Since 1981, LongHorn Steakhouse has been a beacon of high-quality grilled steaks and American cuisine. But we’re more than just a restaurant. We’re an experience. With over 500 locations across the United States, each LongHorn Steakhouse is a unique blend of rustic decor and dim lighting, creating a cosy dining environment that’s perfect for any occasion.
From tender sirloin to robust ribeyes, LongHorn’s menu features a variety of expertly grilled steaks, complemented by grilled meats, salads, soups, and appetizers. As a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., LongHorn Steakhouse upholds a dedication to quality and community engagement, making it a favourite among steak enthusiasts and casual diners nationwide.
You may ask why a vegan would go to a place like Longhorn Steakhouse. Well, if his friends invite him! Why do I have such friends who crave steak? Since it shouldn’t be the reason to end a friendship, I checked out what is vegan at Longhorn Steakhouse before I accepted the invitation. Well, I wasn’t surprised. There are no real vegan options at Longhorn Steakhouse except some side dishes.
Let’s dive into the details!
What are the vegan options at Longhorn Steakhouse?
I would modify the question to: Is there anything vegan at Longhorn Steakhouse? Yes, but actually, not really. What does it mean? You won’t starve to death at the restaurant chain; however, there is no point in going there as a vegan. Here is the whole list of potential vegan options at Longhorn Steakhouse:
- Plain baked potatoes
- Plain Sweet potatoes
- Seasoned french fries
- Seasoned rice with vegetables
- Freshly baked bread
- Fresh steamed broccoli
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts
- Fresh steamed asparagus
- Various salads, if you exclude animal ingredients
- sodas, lemonades, iced teas
- Drinks and cocktails.
And that’s all of them. Also, it is important to note that, they add butter literally for everything, so you have to specify your order even if it is just steamed broccoli.
Baked potatoes and sweet potatoes
Unfortunately, loaded potatoes are full of non-vegan ingredients. Baked potatoes come with bacon, butter, and dairy cream. Baked sweet potatoes go with butter and sugared cinnamon. You can try them with only a cinnamon coating.
Seasoned french fries
Luckily, french fries at Longhorn Steakhouse are at least considered vegan if you don’t mind the cross-contamination, unlike McDonald’s’ for example.
Seasoned rice
This is probably the best plant-based option at Longhorn Steakhouse. Somehow, they do not use butter to make the rice, which is a great surprise. Also, the seasoning is quite good, and there are many different vegetables and herbs in the dish.
Steamed vegetables
Steamed broccoli and asparagus are pretty healthy choices and very welcome at Longhorn Steakhouse. However, broccoli comes with seasoned butter, so you have to specify at the time of ordering that you don’t need animal ingredients.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts
They use butter to make it, so first, you have to ask if they can make it without it. If they can, then it is also a pretty good vegan option.
Salads
There are many different salad options at Longhorn Steakhouse, but they will be pretty much the same if you exclude the animal ingredients. Also, the restaurant doesn’t have any plant-based dressings, which is a surprise. Even balsamic vinegar contains dairy. How awful. So, I wouldn’t recommend any salad at Longhorn Steakhouse since that means nothing but some plain mixed greens with some exceptions. These are the most exciting vegan salad options:
- Strawberry & Pecan Salad: Farm-fresh field greens loaded with fresh strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, and candied pecans. (No feta, dressing)
- Mixed Greens Salad: Farm fresh field greens topped with fresh-cut tomatoes and cucumbers. (No cheese, no dressing, no croutons)
There is no point in touching any other salads since they will be the same or even more plain.
Longhorn Steakhouse in a nutshell as a vegan
To be honest, after some research, I decided it wasn’t worth visiting Longhorn Steakhouse as a vegan, so I declined this invitation. According to Longhorn’s website and allergenic guidelines, all of the items listed above can be vegan; however, I haven’t tried it. But actually, Longhorn still looks a little bit better than other similar steakhouses for example Texas Roadhouse or Outback Steakhouse
