Mushrooms Bring Magic To Menus

Mushrooms check several boxes at once: flavor, versatility, nutrition, value and efficiency.

Few ingredients offer chefs as much creative freedom as mushrooms.

In fact, Chef Spike Mendelsohn, a Washington, D.C.-based restaurateur and charismatic fan favorite on Bravo’s Top Chef, calls mushrooms “one of the most interesting ingredients in the world.”

Mendelsohn is known for his plant-based, fast-casual empire, PLNT Burger, a 13-location chain across six states with locations that range from kiosks inside Whole Foods Markets to stand-alone eateries in New York City and Boston.

“They have so many different textures,” Mendelsohn says, “and can be enjoyed in a variety of preparations, from dried, roasted, pickled and raw, and readily absorb marinades and seasonings, making them adaptable across cuisines and cooking techniques.”

The chef’s menus feature everything from oyster and maitake mushrooms to lion’s mane, which he says is “having their moment right now.” At PLNT, he uses the root of yellow oyster mushrooms, something typically thrown away but entirely edible, nutritious, and delicious, prepared akin to fried chicken and served as the chain’s “Chik’n Funguy” sandwich.

Mushrooms, thanks to their popularity and versatility, are ubiquitous on today’s foodservice menus. More than 70% of U.S. restaurant menus feature mushrooms, spanning all formats ranging from QSR to fine dining, according to 2025 data supplied by the Mushroom Council, based in Lee’s Summit, MO.

WHY MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms on the menu are a plus, for diners and foodservice operators alike, because they check several boxes at once: flavor, versatility, nutrition, value and operational efficiency.

“For consumers, mushrooms deliver rich umami, a satisfying texture, and a real food alternative to highly processed meat substitutes,” says Sean Steller, director of business development at Phillips Mushroom Farms, in Kennett Square, PA.

“The broader trend has shifted from strictly vegan positioning toward flexitarian, plant-forward, and protein-optimized eating,” he adds. “Mushrooms fit that very well because they can complement meat, stretch proteins, or stand alone as the center of the plate.”

He cites National Restaurant Association’s 2026 forecast which highlights comfort, health, value, and bold flavor as major menu drivers, all of which align closely with mushrooms.

On the operator side, the biggest trends are menu versatility, labor savings, consistency and value creation, says Jim Garsow, chief marketing officer for Caputo & Guest, in Kennett Square, PA.

“Mushrooms offer a very high culinary return for the cost because they add flavor, texture, visual appeal, nutrition, and menu flexibility,” he stresses. “One case can support multiple menu items, such as breakfast, bowls, burgers, pizzas, pastas, soups, sides, appetizers, and plant-forward entrées, all while providing the consistent supply, sizing, yield, shelf life, food safety confidence, and simplified kitchen execution operators need in today’s labor-challenged foodservice environment.”

“Mushrooms offer a very high culinary return for the cost because they add flavor, texture, visual appeal, nutrition and menu flexibility.”

— Jim Garsow, Caputo & Guest, Kennett Square, PA

Mushrooms can be cost savers, adds Leslie Harden, national retail sales director for Monterey Mushrooms, in Watsonville, CA. This is especially true “when compared to current escalating meat costs.”

Michael Basciani Sr., chief executive officer and president of Basciani Foods, a fourth-generation mushroom grower in Avondale, PA, agrees. “Take a 10-pound box of sliced white mushrooms. There are about 2,000 slices on average. Operators who put 20 to 25 slices on each pie (pizza) have enough for about 95. Said another way, a 10-pound box of small button mushrooms has 350-400 mushrooms. Using 8 to 9 on a side dish, that’s 40 to 50 portions. And a 5-pound box of portobello caps has about 100-150 caps. For a 4-cap appetizer, that’s 25 to 35 servings. The value is incredible.”

Mushroom varieties most often appearing on foodservice menus include white button, crimini (aka baby bella), portobello, and shiitake, with oyster, king trumpet, maitake, beech, and lion’s mane, according to Cristie Mather, vice president of marketing for the Mushroom Council.

“Consumer interest in global cuisines and novelty on the menu has inspired chefs’ innovation with mushrooms and mushroom varieties.”

— Cristie Mather, Mushroom Council, Lee’s Summit, MO

“Consumer interest in global cuisines and novelty on the menu has inspired chefs’ innovation with mushrooms and mushroom varieties.”

FROM TOPPING TO TOP BILLING

Pizza reigns supreme when it comes to mushroom applications, making up more than 20% of mushroom menu mentions, according to 2025 data from the Mushroom Council.

On pizza menus specifically, mushrooms are being positioned as a central flavor system rather than a simple topping. An example from a September 2025 Datassential report highlights a cauliflower crust pizza built around house-made mushroom bisque, roasted garlic, crimini and shiitake mushrooms, mozzarella, and truffle oil, according to Huy Do, market researcher and trendologist at Datassential, Chicago, IL.

“This build treats mushrooms as the architectural core of the dish. Truffle oil and black truffle more broadly remain prominent premium cues on specialty pizza menus, reinforcing that mushroom-adjacent luxury flavors continue to drive menu innovation in that segment.”

Beyond pizza, mushrooms serve as an elevated topping for flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, omelets, steakhouse sides and loaded appetizers.

“Operators are moving beyond basic sliced mushrooms into named specialty varieties and chef’s blends,” says Caputo & Guests’ Garsow. “Shiitake is one of the strongest foodservice varieties because it has broad menu versatility, strong umami, a familiar culinary profile, and excellent performance in both cooked and value-added applications.”

Mushrooms’ versatility also extends to blended meat applications and center-of-the-plate dishes.

