Most people walk into Denny’s and go straight for the hash browns or the onion rings. That makes sense — it’s a diner. But broccoli? Yes, Denny’s has it. And honestly, more people order it than you’d expect.
Denny’s broccoli is a simple steamed side dish listed under the dinner sides section of the menu. It doesn’t get much fanfare. No sauce, no seasoning drama, no cheesy topping (unless you’re thinking of the Broccoli & Cheddar Soup, which is a completely different thing). Just steamed broccoli, served as a side.
If you’re trying to eat a little lighter at Denny’s — whether you’re watching calories, eating low-carb, or just trying not to undo a whole week of eating well in one sitting — broccoli is worth knowing about.
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Denny’s Broccoli Menu Price
The Denny’s broccoli side dish typically costs around $2.99 to $4.99, depending on your location. Prices can vary by state and even by individual franchise. Some locations in larger cities price it slightly higher. A few areas still have it available through dinner combo options where you pick two sides with a main.
It’s worth noting that Denny’s prices aren’t locked in nationally — the chain is heavily franchised, so the guy running the Denny’s near you has some flexibility. The broccoli side has been priced around that $3–$4 range consistently across most markets.
One thing worth knowing: if you order a dinner entrée that comes with “two sides,” broccoli is usually one of the choices. So sometimes you’re not paying for it directly at all — it just comes as part of your plate. That’s actually the best way to get it, calorie-for-calorie and dollar-for-dollar.
Tip: Always check the local Denny’s menu online or ask your server if broccoli is available at your specific location. Not every location carries it year-round.
What You Actually Get
The broccoli side at Denny’s is a 4 oz (roughly 113g) serving of steamed broccoli florets. That’s about a cup of broccoli — a decent portion for a side dish.
It comes plain. No butter, no oil, no sauce by default. Some locations will bring it with a small ramekin of ranch or cheese dip on request, but the base item itself is just steamed vegetable.
This simplicity is actually the point. It’s one of the cleanest sides on Denny’s menu, which otherwise trends toward fried, heavy, or carb-loaded.
Denny’s Broccoli Nutrition Facts
Here’s the full nutritional breakdown for one serving of Denny’s broccoli side (approximately 4 oz / 113g):
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 35 |
| Total Fat | 0g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 150mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 5g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3g |
| Net Carbs | 2g |
| Sugar | 1g |
| Protein | 3g |
Key takeaways from these numbers:
- 35 calories is extremely low. For context, a side of Denny’s seasoned fries runs around 340–400 calories. The broccoli gives you less than a tenth of that.
- 0g fat — no oil, no butter in the base preparation.
- 3g of fiber is solid for a small side dish. Fiber keeps you full, helps digestion, and 11% of your daily value in one side is not bad at all.
- 150mg sodium is on the moderate side. Not alarming, but worth knowing if you’re watching sodium closely.
- 2g net carbs makes this legitimately keto-friendly.
How Denny’s Broccoli Compares to Other Sides
This is where things get interesting. A lot of people pick sides on autopilot — whatever sounds good. But when you line up the options side by side, the broccoli choice looks very different.
| Side Dish | Approx. Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | 35 | 0g | 5g |
| Seasoned Fries | ~350 | ~15g | ~48g |
| Mashed Potatoes | ~170 | ~6g | ~28g |
| Onion Rings | ~400 | ~20g | ~50g |
| Garden Side Salad (no dressing) | ~60 | ~1g | ~8g |
| Corn | ~130 | ~2g | ~28g |
The broccoli side wins on almost every metric if you’re going light. The garden salad without dressing is the only real competitor, but once you add dressing — even a light one — you’re often looking at 150+ calories anyway.
Is Denny’s Broccoli Actually Good?
Here’s the honest answer: it’s fine. It’s not going to be the best broccoli of your life. It’s steamed, simple, and a little plain. The florets are usually tender but not mushy, and the portion is consistent.
One thing that’s easy to overlook: steamed broccoli at a diner like Denny’s is cooked and held warm, so it doesn’t have that fresh-from-the-stove texture. If you’ve had amazing roasted broccoli at home or at a nicer restaurant, this isn’t that. But as a clean, low-calorie side to balance out a heavier main dish — it does exactly what it’s supposed to do.
A lot of people who eat at Denny’s regularly (frequent travelers, night shift workers, people who just love diner food) keep broccoli in mind when they’re ordering something heavier like a steak skillet or a burger. It rounds out the plate without adding much.
Where Broccoli Shows Up Across Denny’s Menu
The steamed broccoli side isn’t the only place broccoli appears. It also shows up in a couple of other ways:
1. Bourbon Chicken Skillet This is a popular entrée — grilled chicken breast with a bourbon glaze, served over seasoned red potatoes and broccoli. The broccoli here is part of the dish, not an add-on. It adds texture and color to an otherwise heavy skillet meal.
2. Broccoli & Cheddar Soup This is a different product entirely. It’s a creamy soup with broccoli and cheddar cheese — and the nutrition profile is completely different. One serving of the Broccoli & Cheddar Soup at Denny’s has around 370 calories, 16g of fat, and 48g of carbohydrates. Good soup, but don’t confuse it with the plain broccoli side if you’re tracking calories.
