THERE ARE LOTS of different types of vegetarians. When I lived in New York City, I had a vegetarian roommate. He wasn't the kind of vegetarian who insisted on fresh organic vegetables, healthy whole grains, lush olive oil, and the ripest seasonal fruit. Instead, he subsisted almost completely on a diet of baked ziti from the pizza joint down the street, supplemented in the morning by a bagel with cream cheese and grape jelly.

Of course, on this coast no one would be foolish enough to become what I like to call a "red-sauce vegetarian," but there are definitely times when crunchy granola is out and french fries are in. Especially on a road trip. Summer has snuck up on us again, and unless you've already booked your tickets to Paris, you'll probably be driving somewhere sometime before Labor Day. What will you eat?

Most of the time, you'll be an adventurous diner, hitting the ground in an unfamiliar town and picking up the local alternative paper to check out the food section or cruising the ethnic neighborhoods in search of the most authentic meals. Or you'll stop by the charming diner that's been serving coffee and pie since the 1940s and looks like something out of Twin Peaks. ("Get the cheese sandwich," my mother would whisper across the table when our family vacation plans would take us to an unfamiliar diner, "it's the safest.") Still, there will be times when you just want to gas up, fill up, and get the heck back on the road. You survey the area from the top of the off-ramp; there's a forest of fast-food signs as far as the eye can see.

The good news is that while you're giving your dollars to huge multinational corporations that perpetuate meat eating (to say the least), there are actually choices at many fast-food places for vegetarians. I have spent the last few weeks bearding the lion in its den by visiting my local grease palaces and ordering vegetarian meals. It's a dangerous job, but someone has to do it.

Last year Burger King released its BK Veggie Burger. It made a big splash, earning the seal of approval from vegetarian groups and even the superpicky folks at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (the ones who warned us away from movie-theater popcorn and Chinese food).

With visible little chunks of carrot and red pepper, the BK Veggie Burger looks closer to actual healthy food than most anything else you could get in a fast-food place. The patty ingredients are vegan (but not the low-fat mayo, and the bun has a very small quantity of animal-derived "butter flavoring."). It has a mushroomy, smoky flavor that's beefy but not beefy enough to make you ask yourself if the counterperson accidentally slipped you the real thing.

Journalist Neil Steinberg wrote of McDonald's, in his book The Alphabet of Modern Annoyances, that "the burgers almost do not require chewing but can be sucked through clenched teeth, like strained bananas." It's that comfort-food aspect of fast-food burgers I remember the most, and in that respect, the BK Veggie Burger does not disappoint. Like most burger sandwiches, it tastes mostly of the condiments, but it's fine as a road-food debauch and a hit of nostalgia.

I was actually looking forward to my trip to In-N-Out. The constant buzz about the quality of the food had made me curious. And besides, even Eric Schlosser, whose Fast Food Nation must have made more than a few folks into vegetarians, approves of In-N-Out. After visiting two locations (Daly City and Union City), I could definitely see the appeal. Both locations were superclean. Everything is made on the premises from fresh ingredients by a buzzing hive of workers (who are reportedly paid a living wage, as is not the case at most fast-food places). I ordered both vegetarian options: a "veggie sandwich" – basically lettuce, tomato, and condiments on a bun – and the "grilled cheese" sandwich, which featured thick slices of decent American cheese, grilled and raw onions, lettuce, and tomato, with their mayo-based spread. It was quite satisfying, especially along with a real-tasting strawberry shake, although I think the special mystique of In-N-Out (there were huge crowds both times I visited) will always be lost on vegetarians.

Speaking of condiment sandwiches, a vegan family I know heads for the yellow environs of Subway whenever they travel. Subway's Veggie Delight features tons of vegetables (of varying quality depending on the day, the season, and the location, of course) on a roll that even boasts some whole-grain flour. It ain't Greens, but it ain't Dunkin' Donuts, either. And many Subways offer a Gardenburger sandwich as well.

And then there's the Bell. If you are (or ever have been) a 20-year-old anarchist vegan traveling across the country to the next WTO protest, I needn't tell you Taco Bell's bean burritos (hold the cheese, please) are the best thing since sliced seitan. At 89¢ apiece, you can afford to fill up your stomach, if not your gas tank.