of total fat.

Least Nutritious Option

Buffalo Chicken Large Slice

The Buffalo Chicken Large Slice contains 550 calories, 34 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 48 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein, and 1,630 mg sodium. Even ordering a small slice of the buffalo chicken doesn’t save you much in calories. You should stick to slices with vegetable toppings, or better yet, building your own pizza allows you to completely control the calories and fat content.

Calzones

Like pizza crust? Rather than pizza slices, you can order a hearty pizza pocket. The calzones come in the following five flavors (in order of healthiest to least nutritious):

• Cheese
• Veggie Supreme
• Chicken and Cheese
• The Sausagefest
• Steak and Cheese

You can order vegan cheese to save on calories.

Most Nutritious Option

Cheese Calzone

The Cheese Calzone has 1,200 calories, 41 g fat, 25 g saturated fat, 143 g carbohydrates, 58 g protein, and 2,690 mg sodium. All calzone options are high in calories (even this most nutritious option) and you could potentially share one to halve the calories and fat.

Least Nutritious Option

Steak and Cheese

The Steak and Cheese calzone has 1,400 calories, 50 g fat, 28 g saturated fat, 151 g carbohydrate, 82 g protein, and 2,760 mg sodium. You can ask for vegan cheese as the best way to make this entrée healthier.

Hoagies and Sandwiches

The hoagies at Mellow Mushroom come stuffed with vegetables, meats, specialty ingredients, and cheeses. Certain hoagies come vegan and are made with either tempeh or tofu for a plant-based protein. Mellow Mushroom also offers a vegetable-only hoagie with avocado.

Sandwiches and wraps are also available, such as the Chicken Caesar Wrap, California Club, and the Mellow Chicken Salad (a salad made with curry mayo and served on multigrain bread).  

The majority of whole sandwiches have 1,000+ calories. You should order a half sandwich, or order a whole and save the other half for another meal.

Most Nutritious Option

Avocado Hoagie – Half

The Avocado Hoagie Half Sandwich has 470 calories, 25 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 25 g carbohydrates, 13 g protein, and 48 mg sodium. This option is vegan, but doesn’t include vegan proteins such as tofu and tempeh if you prefer plant-based proteins on your sandwich.

Least Nutritious Option

Mushroom Club Hoagie - Whole

The Mushroom Club Hoagie contains 1,450 calories, 77 g fat, 24 g saturated fat, 101 carbohydrates, 93 g protein, and 3,820 mg sodium. The ingredients include several types of fatty proteins, such as Applewood smoked bacon, mayonnaise, and provolone. If you must have this hoagie, immediately cut it in half and wrap that portion up for another meal.

Burgers

Mellow Mushroom offers two types of burgers: BYOB and the Ritz. The BYOB allows you to customize your burger with two additional toppings after the traditional lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onions (that already come with the burger). Skipping the extra toppings will keep your calorie count down to 850 calories.

Most Nutritious Option

BYOB

The Build Your Own Burger (BYOB) contains 100 percent Angus beef and includes lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onions on a brioche bun. This burger and four toppings has 850 calories, 48 g fat, 16 g saturated fat, 160 g carbohydrates, 44 g protein, and 1,360 mg sodium.

Mellow Mushrooms allows you to order two additional ingredients of your choice:

• Jalapeños: 0 calories
• Mushroom trio: 20 calories
• Caramelized onions: 20 calories
• Avocado: 50 calories
• Bleu cheese: 80 calories
• Swiss cheese: 100 calories
• Cheddar cheese: 110 calories
• Applewood smoked bacon: 160 calories

Least Nutritious Option

The Ritz

The popular Ritz burger includes Swiss, caramelized onions, garlic aioli, romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, and pickle chip toppings. The Ritz has 1,140 calories, 75 g fat, 27 g saturated fat, 60 g carbohydrate, 56 g protein, and 1,570 mg sodium. Skipping the Swiss cheese will remove 100 calories.

Munchies

Also known as appetizers, Mellow Mushroom’s Munchies contain a high number of calories and fat, with a few healthy options mixed into the menu.

The most nutritious Munchies include the following:

• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Hummus Dip
• Pita
• Southwest Vegetable Soup
• Munchie Pups

Most Nutritious Option

Red Roasted Potatoes

The Red Roasted Potatoes have 150 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 27 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, and 220 mg sodium. If you order the vegetable soup with 260 calories, you can consume a complete meal with only ordering appetizers and still stick to a low-cal diet.

