It's Tough (But Not Impossible) To Eat Vegan At Texas Roadhouse

Heading to Texas Roadhouse as a vegan is a bit like showing up to a BBQ with prepacked veggies and tofu. In the end, your options are going to be quite limited, and you're probably going to feel a little left out. Still, if your friends or family have picked this chain for dinner, you can modify your order to make it work for your diet. 

Texas Roadhouse does not offer Beyond Meat, tofu, tempeh, or any other hearty vegan-friendly protein. That said, you're not entirely out of luck. Despite all of Texas Roadhouse's popular appetizers not being vegan, the best plan is to stick to the sides that are offered at the restaurant. Asking for a house salad with no cheese, no croutons, and either oil and vinegar or a lemon wedge for dressing is an easy appetizer. Supplement your meal with a plain baked potato or sweet potato. It's important to say no butter or sour cream. Alternatively, you can ask for cinnamon and brown sugar to go with the sweet potato for a little extra flavor. Also, you can order steamed veggies, but you'll need to request that the cook steam the veggies without lemon pepper butter. Applesauce is another easy option; this one doesn't require any changes.

Keep in mind that vegans are not Texas Roadhouse's audience with its menu. But if you walk in knowing what you are limited to, it is possible to get something on the table that aligns with your diet. After all, if you're a vegan going to Texas Roadhouse, you're there to socialize more than anything else.

While some items on the menu can sound vegan-friendly, many of them are cooked with hidden animal products. Green beans, for example, are prepared with bacon. More surprising is the seasoned rice that uses chicken broth. The sautéed mushrooms are cooked in butter, which eliminates them as a vegan option. While the fries are initially vegan, the restaurant shares the frying oil with non-vegan options, so it is possible to have fries, but it's risky.

As a general rule with Texas Roadhouse, cross-contamination is an issue to be aware of. Ultimately, Texas Roadhouse does not have dedicated vegan cooking equipment, so it's safe to assume that anything grilled or fried could come into contact with meat or dairy.

It's going to be an uphill battle but these little details can easily trip someone up when they assume a dish is plant-based. That said, it can be worth the time to request ingredient removals or preparation changes. After all, common ordering mistakes at Texas Roadhouse happen from not asking about anything.

Since Texas Roadhouse isn't a vegan-friendly restaurant, you should keep your expectations low. But with a careful approach and a focus on sides that can be modified, it's possible to get through a meal there without going completely hungry (despite Texas Roadhouse removing its peanuts).