3. Holiday Turkey Bundle Denny’s has offered fresh broccoli as one of the selectable sides in its seasonal holiday turkey bundle — alongside corn and mac and cheese. It’s not always available, but it’s appeared in their Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings.
Who Should Order the Broccoli Side?
Practically speaking, here’s who gets the most out of it:
- People on a calorie deficit — 35 calories is almost nothing. You can eat the broccoli, enjoy a proper filling dinner entrée, and not feel like you blew your budget.
- Low-carb or keto eaters — 2g net carbs makes this one of the very few sides at Denny’s that works on keto without any workarounds.
- People with diabetes — the low sugar content and high fiber ratio means it won’t spike blood sugar significantly.
- Kids — some parents use it as a side swap when ordering from the kids menu, though availability varies.
Where it doesn’t make sense: if you’re very hungry and the broccoli is your only side. At 35 calories and 3g of protein, it won’t fill you up on its own. Pair it with a protein-heavy main or another side.
How to Make the Broccoli Side Work For You
A few practical tips from people who order it regularly:
Ask for sauce on the side. The broccoli comes plain, but a lot of servers will bring ranch or cheese dip on request. Just know that a packet of ranch adds about 130–150 calories, which can quickly erase the calorie savings. A small squeeze of lemon juice (ask nicely) adds almost no calories and brightens up the flavor a lot.
Use it as a dinner entrée swap. Many Denny’s dinner plates come with two sides. Pick broccoli as one of them and something like mashed potatoes or corn as the other. You get a balanced plate without going overboard.
Don’t expect much seasoning. If you need your vegetables to be interesting, you might be disappointed. Ask for pepper at the table. Some locations will season it lightly with salt, but it’s not consistent.
Denny’s Broccoli vs. Broccoli & Cheddar Soup — Which Is Healthier?
People mix these two up a lot, so it’s worth being clear:
| Broccoli Side | Broccoli & Cheddar Soup | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 35 | 370 |
| Fat | 0g | 16g |
| Carbs | 5g | 48g |
| Protein | 3g | 9g |
| Fiber | 3g | moderate |
The soup is good — hearty and filling — but it’s not a “healthy” option by any standard metric. The plain broccoli side is dramatically lower in everything. If you’re specifically choosing between the two for health reasons, the steamed broccoli wins by a mile.
Does Denny’s Broccoli Fit a Special Diet?
- Vegetarian: Yes
- Vegan: Yes (the base preparation uses no animal products)
- Gluten-free: Yes — plain steamed broccoli contains no gluten
- Keto: Yes (2g net carbs)
- Dairy-free: Yes (in its base form — skip the cheese dip)
- Low-sodium diet: Moderate caution (150mg sodium per serving)
Final Thoughts
The broccoli side at Denny’s is one of those quiet options that often gets overlooked. It’s not flashy, it’s not loaded with cheese or sauce, and it doesn’t get promoted much. But for people who are trying to eat smart at a diner — and sometimes you just need to eat at a diner — it’s a genuinely useful side.
At around $3–$5 and only 35 calories, it’s one of the better deals on the menu from a health standpoint. Pair it with something like a grilled chicken dish or a salmon entrée and you have a surprisingly balanced diner meal.
Just don’t go expecting anything fancy. It’s steamed broccoli. But at Denny’s, it might be exactly what you need.
The broccoli side at Denny’s is one of those quiet options that often gets overlooked. It’s not flashy, it’s not loaded with cheese or sauce, and it doesn’t get promoted much. But for people who are trying to eat smart at a diner — and sometimes you just need to eat at a diner — it’s a genuinely useful side.
At around $3–$5 and only 35 calories, it’s one of the better deals on the menu from a health standpoint. Pair it with something like a grilled chicken dish or a salmon entrée and you have a surprisingly balanced diner meal.
Just don’t go expecting anything fancy. It’s steamed broccoli. But at Denny’s, it might be exactly what you need.
Read More: Denny’s Soup of the Day Menu Price, Calories & Nutrition Facts (2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Denny’s broccoli menu price?
The steamed broccoli side at Denny’s typically costs between $2.99 and $4.99, depending on location. Many dinner entrées include it as a selectable side at no extra charge.
How many calories are in Denny’s broccoli?
One serving (about 4 oz) of Denny’s steamed broccoli contains approximately 35 calories.
Does Denny’s broccoli have butter or seasoning?
By default, no. The broccoli is steamed plain. You can request salt, pepper, or a side sauce, but the base item itself has no added fat or heavy seasoning.
Is Denny’s broccoli the same as Broccoli & Cheddar Soup?
No — these are two different menu items. The broccoli side is plain steamed broccoli. The Broccoli & Cheddar Soup is a creamy soup with 370 calories. They share an ingredient, not a nutrition profile.
Can I get broccoli as a side with any meal at Denny’s?
It’s available as a dinner side, and many entrées let you choose it as one of your included sides. Availability can vary by location, so it’s worth checking your local menu.