Least Nutritious Option

6 Pretzels, Butter and Salt

Six butter and salt pretzels contain 2,120 calories, 70 g fat, 30 g saturated fat, 284 g carbohydrates, 82 g protein, and 16,980 mg sodium. With five figures in the sodium count, you should skip any of the pretzels on the menu. If you prefer a carb option for an appetizer, bruschetta contains 340 calories.

Greens

The Mellow Mushroom salad offerings are available in “Lil’” and “Regular” size. The Lil’ is a side portion and Regular is an entree size.

Most Nutritious Option

House Salad – Lil’

The small House Salad has 100 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 9 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, and 310 mg sodium. Even the regular House Salad contains only 90 calories more per serving and is an entrée size.

Least Nutritious Option

Caesar Salad Regular

The Caesar Salad Regular contains 810 calories, 71 g fat, 18 g saturated fat, 30 g carbohydrates, 20 g protein, and 1,750 mg sodium. If you would like a regular size salad, the House, Greek, or Chef’s Salad are healthier with lower fat and calories as compared to the Caesar.

Sweets

For patrons who like ending a meal on a sweet note, Mellow Mushroom has brownies, sundaes, and cookies on the dessert menu. For an additional 380 calories, you can order toppings that include vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate truffle sauce, house made whipped cream and a bing cherry. If you do crave one of these desserts, you should visit Mellow Mushroom and only order a sweet (not lunch or dinner first). Eat a low-calorie meal at home before you visit.

Most Nutritious Option

Gluten Free Brownie

This brownie without gluten has 360 calories, 19 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 43 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, and 150 mg sodium. The gluten brownie, named Mary Jane’s Triple Chocolate Brownie, has 550 calories and 31 g of fat. The Oatmeal Raisin House Baked Cookie has 480 calories and 17 g of fat, and is the most nutritious option for those who don’t want chocolate.

Least Nutritious Option

Sugar Cookie Sundae

The Sugar Cookie Sundae contains 1,020 calories, 57 g fat, 35 g saturated fat, 112 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, and 250 mg sodium. You’re better off ordering either a cookie or ice cream, rather than combining them together.

Beverages

Mellow Mushroom has the standard beverage offerings of a typical pizza joint: lots of soda flavors. But that's not all; the establishment offers 1% chocolate milk, 2% milk, Mello Yellow, and fruit punch. Mellow Mushroom also has a separate alcoholic menu with their popular “Liquid Karma Cocktails,” with these adult beverages ranging from 170 to 210 calories each.

Most Nutritious Option

Coke Zero and Coke Zero Cherry

The Coke Zero contains 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, and 65 mg sodium. However, this soda offers no nutritional value. You should stick to either water or choose 2% milk for calcium, which has 130 calories and 8 grams of protein. 

Least Nutritious Option

Barq’s Root Beer

Barq's Root Beer has 270 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 27 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, and 90 mg sodium. To help flush out the high-sodium amounts in Mellow Mushroom’s food, sticking to water
is the healthiest choice.

Kids

The kids menu consists mostly of carb- and starch-friendly items, such as macaroni and cheese, pizzas, and pretzel dippers. All are 440 calories and under, but offer limited nutritional value. 

Most Nutritious Option

Kids Meatball App

The Kids Meatball Appetizer contains 200 calories, 12 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 11 g carbohydrates, 11 g protein, and 750 mg sodium. Mellow Mushroom has a kid's apple that contains 100 calories for a more complete meal with the high-protein meatball.

Least Nutritious Option

Kids French Bread Pepperoni Pizza

The French bread pepperoni kids pizza has 440 calories, 19 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 47 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein, and 1,110 mg sodium. If your child wants pizza, the cheese on the kids French bread contains 80 calories less per serving. The Kids Mac & Cheese is a healthier option to the pizza for the carb-enthusiast child.

Diet-Specific Options

Known for its fresh ingredients and use of mushrooms, Mellow Mushroom offers a number of gluten-free and vegan pizza and burgers on the menu. However, other than the salads and a handful of appetizers, the items contain a high amount of sodium and fat content. You should save a visit to this restaurant for special occasions.

When you do visit Mellow Mushroom, you can, however, stick to the following specialty diets:

• Low-fat
• Low-sodium
• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Keto
• Low-FODMAP

Low-Fat Diet

You can find heart-healthy and low-fat items on the menu by looking for entrees loaded with vegetables, such as the following:

• House Salad - Lil’ and Regular
• Greek Salad - Lil’
• Chef’s Salad - Lil’
• Veg Out Pizza Gluten Free Slice
• Pacific Rim Pizza Small Slice
• Mighty Meat Gluten Free Slice
• Kosmic Karma Gluten Free Slice
• Cheese Small Size
• Cheese Gluten Free Slice
• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Pita Bread

Low-Sodium Diet

Although a pizza joint with high-sodium slices, Mellow Mushroom provides enough other offerings to allow you to stick to a low-sodium diet.