“Mushrooms work very well in blended burgers, meatballs, tacos, dumplings, meat sauces, and breakfast sausage-style applications because they improve moisture, texture and flavor, while helping operators manage food cost,” says Garsow.

Chefs are featuring innovative mushroom mains on menus, giving more attention to specialty varieties, adds Phillips’ Steller. “A few examples include oyster mushrooms fried or roasted for a meaty bite; shiitakes bringing deep umami to ramen, stir-fries, and sauces; maitake roasted or seared; royal trumpet sliced into ‘scallops’ or grilled; and lion’s mane cutlets.”

Mushrooms are equally at home in Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mediterranean, and modern American cuisine. “We see chefs using shiitake in ramen and dumplings, oyster mushrooms in tacos and bao, king oyster in Japanese-inspired seared dishes, and maitake in tempura or steakhouse-style preparations,” Garsow adds.

SAMPLES BY SEGMENT

Today’s operators are looking for ingredients that are easy to prepare, reduce labor, and perform consistently without sacrificing flavor, says Lisa Will, commercial director at South Mill Champs in Kennett Square, PA.

“Fresh-cut mushrooms, including sliced and diced formats, help streamline kitchen operations while maintaining quality,” she adds.

For prepared mushrooms, Will sees excitement growing around blends and flavor profiles that deliver with simple execution. “Examples include a blend of white, crimini, shiitake enrobed in oil with salt, pepper and garlic, a roasted white and shiitake mushrooms with onions, peppers and an Asian seasoning, used as is or to layer additional flavors.”

• QSR & FAST CASUAL. In this foodservice segment, mushrooms are often used to add flavor and perceived quality to familiar items, such as mushroom Swiss burgers, breakfast sandwiches, pizzas, tacos, bowls and burger applications.

“By far, the biggest volume play in foodservice is either 10-pound sliced white mushrooms, or two 5-pound sliced white tubs for use in pizzerias and sub shops,” says Mark Kreiner, outside sales coordinator for Mother Earth, in Landenberg, PA. “However, Jersey Mike’s featured a Portobello Sub last year originally as an LTO, but it gained traction and was carried on the menu for months afterward.”

Many chain-level examples show how mushrooms have morphed into featured menu ingredients. For example, there’s the BBQ Shroom Bowl with Fable Food’s BBQ Shiitake at Just Salad, a 100-plus-unit chain headquartered in New York City.

Sweetgreen, based in Los Angeles, CA, with over 900 outlets, offers its Shroomami, a kale, portobello, and wild rice bowl. ’Shroom Burgers and seasonal specials, such as the Black Truffle Shroom, are popular at Shake Shack, a 500-plus global chain rooted in New York City.

“We have seen strong opportunities for mushrooms in limited-time offers (LTOs) and new menu development, especially where operators are looking to add fresh, flavorful, and plant-forward items,” says Barry Sullivan, director of culinary innovation and commercialization at Giorgio Fresh, in West Lawn, PA.

He points to recent concepts, such as portobello mushroom cheesesteaks, mushroom salads with arugula and fresh mozzarella, and miso button mushroom bowls with sticky rice. “These promotions help increase mushroom usage by positioning mushrooms as a key ingredient that adds flavor, texture, and value to the dish.”

There are other examples of new menu items and LTO’s featuring mushrooms. For example, late last year for the holiday season, the Scottsdale, AZ-headquartered P.F. Chang’s nearly 300 restaurants introduced its “Black Pepper Filet.” This sliced beef filet comes with shiitake mushrooms, onions, shishito peppers, black pepper sauce, and Togarashi spice.

The Mushroom Council is engaged with the Culinary Institute of America’s “Healthy Menus Collaborative,” which includes participants, such as Panda Express, Panera Bread, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell and Subway.

“Through this unique program, the Mushroom Council can provide one-on-one education to menu decision-makers about how mushrooms meet diner needs related to versatility, flavor, nutrition, and sustainability, while also addressing operator needs like labor-saving forms, handling best practices, and timely menu innovation,” says Mather.

Recent topics have included GLP-1 menu solutions, kids’ menus and the new dietary guidelines.

• CASUAL & FINE DINING. White-tablecloth chefs want premium whole mushrooms and specialty varieties that deliver plate drama and a clear menu story, says Caputo & Guest’s Garsow.

An example he offers is the steak enhancer Garlic Butter Mushroom Medley, a combination of shiitake, portobello and button mushrooms, on the menu at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, a 60-plus-unit upscale fine-dining chain based in Tampa, FL.

“In chef-driven restaurants and upscale foodservice, we are seeing growing interest in lion’s mane, king oyster, oyster, maitake, and specialty blends because they offer stronger texture, better plate presence, and a more differentiated menu story,” Garsow adds.

There are excellent high-profile restaurant menu examples. For one, the Lion’s Mane Mushroom Bourguignon and Grilled Lion’s Mane Steak with truffle potatoes and mushroom bordelaise at celebrity chef Tal Ronnen’s Crossroads Kitchen, with locations in West Hollywood, CA, and Las Vegas, NV.

The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges in New York City serves Butternut Squash Soup garnished with black trumpet mushrooms as a starter, a Wild Mushroom and Kale Frittata as an entrée, and side dish of sautéed maitake mushrooms seasoned with sesame and lime. Also in New York City, Michelin 3-star restaurant Eleven Madison Park, Chef Daniel Humm’s fully plant-based fine-dining restaurant, offers a vegan take on Oysters Rockefeller, using gold or blue oyster mushrooms.

“The future of mushrooms in foodservice is not just more mushrooms — it is better mushrooms, better formats, and better menu storytelling,” says Garsow. “Organic lion’s mane, king oyster, shiitake, oyster, and maitake give chefs the flavor, texture, and visual appeal to create dishes consumers remember and operators can profitably repeat.”