Low-sodium food items at Mellow Mushroom include the following:

• Pita
• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Great White Gluten Free Slice of Pizza
• Kosmic Karma Gluten Free Slice of Pizza
• Veg Out Gluten Free Slice of Pizza
• Enlightened Spinach Salad - Lil’
• House Salad - Lil’
• Gluten Free Brownie

Vegan Diet

All vegan items are marked with a “v” on the menu, and you can order any pizza and calzone with vegan cheese.

Vegan items include the following:

• Tempah Hoagie
• Tofu Hoagie
• Avocado Hoagie
• Veggie Calzone (order with vegan cheese)
• Cheese Calzone (order with vegan cheese)
• Pretzel Bites
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Magic Mushroom Soup
• Hummus
• Cheese Bread (order with vegan cheese)
• Bruschetta
• Greek Salad
• House Salad
• Enlightened Spinach Salad
• Great White Pizza
• Kosmic Karma Pizza
• Veg Out Pizza

Gluten-Free Diet

Mellow Mushroom notes gluten-free items on the menu in “gf.” You can order the stone-baked pizzas in the 10-inch pie with the restaurant’s signature gluten-free crust, and all are baked using certified gluten-free safe procedures.

Gluten-free pizzas include the following:

• Gluten-Free House Special
• BYO Gluten Free Pizza
• Gluten Free Mighty Meaty
• Gluten Free Veg Out
• Gluten Free Kosmic Karma

Keto Diet

With the salad offerings and a few of the appetizers, you can eat a high-protein, low-carb meal.

Keto-friendly options include the following:

• House Salad - Lil' and Regular
• Greek Salad - Lil' and Regular
• Chef’s Salad - Lil' and Regular
• Mellow Cobb Salad
• Hummus Dip
• Meatball Trio
• Magic Mushroom Soup
• Southwest Vegetable Soup
• Wings, Naked

Low-FODMAP Diet

Standing for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols, (short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols not particularly well absorbed by the body), FODMAPs can cause gastrointestinal (GI) issues (common when eating out).

To stick to low-FODMAP foods when eating at Mellow Mushroom, try the following menu items:

• Pitted cherries
• Gluten free pizza with vegan cheese
• Gluten free pizza with olives
• Gluten free pizza with tomatoes
• House Salad
• Wings, Naked
• Chef’s Salad, no cheese

If you experience extreme GI occurrences, you should speak with your medical professional or a registered dietitian before venturing out to restaurants, as you don’t have as much control over food ingredients and preparation.

Food Allergies and Safety

For anyone with common food allergies, Mellow Mushroom’s menu can fit within allergen-specific needs. For example:

• The gluten-free pizza and brownie are baked using certified gluten-free safe procedures. 
• Those lactose intolerant can specialty order vegan cheese, and Mellow Mushroom has
  vegan pizzas, hoagies, and salads. They take care to avoid any cross contamination.
• You can customize your pizza with specific ingredients catering to your diet needs.

To ensure your safety, you can perform the following:

• Ask questions of the staff to ensure any cross contamination.
• Ask for modifications, such as vegan cheese.
• Review Mellow Mushrooms allergen information via their interactive menu on the establishment’s website. 
• For those sticking to a specific amount of daily calories, you can use an interactive calculator via the Mellow Mushroom website to build a meal fitting within your calorie allotment.

A Word From Verywell

Mellow Mushroom is an establishment with a high-calorie and sodium-rich menu. You should only visit on special occasions, but you can stick to diet specifications and allergens when visiting this restaurant. The menu makes vegan and gluten-free items easy to view, and you can use the interactive online menu to find appetizers and entrees that fit within your daily caloric intake and nutritional needs.

The alcoholic beverages and desserts should be ordered on a visit in which that’s all you order, rather than in addition to your meal.

You should also consider meal alternatives, such as asking for vegan cheese, ordering gluten-free pizza, and switching out a hoagie for a wrap.

The popular menu items, pizza and hoagies, can be ordered in different sizes. If you ask for a 10-inch pizza or half a sandwich, you can avoid any temptation to eat more—the food won’t be on your plate.